Postpartum
Do Postpartum Ladoos Cause Weight Gain?
Not on their own. The number you eat is what matters.
Short answer
On their own, no. They are dense, so several a day on top of full meals can add up. In the first weeks your body needs the energy. Eat them, enjoy them, and keep the count honest.
In many Indian families, new mothers are given gond or panjiri ladoos every day after the birth.
Family says to eat them. Online advice often says they cause weight gain.
Both are partly right.
What the ladoos are for
These ladoos are made with ghee, nuts, jaggery and whole grains. They were made for a mother who is recovering and feeding a baby, and who needs a lot of energy from a small amount of food.
That logic still holds. After birth your body is repairing itself. And if you are breastfeeding, you need about 450 to 500 extra calories a day 1.
So do they cause weight gain
No single food does. Weight changes when you eat more than you use, over weeks 2.
But ladoos are dense. Ghee, nuts and jaggery pack a lot of calories into one small ladoo. Two a day on top of three full meals, plus ghee in everything else, can go past what you need.
So what matters is how many you eat, and what they replace.
How many is enough
There is no official number. A simple rule works. Think of a ladoo as a snack, not as an extra.
One with your chai instead of biscuits. Not three after a full lunch.
This is not the time to diet
Your body is recovering, and you may be making milk. Both take energy and protein. In our coaching, weight loss dieting waits until the early weeks are behind you.
Weight loss can start later.
When family pushes food
Family members push food because they want to help. You do not need to argue.
Say yes to the ladoo. Say no to the second helping of everything else. Then ask for what helps most. Dal, sabzi, protein, and someone to hold the baby while you eat.
When to start moving
If you had a healthy pregnancy and a normal vaginal delivery, it is usually safe to begin gentle activity soon after birth, when you feel ready. After a caesarean or a complicated birth, ask your doctor first 3.
Start with walks and pelvic floor work, and add more as you recover.
What to remember
- Ladoos do not cause weight gain on their own.
- They are dense, so the count matters.
- Have one as a snack, not as an extra on top of full meals.
- Breastfeeding needs about 450 to 500 extra calories a day.
- The early weeks are for recovery, not for dieting.
Want this built around your own week?
A free call. No pressure, no card.
Tanvi Parikh. Certified Fitness Coach (NASM CPFT, CSFNS) and founder of TNV Method.
Sources
TNV Method is coaching and education, not medical advice. Talk to your doctor before changing medication or starting a new plan.