Introduction
Your bundle of joy has arrived and now that your life is beginning to return to some semblance of normal, short of the sleep deprivation, most new moms are wondering about how they are going to get their bodies back into their pre-pregnancy state. Even when they are so tired and don’t seem to have time enough to take a shower let alone start an exercise program or hit the gym, it’s still on their mind. So what’s a new mom to do?
Don’t fret mommy, below you will find some tried and true methods of losing that baby weight that won’t overwhelm you and won’t take time away from your little one either.
8 Tips On How To Lose That Baby Weight
- Forget About Dieting – Fad diets or deprivation diets are not the way to go if you want to lose those extra pounds and keep them off. Eating healthy non processed foods is the quickest, healthiest and most long lasting method of weight loss. Staying away from processed foods will eliminate high fructose foods containing solid fats and sugary sweeteners with little nutritional value.
- Add Superfoods To Your Diet – Choosing healthy proteins like lean cuts of meat, poultry, fish and beans are excellent sources of nutrition, but fish such as salmon and trout are two examples of “superfoods”. There are many types of “superfoods” you should include in your daily diet, here are some tasty ones you can include; blueberries, Greek yogurt, eggs, almonds, pumpkin, apples, beans, cranberries, leeks, lentils, cauliflower, kale, beets, spinach, pistachios, and watermelon are just some of the delicious “superfoods” you can enjoy eating. Don’t forget the superfood spices too such as ginger and garlic to add some flavor to your meals.
- Get Yourself Moving – New moms are often very sleep deprived and quite frankly the body requires time to heal after childbirth, especially if you had a cesarean section delivery before you can even begin to think about exercising. But what you can do is begin walking as soon as possible, even if it’s just walking the floors in your home or apartment or once around the block to start out with. Try increasing the distance each day as long as it is not causing any bleeding and by your six weeks check-up you will be prepared to begin a regular cardio exercise routine. Pushing a stroller for a mile or two is an excellent way of getting the baby out for some fresh air and sunshine, and will burn up to 150 calories. Getting outside and seeing other people can help to prevent post partum depression too.
- Breastfeeding Your Baby – Breastfeeding burns about 600 to 800 calories a day, so not only is it good for your baby but it helps mother’s bodies to heal after child birth contracting uterine muscles and aiding in loss of baby weight gained during pregnancy. While breastfeeding the mother will typically need to add an additional 500 calories to her diet to accommodate for her breastfeeding infant. Many women find that they are able to take off those pregnancy pounds quite easily from breastfeeding.
- Stay Well Hydrated – Drinking enough water is critical to weight loss and is even more important if you are breastfeeding. You should drink at least one glass of water every time you breast feed to stay well hydrated and keep your milk production at normal rates.
- Get Proper Amounts of Sleep – This can be easier said than done for new parents, but it is important to get at least seven hours a day of sleep even if that means taking naps with the baby throughout the day and night. Seven hours of uninterrupted sleep is best, but let’s face it, it may be quite some time before you and baby will be sleeping through the night.
- Join or Form a New Moms Group – If you have friends who are new mothers too you might want to form an exercise group where mother and child can get in some light exercise and some social time as well. Staying in touch with friends can help motivate you to stay fit and healthy and provide you with social interaction with others which can be good for your mood and relieve stress.
- Weight Training Helps With Metabolism – As a new mom it’s unlikely that you’ll have time to go to the gym for a while, but you don’t need to go to the gym or buy any special equipment to do weight lifting exercises. You can hold your baby to your chest while doing lunges, or lie flat on the floor lifting your baby up and down to your chest. You can do lunges behind the stroller as you walk or run pushing the stroller. If you can afford it, hiring a postnatal personal trainer to create a workout routine can be very useful and information learned can be shared with your new moms group.
