When you have a baby, your entire life changes. But let's face it, for a woman, it is not just your life that changes; your body also goes through a dramatic transformation. You gain a significant amount of weight during the pregnancy, and so it is not totally surprising to find out that one of the most common questions related to life after child birth, is how to lose the baby weight after pregnancy.
If you are a new mother, you are probably wondering why it is taking you so long to lose the baby weight, and if your post pregnancy weight is ever going to return to normal. Of course, it doesn't help when you compare yourself to celebrity moms out there who are losing the post pregnancy weight in no time. I'm sure you caught yourself asking how did Alicia Keys lose her baby weight so fast? If so, what I don't want you to do is give up and attempt to convince yourself that the privilege of losing pregnancy weight is only reserved to those few out in Hollywood. This is simply not true. If you follow the tips I am about to give you, you can lose the baby weight too. So without much more blabbing, here are 10 weight loss tips you can follow if you want to lose post pregnancy weight
How do I lose the baby weight?
Start slow: Although you may be very anxious to get involved in a weight loss crash course program, or some type of fat loss pills immediately after your pregnancy, I would say slow your roll a little bit. Keep in mind that your body just went through a lot and it deserves time to recuperate. It has been shown that the average weight gain during pregnancy is between 25 and 35 pounds, and that right after giving birth, the mother loses about 10 to 15 pound of baby weight. That should leave you with about 10 to 25 pounds of post pregnancy weight to lose in the coming several months (which should be achievable), so the first rule is don't go nuts the very first week after child birth. You have months ahead of you.
Breastfeed: Breastfeeding after pregnancy can help you reduce the fat and drop the baby weight, because it burns extra calories in order to make milk. It has been shown that breastfeeding burns approximately five hundred calories per day, and it is obviously very good for the child. So you are essentially killing two birds with one stone.
Load up on healthy snacks: You know you will be spending a lot of time around the house, so you will definitely feel hungry between meals. What do you do then? Pack up the kitchen cabinets with healthy snacks. Get rid of the soda. It does not have its place in the house, especially now more than ever, when you are trying to lose the pregnancy weight. Buy organic honey and probiotic yogurt (to help aid your digestive functions and facilitate bowel movements).
Drink a ton of water: Filtered water should be your best friend. People do not drink enough water and it is a big mistake. As a rule of thumb, drink about half your body weight in ounce of water. So for instance if your weight is 150 lbs, drink at least 75 ounces of water daily. A good pointer is, if your urine is yellow, that means you are not hydrating well enough. Systematically replace all sugary drinks with water and you should see an increase in post pregnancy weight loss.
Exercise when the kid is napping: Caring for a baby can be extremely time consuming, but what is worst is that it can create a spiral when your first excuse is that you have no time left to exercise because you are caring for the baby. Here is the best way to get out of that pickle. Break up your exercise routines into segment. It is very difficult to find a full half hour to exercise when you have a newborn, so break up one workout into two sessions of 15 minutes each. Do the workout when the baby is napping. Most babies take at least two naps daily. Learn their schedule and start planning your workout when they are getting their nap on. The first session can be a 15 minute of aerobic workout and then when you come back later for the second round, do some toning exercises, such as thigh toning workout or squats or lunges.
Increase your intake of vegetables, fruits and whole grain: Many weight loss tips recommend healthy diet but what is a healthy diet really? Well, foods that are high in fiber content for instance fall in that category. They will help you stay full much longer, preventing you from eating large meals at each sitting. Also, pack up on broccoli, carrots, beets, etc. Don't forget the fruits, but make sure they are organic. They are a great source of minerals and vitamins, which your post pregnancy body so much needs
Take the baby out for a stroll: In addition to all the other tips, you should get in the habit of taking the baby out for a stroll around the block. Any little bit of exercise activity can help.
Avoid going on a strict diet: Women require at least 1,200 calories per day in order to stay healthy, so the worst is to get involved into some crash diet that deprives you of the necessary nutrients your body needs in order to nourish the baby through breastfeeding.
Eat four to six small meals a day: I know having a newborn baby is a full time responsibility and so sometimes, you may be so caught up taking care of the kid that you forget to eat. This means you end up eating only one large meal during the day. Well, this will not help you lose the baby weight. There is no better weight loss tips than to eat several small healthy meals a day.
Stay away from sit ups: Many moms out there continue to mistakenly do hundreds of crunches daily, under the notion that it would reduce the fat accumulated around the waist area as a result of the pregnancy. No, this does not work. There is no such thing as spot fat loss reducing. Beware of any weight loss tips that are promising you to lose weight in only one area of your body; that is simply not going to happen. Instead, replace the sit ups with jump rope exercises that you can perform even in your living room while watching the baby. Set your Gymboss for 10 minute of jump rope non-stop, and then stretch nicely afterward. You will be thankful for doing this regularly.
That's it ladies. Hopefully these weight loss tips have armed you with a better understand of how get rid of the baby weight post pregnancy. Remember, taking small steps do add up, but taking no steps is a sure way to drag that baby weight around for as long as possible. So start making changes today. Good luck!
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