How to Lose That Stubborn Post Baby Weight
Babies are truly sweet little blessings. For most people, they are met with delight and joy in joining a new family. For moms, this new little person brings a lot of responsibility and a lack of sleep, but their happiness generally outweighs this part of the newborn life. The not so happy part about newborn life, usually revolves around the mom’s new post baby body.
After giving birth, a lot of women believe that their bodies will snap back to pre pregnancy shape in a few weeks, but for the majority of women, this is not the case. It can be frustrating to be months postpartum and still be carrying around a few extra pounds. To help you get started in your weight loss efforts, take a look at these tips for losing more weight after the baby arrives.
Breastfeed (If Possible)
Breastfeeding is not always a possibility, but if it is for you, it can be a great way to drop some weight. Breastfeeding can burn between 500 and 800 calories a day. That’s a lot! If breastfeeding or pumping is a possibility for your lifestyle, then it can be a great way to get the weight loss ball rolling.
Lift Weights
After baby, you may find a lot of skin that is softer and rounder than it used to be. A great way to help this is to pick up the habit of weightlifting. Weights are a great way to tone the muscle, burn more calories, and add significant definition to your body. Start small, perhaps with handheld weights, and then move on to bigger and heavier weights as your body is able.
Don’t Eat Like You’re Pregnant
You may have been one of those that used pregnancy as an excuse to eat as you like. Chips and sweets became a little (or a lot!) more normal than they used to be. Now that baby is here, it’s time to cut back again. If you are a nursing mom, be careful of cutting back since your baby needs calories as well. A great way to get back on track is not to diet, but rather to eat a healthy and well balanced diet. Stick to fruits, veggies, and lean proteins. Shy away from sweets and salty treats. Even if you can’t quite cut back on the number of calories you take in, make sure that the calories are quality, and you may find a little more weight begin to drop.
Ease Into Exercise
After baby gets here, you may be tempted to workout hard and fast in order to get a jump on the weight loss. This almost never works. Your body isn’t ready for that level of fitness. Instead, get back into it slowly. Ease back into it with gentle stretching and easy walking. Work your way back to your previous fitness level instead of jumping back into it. A gradual approach may help you sustain success over a long period of time.
A baby makes a wonderful addition to life, but post baby bodies are a little less exciting. In order to get a jump start on your post baby body, use these tips to get started on the right path. Before you know it, you’ll be able to enjoy your baby and your healthy body for a new and exciting part of life.
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Used under Creative Commons Licensing courtesy of Michaela Cash Patel