Losing Pregnancy Weight - 5 Practical Do’s and Don’ts
Exercise is the last thing on a new mom’s thoughts when she’s busy with her new born. Of course, some moms eventually start losing pregnancy weight natuarally from breastfeeding but many of us aren’t so lucky and end up either resorting to fad diets or living in procrastination and denial. Don’t get trapped into a unsuccessful cycle when trying to trim your tummy - use these top five do’s and don’ts to help you lose the baby fat.
1. Don’t deprive yourself of a treat. When I first started to cut out bad foods from my diet it was hard to go cold turkey. If you are setting up your new eating plan after having a baby for losing pregnancy weight, you can slowly introduce healthy recipes for you and your family. From time to time, you can reward your efforts with your favorite guilty pleasure but make sure you stick to eating healthy.
2. Do make sure you snack properly. It’s okay to slip in a treat every once and a while, but make sure it’s still worth your while. Having a chocolate covered protein or granola bar will always be better than having a sugar packed chocolate candy bar. Every little detail can help when losing the pregnancy weight.
3. Don’t forget to stretch. Getting your body back to normal after having a baby can be hard. Your hips could hurt or your arms are tired. Stretching helps when losing pregnancy weight because it helps build and repair the muscles. Yoga at home or just a series of simple stretches at work will help you keep relaxed.
4. Do incorporate some resistance training. Alternate your jogging days with some resistance exercises such as crunches on an Bosu ball or dumbbell lunges. Resistance training is an effective method for losing pregnancy weight to get quick results because each exercise works several muscle groups and this burns more fat. Instead of going to a gym, try and get an exercise ball or light weights for your home and that way you can workout while watching TV or listening to your iPod.
5. Don’t avoid hitting the sack early. It can be hard to get a full night’s sleep with little ones around but try and schedule in some naptime. An accumulation of lack of sleep can lead to mental, physical and emotional fatigue, which can have a negative impact on your efforts at losing the pregnancy weight.
No matter how you’ve decided to go about losing the pregnancy weight, make sure you take care of yourself. These do’s and don’ts simply help you stay focused and relaxed at the same time. It can be super stressful being a new mom but just remember to take time to breathe and take things one day at a time.