5 Steps for Moms to Get Rid of Pregnancy Weight
So 9 months (maybe more, maybe less) of sheer H-E double hockey sticks and sheer agony, you’re a proud new mommy. It’s a great thing and a time to celebrate, but once the hype dies down and you look at yourself…you wonder how the heck you are going to get rid of that belly?
There are a few simple things post-pregnancy women can do, and it’s all common sense! You’ve probably heard all these from your doctor, but I’ll restate them anyway!
1. Walk your baby!
Pretty simple, really. Your baby loves to see the world, get fresh air, or to just snooze on a walk. Throw them in a stroller and take a walk twice a day, it gets you out of the house and is great exercise! (Don’t really throw them in, place them down gently.)
2. Eat Right!
Eating correctly couldn’t be more important anytime in your life, especially for new mothers breast feeding. Now is not the time to start the Atkins diet! You and your baby, need carbs and fats, so eat healthy and so will your baby! If you haven’t kicked the chips, pop, and candy habit now would be a good time to try!
3. Midnight Snack…
Hormonal women have a tendency to want some very strange things. I’ve witnessed this myself, especially being awoken at 3:00 AM sharp, to find my wife locked onto me with a death-ray stare. Followed by a trip to the store for Key-Lime Pie and Fire Red Dorito’s (a trigger food of mine, by the way). Try to keep these cravings at bay! Food at night is barely used, you’re not actively burning calories. So, it gets stored as fat!
4. Baby Weight!
Most women take for granted, during pregnancy, how much blood, sweat, and tears is involved with an infant. Running here, running there, baby’s crying. Some are lucky enough to have a 2-story house, with the baby’s room upstairs. Think of this as exercise! You can make up to 50 trips up and down the stairs every day, that’s a lot of cardio! Or just walking around the house after your toddler. Don’t just plop down on the coach and waist away for hours on end.
5. Set Goals!
Setting goals for yourself to overcome both acts is a good way to record your progress, but also gives you something to “shoot for” week by week. Knowing a challenge and trying to overcome it can bring out the best in people, so set yourself a list of goals to overcome and start crossing them off one-by-one! Things like weight goals, fitting into your favorite pair of pants, cutting a few inches off your waist are a start. Be specific and stay on top of your book keeping!
With these simple steps most women can be back to themselves in no time at all! Be careful and always talk to your doctor before starting any new weight loss program, and think about safety. If you’ve still got stitches healing, you probably shouldn’t try upside down hanging sit-ups!
Currently Pregnant or Expecting?
For those moms-to-be out there, I didn’t forget about you, it’s probably wise of you to start eating healthier and exercising now. It will make your pregnancy and recovery a whole lot easier! Simply walking everyday or doing some pregnancy-safe yoga is better than nothing.
Any more tips from moms out there, such as breast feeding? Please share them!
*Photo Courtesy of Dr sick Love
Basically the same things everybody needs to do to loose weight 🙂
Looks like it. Some of these celebs have been able to pull off amazing things. They have lots of help but they are the ones putting in the work (though having a nanny, trainer and chef helps). I have seen some great transformations from mothers though in decent amounts of time. Those moms have been motivational.
Like you said, the help they get due to having the cash helps tremendously. Plus, some of them do drastic short terms things to get back in to shape, then maintain with regular workouts. As long as they do healthy things, I guess it all works out in the end.
Yeah, besides breast feeding. lol.
Thanks for this informative article. I have a pregnant sister so I will tell her what to do and where to look for info
No problem.
I would of liked to see a few more things like ab stuff or light lifting to get that figure back…?
Matthew, weights of some sort should always be considered, but I wanted to start off lightly for the new mommies.
I think the most important issue is to follow a good diet after that. Most of the fats accumlated is due to the “goodies” downed during the pregnancy stage.
A diet that consists of fruits, veggies, and a balanced blend of proteins, carbs and fats is advised.
Setting goals is very important for results.
I agree.
As a new mom (well, 9 months ago she was born) I can tell you that finding the time to exercise and eat right is the biggest challenge, especially with a breast-fed baby who eats every 2 hours, day and night.
I gained 70lbs with my daughter (OMG!) and lost 35 almost right away within about 2 months without trying. I’ve struggled and managed to lose another 7 or so, but that still puts me close to needing to lose another 30 to get to pre-pregnancy weight.
I have a treadmill I used to use when she was small enough to put in a carrier and not kill my back. We do go for walks, but when you have a 4 year old too, you don’t move super fast during a walk.
And eating right, well, convenience food is often the only way to consume anything, and many of us are faced with budgets making fresh fruits and vegetables difficult to stock up on.
I recently bought a cardio DVD that I’m hoping I can do and my kids will enjoy it too because they can try and do some of the things right along with me. They both love to dance!
Thanks for the article!
Found you on Momdot BTW
Thanks for stopping by Kim. It’s hard but you need to put in the work. I know first hand how difficult it can be.
Nice List. Thanks for sharing. I will do your tips once I get pregnant.
I agree that the midnight snacks can be a huge problem when trying to get rid of pregnancy weight. My sister struggles with this constantly.
try Hypnobirthing .. relax and enjoy birthing
I’m a dad, not a mom, but when my kids were born, it seemed to increase my activity level at home. More stuff to do, and a baby to carry around. The secret to getting the time to exercise for moms is to get your husbands to take over your mom duties for that 1-2 hours you need to work out. Come on dads! Lets pitch in.
A good tip is not to eat well and not put too much weight on during pregnancy… it means you’ve got less to lose after giving birth! With breast feeding the weight comes off very quickly…
I really could have used this article when I was pregnant. these are great tips to stick to.
hi israel
my girlfriend has just gotten pregnant. After the first few week of being very happy, my girlfriend is starting to worry a bit about the weight. So i am collecting information about the area, great post
Peter
Peter, I am glad I can help. Congrats on the pregnancy!
Nice list – I was in DC the other week and saw a few mums jogging with their babies in the stroller. Looked like a pretty effective workout.
It’s a double wammy, the moms work out and they get to take the kids out for fresh air.
Good exersice
But make sure your weight is in proportion to your height before you make an attempt to conceive. Reports and studies have shown that underweight mothers tend to have babies with low birth weight.
During pregnancy it is very importan to eat the right food for you and your baby. Fruits are very essential during pregnancy. Also taking some vitamins too. But before taking any vitamins you should ask your health care provider of what kind of vitamins you and your baby needs.
Thanks for the tips. Of the main things that helped me was just learning to be more disciplined but I think your tips are right in line with that.
Yoga is also very good for loosing post-natal weight, it is safe, effective and fun. There are tons of postanatal workout DVDs available online, just read the reviews and get the ones that are suitable for you.