Tips For Losing Pregnancy Weight

Diaper bag... check, Wipes....check, stroller... check, baby... check, extended belly and buffalo butt??? check. :(

If you have had children, unless you happen to have a trainer and a chef, or else have a crazy high metabolism, then chances are you have experienced how difficult it can be to lose weight after pregnancy. Face it... your body just changes. It looks different, it hangs different, and you probably have fat in places you never knew existed before.

Many women simply accept these changes as just a part of life. Seriously, when you have a new baby, who really wants to focus on getting back in shape? You have this cute little person to stare at and play with all day. Who wants to take time away from their baby to exercise???

But does it really have to be that way? Do you really have to choose one or the other? Do you really have to completely change everything about your life to finally get your body back?

I am here to tell you that you CAN have both. Believe it or not, it doesn't take that many changes to slowly accomplish your weight loss goals. The key is consistency; you can't lose it all over night. And no matter what anyone says, including your OB, you should start your weight loss goals on your own time schedule, not someone else's time schedule.

Make sure you do get the ok from your doctor before starting any weight loss program; 4-6 weeks after birth is a good rule of thumb.

Here are 7 tips that I have personally used to lose more than 50 pounds after my first pregnancy:

1) Drink water like it is going out of style.

Seriously. Especially if you are breastfeeding. I have heard people discredit how important water is saying that you can over hydrate yourself, and while that IS theoretically possible, it is by FAR more likely that you are dehydrated. You have to basically work, HARD, at becoming too hydrated for it to happen. Pregnancy takes a toll on your body, and your body cannot fully recuperate properly without enough water. Your body also can't focus on losing all that pregnancy weight without enough water either. It takes water to lose your build up of water weight in your system. So make sure to drink up. Try to drink just plain old water too if you can stomach it; It's better not to drink the extra calories. Try to drink a tall cold glass of water first thing in the morning right when you wake up. Not sure if it is just my imagination or not, but I have found that doing so tends to rev up your system and get it ready to burn those calories.

2) Buy a baby and mother yoga DVD... and use it! :)

I know for me, it can be very hard to carve out a lot of "me" time. And when I do have "me" time, the last thing I honestly want to do during it is exercise. I'd much rather read a good book or take a bubble bath. That is why I absolutely love the Yoga DVDs for mother and baby. You can then get in your exercise while spending quality time with your newborn. And Baby will love watching your face and having you on the floor with them too. It's truly a win-win. Much better than waiting for the planets to align you can run off to the gym.

3) Breastfeed if at all humanly possible.

I have been mortified to find out how many doctors have told my friends, "Why go through the trouble of breastfeeding, it's just as healthy to formula feed, just as good for your body, and a lot more convenient," when the facts do not support that at all. I wish doctors would at least tell women all the facts and then let them decide. If they still choose formula then that is their prerogative. But they should have all the facts first.

So, what does breastfeeding have to do with losing pregnancy weight? A lot. Not only does it have the best natural nutrients for your growing baby, but it also takes around 500 extra calories to produce the milk in the first place. Also, nursing helps the uterus contract and shrink back to it's original size faster, minimizing how long you still look pregnant after delivery. If that isn't enough motivation, consider this; the only vitamin "lacking" in breast milk is Vitamin D, the sunlight vitamin (because most mothers are lacking, not because the breast milk doesn't contain enough). What a great reason to make sure to get out the stroller and go for a walk in the park to make sure that both you and baby get your share of sunlight? Best of all, since breastfeeding has been shown to boost your child's immune system, you will spend less time caring for ear infections and colds, and have more days to chase your kids around and to take them outside, helping to melt that fat away.

As far as formula being more convenient? I can't speak for everyone, but I love the fact that there are no bottles to clean, no nipples to keep up with, no formula to mix, no running out of formula and having to run to the store, no trash, no clean up, and most of all, hardly any spit up. Also, once you get the hang of it, you can breastfeed virtually anywhere with no one the wiser.

Ok, I think I will stop rambling now... :) It really really does help get things going though.

4) Walk!!!

Not enough can be said about walking. It really doesn't get the attention it deserves. So many people will tell you that it takes exercising your butt off 5 days a week on a bowflex or at the gym to get back in shape. That just isn't true. Believe it or not, your body wants to return to it's pre-pregnancy weight. So, just moving is enough to get things going. Make sure to start off slow. Every little bit helps. Try taking the stairs more, or parking further away from the store. You can even walk around the perimeter of the grocery store before you start shopping, or do laps around your living room while the baby takes a nap. If you need an extra boost, why not carry your little one instead of using the stroller occasionally. Just an hour of carrying a 15 pound infant burns 246 calories for a woman who weighs 155 pounds. That can be easily attained if you just break that down to a few extra minutes throughout the day.

5) Keep taking your prenatals.

Taking your vitamins with help give your body everything it needs to lose the pregnancy weight. With the lack of sleep, and lack of time that come with being a new mom, it is easy to not get all the nutrients you need in your diet. Your body needs to know that it has all of the vitamins it needs on a daily basis before it will let go of all the stores it has created for your pregnancy. Taking your vitamins every day helps ensure that it does. What vitamins in particular help? It is thought that Vitamin E, Chromium Picolinate, and Vitamin B complex help aid it weight loss; so be sure that whatever prenatal you choose includes these essential vitamins.

6) Eat more fiber and good fat.

It takes fat to burn fat. Try adding more olive oil, nuts, and fish to your diet. Avocados are your friend!!! They are probably one of the most healthy things you can put in your mouth! Adding more good fat will help keep you fuller longer, and help aid in burning all of those fat stores that you no longer need.

For fiber, try using whole wheat flour instead of white, and eating lots of asparagus, broccoli, spinach and other green leafy veggies. Rather than taking stool softeners and laxatives, make sure to eat extra fruits too. No, the carbs won't kill you. :) Fruit is good for you!! Also, try to buy some flax seed mill and add it to your yogurt, cereal, oatmeal, or even pancake mix. When you are backed up, and feel bloated, you don't want to exercise or move around. So, do your body a favor and get more fiber!

7) Get rid of all the artificial crap!!!!

Put down the low fat margarine, get away from the low calorie snack cakes, and spit out the diet coke. Have you ever noticed that most of the people who eat all that stuff are over weight??? It is far better to eat a little bit of real butter, than to slab on a plethora of the low calorie margarine that is nothing more than hydrogenated oil. In case you were ever curious about what all is actually in margarine spread, this a list of ingredients in Smart Balance Margarine:

NATURAL OIL BLEND (PALM FRUIT, SOYBEAN, CANOLA, AND OLIVE OILS), WATER, CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF SALT, WHEY (FROM MILK), VEGETABLE MONOGLYCERIDES AND SORBITAN ESTER OF FATTY ACIDS (EMULSIFIERS), SOYBEAN LECITHIN, POTASSIUM SORBATE, LACTIC ACID (TO PROTECT FRESHNESS), NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, CALCIUM DISODIUM EDTA, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, VITAMIN B6, VITAMIN B12, VITAMIN D, VITAMIN E (TOCOPHEROL ACETATE), BETA-CAROTENE COLOR

What is in butter?

Cream, Salt, and Milk. I'll take the butter please. :)

On a similar note... a little bit of sugar is also not as bad as the artificial sweeteners that I really believe cause cancer. After you have just had a baby, your body needs as much natural food as possible. Not chemicals. The same thing goes for diet coke. I have even heard this supposed "health guru" tell a room full of people that he lost weight by drinking diet coke all day long. The calories saved by drinking diet coke compared to regular coke may cause you drop a few pounds if you are used to drinking an enormous amount of soda, true. However, the chemicals that you are ingesting are not improving your health one iota. If your intention is just losing pregnancy weight, then by all means drink the diet coke. However, if you strive to be both thin and healthy, so you can run around with you new bundle of joy and live a long healthy life, then do yourself a favor and stop drinking all the diet drinks. Get hooked on water, natural tea, or even smoothies made with honey. Your body will thank you later.

It can be quite difficult to lose those extra pregnancy pounds. Hopefully these few pointers will help get you on your way to your own weight loss and fitness goals. Just remember to start off slow, focusing more on just getting some form of exercise at least 30 minutes or so a day, not on training for the Iron Man. Drink lots of water and make sure to eat your fats, fiber, veggies and fruits, especially avocados. Good luck and here's to losing that pregnancy weight for good!

Losing Pregnancy Weight [http://www.losing-pregnancy-weight.com/]

My Personal Struggle with Weight [http://www.losing-pregnancy-weight.com/pregnancy-weight-loss/losing-weight-is-hard-losing-pregnancy-weight-is-harder]

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