If the arrival of your new little bundle of joy has left you
with an unwanted bundle of extra pounds, don’t despair. With the right mindset,
and the right strategy, you will be back to your ideal weight sooner than you
think!
Babies are such a joy… but also require lots of energy,
time, and work! Not many moms can instantly revert to what life was like prior
to baby coming along, and that includes pre-pregnancy weight and often exercise
routines as well. You aren’t getting as
much sleep, you may be breastfeeding, you are recovering from birth and your
hormones are in flux.
Think about what you just went through; 9 months of growing
a life, your body changing, giving birth.
1. Be Patient. You didn’t gain all the weight at once, and
you won’t lose it all at once, either. Set
some realistic goals – maybe losing a pound a week, and 30 minutes of exercise
3 times a week – and focus on one day at a time.
2. Baby Steps. Your life is full of change, and it may be a
while before a new routine is established that you can count on. So take small
steps where you can to regain your health and lose extra pounds, and don’t
spend energy lamenting what you can’t do right now.
3. Be Realistic. A new baby is a lot of work. You need rest,
you need exercise, you need healthy meals. Ask for help to make sure your own health
doesn’t get pushed to the back of the line.
Here are some great ideas for helping you lose the extra
baby weight (even if your “baby” is now a teenager… never to late to start!)
·
Plan
regular meals. I know – I hear the hysterical laughter out there. The words
“plan” and “regular” aren’t often associated with babies. But you can have
salad ingredients washed, chopped and ready to go, microwave steam bags of
veggies in your freezer, fresh fruit on hand, and some healthy dairy snacks
like yogurt and string cheese to be sure you are always able to eat regular and
healthy meals and snacks. That helps your energy levels and metabolism. Don’t
forget the protein!
·
Be
creative with exercise. You may not
be able to work out the same ways you used to (for a while anyway), but that
doesn’t mean you can’t exercise!
o
As soon as you have clearance from your doctor,
you can start taking long walks around your neighborhood with the baby.
o
Use the baby as part of your weight resistance!
Pick him up and put him down to do waist bends, or arm exercise (keeping the
baby safe and secure at all times of course!)
o
Go up and down your stairs more times than you
have to just for the exercise, or make extra trips to and from the laundry room.
o
If your baby likes to be walked around for
soothing, figure out a pattern in your home that makes a track, or walk around
your driveway. Buy a pedometer to count your steps!
o
Use grocery shopping to do some speed walking
through the store with the baby securely in a stroller, in a sling you are
wearing, or in his baby seat secured to the cart.
o
Use the grocery bags to do some arm curls in and
out of the car, and into the house.
o
The mall makes an ideal place to go walking with
a baby; no time restraints, perfect for the stroller, a built-in track
impervious to weather, and it gets you
out of the house for some real life activity.
·
Watch
your diet. Many of us indulge while pregnant, but now is the time to put
that behind you (particularly since the extra pounds may be behind you as a reminder!) Cut out the high fat, high calorie
treats and eat a rainbow of healthy colors each day. It will help you have more
energy to care for the baby as a bonus to losing the extra pounds faster!
·
Find
something you enjoy! It is much
easier to exercise regularly if you are doing things you enjoy, and the great
news is there are a lot of “Mommy and Baby” classes out there for yoga, or
stroller walking groups to give you socialization and support.
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Keep a positive outlook. You have a wonderful new baby, and
you should celebrate the victories in life. Focus on the things you are doing
right for your health, and the pounds you have lost already. Buy a new outfit
that fits you as you are now, and one for the next level of weight loss that is
closer to your goal.
No matter how many post-baby pounds you would like to lose,
feel good about who you are right now!
Goals are a lot easier to reach when you have the right frame of mind.
