Research-backed
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Losing the excess flab after your baby is born could be a huge challenge. Although it’s not entirely impossible to lose the fabled ‘baby weight’, here are a few factors that will definitely help you bounce back to the modelesque figure post pregnancy. Don’t simply read it, try them out religiously and you will know how to get rid of that stubborn flab!
1. Maintain an exercise schedule
Finding time to exercise once you have your baby is possible only if you cut down on sleep! This is true especially if you are a working mom. Add to it the innumerable feeding sessions you might have with your baby! But, five minutes a day isn’t a big task! So, tread on that treadmill, or brisk walk around the house (maybe while picking up a little mess along the way) and things might just brighten up.
2. Eat moderately
Naturally you sit your kids for an early dinner – much before you do. At this time, either they ask you to eat a bit with them or you inadvertently nibble on their foods. This will add on to the regular meal that you will have later. Try to have a complete dinner with them. And if you feel hungry later, then just keep a handful of healthy snacks close by and chew away.
3. Breastfeeding is off
Several women think that once you stop breastfeeding you put on weight. Logic simply has it that you burn between 400 and 600 calories a day while you breastfeed. But if you aren’t burning those calories once you stop breastfeeding, you are surely going to bring back the additional weight. This means that you either exercise or eat healthy, or do both to continue to burn fat!
4. Strolling won’t help
If you go out on a morning or evening stroll, it won’t do any good in terms of losing weight. You need a brisk walk, not a peppy, happy walk. Just think how many calories you burn on a leisurely walk when compared to 243 calories burn-out on a brisk walk. Incentive enough?
5. Eat that good food
As a nursing mom, you will need to eat healthy food. You might also be advised to eat nuts and drink three glasses of milk to make up for nutrient loss. And this is apart from all sorts of dairies and the general verdict of a good number of veggies, fruits, and grains.
6. Avoid being sleep deprived
If you aren’t sleeping well, you are less likely to lose weight. Studies suggest that you need ample sleep to stay in shape (1). No matter how much you workout, a good night’s sleep is essential to help regain your figure. The American Journal of Epidemiology states that if you sleep five hours or less each night, you are 32% more likely to put on weight over a period of 16 years. So, you’d better salvage a good night’s sleep now than regret the excess weight later.
7. Do not skip breakfast
Just as you shouldn’t skip your sleep, so should you not skip your breakfast. A solid breakfast is the best way to begin the day. But most moms end up either eating meager breakfast or replace it with a ‘coffee’ breakfast or simply skip it all together. This can ruin their metabolism and result in putting on weight.
8. Be motivated
Somehow you are not motivated towards losing weight. Before you became a mother, having a great body was one of your focal points. Once you have your child, he/she becomes your focus. You no longer care for your wardrobe. Lingering in your maternity outfit months later doesn’t make you realize how many pounds you need to shed.
Mindless eating, untimely snacking, having a junk-food party while watching a weekend film in your home theater, eating while standing, and lying down with your baby soon after a meal – these are all probable reasons for your inability to lose weight post delivery.
But if you follow this list, then rest assured you will be slim and fit! Simply make a change in your regimen and note the difference.
