You had your baby three months ago and now you are dying to get back into your old jeans, but your body is not cooperating. So what now?
The last thing you want to do is go on a diet. It may sound strange, but experts maintain that going on an official “diet” could derail your post-pregnancy weight loss goals. The reason: Studies show that moms who feel deprived of their favorite foods while experiencing stress from a new baby actually pack on extra pounds.
Rather than diet, experts recommend eating a healthy menu featuring a variety of fresh foods. This means when you feel like dipping your hand into the cookie jar you should be reaching for apple slices, carrot sticks, and wheat crackers instead. What’s more, if you are breastfeeding you should not consume fewer than 1,800 calories per day.
While maintaining a healthy diet is important to losing weight, you also need to incorporate aerobic and strength training exercises into your post-pregnancy lifestyle. Daily (or at the very least, weekly) exercise provides a host of benefits to new moms. Not only does it help with depression, it also enhances sleep and relieves stress.
This is not to say that you need to find a sitter and hit the gym everyday. You can get in some aerobic exercise by taking a brisk walk with your baby in the mall or around the block. Experts recommend you get your heart pumping and muscles working for at least 150 minutes a week. Of course, with a new baby, finding 30 uninterrupted minutes to exercise might be unrealistic. However, you don’t have to complete all your exercise at once. Consider breaking up the time into 10-minute increments. Then try to work your way up to 20- or 30-minute sessions.
Finally, new moms can also benefit from strength training. Look around your home for light weights such as soup cans or laundry detergent containers. Then, do a few bicep curls with your makeshift weights.
Note: Before you start any exercise program, get your doctor’s approval first.
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