Body back after baby, postpartum fitness, get rid of the mommy tummy, these are all words most women are familiar with. The media has screamed so much about the body of a woman after pregnancy. It is now seen as a negative thing when women find it hard to get their bodies back. This should really not be the case because pregnancy is not an easy thing. The body of a woman is the most amazing thing i know of. I mean, we are able to carry and cater to another human being for over 9 months. If you have ever hated your body as a woman, think about just how amazing it is to carry a pregnancy. The media constantly shows women who come out of the labor room after pregnancy looking like they just had an extra piece of cracker. Meanwhile, most women do not look this put together. In fact, most women still look pregnant after delivery! As a mother, it is important for me to care for my body especially after having a baby rather than focus so much on my body. Yes, getting the body back is awesome, but that should not be your priority after childbirth. Losing the mommy pooch should not be your focus. Your body is beautiful!
I would love to share some simple tips to help you get rid of the mommy pooch, or mommy tummy after having a baby. These tips are easy to implement into your lifestyle when you are ready to start.
How to get rid of the mommy Tummy
Postpartum girdle
These are helpful in providing back support and muscle memory after pregnancy. They are also great for breastfeeding and providing support. Some of them also help with c-section recovery. They are usually worn right after pregnancy to help your body shrink back down.
Drink lots of water
Drinking a ton of water really helps to get your body back after pregnancy and lose the mommy pooch. Try to get about 8 glasses of water in daily. It helps to hydrate your body and helps your skin look healthy. Sometimes, your body is just dehydrated but you think you are hungry and end up eating more food.
Breastfeeding
If you are able to breastfeed, it helps a lot with weight loss! The calories you consume get converted to breastmilk which your baby feeds on, hence you could lose weight. I say “could” because while breastfeeding, your body produces a hormone called prolactin. Prolactin is necessary to produce breast milk. Prolactin, however, also causes your body to hold on to weight because it affects your metabolism.
Healthy nutrition
Nutrition is very important to your weight loss process. You should consume lean protein foods, with healthy complex carbs, fruits and vegetables and healthy fats. Minimize your sugar consumption as well and combine this with lots of water. Focus on having well-balanced meals, but always remember that if breastfeeding, you need extra calories. You might not be able to track calories while taking care of a baby, however, try to pay attention to what you eat. You can check out my Belly fat series to get ideas of nutrition. It is also important to have a healthy ATTITUDE towards food. Many times, people have food fear mindset which sets them back eventually.
Workout with baby
I loved working out with my daughter and still do it till today. You can wear your baby using one of the baby wraps or carriers and do your workouts. This way you do not have to sacrifice your time with your baby. It is simply a win-win situation right? I used the Lilliebaby carrier, you can read about it and some other baby products i loved HERE. Many women hold back on their postpartum fitness because they feel guilty about taking care of themselves instead of the baby. Babywearing is honestly the way to go! You could also work out with your baby using your stroller. There are so many workouts you could do, check out my HuffingtonPost article on stroller fitness to get some ideas.
Exercise
Find what works for you and stick to it, the important thing is to be consistent. Find a workout plan that caters to your needs such as short time, doable workouts, at home based etc. I have an ebook on the workouts and nutrition i used to help lose the baby weight after pregnancy. Weight lifting is beneficial to lose weight after pregnancy or to lose the mommy tummy or mommy pooch. HIIT workouts are also great for belly fat. HIIT workouts basically mean alternating between periods of high intensity and then low-intensity workouts. You could take up dancing, skipping, running or even join classes at the gym, whatever works for you!
Set achievable goals
This is super important, one thing would not work for everyone. For instance aim to get 10,000 steps daily, aim to workout 10 minutes daily. Even though whatever you do may not feel like a lot, it all adds up in the end. Plus think about it, you are doing more than if you decided to just sit back and watch. Have a realistic goal in mind, is your goal to get your body back in one month? that may not be realistic, plus it will be too much pressure on you. Find a goal that is reasonable, such as maybe get back to your body by 9months. This way you are not being too ambitious with it.
Mommy Time
Yes, get some self-care of mommy time. These will definitely help you in your goal to lose the weight after baby. When you are stressed, your body produces Cortisol, a stress hormone that slows down your metabolism. It causes your body to get into defense mode and try to store as much glucose supply as it can to compensate for all the hard work and stress you are dealing with. This leads to increased cravings, and obviously, you won’t run to veggies or salads right? Most times we run to processed foods or junk food which then causes belly fat and weight gain. Sometimes, its hard to deal with stress, but its best to try to control the amount of stress you are under on a daily basis. Find the things that stress you and try to limit them.
What were some tips that helped you lose the baby weight, mommy tummy, mommy pooch or just lose weight in general? Remember if you loved this post, sharing is caring, please PIN this or share with others!!
