How To Drop That Post-Baby Weight

“Katie Moore has written and submitted this article. Katie is an active blogger who discusses the topics of, motherhood, children, fitness, health and all other things Mommy. She enjoys writing, blogging, and meeting new people! To connect with Katie contact her via her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter, @moorekm26.” 

Having a baby is one of the most wonderful experiences in a mother's life. Unfortunately, it's not unusual for new mothers to have extra weight that needs losing after having a baby. Simply returning to a normal diet and lifestyle should normalize your weight again eventually, but many people don't want to wait so long. Rest assured with the right knowledge and the motivation, it won't be hard or take very long to become fit as a whistle once again.

Speak to Your Doctor

Just as you asked your doctor plenty of questions regarding delivery preparations while you were pregnant, like pain management and umbilical cord blood banking, consult your doctor regarding exercise preparations. You don’t want to further delay your recovery or your weight loss goals by injuring yourself or delaying returning to “normal”.

Start Walking

Walking is one of the most beneficial, yet often overlooked, forms of exercise available to us. It works almost every part of the body, benefits posture, and is gentle on the joints, unlike jogging or running. It's also great for the digestion, whose optimal functioning promotes a healthier metabolism. Another reason to get your exercise in by walking is that it's completely free--you could do it on an expensive treadmill, but if you are able, covering distance on the ground has actually been found to give more benefits. 

Strength Training

This is a more strenuous form of exercise, so a doctor's clearance should be given before beginning a strength-training regimen. You don't necessarily need weights or a gym to do strength training--you can build muscle and burn fat at home by doing pushups, pull-ups, and body weight squats and lunges. If you get bored with those exercises, you can find lots of other varieties that train different sets of muscles. The key when strength training, whether with weights or with your own body, is to take rest periods of a few days between workouts. Otherwise you could end up suffering from symptoms of overtraining such as fatigue, lower hormones and reduced immunity to illness. 

Eat A Healthy and Sustainable Diet

Instead of going on a crash diet that will cause you to lose muscle, fat and also leave your hormones in the gutter, plan a diet you can sustain. This diet shouldn't leave you dissatisfied, but should contain little or no sugar and should include plenty of fruits and vegetables. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day also helps keep your metabolism at its peak so you're burning fat all the time. Consuming spicy foods will raise your body temperature, causing a significant increase in metabolism. Spicy foods also promote digestive regularity, which some women have problems with after pregnancy. 

Give Those Calories to Baby

Breastfeeding is great for your baby as long as you follow a nutritious, adequate diet. It's also great for you, since breastfeeding passes along as much as 500 calories each day to baby. Some also say that staying on a breastfeeding regimen for a few months can keep you slim for good!

By getting into a good routine it won't be too hard to drop the weight you put on during pregnancy. After awhile, you may even look better than ever before. The main thing is to be sure your lifestyle changes are sustainable.

Thank you,

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