Note: I have three kids and while I struggled with my weight before my first pregnancy, things changed so much after giving birth. Your body is different, your life is different and your priorities are different. I thought the weight would just fall away. It didn’t and I was frustrated. I hope these tips will help you avoid what I went through.
Having a child is often the most wonderful thing that can happen to you. But soon after the delivery you are going to want your old body back. But how to do it? When celebrities give birth they seem to be back in shape within weeks. Heidi Klum appeared in a lingerie fashion show three months after giving birth. Jessica Alba, Ashlee Simpson and many others show up on television and in photographs looking thin and toned within just a few weeks. Why can’t you do that? Well, they have a lot of help. A celebrity will have a team of personal chefs, nurses, nannies, dietitians and personal trainers to get them back into shape as soon as possible. You probably only have yourself and no time to eat or exercise. See the problem? You can’t compare yourself to these women; you will never be able to match what they accomplish. Don’t compare yourself to other new mothers you know, either. Everyone’s body is different and you can only do the best you can do.
The average woman will gain 25-35 pounds during a pregnancy. With no effort you may lose 10-15 of those pounds right away. So here you are with 15 or so extra pounds that you don’t want, and no idea how to lose it. Some women will lose most if not all of that in three to six months from breast feeding and ordinary life. But some won’t. If not, here are some tips to help you drop those unwanted pounds without damaging you health or the happiness of your new family.
Give yourself time to recover and adjust to your new life
It takes more than 9 months to get ready to give birth, don’t expect to be back to normal right away. Don’t start restricting your eating or working out until you know you can handle it. Just being a new mom will require all of your strength and attention. Try not to think about your weight for a while. See where your body gets to after three to five months. At that point you can assess your health and figure out what’s reasonable for you to change in order to lose weight.
Be active but don’t push it
Until your first post-pregnancy check up with your doctor, you really shouldn’t be exercising. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be active. When you feel up to it, get up and move. You’ll probably have tons of friends and relatives who want to see the new baby, use that to your advantage. Just lugging around all that baby equipment is going to start strengthening your muscles. If you can get someone to watch the baby, send yourself for a fair-paced 20 minute walk. That will do wonders for your physical and mental health. Once you’ve got the okay from your doctor, start adding some short workouts into your schedule. 15 minutes of yoga or stretching. 30 minutes swimming. 45 minute walks. All of these are gentle on your body but will make you feel stronger and more relaxed. Do what feels healthy and safe when you have time.
Eat the right things
The most important part of that phrase is eat. You have to eat. Your body needs fuel to recover from pregnancy and you need it to deal with the life changes that come from having a baby. A lot of new moms don’t find the time to eat. They and their families suffer for it. Of course you might not have time to cook the full healthy meals you want. That’s all right. Just keep good foods on hand. Have lots of fresh fruit and vegetables. Get friends or family to make you healthy dishes instead of fat and calorie rich ones. Don’t worry about sitting down for a full meal. Get a little bit of food whenever you can, making sure you’re getting the calories you need for yourself (plus extra if you are breast feeding). And don’t forget to drink lots of water throughout the day.
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Chelle 01.26.09 at 12:16 am
It seems to get harder and harder with more kids! With my son it seemed to melt off a lot faster, but I never did completely lose it all – then when I had my daughter it was really hard to lose it though eventually after learning some tricks on how to eat right and exercise I actually went back to the size I was when I was younger!