Monday, June 25, 2018

The Guide to Losing Baby Weight

Hey, babes! Sandra here again! 
This week I thought to address a question a lot of women have thrown my way. I’ve been approached with the following questions a couple times: 

“How do I lose my baby weight?” 

“I lost that figure-8 after giving birth, how can I go back to that? Is it even possible?” 

“I’ve been working out since I had a baby and I still don’t see any results. What do I do?” 

I know it’s difficult and the truth is it takes a lot of sacrifice. It's more about your mental strength than physical strength. You have to push yourself. It doesn't matter what trainer you have. And it doesn't matter what program you're on. 

You have to be healthy and make the right choices. There are no quick fixes and in a society where we’re promised tons of slimming teas and capsules that will give us quick results in days the truth is there is no such thing, BUT there is hard work and it is very achievable! 

 Just know that having a child or two, or THREE or FOUR should not stop your sexy. It can be stressful taking care of a newborn, adjusting to a new routine and recovering from childbirth. However, it is important to return to a healthy weight after delivery, especially if you plan to become pregnant again in the future. 

What Is “Baby Weight?” 

Let’s understand this. Baby weight is the extra fat remaining in the body postpartum. This fat acts as an energy reserve for the birth and breastfeeding. However, excess weight gain can result in too much fat. This is what people generally refer to as “baby weight,” and it’s very common. 

Nearly half of women gain more than the recommended amount of weight during pregnancy. The consequences of keeping this excess weight include: 


  • Increased risk of being overweight 
  • heightened risk of diabetes and heart disease and 
  • greater risk of complications in later pregnancies. 
 If you feel like you can relate to any of these situations, you’re not alone and do not let anyone or anything take away your motivation to change! Give yourself a pat on the back for aspiring to change. I’ll give you a few tips on how to bounce back after a pregnancy. 



1. Be Realistic 

Despite what many social media advertisements and celebrity stories would have you believe, losing weight after pregnancy can take time. Our bodies are different. Some women bounce back quicker than others but it’s not easy nonetheless. When it comes to your workouts, you should engage in more fat burning exercises. Get the most out of your workouts! 

Instead of dwelling on doing hundreds of crunches and sit ups that will NOT burn stomach fat, the concept is that you work several muscle groups at once, doing exercises like reverse lunge presses, dumbbell front squats, and jumping lunges, and HIT (High Intensity) cardio. 

2. Count Your Calories 

Counting calories can help you work out how much you are eating and where any problem areas in your diet may be. This is easier than going on a straight diet when you’re trying to restrict yourself from eating specific foods. Counting your calories can help you ensure you are getting enough calories to provide you with the energy and nutrition you need. You can do this by keeping a food diary or even just taking pictures of your food as a reminder of what you have eaten. 

There are also many helpful mobile apps that allow you to track what you eat throughout the day such as Rise Up, MyFitnessPal, and My Diet Coach.
Using these techniques can help you reduce your portion sizes and choose healthier foods, which helps with weight loss. 


3. Find a diet that works for you!

 How are mega super-stars like Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez able to bounce back right after having a baby? You can take a look at what Beyoncé does to look crispy and toned, even after three kids! 
They do embark on extreme vegan diets and also exercise, targeting their legs and abs. Vegan dieting may sound impossible to my fellow Nigerians, but there are lots of structured, meat-inclusive diets that can work for you. 


4. Avoid Added Sugar and Refined Carbs 

Sugar and refined carbs are high in calories and usually low in nutrients. Accordingly, a high intake of added sugar and refined carbs is associated with an increase in weight, heart disease and some cancers. 

Common sources of sugar include sugary drinks, fruit juice, any type of plain sugar, white flour, sweet spreads, cakes, biscuits, pastries and other baked goods. When you’re choosing food at the grocery store, read the food labels. If sugar is one of the first ingredients on the list, that product is probably better to stay away from. 
It is easy to reduce your sugar intake by avoiding processed foods and sticking to whole foods such as vegetables, legumes, fruits, meats, fish, eggs, nuts and yogurt. 


5. Avoid Alcohol 


Research has shown that small amounts of alcohol, such as a glass of red wine, can confer some health benefits. Basically alcohol has empty calories. However, when it comes to weight loss, alcohol provides extra calories without nutrition. 

Alcohol may be related to weight gain, and may lead to more fat being stored around the organs, also known as belly fat. Furthermore, alcohol can cause a temporary reduction in breast milk volume in mothers who are breastfeeding. Small amounts of alcohol can be passed through breast milk to your baby. 


6. Start Exercising 

Cardio, such as walking, jogging, running, cycling and interval training, helps you burn calories and has numerous health benefits. After delivery, your pelvic and stomach areas need time to heal, especially if you have had a cesarean section birth. How long postpartum you can safely start exercising depends on the mode of delivery, whether there were any complications, how fit you were before and during pregnancy and generally how you feel. 

You may be able to start something gentle like pelvic floor exercises right away, whereas you should wait to take on more intense exercises until your body is fully healed and it is medically safe. Here are three pelvic floor exercises you can do to tighten your core and glutes: 

  • Glute bridges using a resistance band (band is optional): Thrust your hips up and down slowly, keeping your thighs tight and hands flat on the ground. This move opens up your pelvis, strengthens your inner thighs and tightens your lower core. 

  • Straight leg kick backs : Get down on all fours, slowly move one leg forward and backwards. You tighten your glutes with this exercise. 

  • Alternating straight leg raises 


7. Start Resistance Training 

Resistance training like weight lifting will help you lose weight and retain muscle mass. A combination of diet and resistance training has been found to be the most effective method for reducing weight and improving heart health! 


8. Drink Water!!! 

Water has no calories plus our body uses water in all its cells, organs, and tissues to help regulate its temperature and maintain other bodily functions. Because the body loses water through breathing, sweating, and digestion, it's important to re-hydrate by drinking fluids and eating foods that contain water! So my babes, a healthy diet with daily exercise will help you shed the pounds. These healthy eating tips will help you lose weight safely. Here’s a round up! 

  • DO NOT skip meals. With a new baby, many new moms forget to eat. If you do not eat, you will have less energy, and it will not help you lose weight. 

  •  Eat 5 to 6 small meals a day with healthy snacks in between (rather than 3 larger meals). We often think that the best way to lose weight is to ‘starve’ ourselves but it’s the opposite way round. The longer you go without food you’re not only losing fat but you’re also slowing down your metabolism and losing muscle tissue. You need a high metabolism to burn calories fast. 

  •  Eat breakfast. Even if you do not normally eat in the mornings, get into the habit of having breakfast. It will give you energy to start your day and stop you from feeling tired later. 

  •  Choose nonfat or low-fat dairy products. For example Soy milk, skimmed milk and any whole milk are healthier options of milk. 

  •  When you reach for a snack try to include foods with fiber and protein to help keep you full (such as carrots with peanut butter, apple slices with peanut butter, or a slice of whole-wheat toast with hard-boiled egg). Drink at least 12 cups of water a day. Keep a water bottle near the spot where you usually feed the baby, that way you'll remember to drink when they do. 

  •  Limit drinks like sodas, juices, and other fluids with added sugar and calories. They can add up and keep you from losing weight. 

  •  Choose broiled or baked rather than fried foods. 

  •  Limit sweets, sugar, saturated fat and trans fats. I hope this helps!! 💕

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