Measuring your progress will keep you motivated.
Even though giving birth is a wonderful, life changing experience, the effect it has on your body is not so wonderful. After birth your stomach muscles seem non-existent and sometimes it may appear as if you are still five to six months pregnant. Getting rid of your flabby, protruding stomach can be difficult because, for the past couple of months, your stomach has been stretched to the extreme. It will take regular exercise and a healthy diet to get your taut tummy back.
Instructions
1. Consume up to six small, healthy meals per day instead of the standard three large meals. Divide your normal breakfast, lunch and dinner in half as an easy way to create six smaller meals. Eating frequently will make you feel more energetic, keep your metabolism going and, according to the Baby Center website, fits a new mom's schedule better.
2. Trim fat from your diet, but don't eliminate it completely. Substitute unhealthy fats, such as trans fats and saturated fats, which are often found in fried foods, cakes and cookies, for unsaturated fats, such as olive oil, raw nuts and avocados. Eat low-fat, high-fiber foods, such as fruits, vegetables and low-fat dairy. Consume protein from legumes and beans and from lean sources such as chicken and fish.
3. Perform aerobic exercise at a moderate intensity to increase your metabolism and burn fat. The Mayo Clinic recommends 2 and 1/2 hours of cardiovascular activity spread out over the week. Start exercising at a slow pace and build it up gradually. Walk around the block while pushing your baby in a stroller and increase it over time to a jogging pace.
4. Perform a variety of abdominal exercises, such as crunches, side bends and sit-ups. Go at your own pace and do as many sets and repetitions as your physical fitness level allows. Include exercises that target the transverse abdominals, which act as a corset around your waist. Stand up straight and exhale as you pull in your belly. Envision pulling your bellybutton toward your spine. Hold the tension in your tummy for as long as you can as you breathe normally. Release the tension and repeat the exercise. Try to hold the tension longer each time you do the exercise. Aim for a maximum of 60 seconds.
5. Lie on your back, on the floor. Stretch your feet up in the air at a 90 degree angle while keeping your feet flexed and your hands flat on the floor next to your body. Push your lower back into the floor so there is no space between the floor and the arch of your back. Lower your legs down toward the floor as far as you can go without lifting your back. Lift the legs back up to the starting position and repeat the exercise for as many repetitions as your fitness level allows.
6. Add variety to your workout by taking a Yoga or Pilates class which focus mainly on core strengthening.
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