Now that your beautiful bundle of joy is finally here, you are aching to get rid of the weight that you packed on during your pregnancy. With your doctor's blessing, a little determination and some planning, losing the baby weight is a snap.
Pace Yourself
You want the weight off now, but you need to remember that it took 9 months to gain the weight, so it may not melt off overnight. Once you understand that losing all the weight can take up to 1 year, you can begin to formulate your plan of attack to lose the weight slowly and forever.
Postpartum crash dieting is tempting, but not only will you be depriving your body of necessary nutrients required to heal after childbirth, but if you are nursing, your baby won't receive the benefits of nursing.
Also, slow weight loss is quality weight loss. Women who lose weight over a gradual period due to exercise and a healthy diet tend to keep it off versus those who drastically reduce calories for a limited amount of time.
Plan Your Meals
Now that the baby is here, you are busier than ever and are constantly on call. The days of lingering in the kitchen creating a new masterpiece are over for the time being, so plan and prepare your meals during nap time so that you can grab healthy food when you are hungry.
Eat a sensible diet, drenched in plenty of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, nuts, oils and lean meats. Remove sugar and alcohol from your diet; these lead to empty extra calories.
Choose to eat at least 1,500 calories per day if you are not nursing, and 1,800 a day for nursing moms. Plan your breakfast, lunch, dinner and three snacks during the baby's nap. You'll want to create meals that can be heated in the microwave quickly or eaten cold if possible.
For example, to achieve 1,500 calories, you could have steel-cut oatmeal and blueberries for breakfast, a small apple and natural peanut butter for your morning snack and a spinach salad with low-fat dressing for lunch. Mid-afternoon snack could be string cheese and cut carrots followed by 3 oz. of grilled chicken, 2 cups of mixed vegetables and a small baked potato for dinner. Have 2 or 3 cups air-popped popcorn as your evening snack.
Adopt a New Lifestyle
You aren't just trying to take off the baby weight but rather integrating a new, healthy lifestyle so you can be an energetic mom. To keep the weight off and maintain your healthy glow, continue following a sensible program long after the weight has dropped.
When the doctor gives you the green light, add exercise to your day. Purchase a baby jogging stroller and take the baby for a jog in the fresh air. If you have to stay at home, run on a treadmill or purchase workout DVDs that you can do during nap time.
After time, you will see a new you that will probably be healthier and stronger than the pre-baby you. Remember, you are eating healthier and exercising not only because you want to lose weight but also because you will soon be chasing a curious toddler around!
Tags: lose weight, baby weight, during time, take baby, weight loss