You’ve experienced the physical and emotional toll taken by childbirth. You’ve welcomed your little one into the world and finally brought her home. Unfortunately, you’re still saddled with much of the extra weight gained during your pregnancy. Even though you expected to hold onto a few extra pounds after giving birth, you’re surprised that most of it has come along for the ride. So, how can you shed the weight and regain your former body?

First, give yourself plenty of time to recover. There’s no need to rush, and doing so may be harmful to your health. The best approach for new moms is a slow, methodical one that provides the right blend of nutrition and exercise without sacrificing your energy. In this article, we’ll provide a few tips for accomplishing this goal.

Dieting To Shed The Pregnancy Pounds

A lot of new moms are so motivated to lose their extra pregnancy pounds that they embark on crash course diets. This is a bad idea for a couple of reasons. First, your body – and by extension, your baby – needs the calories and the nutrients. Second, a crash diet will affect your ability to breastfeed.

A much better approach involves leaving aside typical junk foods (e.g. ice cream, chips, etc.) and filling your diet with fruits, vegetables, and grains. Also, include calcium, protein, and fats (the right kind). Eating properly will guarantee that you and your baby stay healthy while the extra pounds gradually melt away.

A Few Dietary Changes To Fast-Track Your Health

In addition to eating the right foods, it’s also helpful to adopt a few changes to your eating habits. For example, rather than focusing on three large meals a day, eat smaller meals more often. Essentially, if you’re hungry, eat. But avoid overdoing it. This helps your body digest food more efficiently and keeps your blood sugar levels in the proper zone.

Also, snack throughout the day. Keeping a ready source of almonds, walnuts, carrot sticks (any vegetables will do) will encourage you to avoid junk foods.

Most people – new moms included – drink less water than their bodies need. If you’re not currently drinking sixty-four ounces, increase your intake. Not only does water help with digestion, but it will also keep you hydrated. Proper hydration is essential when you’re exercising to lose your pregnancy pounds.

Exercising To Get Back Into Shape

Establishing and maintaining a regular workout schedule is difficult, even under normal conditions. After giving birth, however, your fatigue, discomfort, and a crying baby make an especially compelling case to skip a day – or three. Resist the temptation.

You’ll discover that daily exercise will actually provide you with more energy while reducing your discomfort. Your limbs will loosen; your strength will return; and you’ll slowly witness your body regaining your pre-pregnancy shape.

Recommended Post-Pregnancy Exercises

As with avoiding crash course diets, avoid overdoing your exercise routine. Start small and seek your doctor’s approval for your workout plans.

Crunches are invaluable for strengthening your abdominal muscles. When you first begin doing them, use a slightly different approach so your body has time to acclimate itself to the exercise. Lie on your back and bend your knees with the bottoms of your feet on the floor. Then, one at a time, extend your legs so they are parallel with the floor. Extend and retract. Do it slowly while taking deep breaths.

Also, resume your Kegels. Chances are, your doctor recommended them while you were pregnant to help prepare your body for childbirth. You can start doing them again within a day or two after delivering your baby.

Lastly, add walking to your daily routine. There are few exercises that are more effective or enjoyable for new mothers trying to shed their pregnancy weight. Wear comfortable shoes, keep a bottle of water with you at all times, and enjoy the vitamin D from the sun. Your baby will enjoy the experience, too.

Don’t be discouraged by the extra pounds gained while you were pregnant. With a few changes to your diet and a daily exercise routine, those extra pounds will slowly melt away.

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Category: Womens Interest
Keywords: getting your body back after pregnancy, pre baby body, getting your figure back