Photo by Bill Oxford on Unsplash
Now that you’ve had the beautiful baby, you may feel a little “off.” Trust me, I get it. Between my two babies, I gained just over 100 lbs! You know, if baby wants Golden Grahams, baby gets Golden Grahams, and just maybe it gets a whole box! (or is that just me?) When I first took over Thrive Yoga and Wellness, my daughter was not quite a year, and I still had 20 lbs more to lose of the 60 + lbs I gained. Unlike many women, I never stressed about it (my sister lost all her babyweight during her maternity leave). I just tried to enjoy my new mama time, exercised and tried to eat fairly well. It took time to lose that weight, but as soon as it did, baby #2 came along (funny how THAT happens, huh?)
So if you’re somewhere post-partum thinking it’s time to get back to your normal weight, let me encourage you that it is totally worth it. Just like the work it is to be a mama, but oh so gratifying, it is worth the work to get back into shape because of the its negative health impact. In this blog, you’ll learn how to gradually and surely lose all that baby weight, and get back to your pre-pregnancy body.
If you’re finding it hard to look at your body because you’ve put on a bit of weight, don’t be. As women, we should wear the scars of our victories and the blessings they bring with them. Many women go through the same but don’t talk about it. One of my passions as the leader in this health and wellness facility is to talk about “the unmentionables” like Pelvic Floor rehab, hormones, and post partum weightloss. We often have special events that cover these topics because it is so near and dear to me.
The good news is that through consistent commitment to a lifestyle change, you can get the body that you would be proud of again. In our classes, we’ve seen women go from being 50-100 lbs heavier than they were before they got pregnant, to shedding all that fat. I can personally attest to this transformation.
If we can, you can too. But first, you need to know how.
Get in the Right Mindset
You probably don’t know this, but most mothers whose bodies were altered by pregnancy have taken a look at themselves in the mirror and turned away because they did not like what they saw.
The problem with this is because we don’t feel great about our bodies, it affects our self-confidence. And even if we have an amazing spouse who tells us otherwise, the reality is we don’t believe them. This is why the fat loss battle is both internal and external. You’ve got to fight the internal battles first by working hard at feeling great about your body.
Fall in Love With Yourself
Here’s something you’re probably unaware of, every time you look at your body and you look away in disgust, your subconscious automatically develops a negative association with your body.
Do this enough times, and it’ll become habitual. So, even if you eventually pick yourself up and go to the gym or attend yoga classes, your brain and subconscious will rebel. They’ll tell you that this new version of yourself isn’t true. This is why many women give up –they see themselves as unattractive.
Therefore, you need to form a healthy association with your body. You may not like what it looks like now, but you know it can look better. That kind of perspective is what allows you to stay true to your goals and eventually shed that weight.
Women who love their bodies are more likely to persist with their workout routines and new lifestyle habits than those who don’t. This is why they’re often able to get rid of the fat and return their bodies to the best pre-pregnancy shape possible and sustain it.
Start Eating Right
Fat loss is an input-output issue. This means that if you eat less than your body requires, and work out so you’re in a calorie deficit, you will melt off the fat and get in great shape. There are many ways to eat right without necessarily dieting.
The problem with dieting is if you “fall off the wagon”, it’s often very difficult to get back up. So, to make it easy for you to lose weight, you need to be able to eat some of the delicious meals that you like.
But you need to cut down on the carbs and replace them with more healthy fats. Eat more proteins, veggies, fruits, and nuts. These are very filling and have little to no carb content. And if you need to snack, make sure that your snacks are healthy.
You can also supplement those meals with meal replacement shakes. The best meal replacement shakes provide your body with the nutrition that it requires, without the need to eat. They are incredibly nutrient-dense and can help you lose that weight faster.
Start Small of Exercises
Now that the groundwork has been laid, it’s time to start doing the physical work. Start with some basic exercises. It doesn’t have to be anything glamorous. Just do something small. For example, you can set a goal of taking a 15-20 minute walk every day. Start with simple goals like this.
After your body has adjusted to this new routine, retain the same timeframe, but pepper your brisk walks with some jogging. So, jog until you’re tired, then walk until you regain your breath, and repeat. This is how you start gaining strength and increasing your endurance.
Most importantly, it’s how the body starts tapping from your fat reserves to keep up with your energy demands. Do this for 2-4 weeks. If you don’t feel like aerobics, you can always opt for yoga. Lots of women have lost a ton of weight from just doing yoga. But yoga might be a steep learning curve for some women.
It’s Time for Exercise
After building up your stamina and endurance, it’s time to take your workouts to another level. Intensifying your workouts doesn’t have to include jumping all over creation. It can include weight training for revving up your fat burn and toning your muscles, pilates for strengthening your core, lower back, hips, and buttocks, or even higher intensity yoga styles and barre (all offered here at Thrive.
I can personally attest to the magic of, a combination of yoga and weight training to helping see the fat melt off your body super-fast. This is a potent combination that accelerates fat burns and snaps you back into shape pretty quickly. This is why we highly recommend that you do both. (in addition to healthy eating within a calorie deficit.)
Get Rid of Refined Sugars
If you’re trying to lose weight and eating refined sugar, you’re basically wasting your time. Sugar not only packs on the pounds but it’s been linked to everything from obesity and diabetes to mental health illnesses like depression –yes, that post-partum depression may be somewhat linked to your sugar consumption.
These sugars can be found in all sorts of foods including fruit juice, soda, cakes, ice creams, and biscuits. These sugars are unhealthy for you and shouldn’t be a part of your current diet. So keep away from them as much as you can. If you crave sugar, look for healthier alternatives such as honey, agave, sweet fruits like pineapples, and many more.