One problem that many mothers face after giving birth is the weight they gained from the start of the pregnancy. You might think that the fat developed during this stage goes away when the baby comes out of the womb. We have seen many instances however, when the weight stays, with some mothers remain looking pregnant even when they aren’t anymore. This becomes more frustrating if they have already been struggling with their weight before pregnancy.
Losing weight is important because it makes the mothers healthier. If you have taken care of a baby, you would know how life changes after the baby arrives. Parents don’t get a lot of sleep and suddenly their schedules are fuller than before.
Furthermore, losing weight and looking fit returns the mother’s confidence. She could wear better-fitting clothes again and feel less like motherhood is pulling her down. If you are struggling with post-pregnancy weight gain, read below and find out the ways to becoming fit once more.
Eat healthy food
If you think starving yourself is the answer, stop. First of all, it will not do you and your baby any favors, especially if you breastfeed. You will only feel tired and irritated all the time.
If you’re going to eat a lot however, don’t load up yourself on cakes, ice cream, cookies, junk food, and other stuff that you know will not be good for you. As cliché as it may sound, you need to have a well-balanced diet. You need to have the right intake of proteins, carbohydrates, and vitamins and minerals. You still have to watch the amount, though; and if you feel hungry all the time, eat salad without too much dressing, and you can eat some fruits as well.
You need to eat healthy food if you want to lose weight because they burn fat instead of adding fat to your body. Load up on vegetables as they have tons of vitamins and minerals; fish oil has DHA and Omega-3 fatty acids that decrease bad fats; a high protein diet will blunt hunger and will provide you with a lot of energy as you work during the day.
Stay hydrated
Drink the right amount of water every day. Aside from its health benefits, you will feel less hungry since your stomach will be full.
Breastfeed
This is one great way of burning calories. According to research, this can burn you from 300 to 600 calories per day. It will depend however on how much milk you have and how often you breastfeed in a day.
Remember that for your body to generate a good amount of milk, you need to eat healthy food. You need to have a good intake of calories for the production of milk. Not only will your child receive essential nutrients from your body, it will appear as if you spend as much as two hours of exercise every day.
Get enough rest
It is not impossible to think about parents getting barely four hours of sleep every night. Aside from working on your career during the day and doing household chores at night, you will still definitely stay awake at night to take care of the baby. Either your baby will need a diaper change, or milk, or simply have a different body clock than yours.
If you don’t get enough rest, your body will produce stress hormones like cortisol, which can make you gain weight faster. And when you’re tired, it’s easier to surrender to temptation like devouring that luscious chocolate cake and sleeping on the couch instead of exercising.
Go to the gym
Sometimes it is hard for us to lose weight by doing things on our own. We could always check the internet for exercises we could do at home. But at home, there are a lot of distractions such as books, television, the food in the refrigerator, and that enticing king-size bed with plush pillows.
Go to a sports club, like Club Fitness, to seek the help of a professional. A big gym will have great instructors who can motivate you to achieve the goals that you want for your body. You will see other people who have the same problem as yours, and this will encourage you to achieve the body weight that you desire. The gym will also have the right tools and equipment to maximize your workout.
If lifting weights and running on treadmills are not your thing, you can try visiting an excellent yoga center, like CorePower Yoga. They will help you work every emotion and every muscle in your body. With the help of the yoga instructors, you can turn your doubt and stress into sweat. Your physical boundaries will be pushed and you may discover that the workout challenges you experience are truly changing your lifestyle for the better.