The nine-or-so months of delight have passed, and now the little bundle of joy is finally here! But what’s also stubbornly here is the extra weight – maybe on your hips, arms, and your belly. Of course, it’s the result of love and nurturing, but if you want to make it a little easier on your back and health by shedding a few pounds, then so be it, the battle is on!
Before you start some insane fad diet or jump on the treadmill, let’s talk more about all the necessary steps for proper, healthy weight loss. That means that you as a new mom now have many other factors to consider before you opt for a random menu with significantly fewer calories (especially if you breastfeed!), not to mention handling the first few tricky months of haphazard sleeping patterns. So, let’s dive in and see what you can do to slowly ditch those unwanted pounds!
Take baby steps – literally
Your life has just flipped upside-down, in the most rewarding, beautiful sense of the phrase. But that means that you need to give your body time to adapt, as introducing more major changes may do more harm than good.
Listen to your body. Among all the aches, pains, and overwhelming love you feel, there will be little signs you shouldn’t miss. Those will help you establish the right tempo for you, from how long you can walk in the park to how often you need to rest. Then, make those walks longer based on how you feel, and what your doctor recommends – remember, going faster might actually slow down your progress.
Sleep as much as possible
As impossible as this may seem, you should do your best to sleep more, and ensure more quality sleep in the process. If that means asking for help and support from other family members to take over some of those chores, by all means! Don’t hesitate to build the right support system that will help you sleep more.
This single factor is crucial in balancing your hormones (especially your cortisol production) and kicking your body into the fat-loss mode without leading to any health issues. Enough sleep means fewer nasty cravings!
Take a look at your diet
While we’re on the subject of munchies, every new mom needs to adjust her eating habits in order to provide her baby with the best possible milk quality and to have enough energy to enjoy her new role and tackle all the challenges.
Since every mom is different, establishing your own nutritional needs with the help of a system such as the ONE3ONE method, you’ll be able to stay healthy with a tailor-made regime. No diet fits everyone, and that is precisely why you need to look into which foods will do you good, in what amounts, and how you can keep up with your breastfeeding needs.
Baby-friendly workouts
This one is a simple solution that will double as bonding with the baby! There are many little exercises you can perform every day while holding your little one, and give your muscles a decent workout. It’s a great way to give your body a boost and respect the already-mentioned baby steps system.
Mark the milestones
As with every new challenge that requires tons of energy, you’ll do your body a favor if you keep track of your progress and make a flexible plan as to your weekly and monthly goals. Sometimes it takes time for the first major changes to take place, but if you check the scale and monitor your meals, you’ll feel better for knowing how well everything is going!
Keep your kitchen clean
On that note, clean eats are essential for your fitness journey as a new mom. You’ll probably experience sugar cravings all the time, in your body’s desperate attempt to get more energy for the day, but you need to train your mind to resist. Claim control over your food by clearing out your kitchen of unhealthy snacks.
Okay, an occasional Oreo is fine, but do your best to stick to healthy carb sources such as oats, dark chocolate, fruits, and homemade, sugar-free sweets.
Sip away
Remember all those goodies you plan to eat every day with your diet changing? Well, for your body to be able to absorb the nutrients and push through those first workouts, you’ll need to mind your H2O-intake, too. It can be a simple matter, if you can bring a water bottle wherever you go, such as an insulated one to keep your sips fresh and cool.
Get stronger
As soon as the first few weeks go by and your body is not at its most vulnerable stages of recuperation, you can consult your doctor as to the best ways to include some weight training. For starters, your baby will be a perfect barbell substitute, but as soon as you’re ready, structured training will help you restore your metabolism and lose weight.
Make the most of it by joining a gym with friends or going to a group training session. Alternatively, you can hire a personal trainer who specializes in postpartum training and who can make you a calisthenics workout plan which is a great solution for a busy new mum. This will not only be a great motivator that introduces accountability, but also helps you stick to a structured, guided routine.
