Lose Weight After Pregnancy - Follow These Key Dos And Donts

Are you looking to blast some of those post baby pounds you gained during pregnancy? You are not alone; it is an issue with many new moms. They love their little bundle of joy but they also want their pre-pregnancy bodies back. In this article, we will take a look at some do's and don'ts that will help you to lose weight after pregnancy. Let's get started.

Do's

1. Always start your day off right...with a healthy breakfast. It is best to incorporate a good amount of protein into your breakfast because it will give your body the fuel it needs to start your day. Protein also helps to keep you feeling full longer, which is, of course, a good thing when you are trying to lose weight after pregnancy. So, have your eggs in the morning!

2. Eat snacks. Yes, you get to snack, yay! Of course, you want your snacks to be healthy ones. You also want your snacks to tide you over until your next meal, so it is best to choose ones that are high in fiber and protein, which will also keep your energy levels up. Some examples are: celery sticks and hummus, or a medium apple and pre-portioned size cheese (such as Baby Bel), or berries and approximately 15 almonds. Basically, when thinking about a healthy snack, think about a fruit or vegetable paired with a protein of some sort. Remember portion sizes though, this is just to get you through until your next meal.

3. Indulge every so often. When you want to lose weight after pregnancy, you don't always have to eat perfectly. If you are craving something, it's okay to have it every now and then. Just don't overdo it. For example, if one day you are craving a chocolate bar, have a regular sized one, not a huge family sized type. If you are having a craving and you deprive yourself all the time from it, then you may end up completely over-indulging which may end up taking you off course of your weight loss plan.

4. Exercise frequently. I know, you are probably groaning at the mention of the word "exercise", but if you choose something you enjoy doing to get exercise, it can be enjoyable. So, what do you like to do? Maybe dancing, tennis, ice-skating, soccer, kickboxing, skiing, roller-blading, bike-riding, etc. It can be anything that gets you moving! It is most beneficial to incorporate strength-training in with cardio, that way you'll be losing fat and toning your body. Note: Please make sure you have the "okay" from your doctor before beginning any type of exercise.

5. Drink your water! Your body needs to stay hydrated to keep it healthy and water is the best option to do that. Make sure you also drink it during your workouts, we lose a lot of water from our bodies through sweating when we are exercising. Water will help clean your body out as well as help you lose weight after pregnancy. A good way to know that you are drinking enough water throughout the day is to look at your urine color; if it's dark yellow, you are not drinking enough water, and if it's clear, you are staying hydrated.

Don'ts

1. Don't always be so concerned about the calorie content in foods. When you are feeling hungry, as long as you are reaching for something that is healthy, and you are not stuffing yourself silly, that is the main thing! Opt for foods high in fiber and protein but low in sugar, sodium and those "bad" fats (saturated and trans fats).

2. Choosing to do a fad diet to lose weight after pregnancy is not a good idea. The safest way to lose weight is at a gradual pace and getting all the nutrients that your body needs, especially if you are breastfeeding. A healthy weight loss is about 1 to 1 1/2 pounds per week, no more. If you are wanting to lose weight while breastfeeding, it is best to wait until you and baby have settled into a feeding routine and you have established a good milk supply, approximately 2 to 3 months.

3. Don't stuff yourself when you eat. Pay attention to food portions, and only eat until you are just full. Try to eat at a slower pace as it takes your brain about 20 minutes to get the signal that you are full. I know, it's hard to eat slow when you have a newborn who always needs your attention, but just try if you can.

4. Don't always count on "low fat" or "low calorie" on food packaging to mean that it's also low in everything else, such as sugar, sodium, trans or saturated fats, etc. Many times it's not unfortunately. It's just best to focus on buying foods that you know are healthy for you to lose weight after pregnancy.

5. Don't grocery shop on an empty stomach. Yikes, we've all done it, and then we leave the store with a lot of things we probably shouldn't have...right? But then if you go on a full stomach, then you may buy less than usual (I've been there, done that!), so it's best to be at a happy medium if you can. If you are going and you think there's even a small chance that you may get hungry, bring snacks, just in case.

Don't forget that it took time for you to put on the baby weight (9 months to be precise), so it should take at least that time to take it off. So, just have patience with yourself to lose weight after pregnancy, and be forgiving if you have any bad eating days, that's normal and it happens to the best of us!

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