How to Lose Weight After Pregnancy - 12 Easy Tips

You have nourished and protected your baby for 9 months. Now it's time to get your body back.

Here are 12 easy tips for losing weight after pregnancy.

1. Check with your doctor first. Make sure you get the all clear before you start any kind of diet and exercise program, especially if you are breastfeeding. Don't even think about trying to lose weight until you have that postpartum checkup and you talk to your doctor about the recommended rate for weight loss. You'll want to be particularly careful if you are breastfeeding because, as a breastfeeding mom, you need about 500 calories more per day. This is not the time for serious calorie restriction.

2. Focus on nutrition and health. Nourish and nurture yourself with fresh vegetables and fruits, whole grains and lean protein. Avoid white foods - white sugar, white bread, white noodles, anything made with white flour. Also avoid processed food and sodas. These healthier foods will help you maintain the energy levels you need, as well, to get you through the day (and the night.)

3. Emphasize fitness. In order to lose weight, you'll want to incorporate both aerobic exercise, to help you burn fat, as well as resistance exercises so you can build muscle. When you work out, make sure to drink plenty of water (particularly if you are breastfeeding) and make sure you clear your exercise with your physician. Pregnancy can make your joints and pelvic ligaments stretchy and lax, and you don't want to injure yourself.

4. Find a "baby boot camp" group near you. Check with your local health club or recreation center to see if there is a group of new moms who get together to inspire one another and share the journey of losing weight after pregnancy. Typically, there is a personal trainer in charge who can help you lose weight safely and show you techniques for bringing your baby along during your exercise routine. This usually requires the purchase of a jogging stroller - a purchase that will serve you well for years to come.

5. Start a formal weight loss plan with an online component that incorporates tips for new mothers who are trying to lose baby weight. This is a great way to get to know other new moms, as well, while you share tips and tribulations through the post-natal dieting process. Weight Watchers Online is a good paid service that offers online support groups in various categories. SparkPeople is a good free alternative.

6. Start with baby steps and small goals. You don't want to risk injury. Again, your body has been through a lot. Be nice to it. Keep your expectations realistic. With that bit of extra weight - and new demands on your time - exercise might not be as easy to schedule as it used to be.

7. Give yourself deadlines and training programs. Maybe you'll find an athletic fundraiser for a cause that is important to you. Maybe you'll run a 5K fundraiser - or walk a half marathon with a friend. You'll have a natural deadline that will incur a natural training schedule.

8. Recruit new friends. When you're home all day with a new baby, "adult time" can be hard to come by. Find a friend to walk or run with each day, and, of course, take the baby in the jogging stroller.

Alternatively, you can also find a mom friend to trade exercise time with. You can watch her baby while she works out. She can watch your baby while you work out. Then come together for a fruit smoothie and some conversation afterward.

9. Make sure you truly love the exercises you have chosen. Whether it's power yoga, a new exercise tape, a jog through the park, or a few miles on the bicycle, you'll be way more likely to stick with it if you truly, truly love it.

If you love to read, but, as a mom, you just can't find the time, download an audiobook and listen while your walk or hike or jog.

10. Find workout tapes and workouts that specialize in losing weight after pregnancy. These programs are tailored for people who need to strengthen the pelvic floor, lose belly fat and ease back pain - all while paying special attention to your extra stretchy ligaments.

11. Make your workout a part of your regular routine. Chances are, your daily schedule is in a bit of an upheaval. Work your workout into your routine now so it stays a part of your regular day even when your routine starts to settle. Plan for a vigorous workout just 3 or 4 days a week. During the remaining days, keep the routine, but do a slow walk or gentle stretches during that time. Think of it as your time to give back to yourself and your sanity so you don't burn out by giving so much to your baby and your new role as mom.

12. Be patient. Now that you're a mom, your baby comes first. Your body is an incredible machine that just helped to bring this new being into life. Give your body at least a few months before thinking seriously about losing weight. And even once you start a formal program, don't be hard on yourself.

Think of the process of losing weight after pregnancy as a gift you are giving yourself and your body for all the hard work it has done.

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