6 simple tips to lose belly fat post-pregnancy

While every woman strives hard to lose weight post-pregnancy, losing belly-fat is the toughest challenge for most of them. However, there are some simple things that one can do to lose belly fat fast. Rita Bakshi, gynaecologist at the International Fertility Centre, gives few simple tips to help one get back to pre-pregnancy shape post-delivery:

1. Chomp on fresh fruits: To lose belly fat, the thumb rule is to go natural and eat more fresh produce. For instance, snack on fruits more often. A study conducted at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil concluded that intake of fruits contribute towards weight loss. In this study, women were divided into three groups and each group were given to consume an apple, a pear or an oatmeal cookie, respectively thrice a day. After a 12 week follow up it was observed that the groups that consumed fruits had a significant decrease in their blood glucose levels compared to the ones who had oat cookies. Excess of glucose in the bloodstream gets converted into fat for future use. Hence, having foods that can control your blood glucose levels is essential in the process of losing fat from the belly, an area of concern for most women when it comes to fat accumulation. However, when you eat fruits, remember not to refrigerate them for a long time as you might lose out on antioxidants. Here are the top 7 fruits that will help you to lose weight.

2. Consume freshly cooked food: If you are a new mother and are trying to lose weight, start spending time in the kitchen more often. This is because cooking at home will help you eat fresh and healthy foods and in turn help you consume fewer calories. A study conducted by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey concluded that home cooked food aids weight loss as it has no preservative, additives and is less in fat content compared to processed foods. However, make it a point to have freshly cooked food during your meals and avoid adding artificial colours or additives to them. Know how to store your cut vegetables the right way.

3. Have seasonal vegetables: Seasonal vegetables and fruits are not only good for your body, but also bring variation in your diet. However, don’t go overboard with one particular food. Try and bring a balance in your diet. Like, if you have spinach in every meal to reap its benefits, you might miss out on the vital vitamins and minerals that root vegetables have to offer. So to balance your diet, try to avoid having the same food each day of the week. Here are 10 fruits and vegetables that you should eat for glowing skin.

4. Chew your food: Chewing your food is equally important when you are trying to get back to shape. Proper chewing will ensure that you limit your caloric intake which would also aid in the process of digestion. A study showed that women who chewed their food thoroughly before swallowing it, consumed less calories and felt satiated which stopped them from overeating and ending up with a caloric overload. Here is a guide to mindful eating and how it can help.

5. Do some exercise: Even with all your proper diet habits in place you wouldn’t be able to lose all that fat around your belly if you fail to do some physical activity. However, while trying to exercise post delivery, talk to your doctor first to know if your body is in the position to take on the demands of exercise. Also, do not expect all that fat to melt within days. Getting back to shape post-pregnancy is a tedious process, so have patience. Start with brisk walking when you are in a position to exercise and gradually move on to other exercises for strength and flexibility. Here are five ways to lose weight post a C-section.

6. Practise yoga: The right yoga asanas, like pranayama will help you lose weight earlier than you actually thought. Join a yoga class and start with basics. It is good for physical and mental health. Yoga can also help you fight baby blues which will in turn make you eat better and motivate you enough to exercise and lose all that weight you gained during your pregnancy.

With inputs from IANS

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Reference:

1. 1: Conceição de Oliveira M, Sichieri R, Sanchez Moura A. Weight loss associated with a daily intake of three apples or three pears among overweight women.Nutrition. 2003 Mar;19(3):253-6. PubMed PMID: 12620529.

2. 1: Wolfson JA, Bleich SN. Is cooking at home associated with better diet quality or weight-loss intention? Public Health Nutr. 2014 Nov 17:1-10. [Epub ahead of print] PubMed PMID: 25399031.

3. 1: Ioakimidis I, Zandian M, Eriksson-Marklund L, Bergh C, Grigoriadis A,Södersten P. Description of chewing and food intake over the course of a meal.Physiol Behav. 2011 Oct 24;104(5):761-9. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2011.07.021. Epub 2011 Jul 23. PubMed PMID: 21807012.

 

 

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