Pregnancy is a great blessing for every woman. Just like many, you are also super-excited about having a baby and probably have explored near most books and guides on caring for your newborn. And, it’s been a couple of months that you’ve had your delivery and you and your baby are now a part of one another’s routine.
While the good days are going on, you are definitely worried about getting your body back in shape. You’ve probably gained a little baby weight and your body isn’t the same as it was before. Instead of worrying about it too much, here are 7 proven ways to get your body back after pregnancy. It’s time to set some realistic goals and sticking to them.
- Take Naps
The first step towards getting your body back is taking enough naps. This may include out of the routine naps, other than sleeping at night. After your pregnancy, you’ll experience a dramatic change in your sleeping and eating patterns.
A lack of sleep would hinder the loss of baby weight and will eventually affect your overall health. Moreover, staying awake for too long at night increases your cravings for snacks — perhaps that high-calorie doughnut in the fridge.
- Breastfeed
While cutting calories will help shed that extra baby weight from your body, you will still need to be very careful not to cut too many of them, especially when you are breastfeeding your baby.
The production of milk in your breasts will itself burn between 300-500 calories a day on average and nursing your baby on irregular timings will itself be enough to help you lose the baby weight. While you cut off unnecessary fats from your diet, it is important to consume the healthy ones and eating enough calories daily. Rely more on breastfeeding rather than feeder milk.
- Forget the Diet
Do not try to rush into things. Do not diet to lose the weight. You should still follow an exercise routine and avoid fatty foods, but don’t starve yourself — it can be dangerous for your health.
Your body has gone through a very tough process of growing a baby. Also, the production of testosterone for women is already high during and after pregnancy, which means that the metabolism will be high as well. Stick to your regular diet, eat when you feel hungry, don’t push too hard during workouts and you’ll be back to normal in a few months.
- Keep a Check on Calories and Fat
Once again, I would put stress on calorie consumption and healthy fat intake. Avoid any low or zero calorie foods. You don’t need to starve or dramatically change your diet plan. Aim for the lean proteins, whole grains, vegetables, fresh fruits, fresh juices and low-fat dairy products.
Eat a lot of nuts and almonds throughout the day as a snack when you feel any cravings arise. Avoid chips, sodas, and similar items, but most of all, avoid those fad diets that does more harm than good, especially during pregnancy.
- Meet Someone Who’s Recently had a Baby
You should try to meet someone who has recently had a baby (if you don’t have a friend who’s given birth before). Create a good relationship with them. It will give you the support that you desperately need because they have gone through the same bodily changes as you have or are about to.
Having a partner with the same goals can keep you motivated and focused on your goals. If not, find a personal fitness trainer who has experience related to after-pregnancy body changes.
- Eat Healthy Snacks
I know that cravings can force you to give in and have a snack (and it’ll most likely be a sugary one), but eating too much sugar can increase blood-sugar levels which aren’t healthy for you nor for the baby. At the same time, if your sugar levels are down, you tend to grab the first thing in the kitchen to overcome the temptation, and in most of the cases, it is a snack.
Instead of those oily and unhealthy ones, buy some healthy snacks and store them in your kitchen. Also keep low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese as they help with fat loss. Some other options include celery, eggs, chicken salad, whole-grain cereal, hard boiled eggs, apples, almond butter, and smoothies.
- Stay Active
Last but not least, try to stay as active as you can during the daytime. I know it is pretty daunting, especially when you are sleep deprived and stressed out, but still, you should try to stay active.
Being lazy all day long can slow down your metabolic rate and your body would end up storing more fat than it would be burning. Even though it’s easy to not want to exercise or even think about it, try to engage physical activities and create a routine to keep yourself active.
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