BellyitchBlog

The corona virus pandemic has ensured that people are staying in their homes. They do not have the option of going out or socializing. Staying at home and working from home means people are getting lazy and not exercising as much as they need to do. Along with the sedentary lifestyle, people are snacking more too.

Women who are trying to lose weight post pregnancy are finding it difficult because of the lockdown. And their cravings are also more, and if they do not control their intake, you are going to find them gaining a lot of weight.

But there is a solution to this problem. You can lose weight amidst lockdown and given below are a few tips to ensure that it happens:

Portion control

Overeating or binge eating is the main cause of weight gain along with a sedentary lifestyle. When you are at home in lockdown, you can be tempted to eat more than you usually do. This can lead to weight gain and considerable weight gain at that.

All your attempts at losing the weight you gained after child birth would have gone to waste. If you do not want this then make sure that you do not over eat.

Be disciplined.

Adhere to your meal prep. Make sure that you are eating the right portions. If you feel like snacking, eat fruits or raw vegetables in between meals, a cheat snack once in a while is fine, do not make it a habit.

This one step will ensure your fight against weight gain.

Exercise

Many of my friends who are regular at gyms are not exercising at all.

I spoke to a number of them and the reason they are not exercising seems to be lack of motivation.

I do not agree to this at all. Are we trying to lose weight to impress others? I surely am not doing it for that. My reason for losing weight is me. I am trying to impress myself. I want to look and feel good. I want to be in the best shape of my life. I want to shed the additional pounds and I will motivate myself.

My motivation is not looking at my friends and acquaintances in the gym, my motivation is me.

If you have the same drive and determination you will self-motivated to lose weight on your own without anyone’s prodding or without looking at others weight loss achievements.

There are many ways to exercise at home, you do not need any new equipment, you can use the things at your home to exercise or you can just use your own body weight.

YouTube has innumerable videos which can help a person lose weight. You just need to search for weight loss post pregnancy and you will find a number of videos that show the exercises that can be done. You just need to follow them and you will lose weight if you do it on a consistent basis.

If you do not want to do exercises, you can search for dance videos to lose weight post pregnancy and you will get a list of videos.

You can just dance your weight away by following the dance steps. Again consistency is the key.

You can also try zumba, aerobics, pilates and much more too.

If motivation is the problem, you can follow the blogs of celebrities who have reduced weight post pregnancy.

They detail the steps they took and you can also learn from them. You can also visit other blogs like Prorganiq Blog and learn about losing weight in a healthy manner, learn about the foods that help in reducing weight, learn about the many weight loss supplements that can assist you in your endeavour to lose weight.

Water

Drinking the right amount of water per day is essential for weight loss. Many of us do not intake the necessary amount of water and this means we do not lose weight even after exercising and cutting calories.

A study found that people with higher body mass index tend to be dehydrated because they consume less water.

If you weigh 200 pounds, you should divide it by half, i.e., 100 pounds, each pound would be one ounce, which means you should drink 100 ounces of water every day. The right amount of water will ensure you lose weight in a healthy way.

Sleep:

Everyone knows about the advantages of sleep. Sleeping 7-8 hours every day is essential for losing weight post pregnancy.

You may feel like sleeping more, you can do that once in a while but do not sleep less than 7 hours.

Take short power naps in the day if you are feeling tired but do not sleep because you are in lockdown and you can sleep to while the time. After strenuous exercise your body needs sleep, so give what your body wants.

With the whole journey that comes with pregnancy and the long-awaited birth of your little one now behind you, it’s time to face the transition from pregnancy to postpartum recovery.

Postpartum recovery generally refers to the first three to six weeks that new moms go through after giving birth. During this period, moms go through a lot of changes.

While your body works on recovering from the stress of pregnancy, you’re also going through the motions of adjusting to motherhood.

Caught in the midst of caring for yourself and your newborn, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and even fall into a depressed mood.

In fact, reports from New York Times reveal that 10 to 20 percent of moms with newborns suffer from serious postpartum depression.

Luckily, there are many things that can help mothers go through this postpartum period, with taking on a simple exercise regimen being one of them.

In an article on Parsley Health, Hollywood Pilates instructor Heather Dorak mentions the importance of starting “with something small,” saying that no matter what type of workout you do, you take those baby steps to get back on track.

This sentiment also resonated in a past post, ‘Mental Health Check ins to Make During and After Pregnancy’, which mentions that slowly getting back into exercise through activities that allow you to rediscover how your body likes to move can be an effective tool in taking care of your physical and mental health after pregnancy.

Benefits of Pilates

Childbirth is a major procedure that will have a huge impact on your physique and requires the body to go beyond its limits. As such, it’s important for recovering moms to subscribe to activities that promote muscle strength without being too straining. This makes Pilates a good option, as explained by FFC, Pilates strengthens the inner and outer hips, which can help support the pelvis, which will have been stretched during pregnancy and then relaxed upon childbirth.

Moreover, certain Pilates movements are known to relieve lower back pain and pelvic floor discomfort by strengthening the abdominals, hips, and back. Harper’s Bazaar suggests that because Pilates is a highly immersive exercise that requires focus and concentration, it brings emotional and mental benefits by being a great ‘time-out’ from everyday stressors.

Postpartum Pilates Movements

To experience all the amazing benefits Pilates can bring during your postpartum recovery, try the following movements:

Knee dancing

This movement which concerns the abs, butt, and thighs, can be easily done by kneeling down on a mat with your knees hip-distance apart and your shoulders pulled back. While in this position, pull your abs in while simultaneously squeezing your butt then raise your arms in front of you to shoulder height. Then, lean back a little. Try to hold this position for 30 seconds and do it three times.

Powerhouse planks

Like any other plank, this movement works on your core, abs, butt, legs, arms, back, and, with a little modification, your pelvic floor as well. To do this, get down on all fours and lower yourself down to your elbows. Then, as you align your head to your spine, tilt your pelvis under slightly to protect your lower back while squeezing your thighs up together to form a V shape. Hold this position for 30 seconds and do three sets.

Attitude

This movement allows you to work on your butt, thighs, and calves. You can do this by standing in front of a counter-top and then, bending over and resting your forearms on the counter with your forehead lowered onto it. Then, walk your feet back until they are underneath your hips and stand with your heels together and your toes slightly apart. Tuck your pelvis under while squeezing your butt then lift your left leg behind you with your knees bent at 45 degrees. Do 3 sets of 16 repetitions for each leg.

exercise

Beat Pandemic-Related Stall of Your Postpartum Weightloss Goals

Portion control

Exercise

Water

Do These Postpartum Pilates Movements to Get You Back On Track