3 Tips to Lose the Baby Weight
3 Tips to Lose the Baby Weight
When you were expecting, the baby bump made you happy. That visible reminder that your bundle of love was on the way was one of the many joys of being pregnant. But now it’s been a few months (or more) since the little one arrived and the added weight you gained during pregnancy isn’t exactly the highlight of your day.
If you’re struggling to dropping the baby weight, you’re not alone. An estimated 25 percent of new moms still struggle to lose their pregnancy weight a year after delivery, according to a post-pregnancy study on new moms published in the journal Diabetes Care.
But this isn’t all bad news! That also means 75 percent of new moms manage to get back to their pre-pregnancy weight within a year – so there’s hope! And we’ll help you get back to where you were (or beyond!).
Trying to lose weight when you’ve got a newborn to take care of along with all the other demands in your life like family, work, school, and time to yourself (you need to unplug, relax, and take care of yourself too!) can be a challenge, to say the least. But it’s not impossible.
Focus on these 3 simple (but powerful) tips. Make them a regular part of your life, and you’ll start to tip the scale in the right direction…
#1: Sleep more. Go ahead, roll your eyes. You would if you could, right? How can you possibly get more sleep when you’re up every hour with the baby? Try to adjust your schedule so you can sleep or at least catch a few minutes of a nap when the baby is sleeping. That might mean leaving the dishes and laundry until later, but that’s ok. Sleep is an essential part of weight loss. If you want to lose the baby weight – you have to sleep.
In a perfect world, 7-8 hours of sleep would be ideal. That may not be possible with a newborn, but making that your goal can help you shed some of your baby weight.Many studies, including one recently published in the journal Sleep, have found that lack of sleep interferes with your metabolism and hormones associated with weight management (and the hormones that regulate your appetite, so you’ll be hungry, craving junk food and exhausted. No bueno).
#2: Eat more fruits and vegetables. You’ve spent the last nine months doing your best to eat healthy foods to help your baby grow and develop into the adorable little monster angel they are today. But it’s still just as important to continue your healthy diet. While you might be tempted to go with fast and easy foods to cut down on prep time in the kitchen, convenience foods aren’t going to help you lose weight (or set a good example for your mini me).
Take a look at the Healthy Eating Plate by Harvard University or Choose My Plate by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and you’ll see that half your plate should be filled with fruits and vegetables at every meal. (Not to mention it’s one of our favorite principles to hammer into your head during the CambiatiCleanse)
Want to set yourself up for fewer broccoli-induced tears down the road? Start now by making good example yourself. Feed your kid mac ‘n cheese, pizza and chicken nuggets and of course you’ll struggle with them later over eating “healthy.” But why teach them now that healthy is different than fun and tasty? If you need some reminding yourself (it’s ok!), come back for a class, check out our Pinterest boards – or just give us a call and we’ll chat with you about some recipe ideas.
Plus, start the balanced diet early on and your kid will grow up with a lower chance of developing Diabesity (that’s not a typo – it’s the combination of Diabetes + Obesity sadly so common in the US today). So eat your veggies, and lots of ’em! When time is tight (like every day) we rely on our trusty PaleoGreens. Kids of any age like them with Reds and C+ mixed in, too!
Need more convincing? Fruits and vegetables are loaded with the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients you and your baby need. They’re high in antioxidants that help prevent many chronic diseases. Plus they’re high in fiber (fiber helps you stay full longer) and low in calories. That’s part of the not-so-secret recipe to losing weight without starving yourself and hating life (not to mention being a real pain in the …. while you do it).
For more energy the natural way, supplements like Carnitine, B vitamins, a multivitamin, and omega-3 fatty acids can also help you get the nutrients you need to lose weight and have more energy (plus they’ll give you a natural mood boost and fewer frown lines). Now that’s what we call a win-win-win!
#3: Exercise. It’s part of that “take care of yourself” advice we mentioned earlier. And in addition to eating a healthy diet, it’s a huge boost to any weight loss program. Talk to your partner about your needs, and find a time that works for you to sneak out of the house for a 30-minute workout. Or workout at home and follow along with an exercise video (feel strapped for cash? There are tons of free ones on YouTube or OnDemand). Yes, you’ll burn calories by walking, jogging, running, or engaging in other forms of activity that can help you lose weight — but that’s not the only benefit. In a National Institutes of Health study, researchers found that exercise also helps reduce stress, improve your mood, and help you feel happier.
Remember: You can do this. Make an effort to adopt these three lifestyle behaviors, and you’ll be on your way to saying buh-bye to the weight you gained when you were pregnant.
Want to get back there even faster? Sign up for a CambiatiCleanse now for added support, accountability – not to mention we have proven 100% success when participants attend all 5 classes.
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