This is not a concern for men, but for all women out there who are pregnant or have recently had a baby, have you found a plan yet to help you lose weight after pregnancy?  New mothers particularly may have a difficult time losing weight because they frequently feel the need to split their time between taking care of the new bundle of joy and also trying to get their body back into shape after the pregnancy, basically pulling double duty.  But that is not reality because with a newborn in the house, spare time is at a premium and fatigue reaches record levels.  So with all this said, is post pregnancy weight loss even something that is realistic to have on your radar?

The answer to this question is emphatically YES, and there are many techniques and approaches you can utilize to lose weight after pregnancy without collapsing from shear exhaustion.

Make Time for You

As nice as it sounds to “make time for you”, we all know this is much easier said than done.  But then again, you also know that you need to take care of yourself so that you will have enough of “you” left to take care of the house, your husband, and everything else.  You might be finding it tough to even find an hour per day for exercise activities.  You may want to try getting your spouse, friend or relative to watch over the baby while you do some quick workouts.  In fact, many health clubs and fitness centers offer baby care these days, just for this reason.  If this option does not work for you for whatever reason, you can time your quick workouts to happen at the same time as the baby’s naps.

Do not be concerned with not having a full hour to workout.  So whether your time to exercise is 1 hour or 4 different times of 15 minutes each, the thing that is important is the total time spent working out, and being disciplined enough to take action and do it.

Eat Nutritious Foods

If you are really serious about wanting to lose weight after pregnancy, you need to make sure that you eat the appropriate amount of calories each day.  If you are breast feeding your baby, be sure to increase your calorie intake each day to account for that.

What happens is that if you do not consumer enough calories, your entire metabolism will slow down, and can dip as low as 20-30% lower than what would be normal for you.  And you cannot purely count calories since if you eat a lot of junk food, even though the pure calorie count might be good, neither you nor your baby will be getting the right types of nourishment, which can cause your metabolism to take an even steeper nose dive.

What many people have done successfully in your situation is to consume smaller portions of a meal several times per day.  So in other words, try to never go more than 2 or 3 hours without eating something nutritious, which is much better for you than eating larger portions only 3 times a day.  Be sure to get your calcium from dark green vegetables and low fat dairy products.

Calcium will jump start your fat burning metabolism into higher gear.  Complete your meals with fresh fruits, lean proteins and whole grain products.

Exercise With the Baby

You don’t need to work on this weight loss performance as a solo act.  You CAN lose weight after pregnancy and have plenty of fun at the same time by taking your baby along with you.  There are a number of online weight loss communities around that allow you to connect with other new moms, possibly even in your area, who would be more than happy to join you in stroller walks and swimming.  many communities also offer “baby and me” exercise classes at the health club or community centers or recreation centers.

But if you are not into joining together with other new moms or cannot find them in your area, you can also do one on one time with your newborn by going on long walks while you push them in the stroller.  So that this does not get tedious for you, vary the routes of your walks; for example, go around the local area one time, maybe at the zoo another day, in the park another day, etc.  As they get older, they might also enjoy some time at a playground in a local park.

Look for Support

There is no question about it, new moms need support networks.  For many new moms that are trying to lose weight after pregnancy they soon discover that it is just too difficult to do it alone.  Friends, relatives and family members all play a very important role in various respects, including babysitting services or even just the occasional morale boost.

Another aspect to consider that it is important and beneficial to connect with other new moms who are having the same struggles as you are.  Look for a good community of new mothers who are also trying to lose weight.  Find out what obstacles they are facing and how many of them have find a way to overcome them, and then you can also share your own tips for what you have found to be successful.  It feels good and helps you realize you are not alone.

Get a Good Night’s Sleep

It should not even be necessary to state this, and for new mothers it is sometimes difficult, but you need to get a good night’s sleep.  Insufficient sleep can cause all types of physical and emotional problems.  If your new bundle of joy has not yet gotten to the point of sleeping through the night, this can become an even greater problem for you.

You can start to feel exhausted quickly with the added stress that a new baby brings to your household.  One of the things you should do is that at least one or two times a week, have your spouse or a good friend respond to the baby’s cries so that you can get at least 8-10 hours of continuous sleep.  If you need to, don’t be afraid to use ear plugs.  This high level of quality of your sleep time can make an amazing difference in your mental attitude about everything.

Breastfeeding moms might have to wait a little longer before adequate sleep becomes a regular part of life. Just catch naps when you can, and remember that, someday soon, your baby (and you) will be sleeping through the night.

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