8 Tips on Successful Weight Loss after Pregnancy

Congratulations, Mommy! Having a child is one of the greatest blessings you will ever receive in your life. Nothing is more fulfilling than being with your little on every day and watching him or her bloom into a great person. However, being a mother is not easy. If you have just given birth, you are at risk for post-partum depression. Most of the time, this depression comes from the baby weight you put on. Being healthy is important. Now that you have someone who needs your utmost care and attention, you must make sure that you should be very healthy. And everyone knows that nothing is healthy about being overweight. So here are effective tips on weight loss after pregnancy.

Tip # 1: Accept That This Won't Happen Instantly

One common mistake that new mothers do is to look for someone to idolize. Often times, these are celebrities that lose weight instantly after giving birth. If you are doing this, stop. Reality check: you won't lose weight instantly and these celebrities have the luxury of paying doctors to do cosmetic surgery on them. They may look good, but they are the worst examples of weight loss after giving birth.

Tip # 2: Recovery is Your Priority

Although you're so excited to lose weight and regain your previous before-motherhood body, you have to recover first. It will take up to 6 months for your body to return to normal. The sign that you have fully recovered is if you are already getting your period regularly. You don't want to have any complications because of forcing yourself to work out right away. Take time to rest because you just gave birth to a baby. What you could do at this point is to focus on the food you eat. Besides, you will most likely be breastfeeding, so whatever you are consuming, your baby will consume as well.

Tip # 3: Set a Realistic Goal

People who fail at losing weight do so because of one thing - they have set unrealistic goals for themselves. If you set unrealistic goals for yourself, you will end up being frustrated and giving up often. You will also probably turn to binge eating which is a very bad habit! It will make you gain weight like crazy without you knowing! Your goal should be something like 30 pounds in 6 months or something similar. The goal should encompass the amount of weight you want to lose along with the time frame you give yourself.

Tip # 4: Exercise Regularly

The keyword in that phrase is the word "regularly". Weight loss after pregnancy is hard to attain without a regular workout routine. It will be easier for you to stick to your goals if you work out regularly. This will constantly make you lose weight and will keep you on track. If you are busy, then 30 minutes for three times in a week is alright. If you have time to spare or while your baby is asleep and you don't have any tasks, go ahead and increase the time for your exercises. However, do not jeopardize your time for sleeping. Most new mothers are sleep deprived. Lack of sleep is never good for losing weight. As much as possible, get enough sleep. If you don't, your metabolism will be really slow. You will end up gaining weight instead.

Tip # 5: Team Up

Working out is more fun when you have other mothers with you. Sharing a goal with other people will motivate you more. Also, there are many workouts that burn a lot of calories that are grouped workouts such as spinning, Zumba and Tae Bo! Having friends around will make the experience more memorable and fun.

Tip # 6: Modify your Meals

Meals are important. However, if want to lose weight, you will have to modify your meals a little bit. First of all, you need to eat more meals but in smaller portions. Every breakfast, have some oatmeal or whole wheat bread. There are also many fruits and vegetables that are packed with vitamins and minerals and in fiber, too. Fiber is good for your diet because it will help in making sure your digestion goes smoothly. If you work out a lot, then go for protein rich foods which are not full of fat. Protein will aid in muscle recovery so you can work out more and tone faster.

Tip # 7: Choose To Breastfeed

Breastfeeding will help you lose weight. Decide to stick to it for the next two years. Breastfeeding your baby requires 500 calories from you in a day. That is already worth 2 hours of continuous cardiovascular exercises. Besides, breastfeeding has a lot of benefits especially to the immune system. Your baby will develop faster and will have natural vitamins and minerals that will come from breast milk. Do not skip on that chance.

Tip # 8: Go for Workouts you Can Do at Home

The reason why some new mothers pass on working out is because they believe it consumes so much of their time. Admit it; time is not a luxury when you have a baby around. There is just so much to do. If you have the same situation, then you should workout smart. Choose routines that you can do at home. Split the routines as well. If you can do routines for 15 minutes in the morning, another 15 minutes in the afternoon and 15 minutes in the evening, then that would be great. However, remember that breaking up routines is only advisable when you are a person who knows how to follow a schedule. So if you make one, be sure to stick to it. Take a piece of paper and write down your routines as well. Crunches in the morning, lunges in the afternoon and cardio at night would be a start.

Weight loss after pregnancy seems impossible for some because having a baby requires a lot of attention from the mother. In fact, at times you may feel guilty for even giving yourself some time to exercise and get in shape. Don't be! Everything good that you do for yourself is also good for your child. A healthy mom breeds a healthy kid. Good luck!

source : http://www.articlesbase.com/womens-health-articles/8-tips-on-successful-weight-loss-after-pregnancy-6070862.html