For some new moms, losing baby weight falls to the bottom of their priority list under loads of laundry and a baby requiring constant care and attention. However, you can lose weight without sacrificing quality time with your child or spending a minute at the gym by creating an exercise and nutrition program tailored to your new lifestyle.
Step 1
Eat right by eliminating sugar, white flour and other refined carbohydrates from your diet to prevent spikes and dives in blood sugar. Replace these with plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fats. Aim for a reduction of 500 calories per day to lose about 1 lb. a week, unless you're nursing, which burns calories and requires adequate caloric intake.
Step 2
Keep a food journal. Write down every bite throughout the day--including the nibbles of cereal or fruit you finish off of your baby's plate---and you'll lose more weight than someone who's dieting but not journaling what she eats.
Step 3
Sleep often. Nap when your baby naps and you can take advantage of sleep's powerful effect on metabolism and appetite. A Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism study published in 2004 found that restricting sleep reduces the satiety hormone leptin. So, even if your sleep is broken up, aim for seven to nine hours each day.
Step 4
Guzzle about two glasses of water before each meal and you'll end up not only eating less but also burning more of the calories you do consume through a process known as thermogenesis, when the body raises the temperature of the liquid to body temperature. A study published in the February 18, 2010 issue of the journal Obesity found that simply consuming 17 oz. of water prior to each meal helped study participants shed nearly 5 lbs. more than the control group over 12 weeks. Water consumption is especially important for nursing moms.
Step 5
Move more by taking your baby on a walk in the stroller every day, outside if weather permits or inside a shopping mall. A study conducted by the American Council on Exercise found that walking with a stroller burns about 50 more calories per hour than walking alone. Push the stroller uphill and that number climbs to nearly 250 more calories per hour.
Tips and Warnings
- Be patient with yourself and your new limitations; it took you nine months to gain the weight, and you can expect it to take as long to lose it. Consider exercise classes or videos incorporating both mom and baby.
- Before you begin any exercise program, speak with your health care provider. Some doctors recommend women wait at least six weeks following vaginal delivery and eight weeks following a cesarean birth.
Things You'll Need
- Journal
- Water bottle
- Stroller
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