Your baby is finally here, but your body may still be holding on to a little excess weight. It took nine months to put it on, so keep in mind that it may take a little while to get it off. Your belly fat will come off more quickly if you combine healthy common sense approaches to gently build your overall physical, mental and emotional health.
Nursing
There is a reason nature put that extra weight on your body --- food reserves for your baby. According to CBSNews.com, nursing a baby may burn an average of 300 calories per day. So if you nurse your baby, you'll not only be giving him nature's perfect baby food, but you'll also be losing the belly fat faster.
Gentle Exercise
Robin Lim, author of "After the Baby's Birth," stresses the point that postpartum exercise should be gentle. Your body has been through a huge change and pushing it to recover too quickly may actually be counterproductive. The gentle exercises of walking, swimming or postpartum yoga classes can all be ways to get moving and burn some fat without overdoing it.
Healthy Diet
The postpartum period is not a good time to diet since your body needs the food energy to recover and make milk for your baby. According to the book "Diet and Nutrition," foods high in essential nutrients will help your body feel satisfied and you'll get more nutrition with fewer calories. So eliminate junk foods with empty calories in favor of nutritious foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. Talk to your doctor before making any dietary changes.
Relaxation
According to "Diet and Nutrition," stress makes your body hold on to extra fat. It goes back to the days of our ancestors when food was more scarce and holding onto extra weight in stressful times was actually a survival mechanism. Send your body the signal that all is well and that it's OK to drop the weight by finding ways to chill out. Treat yourself to a spa day or postpartum massage, listen to relaxing music, do deep breathing exercises, take your baby for a walk in the park or just enjoy your time playing with your new little one.
References
- "After the Baby's Birth"; Robin Lim; 1991
- "Diet and Nutrition"; Rudolph Ballentine; 1978
- CBSNews.com: 8 Tips for Losing Weight After Pregnancy
Member Comments