Many postpartum women are dismayed to see that their once-adorable baby bump has left a soft, flabby tummy behind after the baby is born. While it can be a scary sight at first, a combination of hard work and patience is the best approach to losing post-pregnancy stomach fat.
Give It Time
If you're still only a few weeks postpartum, don't blame a puffy belly on fat just yet. Your uterus, which slowly expanded during pregnancy as your baby grew, takes about four weeks to shrink back to its usual size after giving birth, reports BabyCenter. Even if you're certain you're carrying excess belly fat, don't try to lose weight until you're at least six-weeks postpartum, or two months for breastfeeding moms.
Burn Fat
Losing fat in your belly is no different than losing it anywhere else on your body; you have to lose weight all over by burning more calories than you take in. Try cutting between 250 and 500 calories from your daily diet, focusing on eating whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean sources of protein and low-fat dairy to help you take in fewer calories without feeling hungry. Try to squeeze exercise into your schedule at least five times per week; the higher the intensity, the more calories you'll burn, but even a daily walk around the block is better than nothing at all.
Strengthen Your Muscles
While strengthening your abdominal muscles has little effect on belly fat, having a strong core can help your stomach look tighter and firmer after you lose the excess fat. After your doctor gives you the OK to exercise, incorporate ab-targeting moves into your workout routine two to three times per week. Isolate all of the muscles in your midsection by choosing a variety of exercises, like crunches, bicycle crunches, planks and reverse crunches.
Other Factors
For many women, loose skin is another contributing factor to a soft tummy after pregnancy, particularly if you carried multiples, gained excess weight while pregnant or simply have less elastic skin than other women. Stretched skin is one of the most difficult problems to treat, although time will take care of it to some degree. A surgical procedure such as a tummy tuck is a last resort for some women, but shouldn't be done unless you've lost all excess weight and devoted several months to strengthening your abdominal muscles.
