Lose the Baby Weight! 5 Mom Tested Ways

Losing baby weight is something that all moms have to contend with. But imagine being up against this: 100. Yes 1-0-0. The typical weight a mom should gain during pregnancy is about 35 pounds. But I gained 100 pounds due to a pregnancy illness. So, let’s face it I was in a battle royal. Unless you’ve been living under a rock (which can happen to new moms) you probably know who Kourtney Kardashian is. Well, I had to lose her. The weight equal not to that precious newborn but a full grown adult.

And here’s the cold hard facts. The only marathon I was prepared to run was airing on the Lifetime Network each weekend. My recovery from Preeclampsia and Heart failure was going to make the will to get out of the bed a challenge yet alone summoning the will to work out. But I had to do something. And then something happened. It was a light bulb moment for me. While I do have tips, tricks and techniques I finally did something. I made up my mind instead of making up a diet. I made up my mind that I had to get healthy for me and my baby and losing the baby fat was the first step.

Going into my pregnancy I assumed that I would get washboard abs because of breastfeeding. My sister had not only given her children a healthy start because of breastfeeding but had gotten her flat stomach back in no time. But you know what happens when you assume. Those 800 calories I planned to be burning while breastfeeding didn’t happen. I wasn’t able to breastfeed due to being on some serious meds. But, I was able to make the following small changes that equaled big results and helped me to lose 100 pounds in less than a year.

Here are 5 Mom Tested Ways to Lose the Baby Fat!

1. Mind Over Fatter

When it comes to weight loss small manageable changes need to be made. But the biggest and most important change that you can make is in your mind. Make up your mind that you should get healthy for you. Losing unneeded weight is a step towards better health. And be mindful that it doesn’t happen overnight, that you will have some failures but ultimately you can’t lose in the health department when making healthy changes and choices.

2. Sit Around

When someone told me you could sit around and lose weight I was pumped. And that’s something you can use for this tip. A pump. It’s not new news that if you burn extra calories you will lose weight. Although it wasn’t possible for me many moms have found success losing weight because of breastfeeding. My sister got down past her pre-pregnancy weight with each child due in large part to breastfeeding. Breastfeeding burns 600 to 800 calories a day, so you can sit around, feed your baby and lose weight! A breastfeeding pump will help keep up your milk supply, allow you to store milk all while burning fat. Although this was not something that I did, you can also pump and dump if your milk supply is not safe for baby.

3. Say No
It is true that you will have to say no to some things to lose the baby fat. Saying no to empty-calorie foods is a must. You don’t have to stop everything simply make some small manageable changes like eliminating sugary drinks like pop. Say no to soda but yes to low or zero calorie versions. You can also say yes to many other zero or low calorie beverages. Say no to unhealthy snacks and big meals. Say yes to lean protein, whole grains, vegetable and fruits. Say yes to smaller and more frequent meals. Eating 5-7 meals a day is great for your metabolism.

3. Baby Steps
Our bodies generally aren’t ready for serious exercise until six weeks after giving birth, longer if you’ve had a Cesarean section or complications like me. But there is some weight training and exercise that all new moms get in the form of lifting that baby. Who needs dumbbells when you have your bundle of joy. Be mindful of small exercises that you can do while holding baby like walking around the house to soothe baby, taking an extra lap around the house while doing the endless loads of baby laundry, going up and down stairs an extra time or two for each feeding or diaper change. When you are ready you can even take short walks with baby in the stroller. Make eye contact with your baby while lifting baby up and down while lying on your back. 

5. Sleep On It
New Moms need to get rest when they can. Upsetting your sleep cycle, upsets your metabolism and makes it hard to lose weight. Sleeping while baby sleeps including nap time are moms and doctor’s orders. It will help you cut down on binge eating and will encourage Dad to do that load of laundry. Moms orders.