Now You are a Mom, It’s Time to Work on Getting your Body Back

new moms

If you were slender and fit before you became pregnant, you may be wondering how or if you’ll ever recover your fabulous pre-mommy shape. If you were already chubby before becoming a new mom, you might be worried that you’ll never rock a stylish pair of jeans. Fortunately, not-so-thin new moms can get fit no matter how much weight they gained while preggers. In the interest of promoting good health and fitness for all, we are pleased to present these savvy tips that may help you get back into shape in record time.

Why women get fat during pregnancy

Many pregnant women and the mates who love them consider pregnancy a time when it’s perfectly appropriate to “eat for two” people. In reality, this old adage is not exactly accurate. While it’s true that an expectant mother definitely needs to ramp up her daily intake of calories and nutrients, doubling the amount of everything she eats can only lead to obesity. Pregnancy is not a time to diet, but it’s certainly a time to watch what and how much you put into your mouth.

WebMD explains that a pregnant woman who was of normal weight before becoming pregnant should gain somewhere around 25 to 25 pounds over the course of gestation. Women who were significantly underweight before pregnancy may gain a bit more – 28 to 40 pounds is a reasonable weight gain for thin women. Women who are overweight at the time they become pregnant may wish to gain fewer pounds while pregnant.

As a general rule of thumb, a woman should put on two to four pounds during the first trimester, and around a pound per week thereafter. Women who are pregnant with twins or triplets should expect to put on several more pounds than a woman expecting a single baby. Any more than a healthy weight gain and the expectant mama may be asking for troubles such as pre-eclampsia, diabetes, and other weight-related health issues.

Healthy ways to lose post-pregnancy pounds

New moms who breastfeed tend to lose weight quicker and get back into shape faster than women who opt to bottle feed their new babies. This alone should be enough to convince  new moms to put their newborn to the breast in lieu of the bottle. Breastfeeding does more than just help a new mom get back into her pre-pregnancy clothes, however. Breastfeeding is better for baby, too. Breast fed babies tend to have fewer allergies, less colic, and they sleep through the night sooner than babies who take a bottle.

Exercise is the ideal way to reduce inches and regain body tone. Many new moms find that a jogging stroller offers a perfect opportunity to enjoy a nice day with their little one while whittling away those pesky pregnancy pounds. Get up and move about, and you’re bound to shed those postpartum pounds in a hurry, says Fit Pregnancy magazine.

Fitness is a place to live, not a vacation destination

If you think of fitness as something you focus on only long enough to get back into your skinny jeans, please think again. Fitness is an everyday choice. Stock your pantry with healthful fruits, veggies, and lean meats and stay away from the bakery aisle. Losing weight after pregnancy can be a joy if you eat appropriately and move around more. Remember, burning even a few more calories than you consume is the key to healthy weight loss.

If you ate a lot of sweets and high-fat foods while pregnant, you might think they’ll be hard to give up once your baby arrives. In truth, you can develop such a love for healthy, lean foods, the very idea of eating unhealthy is a bore.

Have fun while getting (and staying) fit for life

When you want to lose weight without losing your mind, find an enjoyable workout program and stick with it. Many new moms, especially those who give birth after the age of 30, use the BBG workout to get back to their pre-pregnancy fitness level. Some find this and other “bikini body” programs so fun and effective, they actually get into better shape than they were before becoming a new mother.

Welcome to the world of motherhood. Although women have been having babies for thousands of years, your mommy experience is a singular treasure that you will gladly do your own way.

[info_box type=”pale_box”]Evie Rahman is Mom to a toddler who turned her world upset down, in the best way possible! She writes about motherhood, retaining your identity as a new mom and keeping your body in tip-top condition before, during and after pregnancy.[/info_box]

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