Friday, January 9, 2009

3 Simple Steps to Pregnancy Weight Loss!

You are fondling your baby in your arms, and reading a lifestyle magazine, and what catches your eye is the sexy photo of Jennifer Aniston - her curves as well as her flat stomach. You look at your fat belly and immediately start hating it like never before! You now want your belly to be like that of Aniston. While it is possible, it would take you some work and self-discipline in order to achieve your dream!

First of all, you should be overjoyed at the fact that you have birth to a new life, your baby, and even if you have regained some extra pounds in the process, it is still a small price you paid to give birth to your baby. And by the way, don't forget that this situation is only temporary and if you follow my advice in this article, it is only a matter of time before you become your former self and gain back the slim figure that you had!

1. Be realistic: Like I said earlier, if you are serious about losing pregnancy pounds, you got to be extremely patient and realistic. Think about it: if you gained twenty pounds over the course of nine long months, is it realistic to think that you would lose them all within a month or two? Of course not! You should assume that it would take you at least another nine months to lose that weight, or maybe longer, since it takes more time to lose weight than gain it!

2. Breastfeeding helps: I would say that a mother is in a more advantageous position than an ordinary woman, so far as weight loss is concerned! Why? That is because as a mother you need to breastfeed your baby and you lose a lot of extra calories that way! You will be amazed at how much weight you would manage to lose everyday just by breastfeeding your baby!

But breastfeeding comes with a flip side too; since your body burns extra calories for the purpose of breastfeeding, it needs back those calories! Therefore, reducing your food intake is not an option for you. And of course you should stay miles away from fad diets which are more harmful than helpful for a mother!

Okay, so what should you do to lose weight? Eat healthy and in small portions. If you used to eat two or three large meals in a day, you would need to split those meals into several smaller meals, and eat each of those smaller meals every two or three hours!
Small and frequent eating would not only help suppress your hunger but also keep your metabolic rate high, both of which are required for fast weight loss!

When I mean healthy eating, I obviously don't suggest that you survive on a piece of lemon, as that is totally unhealthy. You should include foods such as whole grains, natural fruits, vegetables, dairy products, soy, nuts, legumes, fish, etc., in your diet! These foods are pretty good for quick weight loss. Stay away from sugary foods because they would make you fatter!

3. Workout: You might be wondering whether workouts are at all needed since caring for your baby is work enough for you! Of course, it is true that you burn a lot of calories simply by caring for your baby, but that is not enough for losing pregnancy weight! You need to participate in regular workouts so that you are able to burn a lot of fat quickly. The more workouts you do, the faster you would burn fat and lose weight!

Moderate cardios are good for a mother. I would suggest that you don't do any form of intense workout such as strength training or weight lifting till your body has recovered completely!

Another exercise I recommend is the Kegels exercise. It is so simple that you can do it anytime you want! All you need to do is simply tighten and release your Kegel muscles, the muscles you use to urinate. Did I say it is easy?

Some mothers feel a bit weak immediately after childbirth, and may not be ready for workouts. If that is you then it is perfectly okay. Since your body went through so much strain during the pregnancy it is only natural for you to feel weak during the first few months. Just stick to eating healthy foods as I suggested above and you may begin the workout session when you feel better!

These are just some of the ways to lose pregnancy fat. Brian has an information website with articles,advice and tips on how to get back your slim body. He has reviewed the best diets for losing pregnancy weight. Visit his website http://LosePregnancyFat.homestead.com

Wednesday, January 7, 2009

Weight Loss After Pregnancy

The amount of extra weight you manage to lose which was gained during pregnancy will depend on many factors. What is certain is she will lose upwards of 14 pounds during the first 14 days after birth as the weight of the baby, amniotic fluid, placenta and other fluid is taken into account.

Apart form the weight of the baby, amniotic fluid and placenta, a pregnant woman will add an extra seven pounds of fat to her overall weight and once the hormone levels start to lower after the birth, the weight will begin drop. The extra fat gained is used as energy while the mother is breastfeeding but there is no magic formula to calculate how quickly each individual's excess weight will reduce.

As it took all of nine months to put on the weight you cannot expect it all to disappear as soon as the baby is born. Some women will hang on to the last few pounds they have to lose until they stop breastfeeding because your body may want to cling to a few extra pounds to ensure you have enough energy to provide adequate milk for the baby but every woman's experience is unique with respect to this.

However, nutrition specialists are able to provide healthy diet plans and with regular physical activity there is no reason why you shouldn't get back to your normal size and weight. Many women in fact will be back to their original weight within a year of having their child providing they follow good dietary and exercise regimes. Unfortunately, it is those women that lose it within the first three months that give false expectations to other mothers.

It is generally understood that after giving birth most women's bodies make considerable adjustments; these adjustments can make weight loss after pregnancy quite difficult. This is one good reason if you want to achieve weight loss after pregnancy then you must take things steady and not try to rush, especially if you wish to stay healthy.

One aspect that must be considered is the health of the mother and baby as additional fat during the breastfeeding stage is used to provide extra energy. A feeding mother may take upwards of six months for the hormone and metabolic rate to return to normal but for some people the changes they experience end up being permanent.

The initial weight loss after birth of around fourteen pounds will just about put a dent in the total of up to thirty five pounds in weight that was gained during the pregnancy.

This weight loss will happen immediately which still leaves the other 12-21 pounds, and they can be safely and easily lost over the next 6-8 months by taking it slow and steady, without risk.

To see reviews of the best diet for Weight Loss After Pregnancy visit http://losepregnancyfat.homestead.com

Lose Weight After Pregnancy

Almost all recent mothers will think about how they are going to lose weight after the pregnancy but this shouldn't be their prime concern after giving birth. Part of this obsession is because of the number of famous women who have recently given birth and lost pounds in record time. The fact that they have access to their own physical trainers and dietitians to help achieve weight loss after pregnancy for example is not mentioned,

This of course is not the normal situation for the average woman in the street who has many other things to sort out before any weight loss after pregnancy can even be considered. A new mother will be thinking about her baby and her focus should be eating healthily to regain strength and recover from the birth. A diet consisting of a tiny amount of fiber, totaling around 2000 calories is a good common sense starting point,but it also requires regular amounts of the following:

Carbohydrates should be half the daily intake.Approximately a third as protein A small amount of fat (10 percent)

Although this does not total a full 100 percent, this is because a little luxury is ok for you as long as you don't overdo it. Nevertheless, even a new mother requires some exercise to tone her body back up again after the exertion experienced from having a child, Where many mothers go wrong is they try too hard and end up becoming despondent so the idea is to take it easy and enjoy yourself these days you exercise and the gradual change it brings.

Weight loss after pregnancy should be gradual so don't compete with other people as it will depend greatly on just how many pounds you added and many other factors. these adjustments can make losing excess pounds quite difficult. and continue exercising but keeping an eye on how quickly the weight is coming off as it should be slow but steady.

Rapid weight loss can end up in rapid weight gain! But carry on with the exercise every day with the healthy diet and there is no reason why all the weight that was put on should not be lost. However, it is important to remember that if you are breastfeeding then those last stubborn pounds may not be lost until you stop!This is possible for most new mothers although it must be remembered that some of the pounds are not likely to be shed while the breastfeeding continues.

These are just a few ways to lose pregnancy fat. To see reviews of the best diets to lose pregnancy weigth visit http://LosePregnancyFat.homestead.com