Disclosure #1:
I am not a fitness model. If that is what you are striving for, I’m not sure I have the advice you want:). I’m a mom who has had six kids and has been able to return to a fairly respectable level of fitness after each one. My body is different than it was before multiplying and replenishing the earth, and that is okay. Sure, tight skin elasticity below the belly button would be nice to have. I traded that in for offspring and I think I prefer my kids! 🙂
Disclosure #2:
I am not a health professional. What I am offering in this post is my own distinct experience with weight loss and fitness. This method that I have developed for myself over the course of the last fifteen years has been highly effective, for me. Every body is unique and my experiences may be entirely different for someone else’s physiological makeup and metabolism.
With all of that said, I offer my top ten tips and tricks that have helped me lose 40 pounds of pregnancy weight in five months (three babies in a row):
#1. Have a baby. It’s amazing, really. About 10-12 pounds (baby+placenta+water) gone, just like that! (Read on. I promise there will be no more “throw away” suggestions!)
#2. Prepare your pantry and fridge. Get rid of all that comfort food that got you through those last few unbearable weeks of baby boarding. Dejunk all refined sugars and simple carbs. Pawn them off on family and friends. Or better yet, donate them to your local food bank! Just eliminate them. It’s better to not have reminders of your former food days. Then have daddy stay home with the wee one for an hour between nursing and get to the fresh produce section of the grocery store and stock up on color!
#3. “Complexify” your diet. Yep, I just made up a word. Basically, you will be simplifying your diet significantly by supplying your body primarily with complex nutrients:). Whole grains, whole vegetables, lean proteins. This is your new home base, your green zone, your happy place. Enjoy it! There are so many delicious combinations of flavors and tastes within this nutrition trifecta. Explore. Be adventurous. Take risks with your taste buds!
#4. Count Calories. Boo. I know, nobody loves this. And it’s apparently quite the controversial topic within the weight loss industry. For me, it is effective. And as much as we hate to admit it, it’s how the human body works. Energy in, energy out=metabolism. Physiology is what it is. Maybe it’s just my personality, but tracking those pesky calories keeps me accountable and motivated at the same time. In order to know how many calories you should be consuming to lose weight, just ask google:). Several good websites have convenient calculators that make it easy (here’s a pretty good one I’ve used).
#5. Eat! Eat a lot. It’s amazing how much real food you can pack onto your plate when you veto those simple carbohydrates and concentrate on lean proteins and veggies. Also, though research is inconclusive when it comes to how many meals a day one should take in, I have found that for me eating 5-6 small meals throughout the day is more effective in losing weight than the standard breakfast/lunch/dinner tradition that most of us were raised on. No matter your particular meal frequency, just make sure you are sticking to your calorie allotment for the day and keeping it clean. Also, try to consume the bulk of your whole grain calories in the morning, reserving just a few for later in the day.
#6. Work your body. Work is the operative word here. It is so easy to make excuses, especially during the first few weeks after having a baby. Yes, you should definitely wait until you get the thumbs up from your obstetrician before starting any major work out regimens. However, walking is almost always recommended even right after giving birth. So get up and get started! Once you have been cleared for more serious work outs, listen to your body and start gradually to increase the intensity of your exercises. Start sweating! And don’t be silly about it. 15 minutes of moving and stretching your arms and legs a little bit to the dulcet tones of a pilates video a few times a week might be fun and make you feel sophisticated, but you’re not going to see results any time soon. Aim for 5-6 good, sweat pouring workouts a week. By six weeks postpartum my workout regimen included high intensity 60+ minute inclined walking sessions 3 times per week and T25 videos 2 times a week. As time progressed and I felt stronger, I replaced the walking with running and added weight/strength training on top of the T25.
#7. Keep a weight loss journal. This is a great way to keep yourself accountable and establish a habit of healthy living. If I know that I will be recording all my calories for the day and whether or not I work out then I am more inclined to stay on track. Also, this may sound ridiculous to many of you, but make it cute if you can! I don’t know why, but I am much more likely to be drawn to a notebook that I spent a little time on and I love to look at and handle. A fun writing utensil wouldn’t hurt either;).
#8. Don’t get attached to the scale. But do establish a non-emotional relationship with it. I did not look at the numbers on the scale for 9 months. I was that irritating patient that always turned around and asked the nurses not to tell me what it said. But once my tiny one arrived, it was time to re-visit reality. Don’t let this get to you. It is just a number, not an identity. You will be the same person after you step on the scale as you were before. Instead, let the scale act as a tool for gauging progress. Weigh yourself only once a week on the same designated day and time and record it in your journal. And as hard as it will at some inevitable point be, don’t get discouraged! Remember that effective, lasting weight loss takes time. If water is what you want to lose, then there are a lot of methods out there that will boast quicker results. But losing fat requires really hard work. It’s not necessarily fun, especially in the beginning. Have you seen what a pound of fat looks like? To get that out of your body takes consistent effort over time. Plan on just 1-2 pounds each week. That is normal. And as long as everything is working right in your body, it will happen!
#9. Dark chocolate. Oh, yes. You can. Honestly, this might be more accurate as number one! I strongly believe in allowing yourself just a tiny bit of your favorite thing every day. Without it, you are likely to overindulge at some point along the way which usually leads to either diet derailment or counterproductive overcompensation. And since my favorite thing happens to include an abundance of antioxidants, the tiny bit of sugar that this adds to my daily diet does not concern me. And it seems my metabolism would agree! After six successful pregnancy weight losses, I am yet to see any adverse affects.
#10. Pray. This one is so important. Staying connected with God through this journey will help you to stay focused and reach your goals while ALSO keeping you grounded in what is most important. God wants what is best for you. He will help you achieve your righteous desires and goals, and I believe having a healthy body that allows you to serve Him better fits that description. He does not, however, want you to become consumed in and distracted by an obsession over how you look. It is so important to keep balance in your life and not forget what matters most.
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” {Isaiah 40:31}