5 reasons you may be struggling to lose your baby weight

 

As many experienced mums will agree, the term "baby weight" can be as misleading as the term morning sickness.  Just as morning sickness can plague a pregnant woman at all hours of the day, baby weight tends to hang on to Mum long after the baby's evolved to a toddler, preschooler, and beyond.

 

And there's a reason for that:

 

1. You’re doing the wrong workout

Any tired, new mum is lucky enough to have the energy, let alone the time, to make it to a workout. I know they are many question what are bothering you right now. Some of the most popular comments are ‘when is it good and/ or safe to start doing exercise again?’ ‘what kind of exercise to begin with?’ and is what I am doing?’

 

Doing too much, too fast, can lead to any number of complications, including:

Once you're approved for exercise after giving birth, consider consulting with a fitness expert to get educated on what formats and exercises are appropriate and which ones should be avoided. 

 

2. Nutrition

While good nutrition is imperative, especially to support nursing, keep in-mind that healthful foods do have calories. Heart-healthy fats such as nuts, whole grains such as brown rice and some gluten-free bakery items found in organic markets are examples of beneficial foods that support energy and bodily function for any new mum.

 

But when you’re consuming more calories than your body can burn, even the calories in those so-called super foods, which as well as containing a heap of positive health properties will be stored as fat. Be conscious of portions sizes, take time to read food labels, and, if you’re having trouble with emotional eating, get support.  

 

 

3. Support

Weight-loss success requires support from those around us. Some new moms are showered with homemade meals and desserts from friends and family. It is natural to want to enjoy comfort foods, but you need to be careful. It's important to communicate with those around you about your choice to be the healthy , so you can get the best support for your wellness goals. If that fails, do not be afraid to eliminate situations or people in your life who  bring you down, create undue stress, or cause you to second guess your abilities to succeed in losing baby weight. You can look for professional help as well.

 

4. You have stopped breastfeeding

If you exclusively breastfed your baby, you may have noticed the added benefits that come with burning an impressive about 500 calories per day. But when the nursing ends? Sometimes the pounds come right back. Completely unfair, I know.

 

 

5. Patience and motivation

Take a moment and focus on what you can do today to move toward your end goal. Studies show the most efficient weight-loss plans are those that aim to create a loss of 1-2 pounds per week. This is a sane target for new, busy mums as well.

 

By setting realistic and attainable goals, such as walking for 30 minutes each day, or eliminating fatty and processed foods from meals, many postnatal moms should be able to jumpstart caloric conditions in order to safely lose up to a couple of pounds-per-week.

 

Your positive affirmations to live healthier, will, in-time, result in a trimmer physique. Meanwhile, keep up the great work, and know that your healthy lifestyle will benefit both you and your beautiful new baby.

 

Evee Parroche is a personal trainer and mum to a five-month-old baby. She blogs at Fit Bumps and Mums, where she provides top tips for a fit and healthy pregnancy, and also healthy ways to get back into shape after having your baby.