Moms-To-Be And New Moms Want To Know: How Do I Lose The Baby Weight?

 

Moms To Be And New Moms Want To Know: How Do I Lose The Baby Weight?

8-17-2012

My little loves are 29 months, 2 weeks, 1 day old. 

 

 

A burning question in the minds of many new moms and moms-to-be whether singletons or multiples is, ”How do I lose the baby weight?” For twin moms you may have an advantage, especially if you didn’t over-gain too much, as you will notice that a lot more weight tends to drop right off in the immediate postpartum period.

 

Remember.. all of the extra blood volume, bonus water weight, an extra baby, and most likely extra placenta. It all accounts for something, so your weight loss may be more dramatic than even a singleton mother’s may be. I found this to be the case to my pleasant surprise.

 

 

So what things can you do to help speed up the process?

 

1) Have patience

Remember, your baby or twins didn’t grow overnight, so don’t expect to get back to your former self overnight either. You may turn out to be one of the lucky ones, but I have learned to not expect things and if it happens it’s a surprise and if not.. it’s not a disappointment. Give yourself some time and you will find that in the first weeks and first month or two after your baby or twins are born you will be losing weight without doing much of anything. Do less worrying about your weight and spend more time enjoying your new bundle(s).

 

 

 2) Eat smart

Ok, we all enjoyed indulging in some cravings during our pregnancies. It’s one of the joys of being pregnant. But if you actually ate for two or more you may have a harder time than someone who gained an average amount of weight. (25-35 lbs. for a singleton & 35-45 lbs. for twins, respectively. Though this will vary.) That being said.. it is far from impossible regardless of weight gain, and you will get there.

 

Trade in that burger and fries for a salad with grilled chicken. Pass up the soda and reach for some healthy V8 fusion light with less calories and great taste. Or less yet a 10 calorie juice like Tropicana Light or Minute Maid Light. Lower your sugar intake and limit your carbs. We all need some carbs for energy, just make the portions smaller and try eating smaller more frequent meals during the day rather than 3 big meals. Also avoid eating in bed at night and basically eating much of anything at all beyond 8 pm. In short, can the midnight snacking and keep the bed ‘crumb-free’.

 

You will be very busy, especially if you have multiples, so I think that also helps with the baby weight as you’ll be feeding them so frequently you may find you might even forget to eat your own lunch sometimes . Remember though, crash diets and starvation are not only unhealthy but they don’t work in the long run. (Been there.)

 

Also a special note…

**Breastfeeding mamas- Don’t forget that you need more calories every day in order to keep your milk supply up and your baby healthy. It doesn’t mean you have to eat junk though. Quite the contrary. What goes into your body affects your newborn(s).

 

You do have an advantage in breastfeeding though. You burn more calories, so the extra calories shouldn’t affect your weight in a negative way. You may find yourself losing weight even faster, believe it or not. Also, you may get back your pre-partum figure faster than mothers who bottle-feed. The uterus shrinks down quicker when you nurse, and thus your belly may flatten out sooner than if you did not breastfeed. Just an FYI.**

 

 

3) Get more active

You don’t have to hit the gym 3 times a week because at least for some time you won’t be getting away from your little one or twins enough to even be able to do that if you wanted to. A gym membership isn’t a necessity right now. You can go for power walks with your newborn(s) in the stroller. The fresh air will knock them out and simple walking is safe for all new moms and is fantastic for you. It helps ward off postpartum depression even. Get a walkman or MP3 player and hit the streets mama!

 

For those who have had c sections you may have to wait on certain exercises, even ones you were formally into, until you have healed. Check with your doctor to get clearance on that, then you may resume your previous activities. Bike riding, jogging, Yoga that helps both the body and mind, Pilate’s, swimming, simple walking, and later on simply chasing after your infant or twinfants are all beneficial to the postpartum body and release endorphins that will help make you feel good to. A double benefit.

 

 

 4) Drink lots of water. It’s not just for hydration anymore.

It’s a proven fact that water helps you lose weight. If you are like me and hate water there are things you can do to make it taste better. Add a lime or lemon wedge or buy special flavored water in your local grocery store. I like Propel fitness water. It’s quite good. However, I do drink a lot of plain water now that I know all of it’s benefits on the body which are many. I didn’t use to drink any at all. I know better now.

 

Water helps with our skin, ridding our body of toxins by helping us to eliminate them, it keeps us healthy and hydrated, and now another perk..it actually helps you lose weight. Who knew? So even if you hate it..drink it! Spruce it up with some flavor if you must, but do drink even more than the recommended daily intake of agua during the postpartum period. You will see how much it helps.

 

Some people believe that water bloats but it actually has the opposite effect and decreases bloating, and that is something I like a lot. Nobody feels like looking pregnant long after their baby or twins have arrived. Belly binding also helps in this area. Something every new mom should look into.

 

**Sweating FYI- It is terrific for losing weight, however, you need to replenish the water lost with plenty of H2O or you will dehydrate.**

 

 

5) Have confidence

If you don’t believe in yourself you will find that much like everything in life, losing weight included, your goals will be much more difficult to accomplish. Not expecting too much too fast, patting yourself on the back for every pound lost, knowing you can and will succeed in your weight loss and fitness goals, is absolutely crucial. Slow, steady, and confident will always win the race.

 

I hope this has been an informative guide to those who are either battling, or feel like they will be battling with the weight issue once their baby or twins are born. Just keep a positive attitude, don’t expect too much too fast, stick to your guns, and you will see that you’ll be back in your old jeans in no time.

 

 

TGIF!