Whether you’re a new mom or are an additional child, losing baby weight doesn’t have to be hard or stressful. It’s natural to have put on a few pounds during your pregnancy and you might have a slight belly postpartum. Here are few easy tips on how to maximize your time and baby weight loss without taking attention away from your newborn:
Breastfeeding
It’s a little known fact that breastfeeding is actually a great way to shed a few pounds. Studies show that breastfeeding can burn anywhere from 600 to 800 calories a day – a huge amount for an activity that most moms have to do anyways. This is a great way to feel good about your weight loss progress while providing nutrition that your baby needs.
Easy/Quick Exercises
With a newborn, it can be tough to find time to exercise. Instead, incorporate your newborn and her/his habits into your exercise routine. Take your baby outside in a stroller and opt for longer and more challenging walking routes to get bursts of cardio in. This will not only aid in your baby weight loss but will also give you a burst of energy since you’ll get your blood pumping. Walking outside with your baby in a stroller can also help calm your baby and assist with sleep.
Combine play time with exercising by using your baby’s weight to challenge simple bodyweight exercise.Your baby’s extra weight will provide a challenge while calming and soothing her/him. Here are a couple great bodyweight exercises:
Baby Weight Squats
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. You can hold your baby out in front of you or place your baby on your back. This is your starting place.
- Begin the movement by flexing your hips and your knees, squatting down, pushing your butt and hips back and your knees forward. Through this movement keep your chest forward and your back as straight as possible to prevent injury.
- Bend until your hamstrings are parallel or slightly less than parallel to the ground, and reverse the movement back to your starting place. As you’re coming up push through your heels and keep your head and chest up.
Baby Weight Lunges
Lunges are another great exercise to do while holding your baby.
- Start by holding your baby out in front of you or by placing your baby on your back. that you can reasonably complete the set with. Stand shoulder width apart with both dumbbells by your side.
- Keeping your body upright, take one medium to large step forward while naturally lowering your other leg with your body.
- Push through the heel of your front foot to push back to your initial starting position.
- Switch legs and repeat the movement to complete 1 rep.
Baby Weight Chest Press
You can also lay flat on the ground and chest press your baby with too hands to get a quick arm fat blast or if you’re standing, over your head for a quick shoulder blast. Your baby will love the movement and engagement so your exercise time will become playtime.
Snacking
New moms often have trouble finding time to eat and end up binge eating late at night or while their newborns are asleep leading to more fat and weight gain. To combat this, prep plenty of snacks throughout the day to keep your metabolism going and your hunger down. Almonds and edamame are great sources of protein that will fill you up throughout the day and will keep your appetite suppressed so you can shed the pregnancy weight.
A good challenge is to eat similar to your baby. Like the milk your baby is drinking, low fat dairy products like skim string cheese, 2% fat or lower milk are great fillers that are filled with protein and vitamins. They’re low carb and fat which will aid in your weight loss. Fruits like apples and carrots are also great nutrient filled fillers that your baby is also eating and will help you curb your appetite.
Set Mini Goals
Many women opt for high intensity programs that kill their energy and don’t often work. It’s better to set a few mini goals and integrate your exercising and eating into your baby’s routine instead of killing yourself in small burst each day. Proper snacking, prep and mini exercises like stroller walks and baby weight squats consistently each day will propel you to lose that baby weight fast.
Modern Fit knows that life is hard. We barely have time to catch a breath, let alone plan meals and workouts. With Modern Fit’s help, it can make losing weight a reality. They give customized fitness and workout plans that fit your lifestyle, so all you do is have to follow them. Try Modern Fit today!
