Coach Dan here! This morning i had and interview with a potential client who recently had a baby. Her daughter is 7 months old. Since her pregnancy she’s been out of training for about a year and is ready to get back in to shape.
By: Daniel Salazar
She went on to tell me that she doesn’t feel like herself since the pregnancy and has gained about 30lbs.
I understand that before the pregnancy she was a hot chick and now she is very eager to get back to the shape she was in 9 months ago however I had to explain that if it took 9 months to gain weight it may take 9 months to get back into shape. These are just a few tips i gave her to jump start her weight loss….
BABY WEIGHT BUSTER #1: DON’T STARVE YOURSELF
I understand your first instinct is to completely cut out food but depriving yourself of food will cause your body to go into starvation mode. Your body will then do whatever it takes to hold on to every ounce of fat you have because it doesn’t know when you are going to eat again. Also you’ll be so drained you won’t have enough energy to take care of the daily responsibilities let want to workout.
We all pretty much know what’s bad for you. Cookies, cakes, muffins, bagels Etc… Just dump all of them.
I know it sounds generic but tries eating a well-balanced diet. Every meal should include
- protein,
- vegetables,
- and a small portion of carbs, like a small potato, no more than 6 ounces of whole wheat pasta or brown rice.
For snacks, you can’t go wrong with a few pieces of fruits or celery and hummus. Take it easy with the fruit though, it’s still sugar even though it is from a natural source.
BABY WEIGHT BUSTER #2: LOAD UP ON THE GOOD STUFF
Now that you’re a new mom, you need to get your nutrition, especially if you’re nursing. Pick foods that are packed with the nutrients you need and low on calories and fat.
First up, green veggies!
You probably, “yeah I know” well my job as a coach is to make sure that you do. Vegetables are loaded with fiber that will fill you up and vitamins and minerals that will give you energy and get rid of that baby weight fast.
For more info on the benefits of green vegetables check this out.
Fish and fish oil capsules have tons of DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acids that have too many benefits to list, but let us just focus on the 2 that brought you to the article.
Fish oil can fight fat says one study done at the University of Georgia.
DHA, an active component in fish oil will kill pre-fat cells thus preventing them from turning into fat.
In another study researchers at the University of South Australia found that fish oil coupled with exercise will cause more fat loss than exercise or fish oil alone!
Just taking fish oil will burn fat!! In a study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition in 2010, the scientist conclude that 6 weeks of supplementation with fish oil significantly increased lean mass and decreased fat mass.
Boom!! I could go on and on about the benefits of fish oil but the bottom line is just taking it, it works, for everything.
Have protein in every meal! Higher protein-based diets have been proven time and time again throughout countless research to be way better than lower protein based diets.
Not only does more protein in your diet blunt hunger but it has been shown to help increase energy expenditure. That means eating more protein helps burn calories!
BABY WEIGHT BUSTER #3: BREASTFEED
Believe it or not, breastfeeding burns calories!!
Breastfeeding can burn 300-600 calories a day. The exact amount of calories depends on how often you feed and how much milk your body produces.
That’s like getting two hours of exercise a day. You can’t beat that, burn calories while taking care of your baby! But remember, just as pregnancy requires a certain amount of calories to create a healthy baby, you need a specific amount of calories to produce milk.
BABY WEIGHT BUSTER #4: DRINK WATER
Drink water all day, you’ll stay hydrated. sometimes it is easy to mistake thirst for hunger and It will fill you up so you don’t eat as much.
Also, some research has found that drinking ice cold water can speed up your metabolism.
BABY WEIGHT BUSTER #5: DON’T SIT STILL
Diet is one of the most important aspects of post-pregnancy fat loss but let’s not forget about exercise. You need to get in some aerobic and strength training exercises as well to burn some calories and build lean muscle. Exercising can also help with depression, and sleep issues and relieve stress. Having a new baby crawling around the house can most definitely be stressful.
Since your joints are pretty flexible post pregnancy you want to start slow and ease your way into it. Seek out some professional help to get yourself a structured step-by-step training program.
The last thing you want to do is get hurt and not be able to take care of your new baby and miss a workout because of an injury.
BABY WEIGHT BUSTER #6: GET SOME REST
It is pretty hard, impossible even to get eight hours of sleep when your baby is calling you every hour on the hour, but a lack of sleep can make it harder for you to drop that baby weight. When you’re tired, your body releases cortisol and other stress hormones that can promote weight gain. Also when you tiered the last thing you want to do is a workout and unhealthy food choices.
Try to take a nap whenever you can, especially when the baby is sleeping and don’t hesitate to ask a friend or family member to help out.
BABY WEIGHT BUSTER #7: FIND A PRO
If you tried everything and still can’t drop the baby weight find a dietitian to set up a meal plan for you and seek out the help of a certified trainer to design a structured training program.
That’s all folks! Follow these steps and you’ll get back into those pre pregnancy skinny jeans in no time at all.
