How to Get Back in Shape After Having a Baby

Okay, if you are one of those women who only gained 15 pounds went you got pregnant, then this isn't for you. See, I've been in pretty darn good shape my whole life - never overweight, worked out regularly and ate healthy. But damn! When I got pregnant I stayed on the regular excercize and healthy eating and still gained FIFTY POUNDS!!! I was shocked. I didn't feel fat, just pregnant. And I felt pretty darn sexy and womanly. And I thought for sure I would leave all that weight at the hospital. But I didn't. So here's some of what I learned about taking it off.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Patience
• Self-dicipline
• Hope

1. Let your body heal. Whether a vaginal or c-section birth, your body needs to recuperate. This can be a heartbreaking time because you are really seeing your body for the first time without this awesome belly, and realizing UH OH, it is pretty far off from what you started from. That's okay. Give yourself time to heal and get into the rythmn of your baby.

2. Figure out the logistics of excercise. Everyone is different - you are staying at home, you are back at work, you have multiple kids. For each person, there is a plan. Trust me. It is just a matter of figuring out what works for you. A treadmill, a used jogging stroller, an old workout DVD.

3. Just 30 minutes. If you can give that to yourself everyday, that would be ideal. If you try for it everyday and wind up with 3-4 times a week, that's good. Finding time for yourself can feel impossible, but I promise, it's not. I come home from work and take my daughter for a walk for 20-30 minutes. It is my time to come down from the work day. Sometimes my husband will watch her in the morning so I excercise. I know you are exhausted. But here is the secret - excercising every day actually gives you more energy. Try it. You can live better on the 4-6 hours of sleep you are getting every night and the 10-12 hours your are working every day as a full time mom or working outside the home.

4. Take time to tone too. Burning off the fat is made all the easier by building muscle mass. And as much as we all wish we had the personal trainers and nannies of the celeb moms, most of us don't. So to keep it simple. Start with 25 push ups and sit ups. Then tack on 5-10 more a week and work your way up to 100. If you can actually break away and take a yoga or toning class, all the better.

5. Watch your eating. When you are pregnant, you are encouraged to indulge, and most of us do. But the good thing about eating during pregnancy is that you learn more about nutrition than ever before because you become hyper-aware of what you are putting into your body. Keep up this practice, because now you need to take care of you for YOU. Continuing to eat healthy, fresh foods without hydrogenated soybeans or refined sugar is great. Just cut the portions in HALF so you can ultimately burn more calories than you eat...the only sure-fire way to lose weight.

6. Give yourself time. Your body isn't going to look just like it did before you got pregnant right away. I've still got that last damn five pounds and my daughter is almost a year old. But I'm active, I'm healthy and I know I'll get there. You will too.

Tips & Warnings

• Drink lots and lots and lots of water.
• Take advantage of an extra set of hands. Family in town to see the baby? Hand your child off and go take a walk or hit the gym.
• Take advantage of business trips. As a working mom, get up 1/2 earlier and use the hotel gym for uninterupted work outs!
• Remember that less sugar and more exercize can make you feel less like a zombie when you are sleep-deprived.
• Write down what you eat. Doing so holds you accountable and you tend to eat less that way.
• Listen to your doctor regarding when you can start exercising.
• Don't weigh yourself every day...it's too depressing. Do it weekly.

[ewmcguire]

on 5/31/2008 Great suggestions! I especially love #3--exercise DOES give you more energy. And once you realize how much it helps your mood and energy, you will make the time. I became an ultra-early runner after my first child was born because it was easiest to go after the 4/5am feeding.

[JennaK]

on 4/25/2008 My friends bought the corset from www.hipslimmer.com and swear that it works. I am going to try that and definitely will be going to the gym

[MonicaMarie]

on 4/19/2008 I've also heard it can help to wrap your stomach and wear a corset on your hips. Obviously, coupled with working-out.

http://www.celebrity-babies.com/2007/06/brooke_burke_ex.html

www.hipslimmer.com

I am going to do both ... what the heck. Let me know if anyone else has tried a wrap and/or corset?

[jaxsonville32]

on 8/9/2007 Easy One. run or jog 2 miles a day, every day. eat less meat and carbs. and have lots of dirty sex daily. trust me on this it works youll thank me later

[Allandra]

on 7/21/2007 I've lost a lot of weight since giving birth. I think it's probably due to me having to chase and take care of a 2 year old while juggling to care for a newborn. I also find that if you breast feed more, it will help with weight loss.

Exercise when you can, even taking your stroller for a short walk is better than not doing anything. While going to the gym seems feasible, not many mothers can do that (exhaustion, stress etc etc). A daily 1/2 to 1 hour walk is best for some mothers.