Getting Back in Shape after Childbirth
Tags : Super Size Your Health Tips, Weight loss, Women's Health
- Image by superluminalmotion via Flickr
Finally, after 40 weeks or so of anticipation, your baby is here and your body is in need of some serious TLC. If you remained active during your pregnancy, you’re one of the luckier ones that have fewer problem areas to work. You don’t want to be one of those mothers with a two year old running around that says “I’m this big because of him/her” as an excuse for being out of shape. Almost everyone can think of somebody that blames their kid for their excess weight. Yes, they did gain the weight while pregnant, but to not have the weight off one to two years (or more) down the road is purely excuses and lack of determination.
You’ll need to eat a healthy diet in order to start losing the weight you gained during pregnancy. It’s time to cut the sweets, fatty, and processed foods. When you go grocery shopping, make sure to fill your cart with nutritional foods that will give you the most benefits. For salads, make sure to buy dark green leafy veggies because you’re going to get more nutrients than from iceberg lettuce. Make sure you’re buying plenty of fruits and vegetables, and make sure you’re using them and not letting them go bad in your fridge. You want at least two servings of fruit and three servings of vegetables.
While shopping for your meats, stay away from high fat and cholesterol meats. Buy skinless chicken, turkey, fish, and if you want ground beef, make sure it’s got the least fat content. The lower fat ground beef is more expensive, but your health is definitely worth it. You’ll also need a minimum of two servings of dairy, so make sure you’re buying low fat dairy products.
Don’t expect to start working out as soon as you get home from the hospital. It’s important not to rush yourself into a strenuous workout routine. Walking from room to room is difficult on its own, especially if you had a cesarean. Some mothers are up to exercising a couple weeks after the baby is born, while others it may take 6 weeks or more. Talk to your doctor about when you can start exercising. Start slow by taking walks for the first few weeks. You’ll want to avoid lunges, squats and exercises that require straining (especially if you have stitches). Bring weights slowly into your routine. Instead of doing less sets with more weight, use less weight and do more sets. This way you will not be straining as much. You can always add more weight as time goes on and as your healing progresses.
It’s important to listen to your body. If you’re feeling dizzy, getting a headache, having vaginal bleeding, or pains, than take it easy. Make sure to call your doctor if these feelings do not go away once you’ve rested.
Once you have the go-ahead from your doctor, you should be working out a minimum of 150 minutes per week. As long as you’re eating healthy and staying consistent with a workout routine, you will quickly start seeing those pounds shed and it won’t be long before your back in your pre-pregnancy jeans.
