One of the biggest concerns that many new mothers have is getting their bodies back to the size and shape they were before pregnancy. It’s common for women to gain weight during pregnancy as well as continue to do so afterwards. This is down to a number of factors, including the extra calories they will eat when their baby is developing in the womb andother factors that can contribute to weight gains like stress and sleepless nights. If you’re finding that you’re struggling to lose weight or are searching for some tips on starting your weight loss journey as effectively as possible, then follow these important steps.
Give Yourself Time To Recover
First of all, you should give yourself some time to recover. Pregnancy and birth but a huge strain on the body, and it’s important to let yourself bounce back from this ordeal. Your body will use a lot of the stored-up nutrients such as fats to help the recovery process along, and if you’re breastfeeding,you’ll want to wait until your body has regulated your milk supply. If you start cutting weight too soon, that recovery process may take longer, and your milk supply might not be as effective in nutritional value and even volume.
Do Not Skip Meals
It’s imperative that you don’t try out a fad or crash diet when trying to lose weight. Of course, you might shed the pounds really quickly, but in the long run, that weight will be piled back on quite quickly. This is because a lot of the time, the weight we lose from these diets ends up being important muscle mass along with some of the fat too. Once you switch back to your normal diet, you’ll put all of the weight back on, even if you’re still conscious of what you eat. Instead, allow the process to be a slow and steady one. Identify the number of calories you eat and aim to eat slightly fewer than your recommended amount. There are options for nutritious substitutes to meals, too, such as this selection of meal replacement shakes from Shake That Weight, but make sure you’re getting the right nutrients for your body before you commit to this. Speak to your GP if you are unsure about what you need for a healthy diet.
Try Light Exercise
Once you’ve allowed yourself to recover for a few months, you should try out some light exercise to start with. It’s crucial that you don’t push yourself too hard when starting a new exercise routine, as the risk of injury is naturally going to be slightly higher. Your safest option is to choose something like swimming if you have access to a pool. Otherwise, you could try a gentle jog or brisk walking to start with, using the NHSCouch to 5K app. This will allow you to start building up your cardiovascular system and improving your stamina while also burning off a few hundred calories or so. We can’t stress enough that this exercise should be light to medium at most, as an injury could see you putting off exercise for longer as you then have to recover. Slow and steady might not be the pace you’re after, but in the long run, it will be the most effective if you don’t end up getting delayed by shin splints or Runner’s Knee.
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