Fitness After Pregnancy

You have just gone through one of the most stressful processes your body will ever go through. Your body has gone through significant changes during pregnancy and after birth. It is definitely not ideal to engage in diet restrictive weight loss programs during the early days of motherhood. Remind yourself that the weight did not come on in a day;it will take time to lose the weight you’ve gained. You will need all the additional energy and nutrients to meet the extra requirements of feeding and generally looking after your baby. Lose your weight and get fit gradually. Do not use fat burning pills to get the baby fat off. You need to lose weight and tone up through natural methods.

Fitness regime after delivery should include the right amount of exercise along with healthy food habits. Before embarking on your new fitness plan, ensure you talk with your doctor first, discussing when to start, what to eat, and what limitations you have for your situation. Do not try to exercise too much, too soon, as this will ultimately damage your health. It is generally recommended that women wait up to two months before exercising properly. At first, try methods such as going for walks around the neighborhood with your baby in a stroller. You may then begin a regime consisting of simple leg stretches, as well as exercises specifically targeted to tightening the pelvic floor muscle. Sit-ups and planks will also target the abdomen and help you regain strength in your stomach and back muscles and ultimately helping you gain a flatter stomach. Try to work out for about a half an hour each time, aiming to do this around three times a week. It is important to make getting fit after pregnancy fun, so shorter, resistance training exercises can be enjoyable. Relentlessly lifting weights at the gym is monotonous, grinds you down and can end up being counterproductive. Among the best exercises to include in your weight loss regimen are jogging, walking, swimming and playing sports such as tennis and volleyball.

Try the following steps to get your body back:

  1. Start with the right diet. Eat balanced meals and snacks with low fat and sugar counts.
  2. Don’t skip meals. Skipping a meal will lead to snacking and eating more at the next meal.
  3. Eat frequently. Eat several small healthy meals frequently throughout the day.
  4. Drink plenty of water. It’s recommended that you drink at least 10 glasses of water daily. Water will flush toxins from your system and keep you feeling satisfied a full between meals.
  5. If you’re breastfeeding, breastfeed as long as you can. Many mothers find it easier to lose weight while breastfeeding. You can easily burn up to 500 calories daily while breastfeeding.
  6. Adequate sleep is essential. Hard to do with a new baby, but if you sleep when the baby sleeps it will help. Sleep deprivation de-regulates the hormones that control appetite and signals hunger to your brain.

For the last 9 or more months you have been caring for your baby. Now it’s time to shift some of your attention onto yourself. Give yourself some time each week to do something for you. You’ll get your body back and also feel healthier, giving you more energy to help with caring for your new little one.

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Hunger Games

Hunger is one of our primal human urges, but it’s a tough thing to grasp, a marionette with many masters. A variety of hormones and neurotransmitters pull the strings – appetite suppressors and boosters, plus others that affect satiety and stress – and they, in turn, are manipulated by our body clock.There are two kinds of hunger: physiological and reward-driven. One is ruled by our body’s instinct to find the energy it needs to survive, while the other is psychological, influenced by smell, sight, stress, and social and environmental settings – the gauntlet of daily life.

One of the most difficult things about dieting is having to deal with those hunger pains, the ones where you are absolutely dying for some chocolate or some salty chips. If hunger is often getting the best of you and your weight loss program, it’s going to be imperative to your success that you seek out some solutions to put an end to this before it destroys all your efforts. Having hunger control you is terrible for weight loss programs or weight maintenance. Follow these tips so YOU can control your appetite not your appetite control you.

Tips to Out Smart Your Hunger

  • Start your day off right with a large breakfast to keep you energized in the morning. Protein and carbohydrates will keep your blood sugar at a good level until lunchtime.
  • Allow yourself to snack here and there – but do it wisely. Choose fruits, vegetables or nuts rather than hitting the vending machine.
  • Eat foods high in fiber such as fruits, vegetables and grains. These types of foods are low in fat, and fill you up. They take longer to digest, so they make you feel full much longer than fatty foods.
  • Drink lots of water. Water will fill up your belly, helping you eat less and lose more weight.
  • Pay attention to your eating. Take a seat at the kitchen table. Eating in front of the television or computer screen will only help you keep eating and not realizing you’re full.
  • Eat less more often. Try eating 5 or 6 small meals throughout the day. Eating smaller meals often can give you the constant energy levels that leave you feeling more balanced and productive.
  • Get busy! When you think you’re hungry (outside of your regular meal times) go for a walk, go out and exercise, drink a glass of water, keep busy and get your mind off food.
  • Try to limit processed foods, sugar and sodium. Read labels, see what is in your food. It is difficult to get away from sugar and salt, but reading the labels will tell you just how much you are consuming. Choose low sugar and sodium options.
  • Consume probiotics. These gut-friendly bacteria help correct imbalances that may contribute to mood swings during PMS.

Try these several tips to help you curb your hunger pains throughout the day. If you can manage them, you will be successful in losing weight and maintaining your goals.

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