HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT AFTER PREGNANCY

Now you have gone through the worse pain your body could ever take AKA labour, you start thinking about losing all the pregnancy weight. Let's not even talk about our pregnancy 'battle scars' here. Although you may feel like achieving your pre pregnancy weight is abit of a stretch, it's possible. I used to have lots of burning questions, I still do now. Is there a best way to lose weight? How to lose belly fat? What's the fastest way to lose weight? How to lose weight naturally?

I'm no expert but I've been through it twice and gained almost 20kg during pregnancy. I'm still far(waaaaaaaaay far) from my ideal body but I'm back to my pre pregnancy weight(fitness level aside though, lol). The tips below were what worked for me and I'm simply sharing the love.


1) SET A GOAL
A realistic one. Give yourself time to heal. I was a total zombie for quite a period of time after delivery, even longer for my first one since it was a cesarean(it took me a year to get back to my pre pregnancy weight,*gasp*). It's ok to zombify, you deserve it. Also, you might want to check with your doctor if the exercises or diets you are planning are safe for you. Start small and slow, you will get there.



2) SUPER FOODS
I think this is really important. Stay away from what is bad for you. I mean, you did well doing that for the whole of nine months. What's a few more months right? Stock up on veggies, fish and healthy snacks. They will keep you feeling full longer. I have a sweet tooth myself and I stocked up on fruits and raisins. Naturally I'm a soup and veggie person so it wasn't really a challenge but if you are not, start small. If you really can't control your cravings(err, me), maybe get a really small portion of it just so you won't salivate while you sleep at night.



3) WATCH YOUR PORTIONS
This is another one that I live by. Instead of three big portions a day, cut them down to six small portions. This is really works wonders and you will notice that you don't snack as much as you don't feel hungry in between meals.



4) DRINK LOTS OF WATER
I had to learn the hard way for this one. I thought that my tummy was bloated enough without drinking lots of water so why should I. Boy, was I wrong. They found very high amount of white blood cells and bacteria in my urine a few months after my second delivery. I wasn't given any antibiotics as it wasn't diagnosed as Urinary Tract Infection. The doctor just told me to drink lots of water. I drank like crazy. I made sure I drank at least one litre by 12pm and another litre by 6pm. So by 6pm, I must have 2 litres of water down. Any amount I drank after that was considered bonus. After two weeks of doing that, my white blood cells level went back to normal and urine was clear.
So please drink eventhough you feel like throwing up. Drink!



5) GET MOVING
I know this is hard to do. Really, really hard. Good news is, you don't have to go all out. Chances are, you will lose weight slowly when you have to go back to work. What worked for me was walking. I'm not a gym person although I secretly wish I am. In the morning(you will be up for feeding anyway, so win win), put your baby in a stroller and just walk around your neighbourhood. 30 minutes each time, maybe three times a week. Check with your doctor on what and when is safe for you to exercise.



6) SLEEP
I know, what the hell am I talking about? What sleep? I'm talking about naps. There is no way that you can get a full night's sleep. So in the day, when your baby naps, you nap too. Your house looks worse than the rubbish chute in your neighbourhood? Let it rot. It's ok. Get your sleep. That is the only way your metabolism won't be affected and your weight loss process won't be slowed down.



7) LOVE YOURSELF
I know this is easier said than done when you see saggy tummy and cellulite in the mirror everyday. You carried a baby for nine months and brought the baby out to this world(normal or cesarean). You did an amazing thing. You deserve all the awards in this world and you should be proud of yourself. It took me quite some time to realise that. Love yourself because if you don't, nobody else will.



8)ASK FOR HELP
If everything fails, get help. I too thought that I could manage things on my own. Little did I know I was only breaking my self esteem. It took me some time to get help from my mum and mother in law to look after my baby just so I could sleep, eat or feel like a normal person. Losing weight might be your ultimate goal after giving birth but you need to do it the right way, without hurting your health.



Be patient and stay motivated! I hope these tips will help you through your weight loss journey. Kiss and hug your baby a little more today!

Love,
Ja