Of course, you love your new little bundle of joy... but maybe
not so much the extra pounds that came with him/her? Losing weight after
a baby can be stressful, especially when it doesn't seem to be coming
off, no matter what you've tried. Or maybe the weight was coming off in
the beginning but it has slowed down or come to a complete halt? In this
article, we are going to chat about some reasons you may not be losing
your baby weight. Well, time's a wasting, so let's get started!
1. Sleeping? Are you getting enough sleep? I know, it's hard to get enough sleep when you have a baby who wakes you up at all hours of the night. Unfortunately though, it can affect your weight loss in a negative way. According to Madelyn Fernstrom, CNS (certified nutrition specialist), "Recent scientific studies show a strong relationship between sleep deprivation and weight gain". She also says "When our bodies aren't in a regular sleep pattern, hormones that regulate whether we feel full or hungry get out of whack, so all of our normal cues for eating are altered". Getting enough sleep means 7 to 8 hours every night.
2. Too Much or Too Little? Losing weight after a baby can depend largely on if you are eating the right amounts of food each day. If you are not eating enough, and/or skipping meals, your body will store fat and your metabolism will decrease. If you are eating too much, then you are of course going to gain weight with that as well. A good rule of thumb is to eat when you're hungry, but make sure it's healthy food. The best choices are foods that are higher in fiber and protein as both of these will help to keep you feeling full longer and keep your energy levels up. Keeping your energy levels up when you're a new mom is a great thing, right?
3. Strength. Are you exercising on a regular basis? Are you just doing cardio workouts? If so, adding strength-training is a good idea. Why, you ask? Well, strength-training is an excellent way to burn fat... even after your workout is done! This can be as easy as buying an inexpensive set of hand weights, a strength-training workout DVD and doing it in your very own living room! Note: Please make sure you have the "okay" from your doctor before beginning any type of exercise routine.
4. Is It Really Healthy? Do you pay attention to the ingredients that are in the food that you buy? Losing weight after a baby may depend on what you are eating. Sometimes foods that seem to be healthy are actually not. We've all seen the packages that say "low fat" or "low calorie", etc. but when you look at their ingredients, you may be surprised to see higher contents of other unhealthy ingredients, such as sugar (this includes glucose, fructose, corn syrup, etc.) or sodium, among others. For example, processed foods, such as frozen dinners, many times contain high amounts of sodium, calories, etc. It is best to stick to whole grain foods, fruits, vegetables and lean proteins (beans, legumes, lean beef, chicken, etc.).
5. Consistency is Key. Do you find that you are not consistent with your healthy eating and exercise plan? Being consistent is very important when trying to lose weight. If you are eating healthy and exercising regularly one week, and then not so much the next, that will definitely affect your weight loss in a negative way.
6. Weekends. I know firsthand that weekends can be tough for staying on track with your healthy eating and exercise. Many times, people tend to slack off on the weekends, or they have functions, eat out, birthday parties, etc. This will, of course, make losing weight after a baby very challenging if done on a regular basis. Try your hardest to choose healthier options, even if you have to plan ahead to do so.
7. Plateau. You may have simply hit a plateau, which means that you may just have to switch things up a bit. You may need to vary your workouts. When we become bored with our workouts, we may not be putting in as much effort with them anymore, or we may just stop doing them altogether. Either way, not a good thing, right? Try something totally different, maybe something new? As we chatted about before with the strength-training, you may just need to incorporate that in if you are only doing cardio workouts. There are also many different types of exercise classes you can take, such as dance classes, yoga, aerobics, Zumba, etc. There are also tons of different exercise DVDs out there, if you prefer working out at home. Maybe you have a favorite type of activity or sport you like to do? There are many different ways to get you up and moving! You may also just have to work harder in your workouts if you've hit a plateau (i.e. challenge yourself more).
1. Sleeping? Are you getting enough sleep? I know, it's hard to get enough sleep when you have a baby who wakes you up at all hours of the night. Unfortunately though, it can affect your weight loss in a negative way. According to Madelyn Fernstrom, CNS (certified nutrition specialist), "Recent scientific studies show a strong relationship between sleep deprivation and weight gain". She also says "When our bodies aren't in a regular sleep pattern, hormones that regulate whether we feel full or hungry get out of whack, so all of our normal cues for eating are altered". Getting enough sleep means 7 to 8 hours every night.
2. Too Much or Too Little? Losing weight after a baby can depend largely on if you are eating the right amounts of food each day. If you are not eating enough, and/or skipping meals, your body will store fat and your metabolism will decrease. If you are eating too much, then you are of course going to gain weight with that as well. A good rule of thumb is to eat when you're hungry, but make sure it's healthy food. The best choices are foods that are higher in fiber and protein as both of these will help to keep you feeling full longer and keep your energy levels up. Keeping your energy levels up when you're a new mom is a great thing, right?
3. Strength. Are you exercising on a regular basis? Are you just doing cardio workouts? If so, adding strength-training is a good idea. Why, you ask? Well, strength-training is an excellent way to burn fat... even after your workout is done! This can be as easy as buying an inexpensive set of hand weights, a strength-training workout DVD and doing it in your very own living room! Note: Please make sure you have the "okay" from your doctor before beginning any type of exercise routine.
4. Is It Really Healthy? Do you pay attention to the ingredients that are in the food that you buy? Losing weight after a baby may depend on what you are eating. Sometimes foods that seem to be healthy are actually not. We've all seen the packages that say "low fat" or "low calorie", etc. but when you look at their ingredients, you may be surprised to see higher contents of other unhealthy ingredients, such as sugar (this includes glucose, fructose, corn syrup, etc.) or sodium, among others. For example, processed foods, such as frozen dinners, many times contain high amounts of sodium, calories, etc. It is best to stick to whole grain foods, fruits, vegetables and lean proteins (beans, legumes, lean beef, chicken, etc.).
5. Consistency is Key. Do you find that you are not consistent with your healthy eating and exercise plan? Being consistent is very important when trying to lose weight. If you are eating healthy and exercising regularly one week, and then not so much the next, that will definitely affect your weight loss in a negative way.
6. Weekends. I know firsthand that weekends can be tough for staying on track with your healthy eating and exercise. Many times, people tend to slack off on the weekends, or they have functions, eat out, birthday parties, etc. This will, of course, make losing weight after a baby very challenging if done on a regular basis. Try your hardest to choose healthier options, even if you have to plan ahead to do so.
7. Plateau. You may have simply hit a plateau, which means that you may just have to switch things up a bit. You may need to vary your workouts. When we become bored with our workouts, we may not be putting in as much effort with them anymore, or we may just stop doing them altogether. Either way, not a good thing, right? Try something totally different, maybe something new? As we chatted about before with the strength-training, you may just need to incorporate that in if you are only doing cardio workouts. There are also many different types of exercise classes you can take, such as dance classes, yoga, aerobics, Zumba, etc. There are also tons of different exercise DVDs out there, if you prefer working out at home. Maybe you have a favorite type of activity or sport you like to do? There are many different ways to get you up and moving! You may also just have to work harder in your workouts if you've hit a plateau (i.e. challenge yourself more).
As we discussed in the article, losing weight after a baby
can be challenging, especially when it doesn't seem to be disappearing.
These tips are going to be a great help to you, but I can also
recommend a great new concept that I have come across and done much
research on. Have you heard of The Gabriel Method?
Nope, it's not a diet, yay! You can check out my review on it if you
like. It has worked for many, many people, including the creator
himself!
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