Top 10 Ways to Bust out of that Baby Weight!
Alright ladies! You know it's time to get started. Your baby is almost walking and you still can't seem to get back into your favorite skinny jeans. It just seems that every day something gets in the way - laundry, grocery shopping, chasing around your pride and joy. I get it. Let's start with just one tensie and see if we can't get your butt movin' and shakin' right on down to your perfect size.
1. Drink at least 10-12 glasses of water every day. Replace your high sugar beverages such as sodas and juices with some water and a squeeze of fresh lemon. You could also try flavored seltzer water which has no calories. You can cut out hundreds of calories a day this way. You can get creative and make some delicious water infusions with herbs and fruit. Many people think that by drinking a ton of water they will gain water weight and feel bloated. However, it has been shown that by drinking lots of water you lose weight faster because you curb your appetite, flush out toxins, and aid the liver and kidneys in metabolizing fats. If that wasn't enough you may not only see your tush rise up, but it's like Nature's own facelift by increasing elasticity of the skin and clearing your complexion.
2. Keep healthy snacks handy such as raisins, popcorn, wheat crackers, fruits and nuts. Refuse to buy store-bought baked goods or junk food. Listen, no one is telling you to give up all those goodies. It is simply about moderation. It's fine to have ONE cookie for dessert, it's not fine to have one BOX of cookies for dessert. We all have cravings and the only way to gain control over them is to reward ourselves from time to time. Portion control is the key!
3. Eat lean meats such as boneless chicken and the leanest cuts of beef. Or if you are a pescatarian, like me, indulge in some delicious eco-friendly fish such as mahi-mahi, sole, or salmon. Filled with good fats like Omega-3 it is an essential ingredient in health and wellness. If you are thinking of being a vegetarian or are one you will need to search for protein alternative such as nuts and soy based products, although be cautious of the amount of soy you consume. High levels of phytic acid, trypsin inhibitors, toxic lysinoalanine and highly carcinogenic nitrosamines are all present in soy products. Phytoestrogens that disrupt endocrine function and are potent antithyroid agents are present in vast quantities in soy, including the potentially devastating isoflavone Genistein. Bottom line, read your labels and change it up, there are lots of healthy vegetarian options out there.
4. Eat whole grains (breads, cereals, pastas) instead of the "white" versions. The general rule of thumb is, if it's white it's not good for you. Many people are going through pantry and simply throwing away anything that is white.
5. Don't be fooled by foods that are labeled as nonfat. Some are loaded with calories and can have hydrogenated vegetable oils and/or high fructose corn syrup, neither of which are healthy. Read your labels! A recent study was released showing that people who consumed fat-free or sugar-free foods on a regular basis actually gained weight!
6. Resist the urge to indulge in a fast food meal. Or if you do, order the salad and not the fat-filled burgers and fries. To me this should be a no-brainer. You literally must make that conscious decision to eat this junk. I know, I know - McDonalds has revamped their menus and now have healthy choices - sure. But do you really go there for their healthy salads? Of course not.
7. As soon as you feel ready, start light exercise. Weather-permitting, take a 10 minute walk with the baby every day and slowly increase your time to 20 minutes per day. Babies can be worn in a snugli or sling or you can use a baby jogger or stroller when they get too heavy. Even better, walk at a regular time with a friend. I always suggest getting a personal trainer or take a class with a professional who has experience with women who have recently given birth. By having a professional or a buddy to keep you accountable, entertained, and on track you are setting yourself up for success. Consider joining a gym and trade babysitting hours with a friend so when you each go to do your workout, the other can watch the babies. Some gyms may offer babysitting services as well. It's also important to note that the better shape you are in prior to pregnancy the easier you will have it when it comes time to get back into shape.
8. Find easy ways to increase your exercise like parking farther away or using stairs instead of elevators. By increasing the steps you take each day can help you burn more calories than you think. Did you know you can actually burn roughly 10 calories per flight of stairs? Add a little pep in your step and you might be able to double that. Assume that you don’t change anything else about your diet or exercise routine (and thereby don’t eat more calories by taking the stairs instead of the elevator). If you take the stairs up one flight of stairs instead of using the elevator 10 times throughout the day, you can burn 100 calories. If you do this every day of the year, for a year, you can lose 10 pounds in a year! It really can be that simple!
9. Breastfeeding uses up your fat stores! Breastfeeding burns about 500 calories per day so the longer you breastfeed, the more calories you burn.
10. A healthy functioning Nervous System. Did you know that almost no one thinks about the very thing that keeps us movin' and shakin' every single day? Without our nervous systems our bodies wouldn't know what to do with all that great food or how to build muscle or burn fat. Without the nervous system chaos can quickly ensue leading to dysfunction in our bodies. We can see that manifest as digestive problems (heart burn), chronic fatigue, frequent cold and flu, sleep problems (sleep apnea), headaches, depression, and everything else you can imagine. It's the simplest thing you can do to ensure that all this hard work you are doing will be maximized for greater results and future health and wellness. This is also the very thing that most people have no idea how to get started. Lucky for you I can help with that! Email me with any questions on how to get your lifeGOOD.
Just remember it took 9 months to gain the weight; give yourself at least that long to take it off. I am not a fan of completely avoiding or drastically reducing food groups such as the popular diets of limiting carbs or sugars. I believe the more you deprive yourself of an occasional treat, the more you will crave it. A wise naturopathic doctor once said "Eat food, mostly plants, not too much." If it comes in a box or has a shelf life it's probably not so good for you and should be placed in the "every now and then" category. Come on - take the Tensies Challenge!
To stay connected with me direct message me on twitter @cnsdoc
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