So, by now, you’re probably aware that I wrote an entire book on the subject of post-baby weight since I wanted to share EVERYTHING with you.
It took some time to lose the weight and get back in shape, but there were a handful of things I really focused on the months following my baby’s delivery. The following tips worked for me to get me from the before and after you see below. Want to know what they are?
1. Listen to your doctor. Even if the doctor is confirming things you may already know, it’s important to have the go-ahead (or not!). For instance, although I had a super easy pregnancy, my labor and delivery was complicated and I had no choice but to have a C-section. My doctor was pleased that I was very fit through out my pregnancy but still cautioned me to wait the full 6 weeks before attempting anything too strenuous. That wasn’t easy advice to stomach, but 6 weeks is a blip in time compared to the many of years of training.
2. Start small, very small.
With exercise: Once I was cleared for exercise, the first thing I did was walk. I started by walking for 5 minutes as soon as I got back home from the hospital, and gradually, VERY gradually added a few minutes every day. The sunshine helped my body readjust as I was pretty much inside a lot as the baby was nursing at least every hour. By the time my body had healed from the C-section, I was easily walking at a brisk pace for 30-45 minutes. I would often split up my walks, into 2 short walks a day. After the 6 weeks 0f post-surgery rest had passed, I was gradually adding in brief jogs into my walks.
With nutrition: Hopefully, you used your pregnancy to clean up your diet and focus on wholesome, “real” food sources like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and dairy. The kind of things in your grocery store perimeter. NO doctor will advocate you eating a highly-processed foods diet while pregnant and the same should be true in the weeks following your delivery. I can’t imagine having to worry about counting calories to lose your post-baby weight, either. Instead, focus on the basics: drink more water, eat more veggies, limit junk foods, sugar, and alcohol.
Using this baby steps approach, tell yourself that during week 1, you’re going to drink more water; week 2, eat more veggies; week 3, limit sugar, and so on. Gradually build upon those healthier habits.
3. Enlist help. If you have a husband/partner who is supportive, or a close friend, family member, or babysitter you trust immensely—ask for help. You’re going to need every bit of it! I am immensely grateful for my mother, who helped me by cooking nutritious meals, picking up around the house, helping with laundry, and rocking the baby to sleep. (Mom, I hope you’re reading this and note my eternal gratitude, and that you may use that sentiment to forgive me for all the tattoos I’ve gotten and heavy metal I made you listen to.)
In your sleep-deprived state, you’re less likely to make the most nutritious choices for yourself, so whether you hire a meal delivery service or have a family member cook for you, try to make sure you’re getting adequate nutrition. And having someone help with house work will free up your time to nap, take a walk, or otherwise recharge.
4. Low-tech is fine. Once I was past the initial 6 weeks of rest post-surgery and was able to easily walk/jog, the only way I was able to get in any sort of resistance training in was with whatever I had lying around the house. Resistance bands, dumbbells, bodyweight exercises (like squats, pushups, calf raises, dips, lunges, planks, etc) were perfectly fine until I found the time to eventually make it back to the gym. I think my favorite at-home challenge was strapping Shaila into frontpack baby carrier, setting the treadmill on an incline, and walking “uphill” slowly. The lulling motion put her to sleep, and it was an appropriately challenging conditioning workout for me.
And the jogging stroller, when pushed up a hill is HARD work. Make sure you register yourself for one of these or otherwise find a way to get a gently used one. Whether you’re simply taking walks with it or using it for exercise, the jogging stroller and the front baby carriers are excellent, low-tech fitness tools for losing your post-baby weight.
These solutions were inexpensive and I could do as much, or as little as possible given my time and energy. Nowadays we have youtube and fitnessblender and various online sites where you can do follow-along workouts online at no cost. Don’t worry if a fellow mom friend is already at some new mommy bootcamp, mommy and me class, etc. Do what you can, because it’s probably enough.
5. Practice self care. Remember, it took you 9 months to gain the weight, so be kind to yourself. It may take you that long (9 months), and sometimes longer to lose post-baby weight. Unrealistic images of celebrities should not be your baseline. They might have personal assistants, chefs, trainers, image consultants, and the help of a different stream of income and access to services that you might not.
Additionally, you may be nursing, under a lot of stress now that your schedule is no longer what it was, and sleeping very little. Focus on small aspects of self care and finding the little ways to de-stress, like taking a nap, a warm, relaxing bath, meditate, or go for a walk or swim instead of worrying about how you’re going to immediately fit in your pre-baby clothes. With some time, and later, with some consistency with your workouts and nutrition, the weight will slowly come off if you make it a goal and work towards it. And when you’re ready for a gentle nudge in the right direction, feel free to email me at sumi@shailafitness.com or check out my ebook.
For now, your focus is adjusting to your role as a new mom and taking care of your baby. Like they all say, enjoy all those moments, because you don’t get them back. And, just as you wouldn’t expect your baby to run before he or she can crawl and walk, take the same approach with you. Step-by-step and slowly, you can get back into shape too!
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