Getting Slim And Healthy As a Mother
Posted Under: Tips
The absolute best way to lose weight after pregnancy and get healthy is to exercise and eat right. We’ve heard it time and time before, but what does it mean? And what does it mean for you, as a new mother?
Let me share with you how I lost 40 pounds of pregnancy weight in four months. I did not opt for a quick fix to my health and weight problems. I wanted to lose weight after pregnancy the right way, the healthy way, the successful way.
The key for me was in joining a gym … a gym that has an excellent childcare facility. One of the best choices I have made in my life. Another great choice that I made was to hire a personal trainer. I knew that I would not go to the gym as often as I should (3-4 times per week for 30-60 minute exercise sessions) unless I had someone to hold me accountable. I had appointments with my trainer three times a week … same days and times each week … a schedule. I had no excuse for missing any appointments. After all, I could bring my kids with me.
The most successful method to lose weight after pregnancy is to increase your metabolism. Your metabolic rate is the means by which you burn the calories from the foods you eat. A faster metabolic rate burns more calories, more efficiently. This process results in decreased fat cells in your body if you consume less than you expend. Simple, right? So how do you increase your metabolism?
You speed your metabolism by engaging in weight training three times per week, half hour to hour-long sessions, and cardiovascular exercise four times a week, in half-hour sessions. Weight or resistance training builds muscle. Your muscle cells are much more metabolically active than fat cells. Thus, more muscle in your body translates into less fat. It is really a beautiful process which turns you into a more beautiful version of your old self. Even if you cease to lift weights for a week or two, your body will continue to burn calories because you have successfully increased your metabolic rate.
Cardiovascular exercise, such as walking or a combination of walk-jog, four times per week for 30 minutes, further increases your metabolism. Three of these sessions can be completed after your weight training. Aerobic exercise has been shown to benefit your heart and circulatory system, reduce stress, and effectively control weight.
Part of eating right includes choosing foods that stem directly from Mother Nature. Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, healthy fats, and low-fat dairy are choices on which you should focus. Also, while weight- or resistance-training, you need to increase the amount of lean proteins in your diet. These proteins assist your muscles in the recovery process.
A final note about eating right: The very act of consuming food helps to increase your metabolism. Therefore, eating six small meals throughout the day, every couple of hours, keeps your metabolism high. The most harmful thing you can do to your body is to skip meals, especially breakfast, because this will only slow your metabolism down. Not eating is counterproductive and unhealthy.
You, too, can lose weight after pregnancy. It takes a little work, but once you get into the mindset and once you begin your sessions, you will see the results you crave. It almost becomes second nature after about two weeks of training. Once you stop exercising, your body and muscles will let you know that it is missing the joy of movement.
Related article: Lose weight after pregnancy
