How to lose Weight After Pregnancy - Part 1

As a new mom myself, I know that one of the biggest concerns of women after pregnancy is How To Lose all that excessive weight gained during those nine months! f course, taking care of your newborn still takes a priority, but its always a good idea to realize that the earlier you start exercising and being conscious about staying fit, the better it would be for your post-partum recovery and attaining your pre-pregnancy weight. For some people, it might not be that important to look slim and sexy after being a mom, but nevertheless, it is always in everyone's best interests to maintain a healthy and fit body, so that you can enjoy motherhood even more, and stand up to its numerous challenges. I am not an expert, yet I am already well below my pre-pregnancy weight, and so when some other women asked me how I achieved this weight loss so fast, I thought I'd share some of my workout secrets with you, so you can lose weight and stay fit too, whether pegnant or not!

Keep a Weight Check even while Pregnant
Though being pregnant is one of the most lovely times in a woman's life, and one should indulge in as much of luxury as possible, its a good idea to stay healthy and keep a tab on your weight gain, especially during the first trimester. Women tend to think that pregnancy gives them as eat-all-you-want license, which mostly tends to accumulate a few extra pounds right at the beginning, and these are hard to melt away after you have your baby. So while I recommend indulging in an icecream or a delicious dessert once a week, don't make it a habit during those nine months. Remember, you only need 300 more calories per day while you are pregnant, so get those calories from healthy food options like whole grains, fiber, proteins and cereals.

Try to Breastfeed if Possible
Though choosing to breastfeed is a matter of personal choice, we all know the benefits of this act. Besides providing the best nutrition for your baby, it also burns about 300 or more calories per day, and maintains a healthy metabolism. Besides this, it provides excellent way to bond with your baby, and it also gives you some time to stretch your legs, feed your baby and play with her all at the same time!

Get more Dairy in your Diet
Recent studies have shown that calcium-rich dairy products rev up the body's fat-burning ability and increase metabolism, while maintaining your lean muscle mass. Michael B. Zemel, PhD, a professor at the University of Tennessee, director of its Nutrition Institute, and author of The Calcium Key (John Wiley & Sons), has discovered that calcium-rich diets, when combined with some form of calorie-restriction and exercise, can actually accelerate weight loss. In one of Zemel's studies, low-fat yogurt eaters tripled fat loss in the stomach area -- the body part new moms are desperate to reclaim [source].

Interact with Your Kids and other New Moms
The fist advice doctors give new moms is to take their newborns out for long walks in their strollers! And yes, as good as it is for the tinytots, it is the beginning of a healthy exercise routine for the moms while they take time to recover from their delivery. It can get tiresome to tend to your child the whole time, especially in the first few weeks, and everyone can do with some time off. but if you do not have helpers or family, just try meeting some other new moms, arrange play-dates, and start going out to parks or walks with your newly found friends, kick-starting your fitness and weight-loss regimen.

Space Out your Meals & Drink Lots of Water
You do need to eat healthy and filling meals for healthy recovery. However, try to cut your portions into 6 meals a day, and never ever skip your breakfast. Keep whole grains, vegetables, fruits, wheat, low-carb foods and fluids as a major part of your diet. For fluids, nothing comes close to water; drink at least 8 glasses of water a day, and stay away from Sodas, caffiene and sugar-laden fruit juices. If you consume more than 700 calories at one meal, you can get gassy, and it can actually slow your metabolism too.

To continue this article, follow this link for post-partum weight loss tips.