Healthy Ways to Lose Post-Baby Weight

10 July 2019

Bringing a tiny, magical miracle into the world can wreak havoc with your body. From the swollen boobs and sore feet during pregnancy to the stretch marks and flabby tum, it can feel like a mum’s body is never really her own any more. It was definitely a struggle to get back into exercising once I had my little wonders toddling around, but there’s always a way. You can lose your baby weight in a healthy, measured fashion – and it’s easy enough that even a tired mum of two can do it!

Kickstart weight loss with a boot camp

For those with the time and the inclination, a boot camp can be the jump start to weight loss that you need. Sometimes just beginning a fitness programme can be the hardest bit – so jumping in with both feet is a great idea! At an intensive boot camp, you sweat together, work together and laugh together, and the results are often heralded as life-changing. Best of all, some boot camps take place in beautiful locations, giving you the chance to soak up some sunshine or enjoy lovely surroundings.

Getting the most out of a fitness trip is important: make sure your infant will be okay with other caretakers, and don’t try and rush in before you’re ready. Pick a reputable company like Prestige Boot Camps where you know everything you do will be focused on building a better you. Your psychological and spiritual well-being may also get a much-needed boost. Remember, just because you’re a mum doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice all your me-time!

Make healthy diet switches

Weight loss is about more than just exercising. It’s about the right diet too. Don’t be tempted to try one of those crazy fads though – yo-yo dieting is a real problem, and unless you eat right, you’ll end up just putting on all the weight you worked so hard to lose. The only real way to lose weight through dieting is to make changes to what you already eat. If you normally eat a lot of sweet things, find healthy substitutes to replace them rather than trying to go cold turkey. It’s about listening to your body.

Small changes, like swapping white bread and rice for their brown equivalents, is an easy way to start. Upping your fruit and veg consumption while trying to cut down on processed meat also helps. Vegetarian diets can be very fulfilling, as meat substitutes often contain less fat than the real thing. Fish is also an incredibly good food – oysters, wild caught salmon and fresh tuna fish are all great ingredients to centre family meals around.

Have a routine you can stick to

One of the leading reasons why weight loss fails is that people push themselves too hard, too fast. The result is that you start strong, but quickly burn out and stop putting in the work needed. There’s no point signing up to classes five times a week if you’re only going to manage one or two a week before getting burned out. Looking after kids is tiring. Don’t beat yourself up if you’re too tired to exercise one day – just focus on making it to the next day.

Working out little and often will probably work better than marathon training sessions once a week. Find what you enjoy and stick to it. Whatever you decide, make sure it’s something you’re confident you can persevere with!

Include your baby

Balancing babies and exercise can be difficult, so it’s important that your support network – be it your parents, your friends or your partner – can look after your baby a few times a week to allow you some time to yourself. Some gyms even offer ante-natal classes that allow you to bring your baby along, letting you get strong while spending some quality time with your little one.

You also shouldn’t be afraid to exercise at home. Try clearing out the living room and following along to videos on YouTube, or just doing sets of repetitions. You can do reps when your baby is asleep, or find other ways to make sure your fitness schedule works for both of you. Losing your post pregnancy weight is important, but so is making sure your baby gets everything they need while they still depend on you the most.

I hope some of these tips have inspired you to start thinking up ways to shed those pounds! Whether you want to get your pre-baby body back, or just be fitter and healthier, make sure you exercise in a sensible way. Good luck, and get active!