Losing Weight After Baby: Three Secrets to Getting Your Body Back

by Arlene Pellicane

Six months after having my baby, I was back in my pre-pregancy jeans. One day a lady that was parked next to me observed my baby and said, “You’re so lucky to be thin.” I thanked her politely but inside I screamed, “Luck had nothing to do with it! Try blood, sweat and tears!”

The good news about that story is that any woman can get her body back and even better after baby. Luck has nothing to do with weight loss. Any woman who is willing to work hard can achieve her fitness goals. Here are three ways you can get your body back after baby:

1. Believe you can do it. The worst thing you can do is buy into negative thinking. Thoughts like, “I could never lose the weight,” “It’s impossible to be thin after having a baby,” or “It’s just too hard” will sabotage your weight loss. Before you can do it, you have to dream it. Start each day with a positive affirmation like, “Today is great day to eat healthy food and exercise. In time, I will lose all my baby weight and be healthier than ever.”

2. Eat smart. What you put into your body will determine your health more than anything else. Eat the most nutritious foods you can find so your baby can have the best quality of breast milk possible if you’re breastfeeding. If you exercise like a fiend, but then eat like one too, you will not lose the weight. You’ll just maintain. Eat apples, chicken, salad, oatmeal and other nutrient dense foods to drop those extra pounds.

3. Exercise five days a week. That may sound crazy as a new mom, but if you’re going to lose the weight, you will have to ramp up the exercise for a period of time. Once you’re in maintenance mode, you’ll probably be able to scale down to 2-3 workouts a week. But while you want to lose weight, you will have to exercise a lot more than normal. Do cardio and strength training workouts throughout the week. Ask your spouse, family and friends to help with baby so you can exercise. Remember, this will not last forever. If you can make a commitment to hard-core regular exercise for maybe three months, you will reach your goal.

Losing weight after baby takes determination, a positive attitude and people to support you. But once you cross the finish line, all your hard work will pay off. Losing the baby weight for good defies gravity and the societal norm…you can do it mom!

Today’s action step: Are you willing to practice these three secrets to get your body back? Who will you enlist as an accountability partner to help you?

Arlene Pellicane, mother of a toddler and infant, helps women lose their baby weight and thrive as wives and mothers.

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