5 Painless Ways to Lose the Baby Weight

So the baby’s here and you’ve been spending sleepless nights tending to your little one’s every need. If you’ve been planning a strategy to lose the baby weight, do so only when your body is ready. Usually, those who had a vaginal birth can start working out a week after giving birth. But for those who had a C-section, it’ll take more than a few weeks to heal from the surgery.

Now say you are ready to whip yourself back into shape, you don’t have to perform intense exercises right away. In today’s post, we are listing down painless ways to lose the baby weight:

1. Chow Down on Superfoods

New mothers need all the nutrients they can get their hands on to keep up with the demands of having a baby. This is true especially if you’re nursing. You want to focus on nutrient-dense foods aptly called, “superfoods.” These foodstuffs are teeming with essential vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other beneficial nutrients.

Oily fish like salmon, herring and tuna are loaded with omega-3 fatty acid or DHA. DHA helps in proper brain and nervous system development in babies. It also keeps the heart strong. Dairy products like cheese, milk, and yogurt, are great sources of protein. Protein keeps the muscles strong! Load up on iron-rich offal to prevent anemia.

2. Turn to Breastfeeding

Some studies suggest that breastfeeding helps accelerate weight loss in women who just gave birth. While the jury’s out on the link between weight loss and breastfeeding, why not give it a try? Many new mothers swear by it!

Breastfeeding is, after all, best for your baby. It establishes a stronger bond between mothers and newborn babies. Your milk contains all the nutrients your baby needs to grow healthy and strong. It also contains compounds that boost immunity. If you’re a new mom and you’re having trouble breastfeeding, try a breast pump. Refrigerate bottles of your milk for later use.

3. Drink More Water

Keeping yourself hydrated helps melt the pounds away. When you’re hydrated, you don’t overeat. Ideally, you want to drink more than 8 glasses of water every day. One sign that you’re drinking enough water is checking your urine. If it’s clear, then it means you are not dehydrated. If it’s dark orange, it means you have to drink more water!

4. Get Some Zzzs

It’s hard to get a full night’s sleep when the baby wants your attention 24/7 but try hard to rest. It’ll be extra difficult to shed the baby weight if you’re sleep deprived. When you’re sleep deprived, the stress hormone cortisol shoots up. This leads to overeating, among other things. Also, when you’re attending to your baby’s needs, you tend to spend less time resting and that’s not a good thing. There’s no excuse in neglecting one’s self especially when there’s a newborn that needs constant care.

The key is to sleep when the baby is asleep. This way, you are less exhausted. You don’t seek comfort from food. You’re moving to shed the baby weight too.

5. Load up on Fresh Fruits and Veggies

If you have a bad case of the munchies, turn to fresh fruits and veggies. Do not snack on chips, chocolates or sweets. Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of fiber. These foods will fill you up without the unwanted calories. When you feel fuller, you don’t have the urge to over-snack. This leads to safe, gradual weight loss!