Pregnancy. Having a baby is both a joyful and challenging time for any woman. While it’s wonderful to see your new baby and watch them grow, many women also struggle with pregnancy-related weight gain. It’s normal to gain 25 pounds during pregnancy, but that doesn’t make it any easier to lose the weight afterwards. Here are some great tips to help you get rid of that pregnancy belly fat:
Breastfeed. Did you know that your body burns extra calories each time you have to lactate and nurse your baby? This, together with a healthy diet and exercise, should help you trim down your weight. It’s like hitting two birds with one stone-you stay fit as your baby gets his needed nutrition-not a bad bargain at all!
Sweep away the fat. A weight management diet is a great way to clean up your digestive tract, improve your overall health, and lose weight. Fiber-rich foods such as fruits, grains, and vegetables are excellent for your health, and they can also help prevent diseases such as colon cancer, diabetes and hypertension. Stay away from foods that are high in sodium, as they tend to make you look more bloated. Avoid junk foods and sugary drinks like soda – they’re terrible for your health!
Slow and easy does it. Soon after you start a strength training routine, you will begin to see muscle definition return and the pregnancy fat start to dissipate around your upper arms, hips, thighs, and yes…your belly. Remember that weight reduction is a two-fold approach and requires both cardio workouts and strength training to achieve desired results. Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean that you would be required to do a thousand sit-ups just to zap those saddlebags! Merely 30 minutes of cardio workout at 3 times each week combined with your strength training should do the trick. There are a lot of cardio workouts that you can pick from to help you lose weight and get in shape. Most of them are free of charge, too! Some options include brisk walking, running, bicycling, swimming, hiking, and playing your favorite sports such as basketball or tennis. If you want to target just your belly, then you can resort to traditional methods such as scissor kicks (done by lying down and slowly raising legs alternately); pelvic tilts (as its name suggests, you lift your pelvis off the floor and hold for a few seconds); or you can choose belly dancing, which is a fun way to help shed some unwanted pounds. A word of advice, though – you must consult your doctor before you pursue any particular exercise regimen. The abdominal muscles have been contorted and have gone through wear and tear during pregnancy, so it’s best to check with a professional before starting any new workout routine.
Do as Hollywood celebrities do it. You’re right to think that Hollywood actresses often turn to surgery to help them get their sexy bodies back after giving birth. If your pregnancy belly is just too stubborn, it might be time to consider lipoplasty (liposuction) or abdominoplasty (a tummy tuck). Lipoplasty involves removing fat cells from a specific area, while a tummy tuck eliminates not only fat but also extra skin from the belly region. Tummy tuck surgery is a more complex version of liposuction. It provides abdominal muscle tightening, which is the most effective way of making your belly look “flat”.
When all else fails… When you’re working hard to get your post-pregnancy body back but nothing seems to be working, it might be due to a condition called diastasis recti. This is a condition where the abdominal muscles have stretched abnormally and can only be fixed through physiotherapy or surgery. If you think you might have this condition, it’s best to ask your doctor about it.
