You Can Get Back to Shape After Childbirth: 9 Quick Steps

Losing weight, especially stomach fat is a major worry for most moms. After four children I am determined to get back to my former weight or something close to it. My stomach area looks like a lost cause but I am beginning to believe I can achieve a certain degree of body confidence by following some rules. And it is working fabulously. I have lost a lot of weight and fitting back to my old clothes. Besides, I am taking it easy because moms usually don’t get back their pre-pregnancy weight until the baby is one year old. Breastfeeding also helps to reduce weight, especially belly fat and I am breastfeeding.
1. Start by not discarding your old clothes because they are too tight. Keep them and determine to get back into them.
2. Don’t start exercising when you still log a lot of fat. Wait until you’ve reduced considerable fat tissues first, and then exercise to tighten up. If you exercise when you are still so fat, the fat would likely harden and became difficult to lose, especially your tommy area. Reduce your fat then exercise to firm up. I am still on the stage of reducing my baby fat.
3. Constantly watch and read articles of women with the kind of body you wish to achieve. Seeing women with great bodies helps your determination. I immediately drop the extra slice of bread I am about to stuff into my face when I see a hot-bodied star strutting her stuff on E!, BET or Telemundo. It also helps to make friends with those with the same goal.
4. Eat a lot of vegetables, fruits and food high in fiber, and drink plenty of water.
5. Cut down on your food intake. We eat ravenously while pregnant and breastfeeding. Cut down. Eat small meals instead huge meals. Cut out sugar or sweet things.
6. Move: keep moving, walk to the market or church if you have time. I lift my baby up and down while lying down to tone my arm muscles. I am planning on starting early morning or evening walks. I already do rigorous house chores. I move all day.
7. Rest. You need to relax those muscles. I have my times during the nights when children are asleep. Sometimes I sleep in the day time while baby is asleep. I don’t compromise with my time. I play computer games or watch movies.
8. Soon, I will start more rigorous exercise to tighten my stomach and arms region and every other part of my body, since I have lost a lot of weight, belly fat and general body fat. I will start with sit-ups and dumbbells. And dancing. Good old makosa dancing. Later, I might enroll in a nearby gym to get professional touch.
9. Make it a fun project. Enjoy it. Be happy with yourself. Bear in mind you are a mother.

-Ify Chemieziem

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