A healthy pregnancy almost always involves weight gain. But now that baby's here, you're probably wishing those extra pounds would hurry up and disappear! While it won't happen overnight, these six simple tips can help you lose that extra weight in a healthy way. (If you've missed part 1 of this article, or want to read part 3, you can find them both at http://www.mambomoms.com/articles.html)
3) Drink plenty of water. You will probably be very thirsty if you are nursing your baby and you should drink as much as your thirst dictates. But even if you're not breastfeeding, lots of pure water is important in your quest to shed those pregnancy pounds.
First of all, water has no calories, so when compared to other beverages, it's hands down the best bet in terms of weight loss. Diet soft drinks and other low calorie beverages may have only a couple of calories, but your body craves pure water in order to be able to function properly. Besides, many people are concerned about the artificial sweeteners used in these products, and caffeinated diet drinks may increase fussiness in your baby if you're nursing. Go ahead and indulge if this is something you just can't live without, but make sure you're not doing it at the expense of your water needs.
Secondly, water is helpful in the process of burning stored body fat. Studies have shown that not drinking enough water can hinder your weight loss efforts because the liver has to work harder to metabolize waste when your body is not properly hydrated.
And finally, drinking enough water will help you feel full so you eat less. This is especially true if you're eating lots of high fiber foods such as whole grain breads and cereals. The fiber in whole grains will absorb water, making you feel full longer.
Other liquids are fine too, such as juice, milk (dairy or substitutes), and herbal teas. But do try to stay away from those empty calorie soft drinks and anything that's labeled "beverage," "punch" or "drink" instead of "juice." And even though they may be considered healthful, watch your intake of pure fruit juices. Juices contain nutrients that your body needs, but they are a very concentrated source of sugar as well. Whenever possible you are better off to eat a piece of fresh fruit and drink water for thirst.
You should also try to limit your intake of coffee and caffeinated tea. Doing so may help both you and your baby regulate your sleep habits. Some babies get very fussy and hard to settle when mom is breastfeeding and drinks caffeinated beverages.
Drinking lots of water is one of those things that seems easy in theory, but in practice it can be difficult to accomplish. One effective strategy to help make sure you get enough is to place water bottles strategically around the house. You can buy small plastic bottles of water by the case at the grocery store or you can buy the refillable type of bottle that you might take to the gym or on your bike.
Put a bottle anywhere you spend time during the day: near your favourite nursing chair (put several here-you'll probably use them all!), near baby's change table, on the bathroom counter, on top of the washing machine, on the kitchen counter, on your desk, on a shelf near the front door, beside your bed, on the kitchen table, etc. Each morning, spend 3 or 4 minutes making the rounds collecting yesterday's empty bottles and replacing them with fresh ones. This way, you'll be more likely to drink lots of water because there will always be some close at hand.
4) Breastfeed your baby if at all possible. Depending on the age and weight of your baby, you can use around 800 calories a day producing milk for her. Besides the host of other benefits that breastfeeding affords both you and your baby, quicker postnatal weight loss is one advantage that all new moms welcome. Even if you are returning to work or can't breastfeed full time for any reason, any amount of breast milk is good for your baby, and as a perk, will help you use up additional calories for as long as you are able to continue.
In addition, breastfeeding releases natural hormones that help you relax. Since the hormones released when you are stressed can contribute to weight gain, it only makes sense to counter this with activities that help you relax. Breastfeeding is a wonderful way to do this, and you and your baby will also benefit in so many other ways. If you need more information or support with breastfeeding, visit La Leche League International on the web at http://www.LaLecheLeague.org
In part three of this article you'll learn ways to burn extra calories easily and enjoyably without sweating it out at the gym. You'll also learn the secret that savvy new moms use to effortlessly burn up to an extra 200 calories a day -that's 2 pounds a month with no extra effort!
Susan Peach is a retired La Leche League Leader, a dance and fitness instructor, and mother to two teenage boys. She is also the creator of Mambo Moms, a fun and gentle Latin dance based fitness program that helps new moms get back in shape while spending quality play time with their babies. Find out more at http://www.mambomoms.com
Wood Dale Chicago prom limo .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareWeight training combines building muscle tone and working the cardiovascular... Read More
We know that children are becoming obese at an alarming... Read More
A typical breakfast consists of 3 or 4 strips of... Read More
The South Beach Diet works, for most people. Its low... Read More
Body wraps can help tone and tighten the skin, improve... Read More
To begin this article I must start with it's conclusion.The... Read More
Don't diet, just eat and lose weight!First, the following "diet"... Read More
Obesity in America is at an epidemic level. It is... Read More
This is a very important topic that needs to be... Read More
Getting enough of the good fats will help you lose... Read More
The loss of fat comes from fat cells all over... Read More
Imagine this ... What if you could ?Increase the rate... Read More
1. Become aware of what you are eating.Before I started... Read More
With the popularity of low carb diets such as Atkins,... Read More
It is estimated that about 32 million Americans are following... Read More
A diet may be a fad diet or a healthy... Read More
Maybe you losing weight comes down to the simple question,... Read More
Since gastric bypass weight loss surgery gives us a second... Read More
Lean turkeyLean ground beefChicken breastFish, halibut, orange roughy,More fish, shark,... Read More
Getting into a weight loss program or any type of... Read More
Dr. Hagglund's Healthy Eating Tips(All wheat products, bananas*, breads, rice,... Read More
The importance of drinking water is mentioned in almost every... Read More
For those of you who aren't familiar with ephedra let... Read More
Because the Internet allows so many millions of people to... Read More
Carnitine is simply the safest and healthiest supplement you can... Read More
Antigo wedding limo ..April 14, 2005 federal judge Tena Campbell of the federal... Read More
In many cases conventional dieting wisdom simply doesn't work for... Read More
This article is about making long-term changes in the foods... Read More
How to burn fat fast is a question that burns... Read More
Gastric bypass surgeries are temporary physical fixes to a long... Read More
Supporters of the Atkins Diet claim that a low carbohydrate... Read More
This past Christmas Season, as most of us stuffed our... Read More
The answer to the title of this article is "none."... Read More
A reader recently wrote to ask why I don't include... Read More
You've heard them before and may even have believed some... Read More
In the early weeks after having weight loss surgery almost... Read More
So you've decided that you're going to do it.You're sick... Read More
I am so grateful that you're taking steps to take... Read More
Have you seen the ditty below that's roaming the Internet... Read More
From driving up your blood pressure and cholesterol, to increasing... Read More
Summer is about to be in full swing, and it's... Read More
What is a calorie? The definition of a calorie is... Read More
Every regime has its supply of useless folk lore and... Read More
Recently a woman went public in her online diet community... Read More
One thing's for sure, in this day & age, if... Read More
In this age being ignorant is like committing a crime.... Read More
Abdominoplasty, or "tummy tuck" is a major surgical procedure that... Read More
Yes, there is more to the Mediterranean than sun, beach... Read More
Do you know this year Florida will go through a... Read More
If you have ever been snow skiing you know that... Read More
Weight Loss |