Have you had some success with losing some of your post pregnancy weight, but you are struggling like crazy with the last 10 pounds (give or take) of it? Those last few pounds can sure be stubborn, can't they? In this article, we will go over some ways on how to lose post baby weight when you've got only those last few rebellious pounds to lose.
1. Tracking. Many people dislike writing down what they are eating/drinking on a daily basis but this has actually been known to help many with their weight loss goals. Some people may not realize just how much they are consuming until they see it written down right in front of them. This can help you decide if you need to tweak anything in your healthy eating plan in order for you to achieve your weight loss. Don't forget, drinks such as soda, alcohol and juice, all contain calories, so don't forget to add these in your food journal. You may need to cut drinks such as these out of your diet, or at least cut down on them, as they all contain sugar which will stick to you like glue. Water and tea (especially green tea) are better alternatives.
2. Weekends/Special Occasions. When it comes to how to lose post baby weight, you will need to be careful of cheating on your healthy diet. It's totally fine to cheat the odd time... the operative words being "odd time" (wink, wink). It is common for the weekend to come and for many people to take a "break" from their healthy eating. Also, you may have occasions going on such as birthdays, family get-togethers, movie outings, etc. that may sway you to cheat on your nutritious eating. This could be another reason why your weight loss efforts have hit a plateau, so you may need to bump up your will power over the weekends (and/or at special occasions).
3. Portions. Are you eating the right portions of foods? This can be a very important factor in a weight loss plateau. If you are eating too much, you will have problems losing weight, but if you are eating too little, your body will go into starvation mode and store everything you put into it, which will result in little to no weight loss as well. It is best to always eat until you are just full, not stuffed. If you are wondering what portions of foods you should be eating, a good rule of thumb at, let's say dinner, is to have half your plate full of vegetables or salad, a quarter of your plate with a starch and a quarter with a protein. Also, it is best to eat 3 meals a day with 2 healthy snacks in between.
4. Workouts. Losing the last 10 pounds can depend largely on your exercise routine. When we think about how to lose post baby weight, we tend to groan at the fact that we have to exercise. New moms barely have the energy to keep up with their little one(s), nevermind having the energy to workout. So, what I'm about to say may "hurt" a bit. You may need to workout a little more. If you think you workout enough every week, on a regular basis, then it may just be that you have to challenge your body more. It could also be that you aren't doing both cardio and strength training. Combining the two could really help you in weight and fat loss. If you are doing strength training (which is recommended to be done 2-3 times a week, leaving a day in between), are you working out with the right amount of weight? If you don't feel your muscles getting fatigued by the weights you are lifting, you will need to start using heavier weights in order to benefit from it.
5. Eating Less? Are you still eating the same amount of food as you were when you weighed more? If so, this could be the reason for a plateau. The more weight you lose, the less food (calories) your body needs. So, if you have dropped in weight already, you may need to adjust the amount of daily calories you're taking in. This can be very beneficial in losing the last 10 pounds.
6. Food. Your struggle with how to lose post baby weight may be because you are eating the wrong foods. Are you eating refined or whole grains? Switching to whole grain foods is beneficial for weight loss because of the fiber content, which will not only keep you regular, but keep you feeling full for longer periods of time. Are you eating a lot of foods high in sugar, sodium or saturated fats? These will all contribute to difficulties in weight loss. Are you a latte drinker? Those, for example, are loaded with sugar. Even the sugar you add to your morning coffee counts... it all adds up, especially if you are drinking coffee every day, and many of us drink more than one cup of it. Yikes! Also, beware of frozen meals (yes, even the "diet" type ones), as they are usually loaded with sodium.
7. Realistic. We all have a weight loss goal we want to get to, but just make sure that your goal is realistic. Your body may get to the weight that it's meant to and basically tell you "No, that's it, I'm done". It may be helpful for you to find out your BMI (Body Mass Index) to see what weight your body should be at.
Basically, what we discussed here is that to lose the last 10 pounds, you probably just need to step things up a little bit. When trying to figure out how to lose post baby weight, you may need to try different things and see what works for you, whether you think it may be portion control, the types of foods you're eating, etc. Also, be patient with yourself, it may take some time for the weight to come off. Even if it comes off slowly, that's a great thing, because it's still coming off which is the main thing.
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1. Tracking. Many people dislike writing down what they are eating/drinking on a daily basis but this has actually been known to help many with their weight loss goals. Some people may not realize just how much they are consuming until they see it written down right in front of them. This can help you decide if you need to tweak anything in your healthy eating plan in order for you to achieve your weight loss. Don't forget, drinks such as soda, alcohol and juice, all contain calories, so don't forget to add these in your food journal. You may need to cut drinks such as these out of your diet, or at least cut down on them, as they all contain sugar which will stick to you like glue. Water and tea (especially green tea) are better alternatives.
2. Weekends/Special Occasions. When it comes to how to lose post baby weight, you will need to be careful of cheating on your healthy diet. It's totally fine to cheat the odd time... the operative words being "odd time" (wink, wink). It is common for the weekend to come and for many people to take a "break" from their healthy eating. Also, you may have occasions going on such as birthdays, family get-togethers, movie outings, etc. that may sway you to cheat on your nutritious eating. This could be another reason why your weight loss efforts have hit a plateau, so you may need to bump up your will power over the weekends (and/or at special occasions).
3. Portions. Are you eating the right portions of foods? This can be a very important factor in a weight loss plateau. If you are eating too much, you will have problems losing weight, but if you are eating too little, your body will go into starvation mode and store everything you put into it, which will result in little to no weight loss as well. It is best to always eat until you are just full, not stuffed. If you are wondering what portions of foods you should be eating, a good rule of thumb at, let's say dinner, is to have half your plate full of vegetables or salad, a quarter of your plate with a starch and a quarter with a protein. Also, it is best to eat 3 meals a day with 2 healthy snacks in between.
4. Workouts. Losing the last 10 pounds can depend largely on your exercise routine. When we think about how to lose post baby weight, we tend to groan at the fact that we have to exercise. New moms barely have the energy to keep up with their little one(s), nevermind having the energy to workout. So, what I'm about to say may "hurt" a bit. You may need to workout a little more. If you think you workout enough every week, on a regular basis, then it may just be that you have to challenge your body more. It could also be that you aren't doing both cardio and strength training. Combining the two could really help you in weight and fat loss. If you are doing strength training (which is recommended to be done 2-3 times a week, leaving a day in between), are you working out with the right amount of weight? If you don't feel your muscles getting fatigued by the weights you are lifting, you will need to start using heavier weights in order to benefit from it.
5. Eating Less? Are you still eating the same amount of food as you were when you weighed more? If so, this could be the reason for a plateau. The more weight you lose, the less food (calories) your body needs. So, if you have dropped in weight already, you may need to adjust the amount of daily calories you're taking in. This can be very beneficial in losing the last 10 pounds.
6. Food. Your struggle with how to lose post baby weight may be because you are eating the wrong foods. Are you eating refined or whole grains? Switching to whole grain foods is beneficial for weight loss because of the fiber content, which will not only keep you regular, but keep you feeling full for longer periods of time. Are you eating a lot of foods high in sugar, sodium or saturated fats? These will all contribute to difficulties in weight loss. Are you a latte drinker? Those, for example, are loaded with sugar. Even the sugar you add to your morning coffee counts... it all adds up, especially if you are drinking coffee every day, and many of us drink more than one cup of it. Yikes! Also, beware of frozen meals (yes, even the "diet" type ones), as they are usually loaded with sodium.
7. Realistic. We all have a weight loss goal we want to get to, but just make sure that your goal is realistic. Your body may get to the weight that it's meant to and basically tell you "No, that's it, I'm done". It may be helpful for you to find out your BMI (Body Mass Index) to see what weight your body should be at.
Basically, what we discussed here is that to lose the last 10 pounds, you probably just need to step things up a little bit. When trying to figure out how to lose post baby weight, you may need to try different things and see what works for you, whether you think it may be portion control, the types of foods you're eating, etc. Also, be patient with yourself, it may take some time for the weight to come off. Even if it comes off slowly, that's a great thing, because it's still coming off which is the main thing.
View the original article here
