I lost over 145 pounds after my two pregnancies. Yes, you read that right. I lost over 145 pounds after my two pregnancies (83 pounds one time, and 63 pounds the other). And yes, you could say that I’m a professional at gaining weight while pregnant (bring on the ice cream, pizza, and pasta!), but I’m also pretty good at losing it afterward. Check out my tips and tricks to help you with weight loss after pregnancy:
1. Be consistent.
Plan on doing the same positive habits over and over again. Once you start doing something regularly, it turns into a habit. Once it’s a habit, you don’t have to work as hard to accomplish it. And soon it will be a part of your daily routine; in fact, you won’t want to live without it.
An example is going for a walk every morning. When I was in elementary school, my mom started walking with some ladies in the neighborhood. Every morning, they’d meet at the corner, and they’d walk for 30 minutes. Now, 25 years later, my mom and her neighbor STILL walk every morning. If it’s snowing, they walk at the mall. If they can’t walk in the morning, they walk in the evening. It is so ingrained in my mom’s routine that she can’t imagine not doing it.
2. Do what works for you.
Find ways to exercise and eat healthy that are compatible with your schedule. If you have two kids and no babysitter, I would recommend joining a gym that provides childcare. If you dread hearing the alarm clock in the morning, an evening workout might fit better in your schedule than one in the morning.
Now that I have two kids at home, I’ve decided that I need to workout at home for now. Every morning, I wake up at five, and I exercise in the basement. I don’t waste any time on a commute to the gym. I finish my workout, shower, and eat breakfast before my kids even wake up.
3. Do what you like.
If you don’t like it, you won’t continue doing it. If you want to train for a half marathon, then do it (by the way, this is a great program to check out). If you think that running is boring and it gives you shin splints, don’t sign up for the race. You’ll dread every workout, and that’s not the goal. If you’re doing what you like, you’re likely to have more weight loss after pregnancy.
Think back to when you were younger: what types of activities did you enjoy for exercise? Kickball? Rollerblading? Lacrosse? Try to join a kickball league, dust off the roller blades, or toss the lacrosse ball with your spouse (or kid!). You may find joy in these activities again.
4. Make goals regularly (both food intake and exercise)…and follow up on them!
Lots of people make New Years Resolutions. And then they forget about them by February. It’s important to make short and long-term goals, and remember to follow up and reflect on them to see if you achieved them or not. Daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly goals are all great! Your long-term goals are for bigger and more broad goals while your shorter-term goals are mini steps to help you achieve those big goals.
Daily goals are simply To-Do lists. For weekly goals, you can try to change habits gradually. Examples include eating five vegetables per day, trying a new healthy recipe, working out four times in a week, and finishing a book. Monthly goals are a little bit bigger than weekly goals…or, it’s something that’s been on your list, and you just don’t want to get it done. Examples include setting a budget, organizing a garage sale to get rid of stuff in your house, or calling an old friend to have coffee.5. Surround yourself with things/people that keep you on track.
It’s important to have constant reminders of who you want to be and what you want to do. Take a picture of yourself once a month to see the changes in your body; those pictures can be your motivation!
On social media, you can follow people who share the same interests/goals (example: food bloggers who share healthy lunch ideas for toddlers). Let your friends and family know that you’re working on changing food and exercise habits; they might even want to join you! Read books and listen to podcasts that align with your positive thoughts. I reread the same books to encourage healthy habits. All of these resources will help you with weight loss after pregnancy.6. Try not to get discouraged.
There are times when things are not going the way you’d like them to go. For instance, the scale won’t budge or you’re bummed that you didn’t get to the gym all week. Try to concentrate on the positives, stay on course, and results will eventually happen.
There were many days when I was trying to lose the pregnancy weight that I was frustrated and angry with my progress, but then I remembered that it took nine months to gain the weight, and it’s OK if it took nine months (or more!) to lose it. By following these six steps, I was able to change my mindset and slowly shed the pounds.
If you’d like to check out another mom’s weight loss journey after having a baby, check out this post.
