How to get back in shape after delivering a baby

A woman’s body undergoes many transformations during the nine months of pregnancy. Some of these physical changes are visible, such as an expanding belly and weight gain, an enlarged uterus, morning sickness and backaches are not. Due to hormonal changes that all women go through once they get pregnant, it is not unusual to find even very slim ladies become slightly big, while in most cases, those who are on the heavy size, even before pregnancy, get bigger. “Fat ladies hardly slim down after childbirth,” Dr Victor Adeyefa of All Souls Medical Centre, Oke Ado, Ibadan, said. But whether a lady is an ectomorph (very slim) endomorph (slightly built) or mesomorph (very big), genetics play crucial role in how a woman who has been delivered of a child will eventually end up in size.

Pregnant women crave weird foods and lots of it. Most pregnant women fixate over how much they’ll gain during pregnancy. Some gain anything from 40-48-79 lbs, but the excesses can still be got  rid of.

“When a woman is pregnant, the baby secrets some hormones inside the womb, just as the formative egg and sperm also secret hormones which forms the placenta,” the doctor told Sunday Tribune. After child birth, most slim women quickly regain their slim shape, especially those who adhere to strict diet rules. Most women who eat heavy foods such as eba, iyan or fufu are bound to be fat. However, if her parents, father or mother or fore parents are not fat, she may not be, no matter how much of heavy foods she eats. But many women worry about how to regain their slim frame after childbirth as men usually find women who have ballooned unattractive, they need not fear if some suggestions made by medical Gynaecologists are followed. Amongst them are:

Get started while pregnant

It is normal to gain weight when pregnant, but that shouldn’t allow you to throw caution to the wind and start eating eba for breakfast or a jumbo-size bag of chips for an afternoon snack. You will have cravings, and you should indulge yourself from time to time, but prudence pays back later on. Walk around the neighbourhood once or twice a day. This will benefit you and the baby by getting your blood flowing and getting fresh air into your lungs.

Nature gives weight-loss advantages

Once the baby is born, there’s an immediate loss of between 10-15 lbs. Breastfeeding helps to lose weight, using up to 800 calories a day. After you’ve allowed your body to recuperate (about 4-6 weeks) so that you can start exercising, a little bit of weight training will help you lose weight. Your baby is also enough weight equipment for you. Hold the baby to your chest and do lunges as you walk, or hold your baby above your chest and do presses toward the ceiling.

To lose weight, get enough rest

If your baby is sleeping, it is advised that mothers should too. A baby’s needs can impose strange sleep cycles on adults and this can upset the metabolism and this makes it hard to lose pregnancy weight. Sleeping when the baby sleeps will allow you to avoid any long-term sleep deficits. That will keep your energy levels high and help keep sugar cravings for energy in check. If you don’t get enough sleep, you won’t be strong enought to keep yourself moving through your waking hours, let alone to work out.

Consider natural weight loss remedies

Consider some natural weight loss foods that will stem your hunger or affect your metabolism in a healthy way. Not all of these may set well with you, but give some a try. Try some apple cider vinegar in hot water two or three times a day to help reduce fat. Taking lime and honey in water a couple times a day is a natural weight loss remedy. Tea made from Indian plum leaves has fat burning properties. Drink some twice day. Green tea has excellent properties that help weight loss. Drink it often during the day.

Rethink your eating philosophy

When you were pregnant, you may have felt as though you could eat anything and get away with it. You will need to change this mentality after the baby is born. Space your meals; spread your calories evenly around the clock. Breakfast is the most important meal of your diet plan. Fish, beans, skinless poultry, lean meat cuts are good sources of protein, lessen hunger. Add fibre to your diet, this will help fill you without adding excess calories. Eat nuts, they take longer to digest, keeping you satiated for a longer time. Have whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, and lots of low-fat dairy products. Bottom line is that there should be a reduction in heavy food consumption

Drug

Drugs that reduce appetite can be used, said Dr Adeyefa. One of such is Ponderax. It is reputed for blocking appetite for food. However, none of those that I have recommended it to has ever come back to say anything for, or against the drug.”

Regular exercise

Getting back to exercise should be a gradual process, but you can always start some simple exercises after you are through four weeks of post-partum. There’s a gap in your abdominal muscles right after giving birth. It usually disappears within four to eight weeks. Make sure this gap is closed before doing belly exercises.An altered walk resulting from a bigger belly and an increased curvature of a woman’s spine. Yoga, jogging and running short distances are also recommended. Pelvic tilts help to reduce belly fat, while Yoga may help gain strength and flexibly. An exercise ball is a great tool for tummy exercises after pregnancy. Swimming, biking, running, helps to keep heart rate up.Any form of exercise that makes a woman to sweat is good. She can aslo visit the gym rather than try to do it at home

Allow body to recuperate

Experts advise against going on a diet right after giving birth. Getting your body back means thinking about your health first – your body is trying to repair itself. Do not rush into things, but do not be too relaxed either.

Your body should be given enough time to recuperate and restore its normal processes. The weight may not fall off as quickly as you would like, but if you stick to it and follow the guidelines above, you will ultimately please yourself and you won’t have to be anxious about how to keep your man after he assisted in disfiguring your shape in the first place.