Once you stop breast feeding your post-baby fat is supposed to fall off. This happens to an extent and for the lucky ones it seems to fall off and stay off. The reason being that as you are no longer breast feeding, you don’t get that unbearable thirst and hunger pangs anymore because you body is not being drained of liquid, so you probably don’t eat as big portions or nibble junk food throughout the day.
For others, the habits that have formed and stayed through out pregnancy and birth and beyond, eating lots, tend to stay.
What do you do if you want to lose weight and make sure it stays off? Short of browsing for Jillian Michaels DVDs (her 30 Day Shred is excellent for overall toning and tightening your abs) or Debbie Siebers’ Slim in 6 workouts you might want to check out some salsa classes or some sort of dancing exercise which will provide a good aerobic exercise as well as get you doing some nifty dance move no less!
Oddly enough belly dancing is a good option. You don’t have to go to any special classes for it, you can get some books from the library or google it online and try that. Or try the hoopla which is also excellent for toning the stomach and helping you to lose some calories.
Initially belly dancing was not created as a form of entertainment, rather is was practiced in the Middle East as a way of strengthening the hips women in order to prepare them for childbirth. The movements that come from belly dancing, thrusting hips, lifting hips and shimmy all help to make your hips stronger.
Of course, there is a lot more to belly dancing but it is a good routine to add to your fitness routines and it incorporates not just the stomach and hips but also the shoulders, waist and legs because ultimately it is a form of dancing.
See if there are local classes in your area and you might be surprised at just how good belly dancing is for your fitness and suppleness.
Good point Rafa! Setting a reasonable and achievable goal is a huge help in any weight loss plan. And it’s especially important after the major physiological roller coaster of childbirth.
You can’t expect your figure to go back to your pre-pregnancy shape straight after birth! Its takes time for the womb and your stomach to re-adjust to its normal size. Expect it to be around 4 weeks. Expect to lose around 13 pounds after the birth. This gives you around 12 to 22 pounds to lose. A reasonable target to lose this weight is 8 months. Losing 1 or 2 pounds a week is an easier proposition.