Melting Off the Baby Weight!

So it took me three babies and still working on it to get my prepregnancy body back! So how is it that you look into a magazine and see that so and so looks great one month postpartum? And Why are so many celebrity mommies going in for scheduled c-sections? A nip and a tuck here and there maybe? I really never understood the c-section coincidence in Hollywood until recently! Call me naive but can it be true that maybe a little Dr. 90210 stuff be going on? I mean who wants to do something like that when you just gave birth? What about natural time and healing and then if you're into it loosing just do it the natural way:EXERCISE and DIET? Also, what if you want more kids and you've chosen nipping and tucking? Do you grab the extra skin from your butt? I don't get it.
So if you don't believe in that, don't have the money or just forgot to mention this procedure to your Dr. the last time you had your baby then here are some little tips to loosing postpartum baby weight: The natural, non surgical way.

Breastfeeding will help you out. You probably have heard about this little tip but it is very true. You can really use this great gift to your advantage and towards your safe weight loss goals.
To be a breast milk producer you have to consume 500 calories extra per day. What does this mean? Well, that on top of the recommended daily caloric intake of the suggested 1800 to 2000 calories you need to ingest 500 extra calories. So if you exclusively breastfeed and light exercise you could really see where the whole program would work.
If you should decide to cut out a bit of calories to loose weight as I did, then here is some more information. Now, you can do a very simple mathematical equation to get your exact caloric intake and then add 500 extra by using this formula I found in the Better Homes and Garden New Dieter's Cookbook:
1. Begin with a base of 655 calories
2. Multiply your weight (in pounds) by 4.3
3. Multiply your height (in inches) by 4.7
4. Add numbers from #1,#2, and #3
5. Multiply your age by 4.7
6. Subtract the total of #5 from the results of #4 to get your resting metabolic rate(RMR)in calories. This is what you need just to maintain your bodily functions.
7. To determine your daily maintenance calories, use your RMR (#6) and multiply it by one of the following:
1.2 if you don't exercise
1.3 if you exercise 2 to 3 hours a week
1.4 if you exercise 4 to 6 hours a week
1.6 if you exercise 7 hours or more a week

Then add 500 calories to this and then you have your caloric intake for your milk production and weight maintenance. If you would like to loose baby weight slowly and safely then watch what you eat, work up to exercising 4-5 hours per week and limit your caloric intake never going below your calculated daily maintenace calories. Also use common sense! If you need a certain amount of calories to function and your body is producing milk (which takes 500 calories) then use the calculation and cut out slowly. For example, at the age of 28 my intake was calculated at 2,643.8 calories. there was no way I was going to consume this many calories....at least when I found out how much I was ingesting to stay at my weight I safely decided to cut out and consulted my very good friend who is a Registered Dietician and she told me not to go below 1800 cal. because of my milk production. After calculating your caloric intake consult with your doctor or a RD and they can safely tell you what is best for you.

#2 Small Calorie restriction and Journaling
Next, the best way I lost weight and the way many programs are built upon is calorie cutting plus journaling. I was able to view daily what I was ingesting and my progress. I did this by purchasing a small pocket calorie book "Calorie King 2005". This book broke down food calories by category and also had a large section for fast food calories and fat grams. I made better choices on what I was eating and started to loose weight. This was great to see. Journaling taught me a bit of self control plus I also tracked my exercise progress and rewarded myself when I reached my goals.

#3 Exercise
Depending on how you feel physically I suggest small steps when getting back into activity. Remember the more you do the more you pay for it physically. Too much can lead to exhaustion, heavy bleeding, headaches and fatigue. So listen to your body. Small brisk walks outdoors can be uplifting and great to start off with.
When you are ready to take it to the next step there are many options. A gym of your choice and many include childcare, outdoor activities with your family or friends and indoor videos, TV workouts and indoor equipment choices as well. I encourage partners or your children work too,they motivate you to meet up and exercise. I started three weeks postpartum and took my other two children with me for walks while they rode their bikes.
Once you have decided on your exercise start up then start out slowly and exercise for about 30 minutes. Every other day make sure to do weight lifting. Small weights are a good start if you're not used to lifting. I started out with 3 lb. Dumbbells and worked up to 5 lbs. and then 8 lbs. Weight training not only sculpts your muscles but it also raises your metabolism aiding in the weightloss process. You'll see a difference, mixed with breastfeeding and smart eating you're sure to see a difference very soon. Remember with all activity to consume plenty of liquids.
*Focus on mental well being. Exercise helps you clear your mind, releases endorphins helping you feel better about yourself and your new situation. It may also help ease the baby blues.

Rewarding Yourself
Once my goals were met I rewarded myself with a new garment! I loved this part. There's nothing as rewarding as getting back into your pre-pregnancy clothes but add pre-pregnancy clothes to a couple of new garments and you have a great smile on your face, a new body your happy about, and good health.
Caution: This may lead to a very attracted husband/partner BE CAREFUL!!!! :-)

Happy Transitioning to your New Life,
Evie

I do want to empahsise that dieting is not encouraged during your breastfeeding term, although exercise, and taking care of yourself is. Please consult with your physician if you should decide to diet.