There are no two ways about it – having a child is one of the best moments of your life.
Becoming a mom is an incredible new experience, however stressful!
However, if you are anything like most mums, worrying about your diet and finding the time to exercise will have been the last thing on your mind.
Not everyone bounces back like a celebrity
You’ve probably seen all those pictures of celebrities looking as slim as ever right just a few weeks after giving birth, which we can only put down to some sort of dark magic!
The reality is, most new mums struggle to lose their pregnancy weight and many can upset over their newly acquired ‘mummy tummy’.
The most important thing to remember is to be patient.
It took your body 9 months to stretch out to that size, so you should give yourself at least 9 months to get back to your pre-pregnancy size.
To give you a helping hand, here are 6 great ways to lose your mommy tummy
1. Breastfeeding
‘Can breast-feeding really help me lose weight?’
There’s usually a lot of debate over the pros and cons of breast-feeding, but you probably didn’t consider its ability to help you lose some of extra fat on your tummy!
Whilst your body is producing milk, it is burning calories to do so! Great!
If you’re breast-feeding, it is usually recommended that you consume extra calories, but this isn’t really necessary. Most new mums find breast-feeding helps them begin the process of returning to their pre-pregnancy shape!
2. Eat Like A Caveman (Paleo Diet)
It might go against every instinct you have when trying to lose weight, but trying to eat less straight after giving birth is a bad idea- particularly if you are breast-feeding!
The best way to banish your belly fat is to eat like a caveman, i.e the Paleo diet!
The Paleo way of eating means going back to basics, for example eating meat, fish, vegetables, nuts, seeds and none of the artificial foods we have grown accustomed to today.
3. Give up Sugar
If you think eating like a caveman sounds like too much hard work, then at least consider cutting out sugar from your diet.
This may sound extreme, but it is the quickest way to losing your mommy tummy!
Did you know that sugar which doesn’t get burned off turns to fat? Yikes!
You may get cravings as first, but if you perseve, not only will you see that unwanted fat disappear, you will feel a whole lot better!
4. Climbing Stairs
If you don’t have time to go to the gym, use stairs wherever you can. Stair climbing is great for burning fat and everyone can find some stairs to run up and down.
Just 15 minutes a day will work wonders for your belly fat.
5. Pilates
After you’ve had your 6-week postnatal check, you may be ready to start engaging in some light exercise.
Pilates is a great way to easy you back into a regular exercise routine.
Look for classes that are designed specifically for post-pregnancy. They will focus on toning your core muscles, which will help you remove some of that unwanted baby fat!
6. Daily Ab exercises
Once your doctor has said its safe to exercise, buy a weighted medicine ball and use it to completely daily exercises.
10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes before you go to bed should do the trick!
One great exercise is to twist from side to side holding the ball whilst sat down with your knees bent to tone your up lower belly and your obliques.
Exercising in this way daily will tighten up your tummy, as well as improving your posture and strengthen your back.
Establish a routine and you will soon notice an improvement!
If you follow through with these tips and make it a lifestyle change, then you will lose your mommy tummy forever!
And remember not to be so hard on yourself.
Be patient – it takes the Uterus around 6-8 weeks to return to it’s normal size, and there’s nothing you can do about that!
What are your tips for losing belly fat?
This is a guest post, written by Aimee Joseph, on behalf of BedzRUs. BedzRUs offer consistently cheap prices on a wide range of beds and mattresses, and stock a variety of big brand names.
