For some women, eating with reckless abandon for nine months gives birth to something not so sweet: A formidable weight-loss challenge. Learn some strategies to help you get your pre-baby body back.
Visions of potato chips and sundaes often do more than dance in your head when you're expecting. Pregnancy may seem like a time for guilt-free snacking, but once your baby is born, shedding excess pounds is often no easy task. Your new lifestyle affords you less time for serious exercise. You have less energy, too, as the notion of a solid night's sleep fades into a memory.
Still, where there's a will, there's a way. Here are five strategies for getting back to your pre-baby shape:
1. Be patient.
Martha Coopersmith, owner of The Bodysmith, a New York-based personal-fitness company, urges new moms to cut themselves some slack. "You might not lose weight immediately, and that's okay," Coopersmith says. "Don't push too hard." But you shouldn't put off initiating a fitness and exercise program indefinitely. Try to find a program that deals with your specific needs as a post-pregnancy mom: A safe rate of weight loss after pregnancy is an average of one pound per week after three weeks. You'll need to be careful for your health and your baby's health.
2. Get fit again, baby.
"Keep the diaper bag packed at all times so you can pop the baby in the stroller and take a long, long walk," Coopersmith says. If you enjoyed running or jogging before the baby, invest in a jogging stroller. Even carrying the baby around can help you burn more calories, she notes. With the little one in a sling or backpack carrier, take a walk around the mall or around your yard or block.
3. Stick to "tried and true."
Do what worked for you in the past. If you never liked walking on a treadmill, don't buy one now just for the convenience. Loved the gym? Join one that offers babysitting.
4. Find time for yourself.
One new mom, Mindy, has made "mommy-only" time a priority. Her daughter's nanny or doting grandparents are happy to step in so Mindy can have some time to focus on her health and her weight-loss efforts. She also uses her free hours to de-stress. Getting regular manicures ("at my heaviest weight, at least my fingers looked good!"), exercising daily and sitting down to a quiet, nutritious meal all help recapture her sense of balance and control.
5. Don't make excuses; make changes.
Gaining excess weight during pregnancy isn't for women only. Dan packed on 80 pounds after his wife became pregnant with triplets. "I ate everything in sight right along with her," Dan says. After the births, the babies were sick, which made exercising on a schedule especially difficult. "With any lifestyle change—getting married, giving birth or adopting kids—you have to restructure your health habits," Dan says. "Now I get up a half-hour before everyone else and exercise. I also go for a walk during lunch and take the stairs instead of the elevator at the office or mall. Perhaps my biggest tip is to men," he continues. "You can be a supportive husband without eating along with your wife."
Mindy is equally proud of her loss; she now weighs less than she did before she got pregnant. She recalls the moment when it became clear she'd win her weight battle: "The day my wedding band fit on my finger again was one of the proudest of my life."