Getting Fit After Pregnancy

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Life Has Changed - After Pregnancy Fitness Guide

Pregnancy changes ones body in so many ways. When I was pregnant, I worried: Will I ever fit into normal clothes again? Will I ever have the motivation to lose this weight? So many people seem resigned to the idea that they will never regain their pre-baby shape.

I would like to help motivate anyone out there who is pregnant or who just had a baby. You can can get back into your old jeans again!

Read on to find what worked for me.

How I Started Losing Weight

I was never totally comfortable during either pregnancy with the weight I gained. Despite being careful with what I ate and trying to fit in Yoga and walks, I still gained over 40 pounds with both pregnancies. Most days, I was too tired to work and do housework, never mind find the energy to exercise.

I loved my big belly and laughed when people stopped to comment on how big I was getting. Although pregnancy normally causes you to store extra fat reserves, I felt depressed about my chubby thighs and back end. (I am sure many pregnant moms feels this way.)

Once I had my son, I had little motivation or energy to get back to exercising. Not only was I was sleep deprived, but I was also trying to to keep up with a very active toddler, who was not to happy about sharing mommy time with a new brother.

After a couple of months and a few good nights of sleep I finally mustered up enough energy to start dieting and exercising. Now, I am 40 pounds lighter and fitting into most prepregnancy clothes!

Check out my list of fitness and weightloss strategies.

Post Pregnancy Fitness

Weight loss Strategies

Stay as active as you can during pregnancy.
If you too tired or you physically are unable to exercise try prenatal yoga or swimming. These are easy on your joints and will help with some of the discomforts of pregnancy. I loved my prenatal yoga class. I always felt so good afterward. It also kept me in shape for labor. Furthermore, prenatal yoga classes are a great way to share your concerns with other pregnant women.
Follow a sensible diet.
I attribute most of my weight loss to joining weightwatchers on-line. www.weightwatchers.com/index.aspx Weight watchers flex plan allows you to eat your regular food without having to attend meetings. I found that during pregnancy I was used to eating that extra helping of cereal in the morning and the extra side of bread and cheese at lunch. I also allowed myself those extra cookies after dinner. What the heck I was already getting big. Weight Watchers put my portion sizes back on track after pregnancy and motivated me to eat more fresh vegetables to help me feel satisfied.
Get walking.
Not only will you help your newborn sleep better, but daily walks are a good step toward building endurance and strength. Personally, I feel that exercise increases your sense of well being, which is especially helpful when fluctuating hormone levels may have you feeling sad or anxious. You can burn close to 100 calories an hour pushing a stroller. Check out www.calorielab.com/burned for a list of activities and the calories burned. It only takes 3000 calories to lose one pound. That is a deficit of about 430 calories per day to lose a pound in one week.
Breastfeed.
Not only is it the best nutrition you can give your baby, but you will burn an extra 500 calories a day while spending quality time bonding with your child. It also helps to shrink your uterus back down to its normal size. For tips on the health benefits of breastfeeding check out: www.4woman.gov/Breastfeeding/index.cfm?page=227.com
Enlist your significant other!
Weight loss is much easier if you have another person to keep you motivated. You can share struggles, set-backs and victories.
My husband and I both joined weight watchers, making it much easier for me to make healthy meals and choose low cal snacks. We both are benefiting from this change in lifestyle. We also spend quality time together going for walks or simply exercising.
Plan a walk day with other new moms.
Schedule one day a week that is dedicated to getting together and doing something active. This is a great time to share baby stories, get advice or just chat with an adult.

Post-Pregnancy Yoga Poses

Poses to help the new mom.

Check with your doctor before trying any exercise. Please respect your body. Refer to www.yogajournal.com for a complete list of precautions and contraindications and a full list of yoga poses that may help you.
Uttanasana - Standing Forward Bend

Benefits: spinal stretch, lengthens hamstrings, relieves tight shoulder muscles, strengthens the thighs , helps relieve insomnia and headache
Precautions: Avoid this pose with lower back or neck injuries, high blood pressure

1. Start standing with feet about hips distance apart.
2. Hinge at the hips as you bend forward.
3. Take a hold of your elbows and allow the weight of you arms to relax you toward the floor. Bend knees slightly if you feel a strain in your lower back.
4. Engage the quadriceps, lifting the kneecaps. Hold for 3-8 breaths.
5. To come out bend your knees slightly and keep the back long and straight.

Setu Bandha Sarvangasana

Benefits:Stretches the chest, neck, and spine, Reduces anxiety, fatigue, backache, headache, and insomnia
Precautions: Neck injury: avoid this pose unless you are practicing under the supervision of an experienced teacher.

1. Start on your back, bend knees and separate legs to hips distance apart.
2. Lift buttocks while pressing through your legs.
3. Roll shoulders to the floor, bringing inner shoulder blades together.
4. Clasp hands together, keep wrists on the floor.
5. Keep knees over you feet.
6. Slowly release down one vertebra at a time.

Navasana - Boat Pose

Benefits: Strengthens the abdomen, hip flexors, and spine
Precautions: Heart Problems,
Low blood pressure,
Pregnancy, Neck injury

1. Begin sitting with your legs out in front of you.
2. Press hands into the floor behind you and lean back slightly. Lift through the sternum.
3. Lift the legs, with knees bent at first to a 40-45 degree angle.
4. Straighten the legs if you can without curving your back forward.
5. Keep lifting through the sternum and lift the arms parallel to the floor.
6. Hold the pose 3-8 breathes or up to a minute.

Top Ten Low Cal Snacks I Cannot Live Without

Weight Watchers ice cream - chocolate ice cream cups and fudge bars. Only 1-2 Weight Watchers points. Satisfies the urge for sweets.
Low fat Popcorn minibags. Gotta love the salt and crunch at the end of the day - my weak time for snacking.
Light bread and English muffins - okay sounds lame, but I love bread and need to have it everyday. This way I can have it without the high calories.
Egg Beaters - maybe not as a snack, but is satisying and gives you much needed protein without the calories. I like the southwestern flavor, it has much more flavor than the plain. This is great paired with a low cal bagel or english muffin for a quick meal.
Raw Vegies - I am addicted to those baby carrots. They satify the urge to crunch on something and are zero weight watcher points. They are great with hummus, too!
Pretzel Sticks - You can eat quite a few of these before the calories add up. 48 sticks is about 110 calories - not bad.
Mini 100 cal bags. Sunchips, potato chips, cookies - almost any snack food has a small mini bag for a 100 calorie portion size. Great for curbing the accidental binge when we have the entire bag in front of us.
Water, water, water. Got to have it.
Yogurt - the 6 packs are smaller size portions and make a great snack when paired with 1/2 a banana or cut up fruit. Again for anyone on Weight Watchers this is only about 2 points.
Low Cal chips - pita or tortilla chips and Salsa.

Great Stuff for Pregnancy and Postnatal Health

Nutrition for a Healthy Pregnancy, Revised Edition: The Complete Guide to Eating Before, During, and After Your Pregnancy

by: Elizabeth Somer M.A. R.D.

Amazon Price: $12.24 (as of 07/06/2009)

PreNatal Yoga / PostNatal Yoga (2 Pack with Shiva Rea)

Amazon Price: (as of 07/06/2009)

Weight Watchers Weight Loss That Lasts

by: James M. Rippe M.D., Weight Watchers

Amazon Price: $22.45 (as of 07/06/2009)

Life Has Changed

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Getting Fit After Pregnancy

Life Has Changed - After Pregnancy Fitness Guide

How I Started Losing Weight

Post Pregnancy Fitness

Weight loss Strategies

Post-Pregnancy Yoga Poses

Poses to help the new mom.

Top Ten Low Cal Snacks I Cannot Live Without

Great Stuff for Pregnancy and Postnatal Health

Life Has Changed

T-shirts, Hats, Bags and More for New Parents and Pregancy

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