If you are a first time mom, you might be shocked (more like unpleasantly surprised) to discover that your body doesn’t instantly bounce back to pre-baby weight like it appears to for celebrities. While you are balancing a new baby and all that comes with it, celebrities are doing the same…but with the help of a nanny or two, a personal chef and a fitness trainer. Don’t be so hard on yourself! Proper nutrition, exercise and even nursing will help take the weight off and if you get inpatient, there are other safe ways to look slimmer too! Let’s first start with nutritional tips.
Nutrition
After childbirth, your body has a lot of recovering to do! Additionally your roles as a new mom are no doubt exhausting and you have your pre-baby body on your mind. While many of us have grown up surrounded by no fat, low calorie marketing campaigns, your body actually needs these things to stay healthy and even to lose weight. All in moderation of course!
If you aren’t taking in enough calories (typically anything below 1,200) your body will go into starvation mode and hold on to each and every thing you eat because it becomes unsure when it will get its next meal. Additionally, if you are breastfeeding your baby you are going to need those extra calories. In fact if you are, your calories should be around 2,200 to 2,400. If you aren’t breastfeeding, they should be between 1,900 and 2,200.
Fill your fridge and kitchen cabinets with only healthy snack options. You may have craved Doritos and ice cream (together..!?) during your pregnancy, but now it’s time to get your body back in shape. No amount of exercise can compete with bad dietary habits. These healthy snacks include things like Greek yogurt, nuts, veggies and lean meats just to name a few. You are no longer “eating for two,” and it may take some time for your body to adjust to proper portion sizes but stick with it, soon you will be right back on track. Try drinking more water and also loading up on fiber to keep you satiated between mealtimes.
Exercise
You want to be sure you have given your body adequate time to recover from the stress of childbirth before you get started on any workout program. Most medical experts agree you should wait at
least six weeks after giving birth before you start exercising. Once you are ready, be sure to start out slowly. Try taking your baby out for a walk with the stroller. Once you start feeling stronger, turn your walk into a jog. Not only will you get the benefits of cardio, but also of the strength training that comes from the resistance of the stroller.
Chances are, you are probably going to want to focus on your belly. Like it or not, even if you never had fat around your tummy pre-baby, you’ve got it now. While the idea horrifies you, you have to focus on ab exercises to rebuild those muscles. This can be especially difficult if you have had a C-section delivery.
If you have been eating to lose weight and exercising 4 or more times a week and still aren’t seeing results, it might be time to take a different approach.
CoolSculpting
The last thing you want to do is cause your body any more trauma after giving birth but fortunately, there is a procedure with no downtime that can help trim that stubborn body fat. It’s called CoolSculpting. Unlike other contouring procedures, this one is non-invasive and one session can be completed in as little as 35 minutes. While women vary, most medical professionals agree that any time 8 weeks after childbirth is ideal for undergoing treatment, so long as you are not breastfeeding.
So what is it exactly?
The CoolSculpting tool has the ability to target fat cells in your stubborn areas. Once these cells are targeted, they are cooled and die beneath the skin. This process is FDA approved and was actually discovered by Harvard scientists. Because only the fat cells are targeted, you don’t have uncomfortable downtime like you would with surgery or laser procedures. These other weight loss treatments actually result in damage to the surrounding tissues which results in pain and burning. With CoolSculpting, the dead fat cells crystalize and are naturally passed through your body and eliminated without your detection through urine.
One of the most rewarding parts about CoolSculpting is that after just one treatment, you will notice a difference in how you look. Within a few months of regular treatment, you will see even more drastic results since it takes some time for the fat cells to be eliminated fully from the body.
The fear of the unknown stops many of us from doing things we want in life. There is no reason to fear CoolSculpting. Here is exactly what you can expect. The clinician will go over the entire procedure with you and you will work together to identify the areas you would like to have treated. This extra fat will be pulled painlessly between two cooling panels. You will feel a pull and a bit of pressure but it shouldn’t be painful. This will continue over your problem areas and you should be ready to go in about an hour. During the process, you will feel that the areas being treated are very cold but many people are comfortable enough to read a book or take a nap while they are having treatment.
Post-partum bodies are ideal for this procedure because there must be enough bulge in problem areas to warrant treatment. These areas must be pulled between the cooling panels so of course there needs to be a substantial amount of fat there to begin with. Most women have difficulty with that muffin top or love handle section and these areas respond well to CoolSculpting treatment.
In addition to your treatments, you will want to maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you eat properly and exercise, these fat cells will not reappear and the results will be permanent. You’ll be back to your pre-baby body in no time!
