How I Lost 80 Pounds of Baby Weight

Today's post nigh how I lost my baby weight was a requested post from a off-white few Instagram followers. At present before I begin, I want to acknowledge that postpartum weight loss is a really sensitive discipline. The majority of women gain weight during pregnancy and nosotros all know this is totally normal and totally fine. Nosotros know we don't need to rush to lose the baby weight and no 1 is expecting u.s. to wait like a supermodel inside weeks of giving nascence. We all know that nosotros'll probably have a few extra squidgy bits later on having a infant and that's cool.

Just many of us withal want to shed those actress pounds we gained during pregnancy for 1 simple reason – because we feel so much better without them!

In that location's so much about body positivity online at the moment (which is amazing!) merely it often feels a bit taboo to acknowledge that you'd actually rather lose a couple of pounds!

And then this post is in no way meant to exist a crazy proffer that all women should immediately await like their pre-pregnant selves – nor should they want to. Our bodies practise incredible things during pregnancy and it's OK to come out on the other side with a bit of an actress jiggle!

This mail service is meant to be a bit of gentle support, a friendly chat and reassurance that yous can lose your baby weight and it doesn't need to be a long, hard dieting slog!

Lots of people accept asked how long it takes to lose the weight y'all gained during pregnancy and for me it was one year afterwards giving birth. I might have actually lost the weight much sooner but it was 12 months later that I felt like my body had returned to what information technology was – or at to the lowest degree to the closest it volition exist over again!

Table of Contents

• This was my baby weight loss timeline for all 3 of my babies
• Tip #1 for losing weight after pregnancy – Breastfeed
• Live past the 80/20 rule
• Don't ban certain foods but fill up upward on fruit and veg
• Prep your lunches
• Try 10 minute YouTube workouts
• Become to the gym to relax, non to practise
• Put the treats out of attain
• Walk, walk, walk
• Stay busy

This was my baby weight loss timeline for all 3 of my babies

The offset calendar month – Admittedly anything goes during the start month. This first calendar month is all about recovery, bonding with my baby, relaxing and hibernating. I ate any I wanted, did very picayune exercise and spent most of my time on the sofa. I had c-sections for all three of my babies so I couldn't drive, couldn't elevator my older children and had to exist quite careful non to overdo it.

two-iii months – During the 2nd and third month I nonetheless ate whatsoever I wanted and however avoided any formal do but started going out for long walks. This was for both my physical and mental health. You tin can find yourself cooped up indoors a lot when y'all take a young baby and so a daily walk was really skillful for me!

three-6 months – I started doing postpartum exercises at iii months and I joined 2 exercise classes specifically for new mums. 1 was Practice with Baby and 1 was Sweaty Mama. During this time I also made a conscious attempt to swallow a healthy, balanced diet and effort non to swallow also many Chocolate Hobnobs! I don't restrict myself from eating anything else (I just accept no self control when it comes to Chocolate Hobnobs!)

Instead I merely endeavour to contain more veggies into my nutrition. This so usually means I'g fuller for longer and feel more satisfied later on my meals and so I tend to snack less and have smaller desserts (I never say no to dessert completely!)

6 months onwards – From 6 months onwards I was pretty much dorsum to normal. I was going to the gym for short just regular cardio workouts, eating a balanced diet and generally letting Mother Nature practise her thing equally my body recovered naturally.

I didn't do much to strengthen my cadre because I was yet very aware of my c-department scar and, especially subsequently having my third section, I was worried about doing more than harm than good. I had pretty bad muscle separation after each pregnancy and I was told that if you do also much core work then you tin stop upwards with irreparable damage.

The hardest thing around this time was probably tiredness. None of my babies were sleeping through the dark at 6 months and we'd have the odd bad night due to teething or growth spurts. So I wasn't too hard on myself, but however did make an effort.

12 months onwards – Force building exercises

After having Alba, my third baby who is now almost 13 months, I'd lost whatsoever baby weight after about 9 months only I really noticed that I'd likewise lost a lot of my forcefulness, muscle tone and flexibility this fourth dimension. I probably felt it more this time because I'd lost a little bit more strength later on each baby and information technology became really noticeable the 3rd fourth dimension around! So my programme now is to focus on force building exercises. I really enjoy kettlebell classes and so I have a couple of YouTube favourites I follow ii-3 times a week. I'thou getting back into yoga and I enjoy doing brusque HIT workouts with the boys too!

Tip #ane for losing weight after pregnancy – Breastfeed

OK, this is another tough topic and it can be a sensitive bailiwick merely, if yous tin can, breastfeeding is a great way to lose your infant weight. We're constantly told about the benefits of breastfeeding simply information technology feels a little taboo to mention that one of the benefits is the incredible amount of calories y'all burn. For me, it was around the vi month signal that I actually noticed the touch of breastfeeding and felt like I was losing weight just even so starving hungry ALL THE TIME! It makes sense because this is unremarkably when your body is producing the most milk for your baby. This is when near babies are gear up to start eating solid foods and their appetites are getting bigger.

Live by the 80/twenty rule

The 80/xx rule is a uncomplicated one to follow – basically, you endeavour to be good for you 80% of the fourth dimension and for xx% of the time anything goes. Some people will exercise this on a weekly basis and will be really good for you for half dozen days a week so have a 'cheat mean solar day'.

I stick to it on a daily basis and I'k pretty good for you until about 8pm – only anything goes subsequently 8pm! Wine, chocolate, ice foam, biscuits. Yes, I'll have it all please! Simply I am pretty healthy for the majority of the day.

Don't ban sure foods simply fill on fruit and veg

Every bit I said above, I try non to restrict what I eat and cutting things out of my diet. If I cut out chocolate, all I would want to eat would be chocolate. I'd get obsessed!

But if I increase the corporeality of fruit and veg I consume then I'll often find I'm too full to eat much chocolate!

Prep your lunches

Lunch time can be tough when y'all've got a young baby to look after. Some days your baby might be upset and you barely get 2 minutes to yourself to prepare a decent meal. Other days your babe might be sleepy and you find yourself bored and constantly snacking because yous don't have much to do. Some days yous'll exist tired afterwards a sleepless night and can't be bothered cooking. And many days you'll of a sudden realise it's lunch time and you're and then hungry you'd eat your own arm and end up scoffing a packet of biscuits and half a loaf of bread!

And so my advice is to prep your lunches ahead of time.

I'll oftentimes make some kind of slow cooker veggie stew on a Mon. Sam isn't keen on veggie stew then it'due south something I like to make for myself for when he's not effectually. I'll merely chuck a load of vegetables and some kind of stock and seasoning in the slow cooker and by lunch fourth dimension I'll have a week's worth of healthy lunches.

Endeavour ten infinitesimal YouTube workouts

It'south difficult to observe the time and motivation to workout when y'all're caring for a young baby simply I detect 10 minute YouTube workouts are perfect. I'm not naively thinking that a x minute workout will be burning hundreds of calories but 10 minutes a solar day is better than nothing.

The reason I suggest a 10 infinitesimal conditioning is because almost of us can commit to this. Even if you actually don't want to exercise it, y'all tin can popular a sports bra on and leap effectually your living room for 10 minutes. Knowing it volition be over in merely 600 seconds makes it much easier to begin and in one case you're over that hurdle of beginning, you're more likely to conduct on.

I'll over put a ten minute conditioning on and and then realise I'g enjoying information technology and do another one. Admittedly, I very rarely do a 3rd but you tin meet where I'chiliad going with this!

Just a little scrap of exercise gives yous a boost of energy and endorphins and helps you stay away from the biscuit tin because you don't want to undo all your hard work!

Go to the gym to relax, non to exercise

This is just a mind game merely information technology'southward something Sam and I did when both Joseph and Alba were young babies.

We joined our local hotel spa gym and took it in turns going each evening. We weren't really going to accept a good conditioning, we were going to relax and unwind. The spa has a lovely pool, sauna, steam room and jacuzzi and the intention was to just go and chill for an hour each evening.

And some evenings I would but go and have a leisurely swim and a soak in the jacuzzi. Only most evenings I'd also have a quick run on the treadmill and practice some weights and stretching before my swim. For me, getting over the mental hurdle of actually leaving the firm and going to the gym is the biggest challenge. Once I've got my trainers on and I'm there I actually want to workout, and then if I'one thousand telling myself I'1000 just going for a nice gentle swim then I'm more likely to actually go!

Put the treats out of reach

This is something I really started doing during lockdown because my kids kept helping themselves to biscuits! I concluded up putting the biscuits in a height cupboard and even I have to stand on a stool to get them downwardly. I don't consciously restrict myself from eating biscuits merely I honestly swallow style less now that I have to go to the attempt of getting a stool and clambering upwards to get them!

I was in a habit of having a biscuit almost every time I had a loving cup of tea – and I drink a lot of tea! So cutting down on biscuits hasn't changed my life only I must exist consuming nearly 300 fewer calories a 24-hour interval.

Walk, walk, walk

Walking has so many benefits when you have a young baby. Non merely does information technology help to burn some calories but the fresh air and exercise gives you an instant endorphin boost. And let's non forget that a long walk with a pushchair is a great way to get Baby to sleep! It'southward also really nice to squad up with other mums and go for your daily walks together.

If you desire to burn some actress calories while you're walking so it's worth remembering that you really demand to get your heartrate upward. A gentle stroll will do wonders for your mental wellness but information technology'south non going to burn down many calories. Yous don't necessarily demand to run, but walk every bit apace as you can and try to walk uphills. I highly recommend popping your baby in a carrier so you accept a bit more than freedom to cull walks that aren't pushchair friendly. I also find that I walk much faster without a pushchair and so I get my heartrate up.

I detect that setting myself a challenge like walking 10,000 steps a day is a great style to keep myself motivated and not simply taking a slow stroll around the block.

Check out my infant carrier reviews here:

Izmi Baby Carrier: the perfect carrier for travelling

Pao Papoose Carrier review

LittleLife All Terrain Carrier – one for bigger babies and toddlers

Stay busy

And my final tip is something that I'm sure has helped me stay slim for most of my life and that's quite just being busy.

I rarely sit and watch TV and never, e'er lookout Tv during the day. I always have a niggling projection, something I'm working on, work to practice, somewhere to be or somewhere to get.

I know information technology isn't easy during lockdown and it can be difficult in the winter too when information technology'southward raining and cold out – but but mostly being busy and active must be good for your wellness, surely?

Another thing about being decorated is that yous're not sabbatum in your kitchen eating!

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