The following is a guest post by JillFit friend and fat loss expert Kate Horney, owner of Beyond Fit Physiques and creator of the Beyond Baby Postpartum Fat Loss System. Kate had her little Jackson in September 2012 and has been on the path of postpartum fat loss expert ever since. Below she offers some of her favorite tips for both brand new moms and also moms with young children. This post is particularly relevant as we just welcomed our first JillFit baby when Coach Emily gave birth to her son, Weston Adler just a week ago on January 19th! Hope you enjoy this guest blog, take it away Kate!
New moms have a lot to think about: when to feed the baby, what to do if they cry… and how to get rid of those extra pounds packed on during pregnancy.
There is a TON of conflicting information out there about how to lose baby weight. If you’re not an expert, it’s really difficult to know where to start. Especially when you’re sleep-deprived, overwhelmed, and already have so much else on your plate!
If you don’t know where to start (or if sifting through fat loss programs makes your head spin), you’re not alone. But getting back your pre-baby body doesn’t have to be complicated….
My 11 Ways to Simplify Your Postpartum Fat Loss:
- Be happy! Let’s start here. Seriously. You just had a baby- you have a lot to be happy about! You have plenty of time to focus on fat loss. Instead of stressing about how the latest celeb went straight from the delivery room to her size 0 jeans, take some time to enjoy these moments and to revel in the miracle of your pregnancy and the birth of your sweet bundle of joy. They say that time flies. And it’s true. You’ll never get these first few weeks back. Remember what truly matters. Don’t miss these moments by obsessing over a few extra pounds.
- Just do something! What do you do when you are so busy you barely have time to scarf down a meal, let alone get a workout in? Since having Jackson, “just do something” has become my motto. Really, it comes down to either doing something or nothing… it’s your choice. It’s ok if you can’t commit to a full workout today. In fact, with a new baby, some days finding just 30 minutes in a row might be impossible. That’s ok! I suggest breaking up the time into 10-minute increments- then work your way up to 20 or 30-minute sessions as you can. The key is to do SOMETHING… Here’s and example:
- 10 body weight squats
- 10 squat jumps
- 10 lunges
- 10 push ups
- Set realistic goals! When it does come time to get serious about your fat loss, make sure you keep your expectations in check. It’s tempting to set unrealistic goals and then be frustrated when we aren’t where we “should” be. Although every new mom is eager to look like our old selves again, one of the most important things to remember is to be patient with yourself. Give yourself some grace and remember, it CAN be done… but it’s going to take time to get your body back. How much time? The National Women’s Health Information Center advises that about one pound per week is a safe amount of weight to lose postpartum, and will not affect your milk supply or the baby’s growth. With the average woman gaining about 30 pounds during pregnancy, and typically losing around 18 to 20 in the first month, that final 10 pounds will push your postpartum fat loss goal to several months after baby makes an arrival.
- Don’t Diet. You heard all about “eating for two” while you were pregnant, but what about now? When you’re a new mother, your body needs maximum nutrition, so immediately dropping your caloric intake to an unreasonable level isn’t healthy, and may actually cause you to gain weight or do some long term damage to your metabolism. You certainly don’t have to count calories (in fact, I prefer to focus on quality over quantity). To give you an idea of what you need to sustain your baby while you are breastfeeding and safely lose fat, the National Women’s Health Information Center advises consuming at least 1,800 calories per day. For a healthy baby AND momma, concentrate on well-balanced, healthy food choices that include foods rich in calcium, zinc, magnesium, vitamin B6 and folate. Remember to focus on foods that keep your hunger, energy and cravings balanced. If you do that, the caloric intake will take care of itself.
- Schedule time for YOU! I recommend planning 20 minutes of each day for YOU. It is impossible to go, go, go forever. Especially for new moms trying to balance and juggle so much, it’s vital that we take time to recharge. Schedule time for yourself, whether it’s morning devotions, a short time of gratittude, a lesiurely walk, or heck- even a just a quiet SHOWER! (Yes, there are days when you feel like a human snot rag). Each day, take a small amount of time to recharge and refocus without distractions. It will help calm your mind, rewnew your energy, and decrease the stress that is a big part of the lives of new moms.
- Understand the hormones! Calories in vs. calories out is NOT the whole picture when it comes to fat loss- especially postpartum. You know that the key to sustainable fat loss comes in both a caloric deficit (that is, burning more calories than you consume) AND balanced metabolic hormones. But for new moms who are breastfeeding and can’t sustain a significant caloric deficit, the hormonal balance becomes even more important. Another complete blog post could be done on postpartum hormones, but here’s the deal in a nut shell… prolactin, the master hormone responsible for lactation, affects a large number of systems throughout the body. It stimulates the production and secretion of milk, depresses fat production in the liver and stimulates the delivery of glucose and lactate to the mammary gland for enhanced fat production. Research shows that there is also a suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis at this point, which is responsible for the release of the stress hormones. This may dampen the responses to exercise in terms of having increased energy and fat burning, and many women experience a slight lowering of their basal metabolic rate (the calories you burn at rest), as well as an increase in water and weight retention.
- Embrace the endorphins! Beyond helping you burn the baby fat, exercise provides additional hormonal benefits to a new mom. In addition to lowering stress hormones and stimulating fat burning hormones like HGH, exercise releases endorphins that will help ease the postpartum blues that almost every new mom encounters. Not only does it help with depression, but I also found just 10 minutes of exercise to help me sleep better, and it is a huge help in relieving stress (as wonderful as it is, having a new baby in the house is stressful). Even if you don’t have the time or energy to get back into a full training schedule, you can take advantage of those feel good hormones by squeezing in short 10- to 20-minute walks as soon (and as often) as possible.
- Do it at home! “Getting slim without the gym” has been my new favorite motto. As you know, there are some days when getting out of the house to exercise is simply not an option. The good news is that you can still get fit in the comfort of your home. Don’t despair if you feel like you don’t have time to get to the gym. Remember, our goal is to do SOMETHING. And you can get a fabulous fat burning workout in the comfort of your own home. Hold your baby and do squats and stationary lunges (no weights needed!) for your lower body, then lift your baby overhead (get ready for some giggles) to strengthen your arms and shoulders, or lay on your back and do “baby chest presses.” And during those precious 30-minute nap times, grab some dumbbells and get in some rest based training hybrid workouts pushing hard until you can’t and then resting until you can.
- Prioritize sleep! It may seem impossible to get a full eight hours of sleep when you have a baby summoning you like clockwork throughout the night, but being sleep deprived will definitely make fat loss harder. In one study, new moms who slept five hours or less a night were more likely to hold onto their extra pregnancy weight than women who slept seven hours. Yes, it’s much easier said than done, but don’t be afraid to ask for help from your partner, family or friends. The old adage, “Sleep when the baby sleeps” is still great advice. When you’re tired, your body releases cortisol and other stress hormones that can promote fat storage. Plus, when you’re tired you simply don’t feel like taking good care of yourself. Moms who are exhausted are less likely to choose healthy food and are more likely to raid the pantry and load up on stimulants and sugar. In addition, if you’re low on sleep, you are less likely to have the motivation to exercise. When you sleep your body restores and rebuilds muscle, burns fat and resets hormones to prepare your body to be energetic, motivated and ready for the next day. Go to bed early, and until the little one is sleeping through the night, make it a priority to nap when your baby naps.
- Lift more than your baby! Cardio alone will not cut it- literally. The ideal postpartum fitness program incorporates a balance of activities including leisurely walks, some HIIT, plenty of stretching, core training, and also weight training. I realize that carrying a baby around all day is a workout in and of itself, but if you really want to take your fat loss to the next level, adding some strength training will be key. Cardiovascular exercise may get you bigger or smaller, but you will stay the same shape– weight training is the #1 way to change the shape of your body. Do strength training 3 times a week for 30 minutes to increase hormones that help burn fat long after your workout is over. This will go will a long way toward speeding up your metabolism, tightening and toning. This is the most often missed secret in post partum fat loss.
- Find some accountability! Having social support, whether through friends, or family (or awesome women in an online community) is key to reaching your long-term goals. We are social creatures by nature, and we feel good when we have someone who listens and can relate to what we’re going through. Consider getting involved with mommy and baby fitness classes (You can workout and bond with your baby at the same time) or join a group workout if you belong to a gym. Group training allows us not just to get a great workout, but to develop and foster friendships- many of which reach beyond the walls of the gym. If you don’t have a local group, connect with moms in a similar situation as you online…. If you need a friend, I’ll keep you accountable! :) The key is to establish a built-in support system and to make sure you have someone to help you on your journey.
For those of you who want to learn more about Kate’s Beyond Baby Postpartum Fat Loss System, she is giving JillFit readers an exclusive $100 OFF her online program below:
