Women who just gave birth usually have to contend with a squishy midsection with stretch marks and dark line under the abdomen. Those who had a C-section also had to deal with the scar. However, what most women want is to go back to their pre-pregnancy body as soon as possible. There are some who look as if they haven’t given birth at all since they have gone back to their previous figure, but these are few and far between. How then can you lose tummy fat? You need to learn a few things first.
For one thing, post-pregnancy tummy fat may take some time before it disappears. After all, your body underwent changes for nine months just to be able to accommodate your baby. You should give yourself the same amount of time before you can achieve your pre-pregnancy body. Just think of your uterus as a balloon where, instead of popping when you give birth, it begins a slow leak. During this time, your uterus and other cells of your body will expel any extra fluids that you may have retained during your pregnancy through urine, sweat, and vaginal discharge.
How about those extra fats you’ve gained over the nine months of pregnancy? Your body will start to burn it once you start to breastfeed or once you go back to your previous exercise regimen. You just need to have patience before you see any results as this will take some time.
What can you do to lose tummy fat then? Here are some suggested tips to shed those excess fats.
• Breastfeed. Most moms swear that breastfeeding has helped them lose the extra weight they had gained while they were pregnant. And they are true. This is due to the fact that they tend to burn more calories in order to produce milk. This means that they have a higher chance of losing weight faster compared to those women who don’t nurse their baby. What’s more, the more they nurse, the more contractions occur in the uterus which helps it shrink back to its normal size. However, there will still be a few pounds left and experts believe that these extra pounds aid in a mother’s milk production.
• Exercise. Another helpful solution to toning your midsection is doing various exercises such as yoga or even walking around the block a few times. Pushing your body to work out can help you sweat your extra fats off while at the same time, tone your tummy too. However, make sure that your body is ready to handle the stress of working out before you proceed. You can even exercise while you’re out with your baby. Do some squats, crunches, jumping jacks, and other cardiovascular exercises to shed those fats fast. If you really want to tone your tummy, go for exercises that focus on your core muscles. However, pace yourself when exercising so as not to push your body beyond its capabilities especially when you’ve just given birth a few months ago. If you can, have someone work out with you for support. This way, you’ll be more focused and eager to lose weight having an exercise buddy with you.
• Diet. Dieting can also help you lose those extra calories but before you go on a low-calorie diet, give yourself some time to adjust. Wait for a few more months especially when you’re breastfeeding. In order to lose one pound a week, you should reduce at least 500 calories which you can do either by increasing your physical activity or going on a diet. Losing more than a pound per week is not a good idea as it will cause you to feel tired and make you moody. You should avoid severe dieting too as it will rob your body of nutrients which you and your baby needs.
These are just a few ways for you to lose belly fat. Combining proper diet with exercise plus continuing breastfeeding as much as you can help you achieve a slimmer and fitter figure in a few months. Keep in mind that it will take some time before you see results of your slimming workout since there’s a lot of changes occurred in your body during your pregnancy.
