Five Tips for Losing the Baby Weight.

I've been on a mission lately... I like to call it operation lose the last ten pounds by Christmas. I'm trying to embrace my post baby body, but I feel far from glamorous. Life with a new baby has been so busy I barely have any time to myself which makes the whole losing the baby weight thing seem pretty far fetched. 

I was on vacation this weekend and something just clicked. Like duh Leslie, you do this for a living. You know what to do... You just have to make yourself do it. Here's the tips I'm using to get myself back to tip top shape, hopefully you find them helpful too!

1. Drink plenty of water. I know I talked about this in my breastfeeding post... But seriously, I can't stress it enough. Drinking enough water can be the key to weight loss. Feeling hungry? You could be dehydrated. Feeling tired? You could be dehydrated. Start by making sure pure drinking at least half your body weight in ounces. 

2. Eat enough. Here's the deal... Breastfeeding burns a good amount of calories. So does working out. If you're partaking in both its really important to make sure you're eating enough. It could affect your milk supply if you're not and your body might hold on to that pesky body fat. The short not so sciency explanation is that muscle is more calorically expensive than body fat. If you're not getting enough calories your body will shed muscle... Not fat. Make sure you're eating an appropriate amount of calories. If you're not sure how to do this email me and I can help put together a plan with calorie and macronutrients tailored just for you and your goals. 

3. Get some sleep. Hahaha... I know, this one is hilarious when you have a baby. But in all honesty your body will have a hard time shedding that extra body fat if you're not getting rest. 

4. Make a plan and stick to it. It's true what they say: fail to plan and plan to fail. Make some goals in your head and decide how you're going to reach those goals. Get your significant other and friends on board too, a little accountability can go a long way.

5. Be gracious with yourself. This is the one I struggle with the most. If you're a new mom try to be patient with yourself... You just grew a human! My doctor told me nine months in, nine months out. I think that's a pretty good rule of thumb. Our bellies didn't get big overnight and we shouldn't expect to lose all our weight overnight either. You'll get there. Just don't give up! And as a side note, I don't want my kids watching me obsess over my weight. I want them to know that being healthy and feeling good is way more important that a number on the scale. Don't forget, those little eyes are watching us all the time. 

We are in this together. 

Xoxo,

Leslie