Thursday, January 29, 2009

Some Tips to Lose Weight After Pregnancy

By Ricardo d Argence

Getting back your pre-pregnancy body is a common desire after delivering your baby. The question is how? Now that you have a newborn, it's time to adjust to the new routine, and perhaps breast-feeding is part of that process. It can be very difficult to find an effective method to loose weight after giving birth.

Believe it or not, you may already be doing one of the best things, breast-feeding is not only healthy for baby it is healthy for you. Breast feeding burns up to 500 extra calories per day! This is one of the reasons women put on extra weight during pregnancy, to prepare the body for the intense caloric needs of breast-feeding.

If you are breast feeding you will need to carefully consider your diet and not lose any nutritional content the baby may need. Just be sure to keep whole grains, fruit, vegetables, vitamins and minerals on the table, if you decrease your caloric intake.

There are foods to avoid when you are trying to lose weight. Losing weight after pregnancy is no different. You should avoid: Fatty foods, sugar in large amounts and fast food.

Intead of those kind of foods you should prefer: fruits of all kinds, vegetables (especially leafy green ones), protein (dont skimp on the meat, look for lean cuts of red meat) and a lot of water.

Water is essential to the proper functioning of the body,it should be one of the major food groups. Your body becomes dehydrated when your body does not get enough water, and if you breast feed, it can harm milk production, because you cannot eliminate waste like you should.

You should drink as close as to eight glasses of water per day. Your body will function the correct way with this and you may even raise your metabolism. Studies have shown that 500 ml of water a day can increase metabolic rate by 30%.

Drinking water will give you a full feeling and help curb your hunger. Actually the body requesting water is many times what you mistake for hunger. In addition, you will feel fuller longer after meals.

Also, there's no better way to achieve the look you want without exercise. Since your body has just undergone a major trial, you should consult a doctor before you begin any type of strenuous work out.

If you are not quite ready for a full workout, you can begin slowly by adding walking to your daily routine. Get a carriage and take baby for a walk around the neighborhood, use the stairs instead of the elevator or simply park further from the door at the supermarket, anything that gets you moving and raises your heart rate.

Exercise is important because it raises your heart rate, which in turn increases your metabolism. Many health problems can be avoided by healthy diet and moderate exercise. - 17944

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