Regaining Your Pre-Baby Body (Yummy Mummy Fitness)

The battle to regain your pre-baby shape can be a tough challenge for any new mom who has gained weight during pregnancy {I've documented my struggles with it here}. New parents have a lot of demands on their time, even when they would normally be sound asleep. While celebrity interviews often claim that the weight ‘dropped right off once the baby was born’, many new mothers find that this is far from the case.

When people are tired, stressed and extra busy, they often turn to comfort or junk foods {raise your hand if you're a stress eater like me} and end up piling on more ‘hard to shift’ pounds. New mommies are particularly susceptible to this trap and often find that their self-esteem can plummet as they get further and further away from that target of fitting back into their ‘pre-baby jeans’.

So what can you  do?

Diet

Lots of moms follow a healthy eating plan while pregnant, but then let it fall by the wayside after giving birth or once they’ve stopped breastfeeding. It’s important to maintain a healthy diet in order to achieve weight loss targets. Those looking to shape up should ensure they are getting the right amount of fruit and vegetables, whole grains and proteins. As difficult as it may be to do, cutting out processed foods, sugars and alcohol will also speed up weight loss.

Exercise

There are lots of small and creative ways that new parents can increase the amount of daily exercise they’re doing. Doing lunges after getting out of bed, squats while loading the washing machine and jogging up and down stairs all increase movement and help get that active feeling back. Build up to it by setting targets and increasing them each day, it can make a significant difference. My hubby bought me a FitBit to help me keep track of my steps - something as simple as a pedometer and setting daily goals can really make a world of difference.

Liposuction

Some new mothers find that, even though they are back to the same weight they were before, they don’t have the same definition or haven’t lost the pounds from stubborn areas like the abdomen and thighs. Liposuction can help to remove these stubborn fat pockets, sculpting the contours of the body and helping clothes to fit better again. There are different types of liposuction available, including surgical, laser and Vaser (ultrasound) .

Breast Enhancement

One figure flattering side effect of pregnancy is the swelling of the breasts. Many women want to lose their "baby fat" and regain their pre-baby body, but hang onto their enlarged pregnancy breasts - which often times deflate with weight loss and the end of breast feeding.  Those wanting to return to the boost in cup size they experienced during pregnancy may wish to consider a breast augmentation procedure. This can be particularly beneficial to those who have experienced some loss of symmetry in their breasts following pregnancy or breastfeeding.

I'll admit, I'm honestly interested in utilizing all of the aspects mentioned to regain my pre-baby figure. Obviously, diet and exercise are the foremost means, but I know that my body has been so stressed beyond what it was pre-Peyton, I will need to explore some more extreme {ie, surgical} means. I'm all for getting a "mommy makeover" {which generally refers to liposuction, a tummy tuck, breast augmentation and/or lift}. The Mommy makeover cost can average about $10,000 to $30,000 depending on several factors. Have you considered any of these options? My inquiring my mind wants to know! Leave a comment below and let me know what you think. Until next time...