Weight Loss After Pregnancy

It is usual to weigh more than usual after you have given birth but this is no comfort to those who desperately want to get back to the weight they were before they became pregnant. Especially if try as you might, you have not shed the amount that you were hoping for.

You might be surprised to know that some of the weight could actually be due to fluid retention. Particularly if you had a lot of IV fluids during your labour, but you should lose that fluid weight by perspiring and urinating more often.  Apart from the pregnancy weight f the baby, placenta, amniotic fluid etc., what do you do about the other stubborn weight that will not shift? There are some techniques that can help you to lose your post-pregnancy weight.

This is an important one:  Drink several glasses of water a day!  Most of your alkalinity went to the baby.  You are now fairly acidic, and the bodies natural way of protecting you from acid is to store that acid in fat!  You must alkalize quickly.  Check out Best Choice Water for an excellent source of pH drops for your water.  Replace sugary drinks with flavoured water or normal water and a squeeze of fresh lemon. This can help you to cut out a lot of calories.

Eat lean meats such as boneless chicken and very lean cuts of beef  instead of junk food such as crisps and chocolate, snack on healthier foods such as raisins, popcorn, nuts and wheat crackers.

Eat plenty of whole grain bread, cereal and pasta.

Take part in some light exercise when you feel ready. Take a 10 minute walk with the baby each day and gradually increase the time. Or get a babysitter and go out for a long stroll with a friend.

Breastfeed! If you are able to breastfeed your baby, the longer you breastfeed the more calories you will burn, it is said that breastfeeding can burn up to 500 calories a day.

Consider joining a gym, preferably one that has a crèche when your child is a bit older. This is a great way to meet other mums who also want to lose weight and can offer some moral support.

If this all seems too daunting and you don’t think you can manage it without a little bit of help, perhaps you should consider trying Capsiplex. A feature shown recently in OK magazine of former glamour model Nicola Mclean, told her story of success with losing her baby weight by using the pro-slimming supplement.

Weight Loss Takes Effort

Lose Belly Fat FastIf you have been trying to lose weight but have had no success, ask yourself, are you really trying hard enough?

It is not enough to just want to lose weight, you have to be proactive and make it happen. There are various crash diets that people try but everyone knows that crash dieting is not only dangerous and unhealthy, the results are very short-lived. They are ideal to lose weight for a special occasion or just purely for a holiday because that’s as long as the results from a crash-diet will last. And there is always the chance that once you stop a crash diet, within a week the weight will pile back on and you could possibly end up weighing more than you did before.

It is not just about food when it comes to weight loss. Exercise is equally important. It would not matter how little you ate, if you do not do any exercise whatsoever, you can’t realistically expect to lose weight. Exercise is crucial for our health and well-being and there is no exception when it comes to weight loss, exercise is a vital part of it. The key to successful and lasting weight loss success is a healthy, balanced and varied diet that is followed consistently, not just on occasion and frequent exercise.

People with very fast-paced lives might argue they don’t have the time to eat healthily or exercise, but healthy eating does not have to be time-consuming and exercise can be as little as just simply taking the stairs instead of the lift or walking into town instead of taking the car. It’s the little differences we make to our lives that make big changes. It may take time to see results but like they say; Rome wasn’t built in a day.  It is important to stay focused, not get disheartened if you do not lose weight as quickly as you’d like. Slow and steady is far better than to suddenly drop 10 lbs in a week. And as for eating habits, you can make it easier on yourself by not having endless amounts of sugary fatty foods in the house. If it’s not there, the temptation is reduced.

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Weight Loss Without Being Hungry

Losing weight is usually associated with not eating very much and being constantly hungry all the time, which is why so many people are so loathed to do it and if they do give it a go, understandably they usually fail.  The trick is not to assume that to lose weight you have to starve and be hungry. You do not actually have to eat less food to lose weight but more change what kind of food you are eating.

By eating when you feel hungry, it will reduce the need to eat more between meals. So if you are literally starving yourself you are likely to end up putting on more weight. It is far better to eat consistently but smaller amounts, for example 5-6 small meals a day as opposed to 3 very large meals. The secret is not to wait too long between meals so that there is no temptation to snack which will undo all your hard work.

Most people snack because they are hungry; they have not eaten enough or have not eaten anything so before lunchtime they find themselves snacking. Never skip breakfast, this will mean you will eat a large lunch and by skipping meals, your body’s metabolism slows down and does the opposite of what you expect and holds onto the calories instead of burning them off. Eating little and often is also good for people who get a slump in the afternoon where they feel very lethargic, this is due to a drop in sugar levels due to not eating enough. Eating small meals or eating healthy snacks between meals will stabilise your blood sugar and ensure you do not get that uncontrollable tiredness in the middle of the afternoon so you won’t be reaching for the energy drink or chocolate bar for a boost of energy.

Eating slower is another way to ensure you do not over eat but you eat enough to feel satisfied. It takes about 20 minutes for the body to realise it is full so if you eat too quickly, the body will take longer to realise it is full up and obviously by that time you have eaten too much and it is too late. So by eating more slowly, the brain will send signals that you should stop eating just in time.

So as you can see, there really is no need to be hungry to lose weight; you are far more likely to keep the weight off if you eat sensibly and regularly.  Eating less food can sometimes be detrimental to weight loss not to mention your health. A varied, balanced diet coupled with exercise and a bit of determination and willpower will ensure that you lose weight.

Easy Snack Ideas For A Healthy Diet

It is generally drummed into dieters that snacking is bad and that it should be avoided when you are trying to lose weight. There is actually absolutely nothing wrong with a few snacks between a meal so long as the snack is healthy and nutritional. The mistake too many people make when on a diet is eating a very small breakfast then of course they are hungry and can’t wait until lunch so they head straight for something very high in sugar or fat to satisfy their hunger and their craving.  It is far better to eat a slightly bigger, but still healthy breakfast that is going to keep you satisfied until lunch-time and to make sure you drink enough water, this wards off hunger. Although there are some snacks that you can include in your daily diet that will not interfere with the weight loss process and also stop you feeling hungry.

You do not have to be strict and never ever have any of the so-called bad treats just that these should really be limited when following a weight loss program. But not only that, excessively sugary foods are damaging to tooth enamel and foods high in fat content are bad for your cholesterol, heart and blood pressure. A good rule to follow is the 80/20 rule. Eat 80% of healthy nutritious foods and the other 20% can be anything you like.

By eating a varied, balanced diet your body is receiving everything that needs and then some. You do not have to starve yourself; you just have to be a little bit more selective about what you choose to eat and how often you choose to eat it.

It is important to have these kinds of snacks on hand so you are not always tempted to reach for the biscuit tin:

Dairy: Light, low fat yoghurt, cottage cheese with pineapple or strawberry and low fat-cheese, flavoured milk.

Fruit and Veg: Raw vegetables with seasoning and a fat-free dip such as sour cream, a fruit salad either with or without dipping sauce, whole wheat pitta bread with vegetables or hummus. Dried fruits such as apricots and raisins.

Savoury snacks: Low-fat tortilla chips with salsa dip, whole-grain rice cakes, low-fat popcorn, breadsticks and flatbreads. Raw nuts, preferably nuts that are un-salted, Olives, cereal bars.

Drinks: Flavoured water, Fruit juices (not fizzy), Home-made smoothies; fat-free hot chocolate. You can have usual beverages like tea and coffees just cut out the sugar and if you can stand the taste; try removing the milk in tea for a healthier beverage.

Treats: Frozen yoghurt, Dark chocolate (a lot healthier than milk chocolate!) Maraschino Cherries, Sugar-free jelly beans, dried fruits dipped in honey, Sugar-free jelly.

Common Diet Myths

The 4 Diet Myths

The most common misconceptions when dieting is to think we need to eat exclusive food groups in order to lose weight. All this really does is deprive us from the essential vitamins and minerals our body need to function. Everyone wants a strong, fit and healthy body and this is only achieved from a well -rounded, well balanced diet.  Here we expel a few common myths when it comes to losing weight.

Myth 1:

We should only eat certain food groups.

Wrong. Many diets, crash diets in particular will advise cutting out particular food groups or only eating food from one food group. Our bodies cannot run on one kind type of food, we need a well- balanced, varied diet in order to stay healthy. We need a bit of fat, a bit of protein, vegetables, plenty of water, some carbohydrates and fibre. Even some of the so-called ‘bad’ foods our body will require some of those, if only in moderation but nothing should be cut out completely.  Fruits, grains, nuts and seeds are also essential for a strong immune system which will ward of illness and keep you healthy.

Myth 2: 

You can only get protein from meat.

This is not true. Fruits, veggies, grains, nuts, legumes and oils all contain protein. Meat is actually high in fat and sodium, particularly red meats which if eaten excessively is not good for cholesterol levels. While it does contain protein; not as much as originally thought. Grains, oils, legumes and nuts actually contain more. Our body needs about 30 grams of protein a day so as you can see, you do not have to eat nothing but meat to get your daily quota.

Myth 3: 

To lose weight, cut out the fat.

Our bodies actually need some fat to function properly; it allows the muscles and joints to work smoothly.  What you need to steer clear of are hydrogenated fats, good nutritious health giving fats consist of avocados, olive oil and raw nuts.

Myth 4:

You have to go without to lose weight.

Women on average should not consume any fewer calories than 1,200 a day and men generally should eat no less than 1,800 calories a day. Instead of snacking on high fat, high sugar foods, if you literally ate as much fruit and vegetables as you could manage, you would not only be satisfied and not hungry but it will have no bearing on your weight. The best way to lose weight is to eat foods as naturally as you can, with no added sugar or preservatives and cut out the unnecessary fats and simply eat what your body requires and no more, you will lose weight, stay healthy and live longer.

 

Common Diet Myths