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 Young mommies
especially those who love perfection and are very sensitive about their body
image have mixed feelings when they look in the mirror after their baby is
born. On the one hand, they must keep to a diet but on the other they obviously
cannot, they have to exercise but have no time for working out. Add the
permanent sleep deficiency, stress, and anxiety for a small screaming lump -
all of this, of course, has its toll on the well-being of women, and their dissatisfaction
with their shape builds up and develops into self-deprecating obsession. Flabby
thighs and legs, raging cellulite, sagging tummy, no muscle tone... This is a
standard post-childbirth picture.
Some moms, however,
are willing to find some quality «me-time» in the intervals between breast
feeding. They are ready to start working on their shape immediately after childbirth.
But crush diets are strictly forbidden for young mommies as well going to the
gym right after the hospital. You cannot put your body to extra stress by
starving and working out, because your body needs some time to recover and lose
that «pregnancy load».
However,
you can help to make it happen, but the main thing is not to overdo it and not expect
quick results. When you have selected appropriate body-shaping routine and
diet, you can return to your pre-pregnancy body within 9-12 months after childbirth.
Eat Well,
but Eat for One
A message
to all pregnant and lactating women that you should eat for two is hopelessly
outdated. A baby in the womb and in the cradle will take its portion of
nutrients when the mother keeps to a well-balanced diet. If a mom wants to lose
weight, and tries to limit the intake of harmful foods (the list can be easily found
on the web, see «How to Lose Weight in a Week without Leaving Your Couch»),
then she should shorten sail on dieting.
The deficiency
of essential substances, vitamins and minerals will affect the well-being and
health of the baby. What about the delicious extras like junk food, etc.? They should
be banished from your diet and left on the shelves of the malls where they
belong. By «junk food» we mean pickles, smoked foods, sausages, cakes and other
bake which make mommies feel better in the short moments of post-childbirth
rest. But lean sorts of fish and meat, some cheese, dairy products, cereals,
nuts, vegetables and fruits can stay. These foods are quite enough for eating
and losing weight, if you think about it.
Slow Steps
to Slim Shape
If you gave
birth during the summer both you and your baby are lucky. First, it is the
season when fresh fruit and vegetables abound hence plenty of vitamins, and
second, you have an opportunity to take long walks with a pram in the open air
which are beneficial both for your health and your body. Nutritionists say there is nothing better for
effective but not exhausting process of weight loss, than walking as it provides
cardio exercise which improves metabolism and promotes «slimmimg».
You can
engage in full-scale fitness not earlier that a couple of months after a
natural delivery, or more in case of a caesarean. You cannot rush to perform
the traditional crunches on the floor - there is a risk of suture line
disruption, if there is any, or aggravation of other labor after-effects. It is
better to give preference to hoop, swimming, aqua-aerobics, and treadmill. In
the first post-delivery months weakened abdominal muscle will gradually regain
tone and restore to their regular condition without extra effort.
What You
Can Do
Both during
pregnancy and after childbirth you should use cream for the prevention of
stretch marks, which are much harder to remove than to prevent. If the thighs
and buttocks are covered with cellulite bumps, you should definitely combine
exercise for this area with anti-cellulite cream. Later, you can go to beauty
or spa parlour for mesotherapy or massage which will help to achieve perfection
and smoothness of the skin.
When walking
and at home, with a pram or a baby in your arms, you should never forget about your
posture, do not slump under the weight of the problems. Straight back and
posture transform your look dramatically. Straighten your back and shoulders - you're
a mom, be proud of yourself!
Inessa Hyder
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