____Having a baby is the greatest feeling a woman can experience. After nine long months of pregnancy discomfort, you're finally able to bring your new bundle of joy into the world–an adorable little person who's there for you to love.
But while this is a very happy time in your life, it can also be a frustrating one because that whole process takes its toll on your body. And after 40 weeks of feeding another human that you happen to be carrying, there's no doubt you now have a few extra pounds you need to get rid of.
Well, I'm about to show you how to drop those pregnancy pounds and get your pre-baby body back.
More from MamásLatinas: This woman isn't afraid to show her post-weight loss excess skin & good for her
But first, let me tell you a quick story: When I became pregnant with my second daughter, Mia, my doctor was a bit scared for me. Because of the poor eating habits I had at the time, I was starting my pregnancy a bit overweight. I already had a few pounds to lose. This worried my doctor.
He told me that I was in danger of having a miserable pregnancy. Because those extra pounds I was carrying around put me at risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, and high cholesterol. And to make sure I'd get through that pregnancy without complications and give birth to a healthy daughter, I had to make changes.
One of the changes I made was to start eating smaller portions. Instead of having a few big meals every day, I'd have smaller meals, but have them more often. Not only was this great for stimulating my metabolism, but it allowed me to supply my growing baby with a steady stream of nutrients.
Another change I made was to start exercising. Obviously, you probably aren't going to have the energy to run any marathons here. But being pregnant isn't an excuse to sit on the couch and eat junk food. If you want your baby to be healthy, you have to stay active. This is a great time to do cardio. It helps to keep your weight down. But more importantly, it gets your blood circulating and keeps your heart healthy.
By making these changes, I was able to have a pleasant pregnancy. But after I gave birth to my daughter, I wanted to get rid of the weight quickly. I was feeling really impatient. I already made the healthy habits part of my life, so I didn't want to be weighed down by pregnancy pounds anymore. I wanted to look good now!
But what we have to realize is that it takes nine months to carry that baby. We can't just expect things to go back to normal overnight. It takes a little bit of time to get our bodies back.
And the way to do it is by following the same steps I followed to have a healthy pregnancy. Those same healthy habits are going to get you results. And being a new mom gives you a great opportunity to develop those habits and get rid of those pounds.You just have to keep doing the right things.
Make sure you eat small meals throughout the day to keep your metabolism running at full-speed. And target the fat with some fat-blasting exercise (like a nice morning walk.) But don't be impatient! I promise you, if you continue to do the right thing, the pounds will melt away.
So enjoy your new gift. Take advantage of every precious moment with your new baby and before you know it, you'll have a new body as well.
If any of you are pregnant now (or just had a baby) let me know! Is it a boy or a girl? And if you're friends with any new moms, be sure to share this article with them. I promise they'll thank you for it!
This post was originally published on July 11, 2013.
Image via iStock
