You’ve probably wondered how supermodels and celebrity superstars can have a baby and be back in a revealing dress or swimsuit, looking fantastic, almost overnight. You know they gained weight during pregnancy, so it appears as though they may know how to lose pregnancy weight fast.
They do. Well, sort of. If you’re wondering why you are struggling with your weight gain now that the pregnancy is over while those celebs are hitting the clubs in half-shirts, there is an answer.
They have personal trainers. They have personal chefs. They have their own nutrition experts. They have an incredible incentive (getting back to work and making millions) to get back into shape. Oh, and some of them may not be following a healthy approach.
You probably don’t have a full staff of experts to help you out and you certainly don’t want to risk your health. So, how can you lose pregnancy weight fast?
The truth is that you can only do a few things to lose weight. No matter how you dress it up, losing weight always comes down to two variables: the number of calories your consume and the number of calories you “burn” via activity. If you want to lose weight after baby, you are going to have to either decrease calories, increase activity, or do both.
Like it or not, however, you are somewhat limited in how much you can do in either department. You can’t cut calories too much. Not only does crash dieting slow the metabolism and eventually backfire in most cases, it also risks your health at a time when your nutritional needs are particularly high. You need energy and that requires putting quality fuel in the tank.
You are also at least somewhat limited in what you can do in terms of activity. Your schedule, as you certainly know, is now jam-packed with childcare-related activities. The idea of squeezing several hours at the gym or on the track every day is probably laughable. Even if you did have the time, that little bundle of joy drains so much energy that you might end up falling asleep on the treadmill.
Nonetheless, it is important to add exercise and activity back into your life. Having a child can be as draining as any triathlon, but rocking baby to sleep or changing diapers won’t burn calories like a bike ride or a jog.
So, if you want to lose pregnancy weight fast, it’s going to required a two-tiered system. You’ll have to work within your limitations on both the calorie intake and calorie burning side of the equations.
Fortunately, research and experience have taught us that it is possible to return to pre-pregnancy shape faster than you might think. You may not have the advantages of a complete staff dedicated to keeping you on track, but with the right guidance and motivation you can get the job done.
