One of the most common themes in the fitness industry is "How does a mom get her old body back?"
Some of the changes that come from pregnancy are somewhat easy to return to your pre-pregnancy you. Some are not so easy. Some you may have to live with forever. So let's go through some of the science and get you on an appropriate plan.
Body fat - It is important for a pregnant mother to gain some body fat for their baby. It protects the baby from damage and ensures that the baby will have plenty of calories both during the pregnancy and after during breast feeding. This body fat can disappear and is not necessarily permanent. It is important for your baby, if you are breast feeding, that you not diet too soon after pregnancy because you do not want both you and your baby tapping into those energy stores to aggressively at the same time. If you diet too hard your breast milk will be low in calories and your baby may suffer. Assume that you are burning 300-500 calories per day during breast feeding and eat those extra calories above your normal diet calories. Once you are done breast feeding then you can take the gloves off and diet more seriously.
The Body Migration - When you are pregnant your hormones change to prepare you for childbirth. One of those changes is a loosening of ligaments. This change is relatively permanent. You may find that your rib cage is slightly expanded, that your feet and hands are a bit bigger or that your knees and elbows are just a bit sloppy in their movement. You cannot reduce the size of your ribs, feet or hands, but you can regain all of your pre-baby body control through proper exercise.
The Boodies - We all know that breast feeding can take some of the luster out of your breasts, but it is not all the babies fault. IThe hormones that cause your breasts to grow larger during pregnancy also cause stretching and tugging, which can result in loss of elasticity. Sadly these changes are relatively permanent, but will be much less noticeable as the body fat is reduced because there will be less weight pull them south.
In the end - You have put your body through stress relative to being shot with a gun! You need to know that severe trauma on the body will take a long time to recover and may never be the same in a similar fashion to a scar, BUT if you stay consistent and focused you gain look better than ever. For some women having a baby was just the motivation needed to get them in the best shape of their life! Remember that having a baby is not an excuse to let yourself go, rather it is a reason to be more focused on your health than ever. Be the best mom that you can be by being proud of yourself and being there for your kids for a long, long time.
If you want specific diet or exercise advice please submit the form above.
Some of the changes that come from pregnancy are somewhat easy to return to your pre-pregnancy you. Some are not so easy. Some you may have to live with forever. So let's go through some of the science and get you on an appropriate plan.
Body fat - It is important for a pregnant mother to gain some body fat for their baby. It protects the baby from damage and ensures that the baby will have plenty of calories both during the pregnancy and after during breast feeding. This body fat can disappear and is not necessarily permanent. It is important for your baby, if you are breast feeding, that you not diet too soon after pregnancy because you do not want both you and your baby tapping into those energy stores to aggressively at the same time. If you diet too hard your breast milk will be low in calories and your baby may suffer. Assume that you are burning 300-500 calories per day during breast feeding and eat those extra calories above your normal diet calories. Once you are done breast feeding then you can take the gloves off and diet more seriously.
The Body Migration - When you are pregnant your hormones change to prepare you for childbirth. One of those changes is a loosening of ligaments. This change is relatively permanent. You may find that your rib cage is slightly expanded, that your feet and hands are a bit bigger or that your knees and elbows are just a bit sloppy in their movement. You cannot reduce the size of your ribs, feet or hands, but you can regain all of your pre-baby body control through proper exercise.
The Boodies - We all know that breast feeding can take some of the luster out of your breasts, but it is not all the babies fault. IThe hormones that cause your breasts to grow larger during pregnancy also cause stretching and tugging, which can result in loss of elasticity. Sadly these changes are relatively permanent, but will be much less noticeable as the body fat is reduced because there will be less weight pull them south.
In the end - You have put your body through stress relative to being shot with a gun! You need to know that severe trauma on the body will take a long time to recover and may never be the same in a similar fashion to a scar, BUT if you stay consistent and focused you gain look better than ever. For some women having a baby was just the motivation needed to get them in the best shape of their life! Remember that having a baby is not an excuse to let yourself go, rather it is a reason to be more focused on your health than ever. Be the best mom that you can be by being proud of yourself and being there for your kids for a long, long time.
If you want specific diet or exercise advice please submit the form above.
