Pregnancy is synonymous with change for the Mother-to-be. It changes not only her lifestyle but also her body. One of the most visible indicators of pregnancy is an accumulation of fat to protect the developing fetus in the woman’s abdominal region. Shedding this fat becomes quite a task post-pregnancy. But fret not, there are quite a few easy and natural ways of shedding the proverbial “Mummy Tummy”:
1. Incorporation of healthy food choices in your diet: Begin your day by drinking a cup of lukewarm water with half a lemon’s juice and half a teaspoon of honey to make it yummy and healthy. This concoction is a proven belly fat burner. Also, the addition of green tea to your daily regimen can help you reduce the belly fat as green tea burns adipocytes (fat cells), thereby improving digestion. Inclusion of whole raw fruits and their juices also go a long way in getting back to shape, post pregnancy. Fruits, like apples, contain antioxidants and pectin that help reduce abdominal fat.
A proper and balanced diet containing the medically prescribed dosage of vitamins and minerals is also required by a new mother to fill her with much needed energy. At the same time, a reduced intake of unhealthy (fried and junk) food, helps the body heal in the post-partum phase and prevents the mother from adding onto the pregnancy induced belly fat.
2. Small Meals: Dividing the three major meals of the day into 4 or 5 smaller meals also greatly helps reduce belly fat.
3. Breast Feeding: Breast feeding is scientifically considered to be an effective way of reducing tummy size by constricting the uterus. Research states that breast feeding can burn up to 500 calories every day. The process of milk production in the body is an energy intensive process. So, the more breast feeding you do, the more the body has to produce milk and the more the numbers of calories that are burnt.
4. No skipped meals: Reducing the calorific intake is an oft repeated way of losing any kind of tummy fat. But during pregnancy, mothers require more calories for milk production. So, if a mother goes on a diet shortly after child birth, then she is not only compromising her child’s food source but also gravely harms her own body. Post partum dieting can make the mother feel fatigued.
5. Exercising: Diet control alone will not prove enough in fighting post-partum weight gain. Light, easy to perform exercises can also be included to speedup the burning of accumulated fat stores. Exercise is the best way of burning excess fat. Even 30 minutes of aerobic exercises such as light walking, cycling and swimming can help shed the extra fat.
Also check out Celebrity Tips on getting back in shape post pregnancy.