How to Lose Pregnancy Weight

Ladies, this one’s for you: If you’ve recently had a baby, you’re probably filled with the joy that a new life brings. Also, you’re probably exhausted and tired of hearing about celebrity moms who seem to lose pregnancy weight at the drop of a hat.

What those celebrities don’t tell you is that they have doctors, nutritionists, personal trainers, private chefs, and – if all else fails – Photoshop experts to help them look their best after pregnancy. What’s a regular mom to do?

There are plenty of things any woman can do to lose pregnancy weight in a healthy and sustainable way. Here are some helpful tips to get you started:

Call for Back-up

Private time is a precious commodity for new moms. To lose pregnancy weight, you’ll need to make time in your busy schedule for grocery shopping and exercise. That’s where friends and family come in.

Don’t try to do everything by yourself. Hand off your grocery list to your spouse, or ask Grandma to watch the baby while you exercise. Many recreation centers and gyms offer babysitting services, even for infants, to give you privacy while you get fit. Use the resources available in your community.

Nourish Your Body

Now is not the time to fill up on junk food, as tempting as it may sound. Pregnancy is hard on the body, but you can speed up your recovery by eating several small, balanced meals per day. Your calories should come from lean protein, green vegetables, high-fiber fruits, dairy products, and whole grains.

If you are breastfeeding, you will require more calories than normal to keep you and the baby healthy. Also, remember to drink plenty of water. New moms could require 64 to 128 ounces a day, especially while nursing.

Get Moving

Sometimes it takes all of a new mom’s energy just to get out of bed. But cardio exercise is important for staying healthy, and it will also help you lose pregnancy weight faster. You don’t have to commit to a gym workout; you could work in the garden while the baby naps in a shady spot, or you could go for a long walk while pushing the baby in a stroller.

Whenever possible, get 30 minutes of cardio 5 times a week. You will notice that your energy level actually goes up, while the scale goes down! A little bit of yoga can also reduce your stress and your weight. Try doing stretches and poses after you wake up for a burst of energy, and do your breathing and meditative exercises before bed for more restful sleep.

Stay Energized

It’s hard when you have a newborn, but it is important to find the time to get an adequate amount of sleep each night. This can be done by enlisting help from others, or by catching naps throughout the day to keep your energy up. Try to sleep when the baby sleeps to maximize your periods of rest.

Sleep helps us function, mentally and physically. Just a small sleep deficit (one to two hours a night) can cause problems such as lack of focus, compromised immune system, and delayed healing ability.

Unfortunately, most people don’t sleep enough – and that’s especially true for new moms!

Take care of your loved ones by taking care of yourself. With a combination of nourishment, the right exercises, and plenty of rest, you’ll be on track to lose pregnancy weight fast.

How to Lose Leg Fat

Our legs carry us through our day, so it’s no wonder they tend to be quite muscular. But legs are also a problem area for many people because fat tends to accumulate there, particularly on the thighs.

If you’ve been wondering how to lose leg fat in a healthy way, you’re in luck! While there are no magic cures, there are plenty of proven strategies you can use to get slender, sexy legs.

Lose Leg Fat with Exercise

Our legs get a workout whenever we walk, but that’s not enough to burn away all the excess fat. To lose leg fat permanently, you’ll need to start a regular cardio routine and follow it up with some strength training.

Cardio exercise increases the heart rate and speeds up our fat-burning metabolism. Consult an online calculator to find your target heart rate for optimal fat burning, and choose an aerobic activity that keeps you in that zone for at least 20 minutes a day, 3 to 5 times a week.

Which exercise is the best? To target your legs, try swimming, cycling, jogging, or walking through sand or along the bottom of a swimming pool. If none of these options appeal to you, try sports or group exercise classes. The key is to find an activity you enjoy so that you will do it regularly without getting bored or feeling tortured.

It doesn’t hurt to start slowly, especially if you’re not accustomed to regular exercise. Choose a fun activity to do for 15 minutes a day, and work your way up to 30 minute sessions.

Strength training exercises can be done at a gym or at home. If you prefer the gym, use machines designed to give your legs a great workout. If you’d rather stay home, try squats, wall-sits, and lunges.

Lose Leg Fat through Diet

A highly thermogenic diet will help you lose leg fat faster. Thermogenic foods are thought to heat up the body’s core temperature, leading to a faster metabolism. While this idea has its share of skeptics, many swear by it. Some of the most thermogenic foods include tropical fruits, peppers, and green tea.

Fill in the rest of your diet with leafy green vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole eggs, lean meat, and whole grain products. Use sugar and salt sparingly, and opt for unsaturated fats instead of dangerous trans fats.

Lose Leg Fat by Losing Stress

Stress causes weight gain. When our bodies feel threatened (by stress, illness, or too-frequent dieting), they cling to their fat stores and start putting away more calories as fat. That’s because of a primal instinct for survival that helped our ancestors make it through times of famine.

Today, since few of us face the threat of famine, we simply accumulate fat. You can reduce your stress level and your body fat by doing yoga. Yoga relaxes the body and the mind, sending stress hormones packing.

For extra leg toning, look for poses that require you to balance on one foot, poses that require you to stand with bent knees, or floor poses that require you to hold your legs away from your body.

Note that you can’t lose leg fat without losing fat from the rest of your body. Take care of yourself by eating right and exercising, and your legs will shape up fast!

How to Lose Calories

Losing weight is very difficult for many of us, but it ultimately boils down to numbers: Eat fewer calories to lose more pounds. If we could figure out how to lose calories, the pounds would quickly follow.

It’s easy to reduce your calorie intake when you know how to do it right. You don’t have to feel deprived, and you don’t have to starve yourself. In fact, you can cut your calories easily and painlessly. These helpful tips will teach you how to lose calories – and weight – starting now.

Lose Calories with Healthy Substitutions

You don’t have to give up your favorite flavors, you just have to make healthier substitutions. Let’s say you’re having a craving for something rich and chocolaty. If you satisfy your craving by downing a pint of chocolate ice cream, you will have added several hundred calories to your daily intake.

But if you pick up a healthier alternative, like a sugar-free fudge pop or some reduced fat chocolate pudding, you will get the chocolate flavor you crave at a low caloric cost.

Other good substitutions include low-fat dairy products instead of whole milk products; lean cuts of meat instead of fattier cuts; air-popped popcorn or rice cakes instead of chips; trans-fat-free margarine instead of butter; and whole fruit instead of fruit juice.

Lose Calories by Eating More

Yes, you read that right! When you consider how to lose calories, eating more isn’t the first strategy that comes to mind. But studies have shown time and again that you can control your appetite by eating smaller, more frequent meals.

This approach reduces your calories in two ways. First, it keeps you from getting too hungry. Excess hunger is the number one reason why people stop dieting, and it is also a leading cause of binging. When you control your hunger, you can control your calorie intake.

Second, small meals keep your metabolism active. You will lose calories as your body burns through them faster. This is a near-effortless way to reduce the number of calories you eat, and burn the rest!

Lose Calories with Daily Tasks

Ever wondered how to lose calories while being productive? Many of us don’t have time to devote to long workouts, but you can burn off extra calories while you run errands and do chores.

Lawn work and gardening burn a surprising number of calories each hour. Depending on what you do and how much you weigh, you could burn up to 700 calories an hour just by working in your yard.

If you have kids or pets, take them to the park! An hour of swinging, sliding, and Frisbee catching will get rid of 300 calories or more.

When you run errands, use the stairs instead of the elevator. Park at the far end of the parking lot when you visit stores. These are small changes that add up to big rewards.

Lose Calories with Yoga

Yoga is a great exercise for beginners. It builds strength, increases flexibility, and helps prevent heart and metabolic diseases.

Yoga is also a fantastic stress reducer. It encourages our bodies to stop hanging on to excess calories in the form of fat. If you make yoga a part of your daily routine, you will notice physical and emotional benefits right away.

Start by doing 15 – 30 minutes of yoga each day. Search online to find a good yoga sequence for beginners. Don’t let the more advanced poses scare you off; even yoga masters had to start somewhere!

Now that you’ve learned how to lose calories without depriving yourself, it’s time to put these ideas into practice. Try to make one small change per week until you’ve grown accustomed to your new lifestyle. After a few weeks, losing calories will be a piece of (low-fat) cake!

How to Get Rid of Love Handles

“Love handles” is a cute name for a serious problem: fatty deposits on the back and sides of the waist. They’re not just unsightly, they’re unhealthy, too. Fortunately, you can get rid of love handles once and for all by making some small changes to your lifestyle.

Lose Fat All Over

Love handles are a sign of excess abdominal fat. This is a stubborn and dangerous type of fat that can lead to metabolic disorders and even serious heart disease. Reducing the fat around your waistline can decrease your chance of becoming diabetic or suffering a heart attack.

If you’ve considered targeting your abdominal fat and nothing else, don’t bother; there’s no such thing as spot reduction. If there were, none of us would have problem areas and we would all be perfectly proportioned! But in reality, if you want to get rid of love handles, you have to get rid of fat everywhere else, too.

Cardio exercise will help you burn fat faster. Strength training will increase your lean muscle mass, which in turn will make you burn calories faster. Eating at a slight calorie deficit will keep you from storing extra calories as fat. The best way to get rid of love handles is to do all three.

Build Stronger Obliques

The obliques are the muscles that run down both sides of your abdomen. They frame the group of muscles commonly called the 6-pack. Obliques give us the strength to twist and turn when we need to. Unfortunately, they are sometimes hidden by love handles.

Building stronger obliques will help you burn more calories, and will give you tight abdominal muscles to show off after the love handles are gone.

You can get rid of love handles faster by doing exercises that were found by the American Council on Exercise to be the very best ones for working your obliques: Bicycle crunches, captain’s chair leg raises, and vertical leg crunches.

Bicycle crunches involve lying down on your back and doing crunch-twists while pedaling your legs as if you were riding a bicycle. Captain’s chair leg raises require the use of a captain’s chair, which is a common fixture in most gyms. Vertical leg crunches are performed like regular crunches, but with your legs raised perpendicular to the ground.

Do a search for these exercises to find helpful step-by-step guides with photos.

Eat Fat-Burning Foods

Some foods, especially those high in sugar and sodium, add inches to the waistline. To get rid of love handles, you’ll need to eat more foods that fight belly fat. Doctors recommend heart-healthy fats, like those found in olive oil, nuts, and salmon; 3 servings of calcium from green, leafy vegetables or dairy products; and plenty of fiber from fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.

These foods are digested slowly, so they leave you feeling satisfied longer. Add some green tea to your diet for an extra fat-burning boost. Three cups a day will speed up your metabolism and ward off diseases.

Check Your Clothes

One last quick and dirty trick to get rid of love handles: Make sure your clothes fit properly. Tight clothing can create the illusion of love handles, even on thin folks. If you’ve worked hard to lose your love handles, don’t ruin the effect by squeezing into jeans that leave you overflowing!

How to Lose Weight After Pregnancy

Ladies, are you looking for a plan to help you lose weight after pregnancy? New moms have an especially hard time losing weight because they have to pull double duty by getting in shape and looking after the new arrival. With time at a premium and fatigue at an all-time high, is post-pregnancy weight loss even a realistic goal?

Yes, it is! There are several tricks you can use to lose weight after pregnancy without collapsing from exhaustion.

 Make Time for You

Every mom knows that this is easier said than done, but you have to take care of yourself if you want to take care of your loved ones. That includes taking time to get in shape. It can be difficult to find an hour a day, or even a half hour, for exercise. Try to get your spouse or a friend or relative to watch the baby while you work out. Some fitness centers have Kids’ Clubs that offer infant care. If that’s not an option, time your home workouts to coincide with the baby’s naps.

It doesn’t matter if you have an hour-long session or four 15-minute workouts each day. The total time spent working out is what’s important.

Eat Nutritious Foods

In order to lose weight after pregnancy, you’re going to need to make sure you eat an adequate number of calories each day. If you are breastfeeding, you’ll need even more.

If you don’t eat enough calories, your metabolism will slow down. It can become 20 – 30% slower than normal. Also, if you fill up on junk foods, you and your baby won’t get the best possible nourishment, and your energy level will take a nose-dive.

Eat smaller portions of food several times a day. Never go longer than 2-3 hours without eating something nutritious. Get plenty of calcium from dark green vegetables and low-fat dairy products. Calcium will kick your fat-burning metabolism into high gear. Round out your food selections with fresh fruits, lean protein, and whole grain products.

Exercise With the Baby

Weight loss doesn’t have to be a solo act. You can lose weight after pregnancy – and have lots of fun - by bringing your baby along! Join an online weight loss community to connect with other new moms in your area who might want to join you for stroller walks and swimming with the little ones. You might be able to find baby-and-me exercise classes at your local recreation center.

If you prefer to spend some one-on-one time with your baby, go for long walks while you push them in their stroller. Try to vary the locations of your walks by strolling at the zoo, the mall, a local park, or just around your neighborhood. When your baby starts walking on their own, take them to a playground and run and play like they do.

Look for Support

Support networks are so important for new moms. Many women who try to lose weight after pregnancy find that it’s just too hard to do it alone. Whether they provide babysitting service or a morale boost, friends and family can play a vital role in your success.

It’s also important to connect with other new moms who are facing the same struggles as you. Find a good community of new moms who are trying to lose weight. Read about their obstacles and how they have learned to overcome them. Then share your own tips for success. You’ll be surprised by how good it feels to know you’re not alone.

Get a Good Night’s Sleep

This is another one of those tips that’s not easy for new moms to follow, but it’s important to try. Insufficient sleep can cause all sorts of physical and emotional problems. Worse, studies have shown that most people don’t get enough sleep. That’s especially true for new parents with babies who don’t yet sleep through the night.

Pregnancy is hard on the body, and the added stress that a newborn brings can leave you feeling exhausted fast. At least 3 times per week, get your spouse or a friend or relative to respond to the baby’s cries while you get 8 – 10 hours of sleep. Use ear plugs if you need to. The high-quality sleep will help you in many ways.

Breastfeeding moms might have to wait a little longer before adequate sleep becomes a regular part of life. Just catch naps when you can, and remember that, someday soon, your baby (and you) will be sleeping through the night.

Fat Burning Foods

Are there really fat burning foods that can speed up your metabolism? Yes! By eating the right foods, you can trick your body into burning through its extra fat.

Here are some of the tastiest and most convenient fat burning foods you can find:

Citrus and Ginger

When you were young and you felt a cold coming on, your mother probably told you to take lots of vitamin C. Vitamin C is a popular immunity booster, but it has a secret talent as well: It helps you burn fat faster!

Vitamin C boosts your fat-burning power in two ways. First, it speeds up the process of fat metabolism. It also seems to have an effect on fat storage. The citric acid breaks down fat molecules, making them less likely to accumulate and more likely to be flushed from the body.

Due to their Vitamin C content, citrus fruits rank highly among fat burning foods. Try adding a variety of citrus fruits to your diet, such as oranges, tangerines, lemons and limes. It’s better to eat the whole fruit than to drink the juice, because the fruit contains fiber – another fat-fighter. Don’t fancy fruit? Tomatoes are also fat burning foods. Use fresh tomatoes in your homemade sauces for metabolic boost.

Ginger is another tangy fat-burner. It is also a vasodilator, which means that it opens up the blood vessels and improves blood circulation. This can result in a significant boost to the metabolism. In fact, studies suggest that people who eat ginger may lose as much as 20% more fat than their peers.

Ginger and citrus flavors complement each other well, especially in Asian dishes. Experiment with this exotic blend, and you can lose weight without ever feeling deprived.

Oatmeal and Whole Grains

Nothing starts your day off right like a warm bowl of oatmeal. That’s because oatmeal is high in fiber, which stabilizes blood glucose levels and prevents crashes and fatigue. Oatmeal is thick and satisfying, and you can add non-fat milk for an even bigger fat-burning advantage. (Calcium and fiber are proven fat burning foods.)

The carbs in oatmeal provide a quick rise in energy to help you wake up faster. But the carbs are complex and get digested slowly, which keeps your energy up and your appetite low for hours after breakfast. As an added bonus, oatmeal lowers cholesterol, too!

Nuts and Beans

Nuts and beans are nutritious fat burning foods that also keep your appetite in check for long stretches. Like oatmeal, nuts and beans contain fiber that kick-starts your metabolism. Unlike oatmeal, they also contain a significant amount of protein. Protein is vital for building lean muscle mass, which burns calories faster than fat tissue.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Olive oil has long been recommended by doctors for its heart health benefits. Olive oil contains unsaturated fat that increases the number of high-density lipids in the bloodstream. These lipids, also known as “good cholesterol”, or HDL, sweep bad cholesterol from the arteries. By substituting olive oil for butter and margarine, you can actually lower your bad cholesterol and increase your metabolism.

Fat burnings foods can help you reach your weight loss goal faster. Add some fun cardio exercise and plenty of hydration, and you’ll have a recipe for success!

Exercises to Lose Belly Fat

Belly fat has been proven to be the most dangerous type of fat there is. Doctors aren’t sure why, but abdominal fat is related to numerous health risks.

Have you gotten a little thick around the middle? If so, here are some fantastic exercises to lose belly fat and decrease your risk of heart disease.

Exercises to Lose Belly Fat: Cardio

Cardio can help you lose fat all over your body – which is good, because to lose fat around your belly, you have to lose it everywhere. Our bodies tend to accumulate fat in certain areas, based largely on genetics. If you tend to store it around your middle, decreasing your body fat percentage can make you healthier and give you the flat stomach you’ve always wanted.

There are no “best” cardio exercises to lose belly fat. The very best cardio routine is one you’ll stick with for the long haul. Choose a few different activities that you enjoy doing, and try to participate in them at least 5 hours a week.

If you’re into home improvement, do some lawn and garden work. If you’re a parent, play with your kids at the park or take them for long walks down nature trails. If you have a dog, take it for walks or toss a ball or Frisbee for exercise. If you prefer a more social environment, join a group exercise class at your local gym or recreation center.

Exercises to Lose Belly Fat: Core Strength

Getting a slim stomach requires more than endless sit-ups and crunches. Variations on these exercises can help you whittle your waist faster. For example, instead of regular crunches, the American Council on Exercise recommends vertical leg crunches. These are performed lying on your back with your legs held at a 45 degree angle from the floor.

Core strength can also be developed by doing leg lifts and crunches with the help of an exercise ball. Exercise balls require you to maintain your balance, which puts all of your core muscles to work. For muscle symmetry, be sure to work your back muscles as well.

Exercises to Lose Belly Fat: Yoga

When it comes to stress reduction and core strength building, it’s hard to beat yoga in terms of efficiency. Yoga can reduce the production of stress hormones and strengthen your abdominal muscles, making it an excellent exercise to lose belly fat.

Whenever your body is stressed out (due to mental or emotional stress, illness, injury, or the overuse of stimulants), it responds with an attempt at self-preservation. Your brain releases the hormone cortisol, which tells your body to start storing fat – particularly around the waist. This response is a throwback to the days when our ancestors had to survive times of famine.

Yoga includes breathing and stretching exercises that relieve muscle tension and reduce the production of cortisol. Yoga also places an emphasis on relaxed, flowing motions. It can be used to calm the mind, slow down the heart, and lower blood pressure.

In addition to these benefits, many yoga poses are highly efficient for toning your midsection. Look for poses that are performed in the supine position, or seated and standing poses that require you to extend your legs and maintain balance.

With a regular routine of cardio, core strengthening, and yoga, you will lose inches from your waist and enjoy better health and relaxation.