If you are like me, when I was pregnant with my first child I watched what I ate. I never had any sweets during the whole pregnancy, but I still gained 18 kilos. Yet it was easy to lose them after birth, though I never got back to my original weight. But during the second pregnancy I just craved sweets. So I ate lots more, and I also gained 20 kilos. And I battled to get rid of them. I hated my body. I avoided looking myself in the mirror for a year. I used baggy clothes and never went shopping for new clothes. Of course, looking after two kids, working and running a house never allowed me free time to exercise. But now, I have found some secrets to feeling good after pregnancy that I want to share with you.
Secret #1 Eat at Set Times
Eat at set times, during your pregnancy and after it. Make a plan to eat 5 small meals 2 hours apart. But do not eat outside these times. In this way you will not be hungry at all, and you will know what you ate. The biggest challenge for overweight people is eating at set times as opposed to hanging around the kitchen and eating out of boredom.
If you are pregnant, there is a myth that says "You are eating for two". That is not true. Your baby is tiny and the amount of food he/she consumes is very small. So do not go overboard with your food.
If you are breastfeeding and eating sensibly, then this is the best time to lose all the weight. In three months you could actually lose all of your baby weight.
Secret #2 - Drink Lots of Water
It is important to drink at least two liters a day, during pregnancy and after pregnancy. It will keep you hydrated, it will help to burn fat, and if you are breastfeeding will help you with milk production.
Water drinking also prevents you from drinking other soda drinks which are not good for your body image/weight relationship.
If you feel you are hungry outside of your meal times - drink water first - then if you are still really hungry, eat something but still try to keep to a schedule.
Secret #3 - Exercise
I know it is hard to find time, especially with kids, running a household and maybe working as well. But I promise you, 10 or 20 minutes a day of exercise will go a long way. You do not have to go to the gym, you do not need fancy equipment. Get yourself a good book or a video on exercise, or download some exercises from the Internet and take 10 minutes to exercise, even while you are watching TV. You might even go for a walk with your kids.
So to summarize, eat at set times, drink lots of water and exercise 10 to 20 minutes a day. I promise you will soon see the benefits.
I struggled with my body image since I was 6. My mom put me on diet at 6. And to top it up, I was the only one of three sisters with weight problems. In my teen years I tried every possible diet, and in my adulthood also. I used pills, exercise, vitamins, starving myself, fruit diets, you name it. I would lose weight, be happy with my body image and then put it back again. When I was slim, I was happy but I was always obsessed with what I ate. When I was a bit overweight I hated my body image, and I was obsessed to lose weight.
But the truth is that each time I lost weight it was only because I did a commitment to myself. Now at 44 I discovered a new way to learn to love my body image. To learn more tips guaranteed to help you master your body image/weight relationship, be sure to grab "the body image mastery secrets" and learn what I have learned.
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