Postpartum weight loss and tips to slimming down!

On Alex’s birthday, we sat down as a family late that night, turned on the comp and looked for the old photos of Alex and I think we were all more shocked by ME one year ago than how much little Alex has grown.

I have been deliberating whether I should post my photo of me a year ago, when I checked into the hospital with you know, that huge belly which was a few times the size of Alicia’s head (I kid you not). Here’s the proof:

To be honest, I think I didn’t put on that much weight – only 17kg, if I remember correctly. Did your jaw just drop? Hmm, coupled with the last 5 kg which I never shed post-Alicia, I was 22kg (at least) fatter than I was on my wedding day.

I was actually hoping against the odds that I would put on less weight for my second pregnancy but alas, bad genes prevailed and I had to put on the weight of almost 2 sacks of rice just to ensure my little boy manages to hit 3.0kg. Oh thankfully, Alex just made it as he came out weighing a whopping 0.05kg heavier than my target. Makes all that weight gained worth while, don’t you think?

Don’t you just envy those women who never seem to have any part of them enlarged except their belly when they get pregnant and after they give birth, they look like they have never been pregnant even though they just delivered half a week ago? Yeah, I’m absolutely green with envy.

I looked very much like a whale when I was pregnant, and perhaps a baby whale after giving birth. Two months postpartum, I had a Christmas gathering with my extended family members and my cousin forgot I had given birth! *ouch* To be utterly fair to me, my tummy wasn’t that huge at that point, lets just say maybe I looked like five months pregnant? Better than those ah peks (uncles) and their beer bellies ok? Much smaller. But still, it hurt to know I still looked pregnant.

I had read all that I needed to know that postpartum weight loss  should not be too drastic as that might affect the quality of breastmilk and for that, I was not willing to compromise. If I looked like a brontosaurus still, there was no way I was gonna go on a crash diet because nothing matters more to a mom than the well-being of her children.

Picture source

Hubby offered sending me for slimming since I was so depressed but wait, I don’t have time to go anyway, even if it works. In between looking after the children and booby duties, there’s…still no time in between!

Nevertheless, somehow, little Ms Piggy underwent a transformation and nine months after Alex was born, I was slimmer than pre-Alex!

Here’s the best part now, after listening to all my ranting. I’m gonna share with you my five tips of postpartum weight loss! Not new, but at least it worked for me!

#1 Work out at a suitable intensity and frequency
If exercise has been a dirty word to you all this while, then it makes sense to start slow. Listen to your body and respond accordingly. Exercise doesn’t always mean you have to jog, especially if you have knee problems like me. Working out a sweat on the bike, brisk walking or swimming are good exercises that are low impact. I think brisk walking with weights (i.e. my children) was most effective for me.

#2 Find an exercise buddy
Hubby offered to spend time to work out with me since I could do that at home. I started to exercise more often on my exercise bike, did some toning with gym bands, and I’ve never looked back since. It’s hard to ignore your exercise buddy when he’s home with you, you know? 🙂

#3 Eat a balanced diet
Most people think slimming down means cutting down on food. But it really isn’t about that, well not all of it is. You still have to make sure you eat a balanced diet as suddenly cutting carbohydrates out of your life may get you results fast but those results will not be here to stay and it’s harmful as you may end up eating more junk due to the low serotonin levels.

#4 Go for lower calorie options or healthier cooking methods when you can
Craving for ice-cream? Try frozen yogurt. That’s great especially served with some fresh fruits like blueberries or strawberries. French fries? Try baking your own with potatoes or even sweet potatoes. Baking (don’t drown your food in butter though) or steaming food retains nutrients and are weighing scale-friendly ways of cooking 🙂 I cooked noodle soup quite often when I was very conscious about calorie intake.

#5 Breastfeed exclusively
This may not work for everyone but well, it’s worth a try isn’t it? At least you know it’d be good for your body and it’s the best milk you can give to your child! I breastfed both my baby and preschooler so I guess that helped.

Holding on to the empty packaging of your Cadbury bar and feeling that wee bit of guilt? Don’t let that be an excuse to go on an all-out binge. It’s really alright to succumb occasionally to a treat – moms need the extra pick-me-up boosts, y’know?

I’ve lost more than 20kg and am back in the 40+kg range. I have never hoped or imagined that I’d be able to do it but I guess perseverance plays a part in success. Give yourself time and don’t imagine that postpartum weight loss will take place the next day. It’s a long-drawn battle so just soldier on!

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