December 12, 2014
Getting Healthy Post-Baby
This post is sponsored. As always, all opinions are my own.
As a dietitian, I think about health and nutrition all the time. Until after I had Adalyn, I never had to think about weight loss or "diet". During my pregnancy, I honestly felt the best about my body that I had in my entire life. I felt confident and beautiful. I knew that post-baby, I wanted to lose the weight that I had gained but did not want to "diet" to do so. I did not want to cut calories, count calories or go to any drastic measures. It was not worth it to me and I knew would not be healthy for me to do.
Instead, I decided that I would exercise (not excessively) and eat healthy to lose the weight. So far, this has worked very well for me. I am now 2 1/2 months postpartum and have about 5-8 more pounds to lose from my pre-pregnancy weight. I fit into almost all of my old clothing and feel very good about my body.
Here is what I have done to be healthy post-baby:
-Exercise most days of the week- Most days, this includes a walk either outside or on the treadmill. I love walking and it makes me feel good. Also, I can take Adalyn on walks which is great too. I have also done a bit of handweights and running. I noticed that once I added the handweights in, I dropped a couple of lbs almost right away.
-Never skip meals- Like I said, I do not want to go to any drastic measures to lose weight so I never skip a meal. In fact, if you skip meals, your metabolism will drop and you can actually gain weight- no thanks!
-Snack often- I know that it may seem the opposite of what you should do but this is what works for me. I basically eat all day long in smaller type meals. Favorite snacks are Greek yogurt or some kind of bar in the morning, fruits and vegetables after lunch and often something like bread with nut butter in the afternoon.
-Start the day with protein- What works for me is including protein in my breakfast. Without it, I am starving an hour later. My go-to breakfast most days of the week is Greek yogurt or oatmeal with flax, chia and nut butter.
-Drink tons of water- I have always required a lot of water and need even more so now that I am breastfeeding. I always have my big 32 oz water bottle with me at all times and fill it up several times per day.
-Remember that I just had a baby and not be hard on myself! Having a baby is a miracle and you cannot expect to look "perfect" right after. Give yourself time and enjoy that baby.
Like I said, I feel great and recommend if you are trying to lose weight to not go to any drastic measures. You can hurt yourself and it can be counterproductive to your goals.
Have you made any healthy transformations recently? If so, share your story by participating in the 45 Delightful People program. Everyone is a winner too! By participating, you will receive a free t-shirt.
I was recently introduced to the Sara Lee® Delightful bread which is a healthier bread option. Each slice has only 45 calories. I love that these are whole grain and not just white breads. They come in oatmeal, 100% whole wheat, wheat and healthy multi-grain varieties. They have no artificial colors, flavors or high fructose corn syrup. I love eating toast but it often has 120 calories per slice or more so I love that I can eat 2 pieces of this bread for only 90 calories. Top it with some nut butter or apricot preserves and you got yourself a delicious snack!
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Sara Lee®.
Share this post:
LOVE YOUR APPROACH!!! and you look GREAT!!! :)
ReplyDelete