The First Step to Being a Fit, Healthy Mama
Congratulations, Mama! You’ve had a baby! Your body has done incredible work to bring another human being to life!
On one level, I know you know this. At the same time, if you’re struggling with your postpartum body (no matter how long ago you had your last child), you’re not alone.
It’s one thing for our bodies to change while we’re expecting. We all understand changes are going to happen in order for our baby to grow and thrive.
And yet somehow, many of us have unrealistic expectations of how our bodies should “return to normal” after giving birth.
If you’re struggling to lose the extra weight from pregnancy, I’d love to encourage you to be patient with yourself and focus on small healthy habits rather than rapid change.
As a mom, life is busy. If you recently had a baby, you’re going through a lot of changes right now. The last thing we need is to put more pressure on ourselves or beat ourselves up over our bodies.
Rather than judging your postpartum body, what if you focused on nourishing it as you nourish your child/ren?
Here are a few ideas to help get you started:
Drink more water - Yes, it’s something we all know we need to do, but if you aren’t already drinking enough water throughout your day, start by adding one more glass of water to your day. So if you usually drink three glasses of water, aim to drink four glasses of water each day this week.
Give yourself time to rest - If you recently had a baby, I know this can be tough, but rest is essential for your health and fitness goals. Listen to your body. If you need to rest, give yourself that time rather than pushing yourself to fit in another workout or finish off some chores.
Bring real food into your meals - We don’t have to be perfect, we can start with baby steps. If you’ve been eating a lot of processed foods, start by looking for ways to bring more fruits and vegetables into your daily meals. You don’t have to change everything you’re eating, you’re simply focusing on bringing more nourishing foods into your meals.
Watch the snacking - When we’re tired, stressed, or even bored, it’s easy to turn to food. If you know you’ve been snacking between meals, set an intention to start focusing on your snacking. Before you start eating, check-in with your body. Are you really hungry? If so, will this snack nourish your body?
Move a bit more - As a busy mom, you might not have time for a full workout every day, and that’s okay. Even on days when you can’t work out, look for ways to get a bit more movement into your day. Perhaps you can take a walk or bike ride as a family, or take your kids to the park and play with them.
When we think about it, it took nine months for our bodies to change and grow during pregnancy. So realistically, it’s going to take time for our bodies to heal and adapt after birth. If you do too much too soon, you may end up doing more damage than good.
If you focus on building healthy habits and nourishing your body as you would your child, you’ll eventually see your body change and adapt to your new normal as a fit, healthy mama.
Need more help building healthy habits? Download my free guide: Top 7 Fat Burning Home Exercises to Add to Your Routine!
