Losing post-pregnancy weight can be a difficult battle for the best of us. Here are some easy things to incorporate to help you lose that baby weight naturally.

Whether you put on 10lbs or 100lbs with your most recent pregnancy, the reality is that every mom tends to struggle with ways to lose the baby weight. If you’re someone who’s looking for new ways to lose the baby weight, you’ve come to the right place.

There are some tips to try to lose the baby weight naturally. Below are little ways to help lose the baby weight so that you can be inspired to shed that extra weight and feel great.

Here are 10 Surprising Ways to Help Lose the Baby Weight (Easily and Naturally)

Baby Play

When your baby’s development is stable enough, you can turn play time to exercise time. REMEMBER: Safety First! Always be sure you don’t need a spotter if you’ll be working out by yourself with the baby. Hold the baby during a squat, or lift the baby up in the air and repeat. The baby can add some extra resistance, helping you to burn calories. If nothing else, hold the baby and go for a walk. Your arms will definitely get stronger. You can do planks or ab workouts while your baby does tummy time.

Pre-portioned Meals

Having a baby doesn’t allow for a lot of meal planning, but if you can find the time this is a great way to reduce calories. When you store leftovers, portion them out so you don’t overeat. Try a meal prep delivery service if it’s in the budget. If you have to get bulk items of things, try to portion them out. For example, portion out a few pretzels in a snack bag. Portion out a few celery sticks. This grab and go kind of eating will help you save time and calories.

Drink Water

Everyone says to drink lots of water, but it truly helps!. Lots of water will help you feel full. Plus if you’re breastfeeding, you’ll need the water anyway. Aim to drink a full glass before every meal to help keep you from overeating. If you feel the urge to have seconds, drink water.

Hit The Steps

If you have a two story home, you can keep the changing table upstairs, so it forces you to take more steps. Or store the extra diapers up there. Once you get stronger after the delivery, trying taking two steps at a time. If you live in a one-story home, then try to place things far away so you’ll have to take more steps to get there. Same for when you’re out and about. Try to park farther away to get more steps in.

Avoid Crash Diets

There are so many crash and fad type diets on the market. Losing the baby weight will not happen if you try to hop on the bandwagon for the next crash diet. Instead of removing things from your daily eating habits, try to lower the portion size and add some healthy options. A good example is to make that bowl of ice cream smaller in size and add some fruit to it. Keeping a more balanced diet throughout your day will help shed that baby weight quicker than hopping on a diet that restricts specific foods.

Breastfeed if Possible

Breastfeeding is a great way to lose quite a bit of baby weight right away. If breastfeeding is an option for you, it has proven time and time again that it helps your body get back into pre-pregnancy weight size quicker. Breastfeeding helps contract your uterus down and your body uses up energy to create milk for your baby. If you’re reading this before your baby has already started formula feeding, I’d highly consider breastfeeding if it works for you and baby.

(read: How I Got My Baby to Go From Bottle Back to Breast)

Eat More Fiber

As I said, you don’t want to hop on any crash diet bandwagon, but you can adjust some of your food choices during the day. Eating more fiber during your day, such as just 10 grams of soluble fiber per day can reduce approximately 3% of your belly fat over a five year period. While that number may not sound great for someone looking to lose baby weight quickly, you must remember losing baby weight slowly means it will stay off longer.

Use Smaller Plates

The easiest way to start losing that baby weight is to trick your mind and belly into thinking it’s full. Use a smaller plate for all meals and only eat half of your meals when dining out. This change will help you lose baby weight much quicker and you only need to use a smaller plate for proper portion control anyways. Eventually, your belly will get used to feeling full on this small plate portion and you’ll notice that body fat has disappeared when you look in the mirror.

Go By The Clothes

The scale can be a real debbie downer sometimes. A more realistic goal is to see how your clothes fit and look on you. If your maternity wear still feels the same as when you were pregnant, it may be time to kick things up a notch. If you find your maternity wear getting looser, or perhaps you’re fitting into your pre-pregnancy clothes, it might give you the confidence boost you need to achieve your weight loss goals.

Find Support Groups

There are lots of postpartum or mom groups in person and online. Find one that has the diet and fitness goals that align with yours for some extra support and advice. It will help you towards your goal of shedding those excess pounds.

Losing the baby weight is something every woman struggles with after having a baby. This can be something extremely depressing if not dealt with properly, especially if you gained a lot of weight with your pregnancy. Try at least one of these surprising ways to lose the baby weight so that you can feel happier and healthier soon.

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