Once your doctor gives you the all clear to start working out, losing weight after pregnancy is pretty much the same as losing weight at any other time. Get more exercise and eat a balanced diet and you will lose weight. I make it sound so easy, don’t I?

Many first time moms are astonished to go home and to take that first post baby look in a full length mirror. I know I thought that once I delivered my baby (all 10 lbs of her!) that the rest of the weight would be gone. Not so much, but it actually does go pretty quickly when you get home.

The fact is that after your baby is born, even before you are fully recuperated, your body will start to bounce back. Just the busy daily routine you are undertaking will start to make positive changes in your muscle tone.

Eventually, though, after you settle in to your new lifestyle, you will want to take your fitness and weight loss efforts up a notch. When that time comes, here is some good advice for you to follow:

1. Most women see the biggest difference in their stomachs and mistakenly think that doing thousands of crunches is where they should concentrate their efforts. Wrong. There is no such thing as ‘spot reducing’. If you want your waistline back you will have to lose weight and that happens with a balanced diet and a whole body exercise plan.

2. Stay away from quick fix cleanses and fad diets. You’re a mom and you have children depending on you. The last thing you need is anything that will make you feel tired and sluggish (after all, you just gave birth to something that can make you feel tired and sluggish, why add to it!).

3. With young children it can be a challenge to find the time to work out. Not to worry. You can make a huge positive impact on your body with 15 minute power workouts throughout your day.

If you don’t have time to spend 30 minutes straight on a treadmill, how about just 15 minutes of some form of activity? Something as simple as a few jumping jacks, a few minutes of jump roping, or even taking your newest addition for a walk in their stroller can be all you need.

4. Don’t forget to take care of yourself either. Get dad to take the baby at least for a few minutes every day to give you some much needed down time. Stress has a way of making you hang on to your excess body weight. Even a 15 minute soak in your tub, all by yourself, in peace and quiet can make a world of difference.

With some common sense, and realistic expectations, losing weight after pregnancy doesn’t have to be the daunting task it may seem. Just make sure to take good care of yourself and you will be better able to take care of your new (screaming and puking) bundle of joy!

Tags: Balanced Diet, Body Exercise, Daily Routine, Exercise Plan, Fad Diets, Full Length Mirror, Good Advice, Healthy Diet, Jumping Jacks, Losing Weight, Losing Weight After Pregnancy, Muscle Tone, Notch, Positive Changes, Power Workouts, Pregnancy Baby, Stomachs, Time Moms, Treadmill, Undertaking, Waistline, Weight Loss Efforts —

Quick Weight Loss Centers And If They Can Help You

You are curious about quick weight loss centers and if they can help you like they say they can. Well, yes they can but do not be fooled, the ‘quick’ may not be as quick as you think. Healthy weight loss takes time. If you do it too quickly you could get sick and lose muscle tone instead of fat.

There are many weight loss centers that are popular today and despite what you may think some of them actually can be good for you. We all know that having a lot of excess body fat is bad for your health. It can lead to cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes, just to name a few. Losing weight and getting in better physical shape just makes sense.

If you want to jump start things before starting with one of the quick weight loss center and if they can help you, you could consider cleansing, this is when you go on a mostly, or all, liquid diet for up to a week before starting your diet. During the entire time you will flush out all of the toxins that are keeping your body from functioning to it’s full potential. There are many cleansing programs around today. Find one you like and get to it.

This is an example of great rapid weight loss diets that will not only jump start your weight loss efforts it will also help you clear out the toxins in your system. Most people who have taken a cleansing program have been able to lose up to ten pounds in a week. Granted it is mostly water weight but the greater benefit is the toxins that are removed from your body.

Now the cleanse is done so you can start up with the weight loss center and keep on losing weight. The centers will not only provide some of the food you will be eating, they will show you how to change the way you think about your relationship with food. I know you have seen the celebrities who have lost weight on TV taking about how they had wonderful mentors and coaches to help them through to their weight loss goals.

If you join one of these weight loss centers, you will have the same opportunities as these celebrities have had. You will get your own mentor or coach to see you through to your weight loss goal.

Most of these weight loss centers today actually deliver your food right to your front door. They have made losing weight so convenient it is almost impossible to not find one that will work for you.

The most important aspect about any of the quick weight loss centers and if they can help you is the fact that they show you how to maintain the weight you have lost after you lose it so you can stay thin and healthy at your goal weight for the rest of your life.

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If you want to learn about fast weight loss exercises you can start with a combination of cardiovascular exercises and weight training. First, though, be sure to talk to your doctor to find out if it is ok to begin an exercise routine, especially if you have not exercised in a while to find out if you are healthy enough to exercise. Regular exercise will help increase muscle tone and increase endurance so you will be able to spend more time walking, running or just playing with your kids a couple of times a week after dinner. So have that conversation and do what your doctor says is OK to do.

Cardiovascular exercises strengthen the most important muscle of the body, your heart. Your lungs benefit, too by being able to function better. Cardiovascular exercises consist of walking or running on a treadmill, using a stair stepper, elliptical machine or stationary bike and getting your heart rate up to a maximum level and sustaining that rate for up to 20-30 minutes.

Another type of fast weight loss exercises is strength training or weight lifting. Strength training consists of using exercise machines and free weights either at home or in a gym. Weight machines are usually the best to start out on because they offer some stability and help prevent injuries. Free weights can be introduced to you regimen slowly after your core strength has improved.

Use correct form when lifting and be careful not to lift too heavy of a weight at first. You want to be able to move your extremities tomorrow. Choose a comfortable weight and do your sets slow and controlled. With every rep count to seven, yeah do them that slow. Up for seven, down for seven. No bouncing or flinging of weights is allowed, slow and controlled is the way to go if you want maximum results. There is also a new theory out there that states if you do only one set with a heavier weight and take your muscles to fatigue, (which means you could not do one more rep even if you wanted to), you will get even faster results.

Do yourself a favor, stop jumping on every new diet that some new celebrity has endorsed, they never work. The reason that celebrity looks the way they look is because they can afford a personal trainer who literally kicks their butt every single day. What does work is eating healthy, paying close attention to what you are putting in your mouth and getting regular exercise. Make it a routine. Make an appointment with yourself everyday at the same time until you can’t start or finish your day without it. You cannot afford to miss your workout.

Your diet should be full of lean meats, fish, fresh fruits and vegetables. Stay away from carbohydrates like bread and potatoes. Learn new healthy ways to cook. Learn how to read food labels. Make sure that the fat percentage to the total calories is no more than 30%. Combining diet and fast weight loss exercises is the way to lose the weight and keep it off forever.

Tags: Cardiovascular Exercises, Core Strength, Elliptical Machine, Exercise Machines, Exercise Routine, Exercise Weights, Extremities, Food Labels, Free Weights, Healthy Diet, Heart Rate, injuries, Losing Weight, Maximum Level, Maximum Results, Muscle Tone, Personal Trainer, Playing With Your Kids, Running On A Treadmill, Stair Stepper, Stationary Bike, Strength Training, Weight Lifting, Weight Loss Exercises, Weight Training —

A friend of ours wants to have an abdominoplasty procedure done. When she first told us about this, all we could do was look at each other. Afterwards, when we were by ourselves and were able to discuss it more, I made the comment that I thought she was nuts to want to have anything done.

Why? Because she weighs about 100 lbs soaking wet and works out like a fiend every single day. How could she possibly need to have a tummy tuck? Well, I was wrong to jump to any conclusion like that. She explained at a later date that even though she works out like a fiend, she is still getting older and the skin around her middle is starting to get saggy. It is because she works out so diligently that she wants to continue to look her best.

Can’t blame a woman for that now can you?

The procedure she will have is called a mini-tuck where an incision is made, minimal liposuction performed if any is needed, and the skin tightened, then stitched closed. The belly button does not require relocation with a mini-tuck. A drain tube is inserted into the incision to drain excess fluid. The lower abdomen is then wrapped with a compression dressing. Pain control using a prescribed narcotic or, if the pain is minimal, then over the counter pain relievers may be used. Recovery time is 2-3 weeks with a mini-tuck.

So, I learned my lesson. I learned that even someone who is in great shape and has incredible muscle tone can still be in need of firmer skin in certain areas of her body.

I have another friend who had an abdominoplasty procedure after having two pregnancies which resulted in two very big babies, 10 lbs and 11 lbs, respectively. She lost all the baby weight but since both the babies had to be taken Cesarean and were so big to begin with she ended up with a lot of excess skin in that area and she was told the muscles of her abdomen would never recover.

Obviously, the procedure she had done was a full tummy tuck which involved “baseball stitching” the damaged muscles, removing any fat remaining with liposuction, stretching the skin taut, trimming off the excess, relocating the belly button and closing the incision. Drain tubes were inserted to help keep fluid from accumulating and aid recovery. The area is then wrapped tightly with a compression dressing to help support the muscles. A narcotic analgesic will be prescribed to control the pain and discomfort associated with the procedure. Recovery time is approximately six weeks with a full tummy tuck.

So, if you are looking for a toned, flat belly, check out board-certified plastic surgeons in your area and call for a consult. Ask what your options are and if they think you are a good candidate for surgery. You may find that you are making one of the smartest decisions you have ever made in your life. Just think, no more battle of the bulge!

Although not recommended as a substitute for a weight loss or diet regimen, an abdominoplasty procedure can help correct the problem areas left behind when all is said and done.

Tags: Abdominoplasty, Baby Weight, Baseball Stitching, Belly Button, candidate for surgery, Damag, Drain Tube, Excess Fluid, Excess Skin, Fiend, Firmer Skin, Great Shape, Healthy Diet, Incision, Incredible Muscle, Liposuction, Losing Weight, Lower Abdomen, Muscle Tone, Pain Relievers, Pregnancies, Recovery Time, Single Day, surgery, Tummy Tuck —