HELP! how to lose your excess fat from having a baby

[aaronchandler]

hello everyone, my wife and i just had a baby and we were wondering whats the best way to lose all the baby fat she gained (about 15lbs) best diet? cardio? thanks for your help

[moody_weasel]

Originally posted by aaronchandler
hello everyone, my wife and i just had a baby and we were wondering whats the best way to lose all the baby fat she gained (about 15lbs) best diet? cardio? thanks for your help

Congrats on the baby!

The best diet is to simply eat clean - no junk food, no soda - and watch your calorie intake. Your wife should simply burn more calories than she consumes. I good way to burn calories is cardio as is lifting, however, I think I want to be really careful what I recommend to a young mother so I need you to answer some questions.

Does your wife breastfeed?
If so, she will probably need all the bodymass she has. A friend of mine had a baby-boy and she lost an incredible amount of weight through breastfeeding. She told me she had problems eating enough to not lose any more weight.

Does she get enough sleep?
A new baby tends to interrupt your sleep so I would rather not suggest a workout schedule that might put too much stress on your wife.

Did your wife workout before having the baby, what's her overall fitness like?

If you answer those questions it will be easier to give appropriate advise.

[aaronchandler]

hello, she worked out a little bit before we got pregnant we went dancing alot, and we walked alot. but that was about it. she is not breastfeeding she could not produce enough milk. the baby keeps us up about 1-2 hours a night.she also worked alot before the baby so that helped to.thanks for your time we appreciate it

[moody_weasel]

Alright, first of all I'd like to say that it's normal to lose the excess fat over a period of 9 months to a year after birth. That said I suggest that your wife take her time with her diet. Make sure you don't go on an extreme diet, i.e. don't let her reduce calories too much. It's counterproductive. You need to figure out how many calories she needs per day and then reduce that number by about 200 - 300.

I'll give some pointers on a good diet below, the information was first posted by BuffedWildCat on this forum and is reposted without permission. I'm sure BuffedWildCat won't mind.

If your wife wants to do cardio I suggest something like 20 to 30 min 2 - 3 times per week. If she's not up to it yet, let her start with 10 minutes. She can always work up to more.
It does sound like she is in OK shape though. In any case, she doesn't necessarily have to do cardio as in jogging, treadmill or so but could go for a walk with the baby instead. Half an hour to 45 minutest at a brisk pace will burn some extra calories and that's what your wife is looking for.

Here are BuffedWildCats nutrition guidelines:


This is what it takes to get the physique she desires...

Other than the guidelines I'm posting, it just takes CONSISTENCY & PATIENCE.

90% OF IT IS DIET, DIET, DIET

NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES FOR REDUCING BODY FAT:

1. Eat every 2-3 hours, balanced meals of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. Exception: you don't necessarily have to eat carbohydrates with your last meal or two of the day, you CAN just eat protein and fat. Unless it's post workout (post strength training), then you NEED to eat some carbs.

2. Try to keep the protein intake in each of your meals consistent. If you are resistance/strength training, eat a minimum of your bodyweight in grams of protein, divided up equally into each of your meals.

3. Don't be afraid of fat, you NEED fat in order to BURN fat. You need to turn your body into a fat burning machine. In order to do this, you keep your carbs fairly low (30-40 grams per meal is a good rule of thumb) and your fat intake moderate. As in, the lower your carbs, the more fat you should be consuming.

4. Avoid sugars and over-processed foods like the plague. Read your labels, avoid food with sugar listed in the ingredients.

5. Avoid processed foods, like those in boxes/packages and also anything made with white flour. White flour is over-processed. Also anything that says, "enriched" avoid it as well, it basically means over-processed.

6. Eat as close to nature as you can. In other words, the closer the food to how it occurs in nature, the better for you it is, and ESPECIALLY for fat burning.

7. Avoid starchy carbs like corn, bread (esp white bread), pasta.

8. For your last meal or two of the day, consume only green veggies for your carbohydrates. Generally for your last meal you should consume less carbohydrates and more fat.

9. Last but not least, do NOT cut your calories too low. For starters I wouldn't even drop ANY calories. I would eat maintenance calories (eat normally) and just focus on cleaning up your diet (get rid of drinking sodas, etc) and getting consistent with a good macronutrient ratio (protein, carbs, fat). Some examples of good cutting ratios (percentage of total calories) are: 40P/30C/30F, 40P/25C/35F, 40P/20C/40F, or 35P/35C/30F etc.

10. A good website (free) to help you keep track of your calories, protein, carbs, and fat is: www.fitday.com

Here are some good choices for foods to eat, conducive to burning fat and/or staying lean. If the food you are eating is not on this list, I would question it.

PROTEINS

Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
Tuna (water packed)
Fish (salmon, seabass, halibut)
Shrimp
Extra Lean Ground Beef or Ground Round (92-96%)
Venison
Buffalo
Ostrich
Protein Powder
Egg Whites or Whole Eggs
Ribeye Steaks or Roast
Top Round Steaks or Roast (aka Stew Meat, London Broil, Stir Fry)
Top Sirloin (aka Sirloin Top Butt)
Beef Tenderloin (aka Filet, Filet Mignon)
Top Loin (NY Strip Steak)
Flank Steak (Sir Fry, Fajita)
Eye of Round (Cube Meat, Stew Meat, Bottom Round , 96% LeandGround Round)
Ground turkey, Turkey Breast Slices or cutlets (fresh meat, not deli cuts)
Soy Burgers
Low-fat cottage cheese

SLOW BURNING/COMPLEX CARBS

Oatmeal (Old Fashioned or Quick Oats)
Sweet Potatoes (Yams)
Beans (pinto, black, kidney)
Oat Bran Cereal
Rye Cereal
Grape Nuts
Brown Rice
Farina (Cream of Wheat)
Multigrain Hot Cereal
Whole wheat or Spinach Pasta
100% Stoneground Whole Wheat Bread

FIBROUS CARBS

Green Leafy Lettuce (Green Leaf, Red, Leaf, Romaine)
Broccoli
Asparagus
String Beans
Okra
Spinach
Bell Peppers
Brussel Sprouts
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Celery
Cucumber
Eggplant
Green or Red Pepper
Onions
Pumpkin
Garlic
Tomatoes
Zucchini

FRUIT

Apples
Grapefruit
Peaches
Strawberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Lemons or Limes

HEALTHY FATS

Natural Peanut Butter
Olive Oil or Safflower Oil
Nuts (peanuts, almonds)
Flaxseed Oil

BEVARAGES

Crystal Light
Green Tea
Other Tea (without sugar)
Coffee (without sugar)

CONDIMENTS

Mayonnaise
Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
Reduced Sodium Teriyaki Sauce
Balsamic Vinegar
Salsa
Hot Peppers and Hot Sauce
Chili powder
Mrs. Dash
Steak Sauce
Sugar Free Maple Syrup
Chili Paste
Mustard
Extracts (vanilla, almond, etc )
Low Sodium beef or chicken broth
Plain or reduced sodium tomatoes sauce, puree, paste)
Stevia (natural sweetener)

Written by:

BuffedWildCat
Body Solutions Personal Trainer

__________________
Mod @ bodybuilderselite.com

[aaronchandler]

thanks moody_weasel you have been very helpful, and thanks for taking the time to share your info with us we thank you very much and my God bless you and your family thanks aaron & gladys chandler

[moody_weasel]

Originally posted by aaronchandler
thanks moody_weasel you have been very helpful, and thanks for taking the time to share your info with us we thank you very much and my God bless you and your family thanks aaron & gladys chandler

You're welcome!
Good luck with the baby.

Nicky.