When a woman has a baby, her new little bundle of joy becomes her top priority. For many women though, another priority is to lose their pregnancy weight. Losing weight after pregnancy may take time, and therefore, patience, but rest assured, it can be done! This article will give you simple tips on making healthier choices. They will help you to not only lose your baby weight, but to keep it off for good.

Healthier Craving Options

Losing weight after pregnancy can be challenging when cravings hit. When craving something salty, opt for snacks such as popcorn (sans butter), pistachios, whole grain pretzels, or multigrain chips and salsa.

Got a craving for sweets? Choose things like fruit, 100% fruit popsicles, low fat pudding, good quality dark chocolate (no more than an ounce in a day), or angel food cake with strawberries topped with a light whipped cream.

Note: Remember to eat these snacks in moderation and keep portions on the smaller side.

Dining Out

When eating out at restaurants, choose healthier options and remember portion control. Many restaurants nowadays serve portions that are way too big for one person, so keep that in mind.

For fast food, instead of opting for the meal combo, choose a smaller burger. Instead of fries, have a side salad (easy on the dressing), or fruit or veggies if those are an option.

Another good idea is to plan ahead. Many restaurants now have websites with their menus listed as well as the amount of calories, fat, etc. in each item. Find lower fat/calorie items that appeal to you and then when you get to the restaurant, you are all ready to order. Easy peasy!

Note: Avoid buffets at all costs! It is just way too easy to over-eat at buffets with all of that food just calling out your name.

Exercise – The Fun Kind

Ok, you may think that’s completely nuts to even put the words “fun” and “exercise” together like that but exercise can be fun, really. Of course, losing weight after pregnancy is going to take more than just eating healthy. You have to combine a good diet with good amounts of exercise.

So, how can you make exercise fun, you ask? There must be something that you love to do that requires movement, right? Some examples are swimming, dancing, a favorite sport (tennis, golf, baseball, soccer, etc.), roller or ice skating, bike-riding, etc.

Or maybe there is something you think might be fun to try? Don’t be shy, go ahead and try it! Maybe you’d like to try something different like a Zumba class, stroller fit class (with baby), a belly-dancing class, or maybe even pole-dancing (which is a great workout).

There are many inexpensive workout DVDs that you can also buy that have a variety of different workouts such as kickboxing, strength-training, Zumba, yoga, bootcamps, etc.

If you do something fun, you are more likely to keep up with your exercise routine.

Important Note: Please make sure you have the “go ahead” from your doctor before beginning any kind of exercise routine.

Junk Food

If you live with someone (partner/spouse/children) who has not so healthy snacks constantly in the house, it is a good idea to have these in a place that is out of sight from you. You know the old saying “Out of sight, out of mind!”.

As for healthy food, keep it more in sight and ready to grab and eat. Wash and cut up fruit and veggies, so they’re ready for you when you want them. For example, keep bananas, etc. in a bowl on your kitchen table and have healthy fruits and vegetables in the front of the fridge.

Weigh-In

Weighing yourself once a week is a good idea to help with losing weight after pregnancy. This is so that you can keep track of what is and isn’t working for you in regards to what you are eating, how often you are exercising, etc.

For example, let’s say you find that when you weigh yourself at the end of a week, that you didn’t lose any weight. You may need to make some adjustments to your diet, food portions, or what you are doing in terms of exercise.

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Just keep in mind, once again, that losing weight after pregnancy can take time. Just put these 5 tips to the test, stick with it, and you will get there. It is healthier to lose weight gradually rather than at a fast pace, so aim for no more than 2 pounds per week. All the best in your weight loss journey!