Beating the Postpartum Weight Loss Blues

The frustrations of weight loss after baby where to begin? You want to exercise. Not likely you'll do it before your babys 5 am feeding or after the 11 pm feeding. You need to eat healthier but don't have the time to cook nutritious meals. You're trying to diet but the scale is not budging.
On the bumpy road of losing weight after baby, there are lots of postpartum potholes. You have been tempted more than once to just give up! But before you pull over and call it quits, consider these ideas for beating the weight loss blues:


1. Think of the people you are doing it for. You want to be healthy for yourself, your husband and your kids. Look at a photograph of your family. Really look at them. Ask yourself this question, Are you giving them your very best? Whenever you need extra motivation to eat healthy and exercise, look at that picture again. It will mean the world to the people you love most if you are healthy and full of energy.


2. Keep a journal. Write down why you want to lose your baby weight. Whenever you are discouraged, read these reasons aloud. You can also use your journal as a place to vent. Jot down all your frustrations. It will be a mini-catharsis that will make you feel a lot better.


3. Lean on your accountability partner. In the Lord of the Rings, Frodo would not have made it to Mordor without the help of Sam. You need someone to cheer you on and get you back on track whenever you are tempted to quit.


4. Take a break from obsessing over it. I remember one day a few months after having my baby, I felt so frustrated by having to count calories and record what I was eating. I was hungry and mad. I needed a break. So when my kids were napping, instead of doing laundry or email, I went to my room and read in bed. I hadn't done that in months. Just switching channels and doing something relaxing gave me the perspective I needed to continue.


Today's Action Step: Which of these four things will you do today to encourage yourself?


When moms were asked what the most frustrating things are about losing weight after baby, they responded:
The lack of time and energy for working out

How long it takes to lose the weight?

How much weight is still left after baby is born?

The body changes that take place after pregnancy

Do these frustrations sound familiar? Facing reality of body after baby can be flat out depressing. So here are four easy things you can do to beat the postpartum weight loss:


1. Laugh. When was the last time you had a really good belly laugh? Laughter is great medicine. You can't laugh and feel sad at the same time. Go ahead and try it. It’s impossible! If you have a toddler, tune into their jokes. Laugh when they laugh and you will feel better in no time. People don't laugh because they are happy. They're happy because they laugh.


2. Sing. There is a very successful businesswoman named Heidi Roizen who had an ah-ha moment about weight loss. When she stepped on the scale and realized she weighed more than her husband, she knew something had to change. She looked for music to help inspire her to lose weight but she couldn't find any tunes with great lyrics. So she created her own! The CD is titled Skinny Songs and includes songs like Skinny Jeans,Thin! and The Incredible Shrinking Woman.Instead of soaking in misery, Heidi decided to sing and she succeeded in the process. When you sing positive songs, your postpartum blues will vanish.


3. Pray. Call on God to help you. When tough days came, I would pray something like this, Dear God, I feel discouraged. I can't seem to get everything done that I need to. I feel like a lousy wife and mom. Please help me know what I am supposed to do next and help me to be more disciplined with my diet and exercise. Give me the solutions I am looking for. And do you know what would inevitably happen? My mood would lighten and I would get a better perspective on things.


4. Plan. Have something to look forward to. When you have an event in your calendar that's fun on the horizon, it gives you hope. On the contrary, if you look at your calendar and all you see is grocery shopping and cleaning house, it can lead to despair! Make sure you carve out time for mini-weekend vacations and longer ones, dinner with friends, birthday parties, manicures, time alone, or movie nights. When you plan time for fun, you will be able to fight off those postpartum blahs.


So the next time you feel a case of the blahs coming on, remember to do these four easy things. When you laugh, sing, pray and plan, it gives you the power to overcome your weight loss blues.



About the Author

Visit Arlene's website for FREE resources to help you lose weight after baby at http://www.losingweightafterbaby.com and blog at http://losingweightafterbaby.wordpress.com