Best Strategy to Shed Post-Baby Weight

Are you struggling to shed extra pounds following a pregnancy? If so, a combination of diet and exercise is a more effective than dieting or exercising alone.

According to a Cochrane Systematic Review, women who combined diet and exercise lost more post-baby weight than women with a standard post-natal lifestyle.

Meanwhile, women who exercised without dieting--or dieted without exercising--did not lose more weight than women with normal care.

"As well as helping reduce body weight, exercise has the added advantage of improving the women's cardiovascular fitness and preserves fat-free mass," explains Amanda Amorim, an epidemiologist working in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. "Dieting alone reduces fat-free mass."

While pregnancy weight gain is inevitable (your baby's growth and development depend on it!), gaining too much weight during pregnancy makes it harder to shed the extra pounds after delivery.

And according to MayoClinic.com, failing to lose the excess weight within six months after giving birth puts you at a higher risk of being obese later.

Here are some diet and exercise tips to get your body back into shape:

Diet
1.Consume 3 small meals, 2 snacks, and 1 liter of water a day.
2. Have lean protein and vegetables at each feeding.
3. Eat clean; avoid sauces, dressings and butter. Grill, bake, steamed or poach your protein.
4. Choose brown rice, whole grain pasta and Ezekiel bread.
5. Eat legumes, beans, and nuts and enjoy fruits for dessert.

Exercise
1. If you're breast-feeding, feed your baby before you exercise.
2. Begin with light physical activity, such as walking or swimming.
3. Exercise in short sessions throughout the day and gradually increase the length and intensity of your workouts.
4. Include your baby in your exercise regimen--invest in a jogging stroller!
5. Target your core. You can’t spot reduce belly fat, but core exercises can help tone your abdominal muscles and strengthen your lower back.

You also don't need to spend a lot of money to get your pre-pregnancy body back (Trust Me, You Don't Need a Trainer to the Stars).

Why does this matter to you? Gaining weight while you’re pregnant is expected, but unfortunately, it doesn’t automatically disappear after giving birth. Make time to exercise and develop healthy eating habits to last a lifetime. And set realistic goals: Through diet and exercise, expect to lose about 1 pound a week. You will reach your goal weight eventually, but you will immediately benefit of a healthy lifestyle.