• Have Realistic Expectations. Let’s face it. Pregnancy, childbirth, and breastfeeding is hard on a body! It can certainly cause some irreversible changes such as stretch marks and some saggy skin and body parts here and there. Yet somehow baby makes it all so worth it! Here’s what you need to keep in mind though - many women get in the best shape of their lives after having a baby. There is no reason you can’t become optimally fit, healthy, and energetic despite the changes your body may have undergone. • Use being busy to your advantage. Your first few years of being a mommy will involve a whirlwind of activities and responsibilities. With a lack of time, some women resort to fast food and processed snacks but this will only work against you. Since there’s not much time to “live to eat” why not “eat to live” and go for maximum nutrition? “Superfoods” like green drinks (ask at a health food store if you don’t know what this is!) and protein shakes provide you with maximum nutrition and energy with minimum calories and preparation time. For other quick snacks on the run try “nature’s fast food” such as a handful of raw nuts and seeds or a piece of fresh fruit, An organic low-fat yogurt or cottage cheese sprinkled with muesli, or a raw food energy bar are also quick and easy. A consultation with a nutritionist to fine-tune your nutrition program and give you more snack and meal ideas is a great investment. • Smart Women Weight Train! Weight training whether done at home or at the gym is one of the most time efficient ways to achieve your best body. Just two or three 20-30 minute sessions per week can create very worthwhile results. Even a few sets of bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, dips, sit-ups, squats and lunges performed at home when you have a few free minutes during your day will make a noticeable difference. Not only does strength training burn plenty of calories and boost your metabolism for hours after your training session, but it builds muscle. And muscles are your fat burning engines! Each pound of muscle you add to your body will burn about an extra 50 calories per day. That means your metabolism will be higher even when you’re sitting on the couch! Adding 5 pounds of muscle for example, won’t make you look big and muscular, but it may give you some beautiful athletic curves and burn an extra 250 calories every day. And the best part? Being stronger will enable you to carry baby in one arm and 4 bags of groceries in the other! Train for life.
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