Losing weight after having a baby

Overview

Three months is plenty of time to lose a significant amount of weight. The American Obesity Association recommends that you try to lose at most 1 to 2 lbs. a week. Learn from the success of people who use the National Weight Control Registry, which is a database for people that have lost 30 lbs. or more and maintained their weight loss for at least a year. Eighty-nine percent of people in the database attribute their weight loss to a combination of dieting and exercising. Follow a program that includes exercise on most days of the week and reduce your calories to lose approximately 12 to 24 lbs. in three months. Continue with the program if you wish to lose more weight and keep it off.

First Month Step 1

Exercise at a moderate intensity two days a week. Moderate intensity means you can talk while you exercise, but you won’t be singing along to the radio, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Do 30 minutes, five days a week. The CDC recommends activities such as brisk walking, water aerobics and cycling on flat roads. A stationary exercise bike or treadmill will work, too. You can use any cardio equipment you want, as long as you do not push yourself past the point where you can hold a conversation.

Step 2

Keep a food diary, as recommended by Andrea Wenger Hess, a nutritionist at the University of Maryland’s Joslin Diabetes Center.

Step 3

Cut your daily calories by 250. Wenger Hess says that you should eat no fewer than 1,200 calories per day if you are female and 1,400 calories per day if you are male.

Second Month Step 1

Add exercise at a light intensity two days a week. Light intensity means you can sing and talk easily while you exercise. Going for a stroll, doing gentle aerobics or washing your car can all count as light intensity, as long as you can sing. Do 30 to 60 minutes of exercise for each light and moderate exercise day.

Step 2

Plan your meals in advance and eat something everything three hours. The National Academy of Sports Medicine says that eating frequent, small meals will raise your metabolism.

Step 3

Cut your calories to 500 fewer than your original calorie count to further lose weight, if your total calories are still above 1,200. The American Obesity Association says that 500 calories a day of calorie restriction can result in 1 lb. a week of weight loss.

Third Month Step 1

Add two days of high-intensity interval training (HIIT). Paul Robbins, the metabolic specialist for Athlete’s Performance in Arizona, says that an ideal cardio schedule includes two days a week of light-, moderate- and high-intensity workouts each. Do 40 minutes of light exercise and 20 minutes or less on moderate- and high-intensity days.

Step 2

Use a 30-second and 90-second interval pattern for high-intensity interval days, as recommended by Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist Tony Gentilcore. Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists provide strength and conditioning training for athletes. Do 30 seconds of high-intensity “sprints” followed by 90 seconds of light-intensity exercise for recovery. Use any activity you enjoy.

Step 3

Cut your calories to 1,000 fewer than your original calorie count to further lose weight, if your total calories are still above 1,200 or 1,400, depending on whether your a woman or a man. Continue to eat four to six small meals.

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