Getting back to the pre-pregnancy body has been one of my greatest dreams since giving birth. I always thought that if others could, why can’t I? Before I gave birth, I felt I’d be just as eager to work out as I was during my younger years (yes, I admit getting older).
However, no matter how much my brain wants to move every inch of my postpartum body, my body just isn’t cooperating. Somehow, I find it hard to bring exercise back to my habit even though I am just a SAHM.
Is it possible to get your pre-pregnancy body back?
While it can be hard, I know that it is possible to get the pre-pregnancy body back. I constantly see celebrities and models get back to their previous body sizes in just a snap of a finger. Woah! How did it happen?
With a little bit of exercise and lots of discipline, you can. But it isn’t really the easiest to stop yourself from taking a bite or two (or three, or four) of your favorite chip snack. We think that we deserve to enjoy because we do lots of house chores, unlimited picking up of toys, and even wake up in the middle of the night to feed the baby.
However, if you want to get back to your pre-pregnancy body fast, you need to stop binging on whatever your hands can reach. You need to eat healthy to lose that pregnancy fat that you’ve accumulated for nine months, or in my case, 36 months.
“But what if I crave unhealthy food?”
Of course, you can have them! But have them occasionally, not on all occasions. You can have a small bar of chocolate whenever you feel like eating, or drink a glass of wine during parties with friends.
As long as you know you will go back to healthy eating, you are on the right track. I know I am still far from getting my pre-pregnancy body. But I know I will get there so long as I know my worth and my body’s worth.
How to care for your postpartum body
I love beautifying myself: from applying moisturizers on my face to lathering silky body wash on my body. You name it, I am very meticulous when it comes to making myself look good.
What more way to look good than to make sure that the internal parts of my body are also taken care of. Here are some ways on how I give love to my postpartum body.
Eat healthily
I’m sure you’re very familiar with the saying that goes, “You are what you eat.” And no, you are not a pig when you eat pork, what it means is that your body benefits from healthy eating habits.
One of the best ways to lose weight is by stopping eating after you are 80% full. It takes time for our brains to know that our bodies have already reached their limit because digestion isn’t completed the minute you swallow your food.
So, if you want to make that postpartum body how you like it to be, be mindful of what you eat. Choose the most nutritious food on the menu. Try to limit your intake of carbs as they are composed of simple sugars that are easily broken down and make you hungry easily.
Incorporate good fats into your diet. Nuts and seeds are great snacks on days when you can’t have an appropriate meal. Many are rich in vitamins and make you look young for their vitamin E and omega fatty acid content.
Drink lots of fluid
Breastfeeding or not, our bodies need water for their optimal performance. Without it, our brain and other body organs can’t function well and can cause us to get headaches. What’s more, water helps flush out toxins from the body making us look and feel good.
If you are not a fan of water, you can have it in many different forms. You can drink hot soup or even a glass of infused water for more flavor. How about enjoying a hot cup of tea to replace plain water?
You can even enjoy the water with a bit of honey for more health benefits. Just make sure not to intake too much honey as it also add calories. Have you tried sparkling water? The carbonated liquid is like soda but without sweetness and flavor.
You can explore the many ways on how to enjoy water instead of the plain one. Just remember to replenish any lost fluids in the body to stay hydrated all day long.
Have enough sleep
It’s easy to get hooked on Korean drama or even Japanese drama now that there are many streaming services available. And there’s no better time to watch a series endlessly than when everyone in the household is asleep.
However, did you know that one of the ways on how to take care of the body postpartum is by not finishing an entire series in one night? It’s easy to get lost while getting all excited episode by episode but you have to sleep to recover from a day of lost energy.
Sleeping is as essential to our bodies as drinking water. Without it, you will lose that youthful glow you once had before the kdrama series came into existence. So long as you are getting enough sleep, that is 6 to 7 hours a day, you are good to go.
Workout
I can’t help but be lazy around especially during times when my body’s hesitant to move after all that horsing around with my toddler. However, I always try to remind myself that my body wouldn’t magically shrink if I keep on procrastinating about working out.
Find out what works well with your schedule and enjoyment, then stick to it. You can play sports or lift weights, or you can do yoga or aerobics if that’s what interest you. Why not play the classics, such as jump ropes or hula hoops?
Use sunscreen
Did you know that you increase your skin’s aging by facing in front of your computer monitor every day? And even by just staying at home, you can still get exposed to ultraviolet rays. So, whether you will go outside or stay at home all day, it is advisable to use sunscreen.
It didn’t occur to me that it is true until I had prescription glasses with transition lenses. Transition lenses turn brown or grey upon exposure to ultraviolet rays. And I noticed that even as a SAHM, my eyeglasses turn brown even if the sun doesn’t directly shine through our window.
And, since then, I knew I had to apply sunscreen to prevent premature skin aging. So, besides applying moisturizer, I also add a layer of sunscreen to protect my face as the skin there is more delicate compared with our other body parts.
Exercise brain
Besides exercising my postpartum body, I also try to exercise my brain. I knew that after receiving an epidural during childbirth, I knew that my brain might not function as how it used to. So, as much as possible, I do brain exercises.
What do I do? Besides writing, I also read different articles whenever I can. And I’m also into studying different languages whilst staying at home. Even though I’m far from being fluent, at least I know some casual words used.
I also crochet, and most of the patterns require you to compute the amount of yarn for each project. More often, I also have to use my brain computing for customized patterns. Counting is also crucial when crocheting.
So how else can you exercise your brain if my hobbies don’t appeal to you? There are many games that exercise the brain, such as sudoku, crossword puzzles, and board games. You can also read books, magazines, or articles online.
Do you say you are right-brained? You can use your right brain by creating art pieces. You can paint, draw, or do whatever interests you. Different hobbies work for each person, and there are lots for you to choose from.
The takeaway
If you ask me, “How long does it take to go back to my pre-pregnancy body?” I will tell you that it depends on you. Because only you can tell when you will give your postpartum body the love that it deserves.
After all, nobody can love ourselves more than us. So, the sooner you start loving your body, the sooner you are willing to work on it. I hope I have given you hope about going back to your pre-pregnancy body.
No matter what you do, bear in mind that loving your postpartum body is important because God made it the way it is. So long as you do what you can to keep it at its healthiest state, you are obeying what God wants you to do.
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Do you have other tips on how you have lost your pregnancy weight? I’d love to hear about them in the comments section below.
