Written by Rashi Singhania

I read somewhere that if your baby has started walking and talking you can no longer credit those extra pounds to childbirth. So technically, I should have gone back to my old self and my original (pre baby weight). Well I’m nowhere close to it. This would obviously put inordinate amounts of pressure on new mommies to eat right and exercise consistently. However, it isn’t always so simple.

I often think the baby has taken after his father in terms of laziness. He makes very little effort to walk since he can get most done on all fours. But I think I’m lazier when it comes to sports or outdoor activity of any kind. I enjoy walking and working out but the monotony of hitting a gym or running on a treadmill begins to bore me. For those of you who know me and are familiar with my blog, you would know that I love food and therefore being surrounded by a spouse and family who love their desserts and fried food doesn’t help me in the least.

The truth of the matter is it’s really hard to lose that baby weight. It requires a lot of hard work and dedication. Some girls have it easy but the rest of us not so much. We need to work out, we need to watch what we eat and eat healthy to see results.

I’m all for body positivity and size does not matter as long as you are happy… but if you are miserable being over-weight (like I am) then you NEED to do something about it. Assuming you are only reading on because YOU WANT to lose weight, let’s begin with a few hacks that have helped me. 

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again that its a tough game but you have to realise that you aren’t competing with anyone, not with your relatives or the other mommy on the block. Set realistic targets over a 3 month period and don’t give up without giving it your best shot.

One thing that really worked for me in these months is to declutter your pantry and your kitchen. Remove food that would otherwise tempt you like mithais, ladoos, sodas, desserts, cake mixes and anything with refined flour or sugar. Also, lets do away with the excuses. We all are too familiar with the “oh it’s winter, one muffin couldn’t hurt”. This needs to stop. If you allow yourself to eat healthy through the week or at least 80 percent of the time you can allow yourself some leeway to indulge mindfully (yes, mindfully) on special occasions like birthdays and anniversaries.

Eating healthy, eating things that your body actually requires and eating every 3 hours in important. Any other sort of crash diet is going to leave you feeling weak, unhealthy and mentally low. Think about your body like a well oiled machine, if you give it food that is nutritious, satisfying and delicious- you will have more energy to workout and to reach your goals. However, if you starve yourself all day only to binge on junk food afterwards you’ll experience fatigue, low motivation, sugar rush followed by a crash and irritability.

If you’re thinking I’ve become some sort of expert in weight loss. No I haven’t, I’ve just had enough unwanted fat around the belly to annoy me to the point of actually wanting to do something about it. And I’ve realized it’s all about self-control and dedication. 

The dedication, with which we feed our babies every single meal, is what our mind needs to be tuned to as we follow these diets. It isn’t selfish to take care of yourself after you have your baby. Besides, if you will healthier and happier in your own skin, chances are you’ll be a happier person to be around and more active around your baby too.

You will be denied most food that is comforting, loving and what you want to eat so yes it’ is a big test of your self-control. When weeks later you dig into that bar of chocolate you will actually have a warm fuzzy feeling inside of you. Yes ladies I’ve been there, I’ve had that feeling and it’s beautiful, but not as beautiful when the scale tells you you’ve dropped 2 kilos and you can actually button up your pre pregnancy jeans!! I hope I’ve inspired you enough to start this journey with me. Without taking too much of your time I am going to list out a few points to keep in mind.

1. Diet is going to be more important than any form of exercise. You may plan to kill yourself on the treadmill, but don’t. No amount of exercise can outrun a bad diet. Remember, a healthy balanced diet can do wonders for your mood, energy levels, metabolism , skin and prevent a host of different diseases.

2. Figure out ways to motivate yourself to move and move often. Buy cute workout clothes, download fun music and change your form of exercise from time to time to drive away monotony and keep yourself from getting off the bandwagon. Crosstraining will help keep you motivated and keep your muscles guessing. You can go swimming one day of the week and join your friend for a zumba class another day. If you live in a clean city, you can even put on your headphones and head to the park for a walk or a run.

3. These things take time so do not lose hope if you don’t see instant results. Give your self cheat days – treat yourself to an occasional chill day so you feel better about the process. Don’t berate or punish yourself if you don’t see your body changing immediately. All good things, including progress in the body take time.

4. Don’t be ashamed of this journey that you are on. Tell your friends about your goals and let your spouse and family help and support you. Own it girl!!

5. Finally, avoid following diet programs off the Internet. Your body is unique and no two bodies work in the same way so a generic diet plan will only leave you frustrated.

Instead, work with a dietician who is present, available and understands your body type, lifestyle and cravings. Someone who can customise a diet plan based on your needs and your activity levels. Work with someone who is there to listen to you when you are feeling frustrated and can recommend supplements to help boost your immunity while you are shaping up.

All the very best, ladies. Until next time. xoxo

With edits from Jia Singh
About the Author-
Rashi is a 28 year old who is a doting wife and mother. She lives in Kolkata and started a blog called ‘Mother in the making’ a little over a month ago. The blog is a space for all young mothers to feel comfortable and have their questions answered. She realises that motherhood can be daunting and terrifying all at once, it becomes a lot easier if we reach out and ask for help. This blog is fun and doesn’t dole out preachy, boring advice but easy to follow hacks.

https://motherinthemakingblog.wordpress.com/