Guest Post: Moore from Katie

Getting Your Body Back: Diet and Exercise Tips for Postpartum Women

A mother's body changes outrageously over the course of the 9 months of pregnancy and many women are left with extra pounds in places like the hips, breasts and even arms. Media moms, like actresses and singers, that get their bodies back quickly after pregnancy can be deceiving; most famous moms have nannies, trainers and personal chefs armed with the tools to make them their old selves quickly and should not be our role models.

So what is the average mom with a packed schedule and without an army of help to do? Is there any hope? Fortunately, with a few tips and habit changes, any woman can be successful in losing weight and inches.

The most important thing a new mom can do is to take her time beginning a routine. If the delivery was a vaginal delivery, strenuous exercise should wait 4-6 weeks when until she is cleared by her doctor. Just like your doctor gave you information on pain management medicine, circumcision, and maybe even cord blood banking; the doctors are the experts and they know what is the most effective and efficient way to remain healthy while trying to loose the extra pounds.

I know I was tempted to workout during the first few weeks after giving birth, I just wanted to have my old body back. During that time of waiting, kegel exercises and short walks around the home were the extent of my exercise routine. For more light exercise tips for the first few weeks, many hospitals have websites providing exercise ideas and tips. Remember to start slowly and stop when winded or light-headed.

Before exercise routines can begin again, you can make dietary changes to jump start weight loss. Make sure to follow all caloric recommendations if breastfeeding because it takes more calories per day to make enough milk for the baby. Otherwise, these changes can also be utilized by anyone seeking a healthy lifestyle. Adding fruit and vegetables and cutting out certain fats and sweets helped me to start to yield results. I increased my fiber intake by eating whole wheat bread, oatmeal, and whole-wheat pastas that were more filling. Yogurt and light cheeses such as skim string cheese were my favorite healthy snacks!

After I was given the green light for exercise, I started slowly and tried for at least 30 minutes to one hour of exercise 3 to 4 times a week for weight loss. In addition, short walks throughout the day with my baby in a stroller allowed me to get some fresh air in addition to exercise. My advice: work up to the longer workout and don't beat yourself up if you can't do as much. Short bursts of 10 minutes can be just as beneficial. Try doing a toning video for 10 minutes while the baby naps. Clean the house for 10 minutes after the baby is down for the night. A 10-minute rotation of jumping jacks, pushups, squats, and running in place in the morning can jumpstart cardio.

Kickboxing videos, hip-hop classes at a local gym with childcare and treadmill runs are good cardio choices for longer workouts when ready. Mostly working on cardio, with toning and light stretching rounding out the workout, can put any mom down the path to the best body possible!

Katie Moore wrote this article. Katie is an active writer within the blogging community who discusses maternity, motherhood, prenatal health, childbirth and other topics within this niche.  If you have any questions or would like to connect with Katie please contact by visiting her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter @moorekm26.