7 weight loss tips for new mums

Tag: new mums

02
Feb
2017

7 weight loss tips for new mums

As much as these tips can help anyone wanting to lose weight healthily, I do think they are especially helpful for new mums, as it can be really challenging trying to balance your new-found duties as a mum, while wanting to put your weight loss high on the agenda. Below are 7 tips for new mums who would like to lose some post-baby weight and a little bit about why I’m keen to share my experience and tips.

1. Make your health a priority, too
I say this because I felt terribly guilty about wanting to find time to exercise or plan my meals in advance. A part of me kept thinking it could be time better spent – washing bottles, entertaining my little one or Googling whether a baby could die from hiccups (yeah, I really freaked out when my daughter first had hiccups. I chilled out when a midwife asked me “what would you do if you had hiccups?” my reply was “nothing”… and there was my answer!). If you have put on weight during pregnancy, it’s normal to want to lose that – especially if you feel unfit from it (as I did) or down about it (as I did). Plus, if you’re feeling your very best, that can only be a good thing for those around you surely?

2. Attend mum and baby fitness classes
These classes are great for entertaining your baby and it means you can exercise without having to find someone to look after your child. You’ll also meet other like-minded mums.

3. Go for a walk
Most babies love a little stroll in the buggy and I always found my daughter would drift off to sleep on walk too; plus its great exercise for you and a gentle way to improve your fitness.

4. Buy healthy ready meals
Make it all a little easier for yourself and have some healthy ready meals around for occasions when you might not have the time or energy to cook.

5. Take note of recommended serving sizes on packets
Checking to see the recommended serving size on various foods was a real eye-opener for me. You don’t need to follow the suggestions exactly, but it’s a handy guide if you think that your portions sizes may be a little on the large size.

6. Snack on fruit and veg
It’s good for you and isn’t time consuming to prepare.

7. Sleep when you can
Sleep is just as vital to healthy living as eating well and exercise. If you’ve planned to go for a walk or exercise when your baby is sleeping, but you’ve had a particularly bad night/night’s sleep – just have a kip too.

Why I’m sharing weight loss tips for new mums
During the first 20 weeks of my pregnancy, I really suffered with ‘morning’ sickness (I’m still angry it’s called that, when mine would literally last all day). For a while I thought I might surprise everyone, and myself, by not gaining too much weight when pregnant. “Maybe, I’ll actually lose weight”, I remember thinking one day… well, the fact that I have this blog reveals what happened next.

I ended up putting on 5 stone (and it was probably a little more than this, as I stopped weighing myself once I found out I was pregnant and only weighed myself a month after having my daughter). My little girl weighed around 7.5lbs – there was really no need to eat the way I did in the end! I was both amazed and disgusted at how much I had gained.

At the time I wasn’t too fazed (marvellously) by how much weight I wanted to lose. I had hoped a lot of it was water retention – pah, as if! What am I, a camel? And because I had lost almost 50lbs in time for my wedding in 2013, I thought I’d be able to lose it with ease. I lost two stone relatively quickly but then I stayed the same weight for over 9 months. It was really frustrating and a lot of it came down to not being able to get my head around my new life as a mum and how it could fit in with eating better and exercising regularly – to put it simply, I was just so tired!
At that time I did a few online searches for new mum weight loss tips and didn’t really find any guidance on how to put healthy eating and exercise into practice; and so that is why I’d like to share my experience and tips with anyone interested.

10
Sep
2016

Black mum, ‘white’ baby – I’m not the nanny

Categories: Baby & Me, Black Lives Matter

I was sitting in a cafe with my daughter when two ladies started talking to me. They were very friendly and explained how they were nannies and how many children they both looked after. It was a pleasant chit chat until I realised that they thought I was a nanny too and asked if I only looked after one child. I was mortified.

My dad is from Ghana and my mum is English (white) – I am mixed race. My husband is white from Wales. We both have dark hair and a parent on each side with blonde hair and blue eyes (my mum and his dad). Our little girl has very blonde hair, very blue eyes and (some would say) white skin (I would say light skin).

I like to think I have a sense of humour, and I have giggled more than a few times about her blondness and bright blue eyes. Her colourings couldn’t be any more different from mine – aren’t genetics incredible? Of course, none of this matters to me. She is my gorgeous girl and I’m proud of my heritage.

However, when I’m mistaken for the nanny it deeply hurts. This is my little girl, no one else’s. I’ve brought her up and I’m so proud of her – I want people to know I’m responsible for this little cutie. Plus, I went through quite some pain to bring her into the world – so I want credit for it!

What’s even more astonishing to me is that people close to me say how my daughter looks exactly like me, just with fair features. So how someone else can’t see that we’re related still shocks me.

I’m not alone, since having my little one I’ve met so many mixed raced mums with white other halves whose babies are fair. It’s lovely to bump into these families and feel I’m not alone. I only hope that more people start to understand how it is possible for a black woman to have a baby with light skin – and vice versa.

31
Aug
2016

Why does a broken routine lead to binge eating?

Categories: Weight Loss, Weight Watchers

I’ve spent the last few weeks visiting family and celebrating some special occasions with friends. It’s been such a lovely time but in the back of my mind I’m constantly beating myself up over not being able to stay in control of my eating when I’m away.

It means so much to me to to lose the excess weight I’m carrying, yet the sight of cake, ice cream, home cooked pies and prosecco makes me forget all of that instantly!

Breaking bad
I have a habit of either being really ‘good’ when it comes to my diet or ‘really bad’. I try to plan treats into my day, but if I go off course I tend to think – “Oh i’ve ruined it now, so I might as well go crazy and eat everything in sight!”. If I just stopped after a few squares of chocolate for example, it really wouldn’t be the end of the world – or the end of my diet – but do I do that? On this occasion the answer is a big no! I eventually got back on track and had two healthy days before my Weight Watchers weigh-in and I exercised on both days. Amazingly I lost 1lb!

With the new Weight Watchers plan there’s a lot of literature on positive thinking. My personal favourite is the 80/20 rule – the idea being that you make healthy choices for 80% of the time – after all no one is perfect! In hindsight I think this is something I obviously need to remember a little more often, and not let one slip up lead to binge eating on foods that could sabotage my weight loss efforts.

My goal for the next few weeks is to be a little kinder to myself, allow for treats in moderation; and have a go at saying no when I’m offered a tempting and high-calorie food that I know will just leave me feeling gross and too full.

22
Aug
2016

When nothing else fits pass me my lipstick

Categories: Baby & Me

In recent months I feel as though I’ve rediscovered makeup. Although I’ve always worn a little, I’ve never been too confident in how I apply it, or if I’m using the right shades and tones for my skin. Once my little one started to sleep better at night and I got more used to the demands of motherhood, I’ve started to do a few things just for me. Playing around with makeup is now one of those treats.

I decided to book a makeup lesson at my local salon and at Bobbi Brown. I absolutely loved the lessons and had so many eureka moments. Turns out I’ve always bought the wrong shade of foundation, used scrubs that would make my oily skin even more oily; and missed the mark on quite a few quick tricks that make the world of difference to how I apply makeup and the finished look.

The makeup artists who I had my lessons with were incredibly knowledgable and I had never really appreciated how much makeup artists need to know about skincare. It was truly fascinating and gave me such a boost.

I’ve been practicing everything they showed me and it’s funny how a little bit of blusher and lipstick can make you feel like you’ve been pampered. I’d happily not wear makeup all the time but it’s been lovely putting the professional advice into practice – especially on days when I’ve felt a little shoddy. So, when nothing else fits – pass me the lipstick!

20
Aug
2016

5 summer snacks that are Weight Watchers friendly

Categories: Food, Weight Watchers

I’m a huge snacker and so finding foods that are low in Weight Watchers SmartPoints that will either keep me full or satisfy my sweet tooth are a big must for me.

Here’s a little round up of the snacks I’ve been enjoying this summer.

Frozen grapes
Pop a box in the freezer and hey presto you’ve got yourself some nibbles! Frozen grapes are not only 0 SmartPoints they are also great for chewing or sucking on. I find I take a longer to eat a handful of frozen grapes than any other snack.

Popcorn
I love the sweet and salty variety and there are so many low calorie options in supermarkets and by the tills. They also make a good sharing alternative to a bag of crisps!

Banana ice cream
Freeze a loads of bananas and then blend them with vanilla extract and a drop of skimmed milk and there you have it – banana ice cream.

Hard boiled eggs
These little fellas are actually really filling. I like making a load at once and keeping them in the fridge. They’re great to have after a workout or before dinner (if you get peckish like me mid-afternoon).

Apple and almonds
A power plates instructor told that eating some almonds and an apple is a great post workout snack and you’re getting some good fats along with sugar to give you a boost. I’m paraphrasing and could be completely wrong but I like the idea of it!

19
Aug
2016

4 Reasons Why I’m Loving Weight Watchers

Categories: Weight Loss, Weight Watchers

Joining Weight Watchers has changed my life in more ways than one. For anyone who thinks the programme is for old ladies who just eat ready meals, you couldn’t be anymore wrong. I’m a huge advocate of the plan and here’s why…

P.S I promise no one from Weight Watchers has sponsored this post!

It Works
This first reason is pretty straightforward – Weight Watchers works! I feel like I’ve been on a diet my whole life, but it was only after I joined Weight Watchers that I saw real success. When you first join you’re given everything you need to be able to follow the plan – and you’re not alone. Their app is amazing for tracking what you eat and I’m a huge fan of the meetings – it’s a place where you can get real tips on how to eat healthily and lose weight.

It’s taught me how to cook
This is something I didn’t set out to learn, but I’m glad it happened by accident. As part of your membership you gain access to loads of recipes. They’re easy to follow and taste delicious. I’ve cooked the recipes for friends and family and no one ever knows (until I tell them) it’s come from my Weight Watchers stash of recipes. After testing out a few recipes, I was soon applying the methods I had learnt in creating my own dishes! Now that I’ve got the hang of it, cooking from scratch feels a lot easier (and tastes better) than depending on jars of sauces and so on.

It’s given my confidence a real boost
Being overweight not only makes my clothes feel uncomfortable or harder to move about doing everyday tasks, it really does get me down. When I’m carrying extra weight I don’t feel like myself and I simply want to hide from everyone and everything. I’ll wear all black and if possible I’ll do my best to get out of social functions. However, once those pounds start to fall off it’s literally a weight off your shoulders and you feel free in so many ways. Knowing i’m doing something active to change my eating habits for good, feels truly amazing. The plan has also showed me how vital it is to have a positive mindset to your weight loss and your relationship with food – it can make a huge difference to your success.

It’s made me active and I like it!
Weight Watchers isn’t just about eating the right foods. The programme also teaches you the importance of moving more and being active does get addictive! Being able to walk more, run for a little longer and have the energy to try new sports feels amazing. I was also the kid who made excuses to miss P.E – I still can’t believe that I now actually exercise voluntarily!

My Weight Watchers success so far…
I joined Weight Watchers after a friend I hadn’t seen in a long time turned up at my house looking amazing! I had to know her secret – It was Weight Watchers. That week I found my local meeting and went along. I was so nervous and afraid of being the biggest person there. Everyone in that room, from the leader to fellow members to the meeting helpers was fantastic. When I left with the plan details by my side, I was terrified that I wouldn’t be able to put the plan into practice – even though it all seemed straightforward. It took a tiny bit of time to get used to but by the end of the first week I got it. That week I lost 5 lbs! In the months that followed I got engaged and had an even bigger reason to finally lose the weight that had keep me down for so long. I lost almost 3 stone in time for my wedding day and felt amazing.

A year after I got married I fell pregnant and ate, ate, ate. Long story short, I put on 5 st during pregnancy. Having followed the plan before I thought i’d be able to pick up where I left off. However this time round has been so different as my whole lifestyle has changed. After some weight loss success over the course of a year I decided enough was enough – I needed to be back attending Weight Watchers meetings. I’m so glad that I did, as in the two months I’ve returned (properly) to Weight Watchers I’ve lost over a stone!

10
Jun
2016

Why I’m rejoining Weight Watchers

Categories: Baby & Me

Right, enough is enough. Although I’ve been ok with my exercise and diet, this weight is just not shifting. So, I’m heading back to Weight Watchers!

I lost almost 50lbs with Weight Watchers before, so I know it works. I thought I’d be able to follow the plan and just use the online tools but I think I need the meeting experience – getting practical tips from the leader and members. Plus, getting weighed by someone else each week might be the push I need to be really healthy and lose some excess weight.

I’ll keep you posted!

05
Jun
2016

Power Plates for Mums

Categories: Fitness

In recent years you may have noticed a new machine taking up a corner in your gym, or overheard a conversion about Power Plate classes. Read on to find out what they are and whether they’re the answer for new mums to improve their fitness after having a baby.

A Power Plate is a vibrating machine built for one person to use at one time. You can squat on it, perform press ups on it, do ab crunches on it and even use it to massage aching muscles. This piece of machinery has become a staple in many gyms and there are even studios that specialise in offering Power Plate classes. The vibrations cause your muscles to automatically contract and relax.

Why Use it?
The Power Plate makes performing traditional exercises harder and promises to give users an all-boy workout in just 20-25 minutes. It is also meant to help improve strength, balance, flexibility, circulation, the appearance of cellulite and aid weight loss.

Power Plates for Mums
The Power Plate was first created to help astronauts regain their muscle strength and muscle memory after spending prolonged periods in zero gravity environments – and to so so quickly. With this is mind, it could provide new mums with a fast and effective form of exercise – ideal for anyone who has had a break from regular activity. There are also Power Plate studios that offer post-natal classes, focusing on movements to help mothers regain their fitness but are sensitive to the areas of the body that will need a little extra care while performing certain exercises. What’s more, you can even purchase plates for home use too!

After having my baby I was keen to get back into fitness but I struggled with when I would exercise and worried that I wouldn’t be able to work out efficiently in the time I did have (which wasn’t very much!). A friend of mine, who has had two babies, recommended my local Power Plates studio. I went along for a free trial and loved it instantly! The vibrations took a little while to get used to, but once I did I really enjoyed my 20 minute workout. I felt as though I was using the time I had to exercise as best as possible and I was able to take my little one along with me. It definitely helped me feel fitter, gain confidence in exercising again and lose some of the weight I had gained during pregnancy.

29
Apr
2016

Mummy Diet Tips Made Easy

Categories: Weight Loss

When you enter motherhood there’s a lot to get used to and the lack of time for yourself is one of those things. This can be especially frustrating if you’re keen to get your diet and fitness back on track and lose some post-baby weight. For that reason we bring you some top tips to make losing weight a little easier.

1. Walk whenever possible
Walking is a great way to shift unwanted lbs and it’s a gentle way to reintroduce yourself to exercise. Use it as an excuse to check out local parks or simply to pick up a few bits and pieces from your local corner shop. Your walks needn’t be long but try and head out with you buggy everyday for a short walk. Some days your walk may be a quick 10 minutes and others you may walk for a good hour – mix it up and enjoy the fresh air. Plus, babies love the motion and often have a good nap during some time outside.

2. Incorporate a bit of exercise into everyday activities
Time is no longer a luxury for mums, so try to work in a little extra movement throughout your everyday pursuits. Challenge yourself to do 5 squats every time you make a bottle of milk, or to have a regular ‘disco’ hour with your little ones and dance around your living room. No matter how old, your baby or toddler will love dancing with their mummy and you’ll burn plenty of calories too. Find what works for you.

3. Invest in some good trainers
With all of the above in mind, a decent pair of trainers will make moving around a lot for comfortable and prevent any aches and pains. Treat yourself at the same time and go for a pair you really love.

4. Quick healthy meals
Keep your kitchen stocked with some really quick yet healthy meals you don’t need to think about too much. Here are some ideas…

• Soups that take just a few minutes in the microwave or on the hob
• Packs of mixed grains, Quinoa or brown rice that you could add a can of tuna too with some salad leaves
• Eggs – poach them, scramble them or make an omelette. Eat with some bread and, or salad.
• Fruit and vegetables (like carrot batons) you can nibble on throughout the day to keep hunger at bay
• Protein bars and shakes – there’s loads of them on the market and they really do keep you feeling ful if you’re peckish (and they’re good for you).
• Red split lentils – they’re really easy to cook and can be mixed with any meat, fish or root vegetable to make a tasty stew. They take around 20 minutes to cook, but once everything is in the pan you can leave these to simmer with little work from yourself.

Alternatively, experiment with some healthy dishes and then make them your ‘go-to meals’ when you’re pushed for time – batch cook your favourite recipes and keep some portions to enjoy in the freezer so you can heat them up anytime.

5. Get a blender
Blenders have dropped considerably in price in recent years and are a great way to get your 5-a-day. You could whip up a smoothie for breakfast or as a snack.

Here’s one to try…

• A few tablespoons of porridge oats
• A handful of blueberries and strawberries (frozen are great as they keep for ages and make the smoothie nice and cold)
• A few spinach leaves (you won’t notice the spinach in the taste but you’ll get all the goodness from it. Again, you can use frozen or freeze a fresh pack that you keep just for smoothies)
• A banana or ½ and avocado
• 250ml of almond milk (lower calories than your regular cow’s milk and gives the smoothie and creamy taste, but feel free to stick to your usual milk) or water.

Enjoy!