7 Ways I am Losing Weight Postpartum (After Losing 50 Pounds the First Time)

Health
losing weight postpartum

Losing 50 pounds postpartum took a lot of trial and error. But doing so equipped me with the knowledge I need to do it again after my second baby. If you want specifics on what I did the first time, check out this post: How I Lost 50 Pounds.

I learned how important food quality is and how to get the most out of my workout in a short timeframe.

Now I get to bypass the mistakes I made the first time and get my results much quicker. I have around 25 pounds to lose this time.

Let’s go over what I did right the first time, and my plan for losing weight postpartum this time.

1. Nutrition 

Nutrition is first on the list for a reason. If you didn’t read the rest of this post, you could take this nutrition advice and get to your goal weight. 

When I lost weight after my first baby, I made small changes to my diet, and it slowly worked. But when I took my nutrition seriously is when the weight really dropped. 10 pounds in 10 days actually, and it was the last bit of weight I needed to lose. 

For me this was doing a round of Whole30. If you have never learned how to read ingredient lists or how to prioritize food quality, I highly recommend starting with Whole30. To complete the program, you are forced to learn how to eat high quality foods. 

Now that I have learned how to spot toxic ingredients and I know all the labeling tricks to look out for–I don’t feel the need to follow Whole30 by the book. I agree with most of the rules, but with slight changes.

For instance, they put a lot of emphasis on cutting out all forms of sweeteners–even natural ones like raw honey or pure maple syrup. They do this to reset your cravings to get rid of your sweet tooth. They also want you to limit your fruit intake for the same reason.

But I believe there is a benefit to incorporating lots of fruits and some raw honey into your diet. There’s a reason it tastes delicious to us. They are full of nutrients. 

I also would put more emphasis on eliminating seed oils, where Whole30 is more relaxed in this area. The program says that you would have to eliminate going to restaurants in order to complete the 30 days if they made this a hard rule, which they don’t think is reasonable. 

While I appreciate this flexibility, I think it would be more beneficial to cut them out. Usually you can get away with eating a steak that isn’t cooked with seed oils. Just request it to be cooked with butter or olive oil at the restaurant. 

Giving up eating out and learning to cook most of your meals is also part of the benefit to this program. You learn how to cook differently than you were previously when you have to change up your ingredients. 

While cutting dairy on Whole30 was very helpful for me, I also think it is possible to eat dairy products if you get raw versions where possible. Raw milk, raw cheese, and even greek yogurt are things I don’t plan on cutting out completely. 

So as I lose weight this time around after my second baby, I will be prioritizing whole foods like meat, eggs, fruits, and veggies (including potatoes). 

I will not be counting calories or macros for the most part, but I will focus on getting enough protein. Somewhere between .7-1g per pound of ideal body weight–so between 80-115g of protein for me. 

I will not be limiting or counting carbs, but I also will be eating whole foods and only some minimally processed foods. Most of my carbs will come from fruits or vegetables. 

I also will not be increasing my fat intake like those on keto. But I will not be limiting my fat intake either. Like those people who care about protein so much that they just eat egg whites  when the yolk is the best part. No thanks.

Lunch during a round of Whole30 for me was chicken salad (chicken, grapes, celery, and chipotle mayo) and an apple with it. Then dinner was some kind of meat and potatoes with fruits and veggies. I usually saved the sweet fruit for the end and treated it as dessert. I loved ending my day with a sweet, juicy orange. 

I did intermittent fasting so no breakfast, and I didn’t have snacks either. I will stick to this same meal plan for the most part. But I will add in post workout smoothies with greek yogurt for added protein. Maybe I will add honey for sweetness. If I make scrambled eggs I will add in raw milk. 

For dinners, I often will look up Whole30 or Paleo recipes. If a recipe calls for some kind of sweetener, this is where the honey or maple syrup could come in.

I would say my diet is considered a mixture of Animal-Based (think Paul Saladino), Paleo, and Whole30. 

I don’t think we need to demonize entire food groups though and some of these diets can do that. Paleo and Whole30 are against dairy and sweets, where animal based can be ani-vegetables or starches (like potatoes and rice). Paleo is arguably anti-starch too, although many still eat potatoes while following Paleo. 

Just choose the real, whole food version instead of the heavily processed ones. Honey instead of table sugar, raw dairy instead of pasteurized, organic vs pesticide covered vegetables. I think the glyphosate is more to blame than the lectins in vegetables and grains, so choosing organic is actually more important than we realize. 

2. Intermittent Fasting Routines

Intermittent fasting (IF) is the first thing I did to lose weight postpartum after my first baby. And I have never stopped doing some form of IF since.

If you need a reason to start fasting, check out this post about the Physical, Mental & Spiritual Benefits of Fasting.

Some fasting routines are better for weight loss than others. Alternate daily fasting (eating every other day) is a great one if you’re wanting to shed the pounds.

I was losing weight on a 5:2 routine without dieting. This is when you eat normally 5 days of the week and fast completely for 2 days. Although I was still doing 16:8 on my 5 “up” days (the days I ate). 16:8 is when you fast for 16 hours a day, and eat in an 8 hour period.

For more ideas on how to add fasting into your life, check out this post on Fasting Methods and Ways to Make Fasting Easier.

Dry fasting specifically is what I will be adding this time that I previously didn’t. Dry fasting is like water fasting on steroids. According to the Vegetable Police on Youtube (a hilarious health related account), dry fasting for 1 day is the equivalent of 3 days of water fasting. 

Cole Robinson of the Snake Diet is also into dry fasting. (Fair warning: he uses lots of profanity on his YouTube channel.) He claims any skin issues will be resolved with dry fasting. Stretch marks, loose skin, wrinkles, etc. Sign me up! 

I am thinking I will start out with one meal a day (OMAD) dry fasting. Or I may switch to one full day a week of dry fasting, which after counting sleeping the night before and night of, it will equate to around 36 hours of dry fasting. 

Maybe I will try out my 5:2 routine with dry fasting. Whichever I enjoy the most is what I will continue doing. 

If you dread your routine, you won’t stick with it. Same goes for your diet. If you hate it, you won’t continue. So if you want to succeed, make sure you aren’t miserable. Getting healthy isn’t a punishment. 

At minimum I will do intermittent fasting on a 16:8 schedule with 2 meals and sometimes add a collagen shake either during a meal or in between. I prefer no snacking between meals at all, but I do like to add collagen into my day and it helps to get in more protein. 

3. Variable Resistance Training

My weight loss workout routine after my first baby was focused on adding dumbbells to body weight exercises. This time around I will be using resistance bands instead. 

I came across variable resistance training after listening to Dr. John Jaquish on Ben Greenfield’s podcast about his invention, the X3 Bar. 

Using resistance bands is basically a safer way to weight train. I have tried weight training in the past, but it would make me nervous to increase weight. I especially didn’t like doing this around my kids. And as a mom, most of my workouts are done at home.

Resistance bands allow me to increase my weight with less risk of injury to me and my kids. But I get the same benefit as if I used heavy weights. 

With the X3 Bar, you get a platform to stand on and a bar which allows you to have the most weight where your body can handle it in the exercise. But it’s less of a strain on your joints on the way up and down. 

With regular weight training, you don’t get to lessen the load in that way. Whatever weight you add to your bar you have to be able to handle for the entire movement of the exercise. 

I can get my entire weight training workout done in less than 10 minutes a day with the X3 bar. It’s 4 moves a day that you complete to failure, and you alternate between push and pull days. This makes it so easy to commit to this routine. 

You could also do exercises with a set of resistance bands from amazon without the X3 bar if you want to try variable resistance training without the investment in the X3. But I do love the convenience of having the platform and bar to perform the movements. It makes it easier to handle the weight as well.

Dr. John Jaquish has some detailed info on variable resistance training on his website.

4. Pelvic Floor Exercises

Something I didn’t do after my first baby, but I will for sure be implementing this time are pelvic floor exercises. Specifically, I will be doing Nancy Anderson’s Ab Rehab program.

It’s a quick program that you add to your regular workout routine. It takes 10-15 minutes to complete. And even if you can’t tell while you’re doing the exercises, you will feel it the next day! 

After losing 50 pounds and getting to the same weight I was at age 16 and a size zero, I still had this lower belly fat. I now believe I just needed to heal my diastasis recti and strengthen my pelvic floor to have a strong core and a flat stomach. 

For more ways to combat the mommy tummy, check out my Guide to Lose the Mom Pooch.

Addressing core and pelvic floor issues can help with incontinence, the lower belly mom pooch, if you have pain during sex, a flat butt, ab separation (diastasis recti), and it teaches you how to breathe properly and have better posture. 

5. Rebounding Workouts

I have always loved jumping on the trampoline growing up. I was in gymnastics and cheerleading, so I was constantly tumbling and practicing at home on my trampoline. 

So when I read about the benefits of rebounding it made so much sense that the reason I was so healthy despite a bad diet was probably because of my trampoline addiction. What a healthy obsession to have.

When I added this to my routine as an adult I felt amazing. I have always felt the healthiest when this workout is part of my life. 

Some benefits include anti-aging, aids in digestion, prevents belly fat, improves posture, balance, boosts mood, brain health, etc. Check out this list of 201 benefits from the Cellerciser website.

Cellerciser is the best rebounder on the market if you need a recommendation.

Only 10 minutes on the rebounder is the equivalent to about a 45 minute run. Just like the X3 Bar gives you all the benefits of weight training without the pressure on your joints in a much shorter time frame, rebounding gives you all the benefits of running in a short amount of time and also without all the pressure on your joints. 

Between rebounding and variable resistance training, I can knock out strength training and cardio in 20 minutes! As a mom getting pulled into many different directions, that’s exactly what I need. And I know I’m getting great results even with these short workouts.

6. Walking

Walking is something I am keeping from my first weight loss regimen. 

Walking is an easy way to get out of being sedentary all day. You can incorporate this throughout the day easily. You can take phone calls while you go for a walk. You don’t have to change into workout clothes to get a quick walk in. 

After dinner you can take a walk as a family and have good conversations together about everyone’s day. It’s a great way to decompress and connect with those we love while also getting a physical benefit. 

I will be prioritizing walking after meals to help lower my blood sugar levels, which will aid in my weight loss efforts. 

I also plan to incorporate the 12-3-30 treadmill routine. You walk at a 12 incline, at 3 mph, for 30 minutes. This incline walking is great for weight loss and is another quick workout idea.

For more workout ideas, here’s a post on 7 Easy Workouts for Busy Moms.

7. Journal

Not a food journal. And while this may seem unrelated to weight loss–-it’s not.

I figured out this trick by accident. I started keeping a journal to document what my first child was doing. He was learning and changing so much that I wanted to document the everyday things he was saying and doing so I could have these memories preserved. 

But it ended up making me extremely grateful. It made me hyper aware of my blessings. It produced all the feel good hormones that made me motivated to keep up my healthier lifestyle I was pursuing.

So it made it easier to keep going. It was easier to fast, eat healthy, and stay active. I wasn’t going into my day full of dread, I was going into it grateful. And I think this was key to my weight loss success the first time. 

So I will be keeping this into my routine to help keep myself in the right state of mind to be successful. 

Even if you could just write one line in your planner daily that describes something enjoyable about the day–you’ll be amazed at how they can change your perspective for the better.

Summary 

Let’s recap my plan for losing weight postpartum:

  1. Nutrition
  2. Intermittent Fasting Routines
  3. Variable Resistance Training
  4. Pelvic Floor Exercises
  5. Rebounding Workouts
  6. Walking
  7. Journal

I will be focused on food quality and eating real, whole foods. I will not be counting calories or macros, but I will prioritize getting adequate protein.

I will be incorporating dry fasting and playing around with fasting routines until I figure out what works best for me.

My workouts will be variable resistance training, rebounding, pelvic floor exercises, and walking after meals.

I will also keep a journal to record the highlights on my day in order to keep me in a state of gratitude, which will help keep me on track for my goals.

Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord,
    the fruit of the womb a reward.
 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior
    are the children of one’s youth.
Blessed is the man
    who fills his quiver with them!
He shall not be put to shame
    when he speaks with his enemies in the gate.

Psalm 127:3-5

Disclaimer: The information provided on this blog is for general informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health care provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or any personal health concerns. Reliance on the information presented on this blog is at your own risk. The content is not intended to provide medical guidance or recommendations, and the author is not responsible for any actions or decisions made based on the information provided. It’s important to consult with a qualified healthcare professional for individualized medical guidance.

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