Healthytalk8 Becoming a mother from the first sign of pregnancy to delivery is an amazing journey, which was painful, and tense.
However, after delivery shrinking or reducing belly fat after pregnancy is one of the most challenging tasks, which also feels embarrassing.
But what causes belly fat after delivery or pregnancy? during pregnancy, the body goes through several changes including:
- Hormonal imbalance
- increase body weight due to growing baby
- growth of the uterus, resulting weaken the abdomen muscles to stretch
Also, the body store fat during pregnancy, for breastfeeding, which is not changed or harder to reduce fat.
But how long does it take to shrink belly fat after pregnancy? it generally depends on the individual and your condition.
It is important to consult your doctor if you experience any discomfort and if your weight is increasing instead of losing.
They will recommend your certain specific exercise program, and diet plan, and do other things according to your current condition.
Check – Sore Nipples While Breastfeeding: Treatment and Prevention
Here are 8 effective ways to shrink your belly fat after pregnancy which include:
Exercises
Contents
Several studies and research are already shown that exercise is one of the best ways to reduce belly but focus on core exercises.
Exercise not only helps in reducing fat but there are several health benefits such as:
- Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease
- promote healthy skin and hair
- consider for pregnancy, but specific pregnancy exercises
- boost energy, promote sleep
- promote overall health
15 weeks of the study found that the HIIE (intensity intermittent exercise) significantly reduces belly fat (1)
A study found that exercise can help in decreasing waist girth, even if you don’t lose weight, but you lose belly fat and gain muscle mass.
Here are several exercises that you should add to your routine after pregnancy includes:
- brisk walking, running, jogging
- swimming, and other aerobic exercises
- pelvic tilts
- planks
- crunches, if you can modify or advance, then do it
- bridge pose
Every woman has a different body, so it is essential to your doctor about your current condition, and what exercise is best for you.
Make sure gradually increase the length, and level of difficulty, which will reduce the complications.
Eat Balanced Diet
A well-balanced diet help in shrinking belly fat, but what does a balanced diet do that helps in reducing fat?
A balanced diet means – eating nutrients, a protein diet, that help in weight loss, not high sugar and fat contain food (3)
Here are some tips that what you have to eat and what not?
Fiber contains food: Studies have shown that fiber helps in weight loss, and also makes you full fill (4)
Various fibers contain food such (5) as:
- Pears
- avocado
- strawberries
- oats
- apples
- bananas
- broccoli
- kale
- lentils
- spinach
- kidney beans
Also, focus on fruit and vegetables, which is good for overall health.
Lean protein source: It is the best way to prevent excessive eating, which keeps your fill full for a longer time, source of lean protein are chicken, legumes, etc.
Go with healthy fats: It decreases the risk of heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases, healthy fats sources are avocado, seeds, fatty fish, and nuts.
Avoid foods: Avoid high-fat, sugary, processed, and salty food, which increases stomach fat, and makes it harder to reduce fat (5)
Weight loss duration is full of patience, and that can take time to show its healthy benefits, so stick with healthy food and lifestyle.
Focus on Your Core
As we know that exercise is the best way to reduce weight, but not all exercise help in shrinking belly fat, you have to focus on the core.
Focus on your core including your abdominal, sides, and back, and then follow these exercises that help improve posture, and reduce fat.
Here are best of the best core strengthening exercises include:
Planks: In this, you have to start with the push-up position but do not lower yourself down, keep your arms and body straight.
Crunches: In this lie down on your back, place your hands on the back of your head, then try to lift yourself towards to feet, and the foot should be down.
Yoga: Some yoga asanas that include core asanas are – boat pose, knee-to-arm plank, arm-balance split, bridge asana, etc.
Just make sure gradually increase time and intensity, also combine core exercise with healthy food to make it a lot easier to shrink belly fat.
Home-Remedies
Home remedies are an excellent strategy to shrink belly fat fast, with a healthy diet and certain exercises.
Here are some home remedies which include:
Drink Hot Water Glass
Yes, drinking warm and hot water can help in reducing overall weight, you can also add lemon juice.
A 2019 study showed that consuming enough fluids was allied with better body composition in young adults.
Overall, warm water helps to break down your fat molecules faster, as resultin in shrinking belly fat.
In addition, good for constipated people, in which warm water creates pressure on the intestine, which leads to poop coming out.
Ginger
There are several research showing that ginger can help in reducing fat, however, some say that but not directly.
Studies show that ginger helps you to keep a full fill, and may help significantly lose body fat, and belly fat (5)
In addition, ginger has an antioxidant effect, which also controls free radicals leads to DNA damage, and raises several diseases.
Green Tea
It considers one of the best ways to shrink belly fat, you can also add it to your healthy diet, but drink it in moderate amounts.
It has antioxidants called catechins, and anti-inflammatory properties, both can able to reduce belly fat (7)
A study from the International Journal of Obesity tells that green tea can significantly help in waist and belly fat reduction.
Noted that green tea should be consumed in moderate amounts, because it may disturb your breastfeeding hormones.
Other Home-remedies
There are other various home remedies but some of them are best such as:
- Coconut oil
- apple cider vinegar
Remember not all home remedies need to be suitable, so consult your doctor before taking any home remedy to prevent complications.
Yoga
It helps in shrinking belly fat because it is also an exercise that has several asanas that are specially made for a particular area of the body.
Here are some yoga asanas which you can add to your exercise routine (5) include:
- Chaturanga Dandasana (four-limbed staff pose)
- Phalakasana (plank pose)
- bhujangasana (cobra asana)
- navasana (boat pose)
- balasana (child pose)
- setu bandha sarvangasana (bridge pose)
If you don’t know how to do yoga then take help from your professional, and take help from someone who knows how to do that, especially during pregnancy.
Yoga has several health benefits such as reducing stress, and high blood pressure, and reducing the chance of several diseases.
Limit Processed and Added Sugars
Junk, processed, and any type of street food comes with loaded sugar, fat, artificial spices, and even harsh chemical to enhance the taste.
So make sure to avoid after delivery, because at this time most mothers are breastfeeding, and junk food affects the infant’s health.
Processed foods and sugars are also rich in calories, and bad in nutrients, which can be responsible for weight gain, and health issues (9)
Apart from processed, and highly sugary food, some other things that should be avoided to reduce belly fat are:
- Limit alcohol
- avoid fast, junk, street food that is high in sugar, salt, fat, and other addictive
- manage your stress, or reduce stress through, yoga, meditation, deep-breathing exercise, etc
- avoid eating at late night, as it not only harder the situation but bring other issues like disturbing sleep, and increase the chance of constipation
- get enough sleep
Take Enough Sleep
Getting enough sleep which not only helps in reducing belly fat after delivery, but also reduces stress, and promotes well-being (7)
But how does the quality of sleep helps in it, see – lack of sleep increases the stress hormone called cortisol, which is responsible for weight gain.
Stress and sleep are allied with each other, where stress makes it harder to sleep, and then lack of sleep can increase the stress level (8)
Lack of sleep after delivery and during breastfeeding can be responsible for mental issues, fatigue, lower milk volume, etc
So make sure take enough sleep through this technique which will reduce belly fat after delivery, also other sleep issues include:
- Exercise, which makes you tired, overall leads to a sleeping feeling.
- meditation and yoga are considered the best ways to treat sleep issues
- try to sleep at a regular time
- In some cases, insomnia, and other sleep disorders may be a reason, in this case, consult your doctor
- create relaxation sleep environment through aroma, lighting, and some music.
- avoid bedtime screening
- music reduces stress hormones, which overall promote sleep
- avoid before time caffeine and alcohol, especially taking 4 hour’s gap
If stress is the reason for your sleep, then you should first manage your stress, and if it is not enough, you should talk to a doctor.
Remember to get enough sleep, if you face any sleep-related issues, then you should consult your healthcare provider.
Other ways to shrink belly fat
There are other ways to reduce belly fat such as:
- Manage your stress
- breastfeeding
- consult a health doctor
If you experience any breast, pregnancy-related issues, and other health issues, then talk to your doctor.
Down Line
Reducing belly fat after delivery can be difficult, but if you want to lose belly fat, then you have to stick with a healthy lifestyle.
Exercise, whether it is yoga, a healthy lifestyle, enough sleep, consult with your doctor is generally considered to lose weight.
Losing belly fat is more difficult than other body parts, it may take time to show its healthy benefits, so stick with your healthy lifestyle.
If you experience any discomfort or other issues, then you should talk to your doctor, it may be some other issue.
