Article Advise

submitted: Jul 17th 2008 | by: TeresaBrown | Total views: 1 | Word Count: 661 | |

Diet and cardio are the two "staples" that Moms start with when trying to lose pregnancy weight fast. They are the staples that women trust when they need to lose weight. But the times are changing and there is more to the general consensus about one of these staples that meets the eye.

The first attack on losing the baby fat begins with going on a trendy diet or maybe signing up at the gym or spending hours on the treadmill at home. This all seems logical and gets us in the habit of eating right and exercising regularly. However, you find that you are not getting the results you were expecting and are a bit frustrated. Well, here are some reasons why you are unable to lose the pregnancy weight.

1. Cardio exclusively is not the answer to weightloss.

Your heart loves cardio because it keeps it healthy and strong. Unfortunately, the rest of your body doesn't benefit as much. Sure your lungs and legs build up endurance but not muscle mass. Have often do you see a body builder running for 60 minutes? Cardio can decrease your muscle mass over time. Muscle tone and fat burning are intricately linked. So if a toned, lean body is your goal then doing too much cardio is not the right thing for you.

For the determined Mom who is trying to burn the baby fat with spending her valuable workout time only doing cardio such as running, the disappointing news is that your body eventually adjusts to the type of cardio that you perform and you will not lose any more weight. This means that your 45 min run 2 months ago would have burned more calories than the same activity today. This is a possible piece of the puzzle as to why you are not getting "there".

2. Using weights to get toned go together like Bonnie and Clyde.

As they saying goes, "if you don't use it, you'll lose it" and the same applies to our muscles. And to make things worse, our muscles naturally deteriorate as we age. However, we can re-build our "unused" muscle mass to get our muscles lean and toned if we include some resistance strength training into our workout routine. Resistance training is the strength training that is used to tone and strengthen your muscles.

Unlike the other forms of strength training such as weightlifting and bodybuilding, resistance training does not make you bulky. Also to gain "big" muscles involves more than just lifting weights a few times a week. Bulking up requires an increased caloric intake especially lean proteins and anabolic hormones to stimulate muscle growth in size.

If you want to lose pregnancy weight fast, you have to balance your workout routine by alternating cardio with weight training. This variety will certainly trim your tummy by melting your body fat by the pounds and the inches.

3. Weight training is not only for Body Builders.

Resistance training is a good ally to have on your side in the war to lose the pregnancy weight. The techniques for each exercise are easy to master and the equipment is inexpensive. The workouts can be done at home within 20 minutes with very little equipment such as dumbbells or an exercise ball.

Not having to go to the gym is a great incentive for the busy Mom to commit to her workout regiment. Another bonus of a resistance workout is that it only takes between 15 to 20 minutes to complete and there is not expensive equipment needed. You save money and time.

The methods to lose weight after giving birth can be quite simple but the difficulty lies in staying motivated and disciplined. Eating right and including strength training for your muscles will result in you losing the baby fat more quickly, increasing your metabolic rate and essentially resulting in a healthier you.

About the Author

Teresa Brown is a dedicated supporter for women's health and wellness. For more information about losing the baby fat and on losing pregnancy weight the right way for the long run, visit Teresa's blog.

Comments

No comments posted.

You do not have permission to comment. If you log in, you may be able to comment.