Can I lose weight naturally while pregnant? Women naturally worry about losing their figures during and after a pregnancy, this is a common concern but for some who are somewhat over-weight when they discover they are pregnant it can be a huge worry.
Most pregnant women can look forward to getting their figures back quickly after delivery, often within three months providing they have maintained a good healthy pregnancy diet plan.
If you are over-weight when you become pregnant, how can you safely lose excess weight and still maintain a healthy pregnancy?
My 7 healthy weight-loss tips will show you how you can drop excess fat and still maintain a healthy weight gain during pregnancy. You are advised to consult your doctor before you begin any new diet plan, especially while pregnant.
1. Eat Slowly and Until Satisfied
By eating slowly and only until satisfied you will cut out hundreds of excess calories from your daily diet. It often takes twenty minutes for your brain to register you have had enough so eat slowly and truly enjoy every mouthful. Don't eat while distracted, watching TV or reading a book, think about your food and stop eating when you have satisfied your hunger.
2. Several Small Meals a Day with Healthy Snacks is Best
By having several small meals daily along with healthy snacks in-between meals you will ensure your metabolism is kept in top shape and way-lay hunger. Another great tip is to start using smaller plates for your meals. Your mind will be tricked into still seeing a full plate but you will drastically cut back on excess calories this way.
3. Eat Healthy Fats With Every Meal
Dieters typically ditch the fats once they start a new diet and then wonder why they are always hungry and never lose weight! Believe it or not, eating fat helps burn fat. This is not to say that you can eat unhealthy fats like saturated fats, No, that will just clog up your arteries and is very unhealthy.
Polyunsaturated fats are the good ones, the type that helps lower your blood pressure and cholesterol. These can be found in olive oil, coconut oil and real butter. Avoid the butter spreads as these contain unhealthy fats. Pure butter is natural and healthy. Other choices for healthy fats are organic eggs, wild salmon and a variety of nuts.
When you eat healthy, good for you fats with each meal you will feel full longer and be actively burning excess body fat.
4. Fiber Rich Foods
Fiber really is your best friend. Fiber is a complex carbohydrate that our bodies don't absorb or digest. Consider it a "filler upper" that is good for you. A high fiber diet will keep you feeling full and the fiber in your diet will help flush fat from your body. It also helps your digestive tract move food along and keeps your colon healthy. Fiber is a natural plant food and good sources include potatoes complete with skin, broccoli, oats, barely, green beans, cauliflower, carrots and lentils. Fiber rich fruits include bananas, strawberries and oranges. Dried fruits are also good sources of fiber. Aim at getting 20 to 25 grams of fiber into your pregnancy diet daily and remember to drink plenty of water, especially if you have not eaten a lot of fiber previously. 5. Lean Protein with Every Meal
Protein plays an extremely important role in your pregnancy and in the healthy development of your unborn baby. During the second and third trimesters of your pregnancy, demand for protein increases. You need to consume around 70 grams of lean protein daily. Chicken and fish are good sources of lean protein but you can also get your protein intake from whole organic eggs, milk, beans, nuts, peanut butter, cottage cheese, yogurt and limited amounts of cheese.
6. Avoid All Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners
Sugar is a no-no for dieters whether you are pregnant or not. Sugar is also a hidden ingredient in most processed foods.
Remember, sugar provides no nutrients for your growing baby, it is simply empty calories that helps pack on the pounds so do your utmost to avoid it at this time. Many women turn to artificial sweeteners as a healthy replacement but don't you believe it!
Artificial sweeteners are just chemicals that create havoc with your system. People sensitive to the taste of artificial sweeteners, as I am, know it is purely a false, chemical taste, no goodness or nutrients are contained in them.
Think of your growing baby, do you really want him to be fed on artificial chemicals?
The healthier option for sweetening your drinks or food is pure, natural honey. Honey has wonderful health benefits for both you and your growing baby.
7.Keep Hydrated, Drink Plenty of Water!
The human body is made up of 70-75% water. Water helps all the processes that your system naturally performs daily. Without an adequate intake of water our system can become sluggish and the first signs of dehydration are often hunger and fatigue. We therefore grab a bite to eat and wonder why we still feel rough. It isn't until we get a headache as another dehydration symptom that we may consider our fluid intake for that day.
Hunger pangs, fatigue, headaches etc. can all simply be signs of dehydration. Drink a glass of water whenever you have one of the above symptoms. If you still feel hungry then eat, but having had the glass of water you will naturally eat less food.
Water also helps flush fat and toxins out of your body. Isabel de los Rios, Nutritionist and Fitness Certificate Expert and author of the book "The Diet Solution Program", suggests that water is a great benefit to your pregnancy weight loss diet. As a general guide she recommends that everybody should drink at least 1 liter of water a day for every 65 pounds of body weight, plus one extra glass every time you exercise or consume caffeine. She also recommends we drink a full glass of water before each meal.
Isabel de los Rios has created a super program to help you lose weight while pregnant and to keep the weight off after your baby's birth. Her great tips on healthy eating for a healthy delivery are superb and easy to put into practice. I strongly advise you to read my review of her Diet Solution Program Review to help you enjoy a healthy pregnancy diet plan that will be beneficial to you.
In conclusion, my 7 weight loss tips to help you lose weight while pregnant are to eat only until satisfied, eat smaller meals every day along with a healthy snack between meals to keep your metabolism working and help baby's growth and development. Eat lots of fiber rich foods, choose healthy fats to eat with each meal, avoid all sugars and artificial sweeteners and all processed foods and keep your system well hydrated.
By following these 7 great weight loss tips you will lose weight naturally while pregnant.
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