Fit & Fabulous After 40 & A Baby!
Fit & Fabulous After 40 & A Baby – Having a child after the age of 40 was the LAST thing I thought would happen in my life. I was enjoying being single and carefree, then…along comes baby. 🙂 One of the things I was concerned about during my pregnancy was, you guessed it…WEIGHT GAIN & stretch marks! Thanks to following the advice of my friends who are moms, I avoided getting stretch marks by rubbing my belly with a cocoa butter moisturizer every day after showering.
I had just turned 40 before getting pregnant, and, would be knocking on age 41’s door at the time of childbirth. My pregnancy was a tough one, with constant nausea being at the top of the list, but, I managed to eat healthy 80% of the time and get plenty of walking exercise. I was determined to not let “baby fat” turn into “just fat, baby”. Ha ha! 😀
Pre-Pregnancy Weigh-In
My pre-pregnancy weight was somewhere around 170lbs. During my pregnancy, my weight increased to 198. Because I DO NOT like exercising, or, dieting, I knew I had to do something to get the extra weight off. I wanted to be a fit and fabulous mommy over 40! I’ll tell you what I did during, and, what I’m doing after my pregnancy to achieve that…
My 5 Steps to “Fit & Fabulous After 40 & a Baby”
Steps 1 and 2
BREASTFEEDING
Breastfeeding soon after birth helps to make the uterus contract more quickly. Unfortunately, I was only able to breastfeed for 6 weeks, due to my milk drying up very fast. Even though my belly isn’t “pancake flat”, I saw the benefits of breastfeeding for just that short time.
VITAMIN NUTRITION
My son is 18 months old and VERY ACTIVE. To keep up with him in his daily “adventures”, it’s important that I maintain a certain energy and stress level. I still take a prenatal vitamin at least 5 days a week, along, with a hair, skin, and nails vitamin. I believe in old-school remedies – I take a tablespoon of cod liver oil at least 3 days a week. All of these together have helped to reverse the trauma that my hair and body underwent during my pregnancy.
Steps 3 and 4
NO TO SODAS, YES TO WATER
Before pregnancy, I rarely drank sodas. My reason for only drinking them rarely was that I noticed after drinking just one bottle or can of soda, my belly would bloat and it would take quite a while for it to go get back down to size (I’m guessing due to the amount of carbonation a soda contains). Now, my go-to beverages are water and apple juice (for the fiber), and, occasional sweet tea & lemonade – I’m a southern girl!
HEALTHY FOOD CHOICES
Now, let me tell you, I do love my carbs (mostly potato chips and french fries). To offset some of my not so healthy food choices and to be a good example to my son, I incorporate fresh fruit, more chicken and fish than red meat, pork is limited to bacon, and most of my snacks have high fiber. Fiber aids in achieving healthy weight and moving food through your digestive tract more quickly for healthy elimination.
Step 5
WALK AWAY THE POUNDS
I am not your aerobic, go to the gym kind of girl, but I love putting on my Avon sneakers and going for a walk. At least 5 days a week, after my son turned 6 weeks old, until he was 9 months old, I put him in his baby stroller and walked outside for at least 30 minutes. It allowed us both to get some fresh air, while bonding with each other & nature. Now, that he’s 18 months old, walking & running, we’re able to play outdoor games that keep us both moving and active.
Disclaimer: I am not a certified nutritionist or medical doctor and make no claims to the contrary. Each individual’s dietary and health needs are unique to the individual. Information is provided based on MY personal health needs. YOU are ultimately responsible for all decisions pertaining to your health.
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