Tired of feeling like you can’t rid of the extra on your belly? Tried (and failed) with many attempts to feel good in those jeans you once wore? Isn’t it funny how we cherish the time we were given to make this baby and then the moment the baby is out we say, go away belly!
Maybe it isn’t all that funny but it is quite the reality for a lot of people.
Although I wish the answers to this topic were very short, sweet, and poof – happened overnight, it isn’t all that simple.
And while there is no magical formula to achieving a belly that you feel more comfortable with, there are a few things you can do to help speed the process up.
1. Have a strong understanding of what you’re eating.
It is not a secret that there is a direct correlation between amount of energy we expend and the amount of calories we consume to see weight loss progress. Your body burns a certain amount of calories just to maintain your bodily functions while keeping you breathing and blinking.
Any energy that you use above and beyond that (getting up out of a chair, working, driving, washing the dishes, I mean literally anything) burns more calories. Add breastfeeding or working out in – even more! There is truly a number that we burn every day based on our activities and just by simply living.
Generally speaking, in order to lose weight you’d need to be eating less than the amount of calories you’re burning. (I say generally speaking because there are a lot of factors that go into one’s ability to lose weight.)
That said, understanding what you’re eating makes it a lot easier to work with someone to come up with a plan to make sure your caloric intake is right for you and your goals. If you’d like to know an approximation of what this number is, I suggest looking at a calorie calculator or I can help you.
Note: If you’re breastfeeding, you’ll want to make sure the calculator or trained professional you’re working with knows this. You’ll likely need around 500 calories more a day!
2. Get your heart rate up.
Basically work out. You need to get your heart rate up in order to burn calories and ultimately lose belly fat. Sorry this one is pretty straight forward. And let’s just for the heck of it, make it be known that you absolutely cannot target fat loss.
This is everywhere on social media where people tell you how you can lose your armpit fat only, and your love handles only. What they mean (or I hope they mean) is that this workout or technique will generate overall body fat and will most likely be reduced in those areas.
If they don’t actually mean to say this, run. Very fast. See, get your heart rate up!
3. Buy new clothes, for now.
Okay, hear me out. This may be an unpopular opinion but I believe it matters. Let me first say that caloric intake and working out are very important and is why they are the first two on the list. They are absolutely the key to fat loss.
However, sometimes our expectations of ourselves are not realistic. If you are trying to fit into this one pair of pants by summer and summer is only 2 weeks away, this is most likely unrealistic. You don’t want to be devastated that you didn’t reach a goal when it was unattainable to begin with. Give yourself time to hit your goals and allow for setbacks.
As moms, we do not have time to shame ourselves. Say that with me.
Ultimately, even if you are to gain a new understanding of what you’re eating, formulate a plan around it and work out consistently, it will still take time. Keep the pants if that is your goal, but don’t let that be your end all be all.
Buy some clothes you enjoy being in while you work on becoming a stronger and healthier you. Don’t be miserable along the way. You deserve some grace and now some new clothes. 🙂 You’re welcome.
In the end, there are many ways to tackle this topic however, these are three places you can start. If you find that you are trying to lose weight, have a strong understanding of your intake and are still struggling to see any progress, you may want to start looking at other factors.
Many things contribute to a person’s ability to lose weight, specifically that stubborn belly fat. Sleep, hormones, thyroid, medications, etc. are all factors that could be at a play. Sleep is actually considered one of the ways to maximize your efforts at the gym according to Time Magazine.
The point is, starting somewhere to uncover what your body responds to best AND giving yourself adequate time to see changes.
