If you're reading an article about "how to tone my stomach after having a baby," I'm guessing it's because you've recently been blessed with the arrival of your baby.
First and foremost – congratulations on the birth of your precious child. We know the feeling since Corrie and I have been blessed with our four children.
Knowing your experience during pregnancy with all of the aches and pains, swelling body parts, cravings, nausea, weight gain, and general discomfort, it's no surprise that it's referred to as "the miracle of birthing"!
Among the symptoms stated above, your abdomen is one of the most stressed areas during this period. Interestingly, on average women gain weight quickly throughout the nine months during their pregnancy yet after delivery the weight isn’t as swiftly lost.
So, getting back to the topic of “how to tone my stomach after having a baby”. One word of caution, especially right after having your baby, is not to overdo your weight loss attempts immediately. During your recuperation phase you will be looking at a two-pronged approach to toning your stomach, which will include eating wholesome food and becoming active with functional exercises.
The following is the Healthy Eating Phase.
Eat Whole Foods.
The single most important piece of dietary advice you can give someone is to consume more whole, single-ingredient meals. Nutrients, fiber, water, vitamins, and minerals abound in whole foods. This makes it very difficult to eat too much of these foods, some of which have their own weight-loss benefits. Include whole grains, nuts, legumes, fruits, veggies, dairy, seafood, and unprocessed meat in your diet.
Drink Lots Of Water.
Water can assist you in achieving a flat tummy in at least three ways. First, by temporarily raising your metabolic rate, it may aid weight loss. Drinking water might boost your overall daily energy expenditure by up to 100 calories.
Second, drinking water before meals can make you feel fuller, causing you to eat fewer calories in the long run.
Finally, it may aid in the relief of constipation and the reduction of abdominal bloating.
Before each meal, drink a full glass of water. It might assist you in achieving your objective.
Limit Carbohydrate Intake.
Carbohydrate restriction has been found to offer significant health benefits, particularly for weight loss.
Low-carb diets target the fat that collects around your organs and causes you to gain weight. Simply substituting refined carbs with unprocessed, whole food carbs improves metabolic health and reduces waistline.
People who eat the most whole grains are less likely to develop excess belly fat than those who eat a high-refined-carbohydrate diet.
Eat Fatty Fish & Omega-3 Oils.
Fatty fish should be eaten once or twice a week, according to most nutritionists. Fatty fish is high in vital long-chain omega-3 fatty acids and high-quality protein, making it particularly healthful.
Protein has been demonstrated to aid weight loss, and research suggests that omega-3 fatty acids may also aid in the reduction of fat deposition in the liver and abdominal cavities. If you don't enjoy fatty fish, long-chain fatty acids can be obtained from fish oil or fish oil supplements.
Eat Foods Rich in Monounsaturated Fatty Acids.
Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) are liquid at room temperature and are considered "healthy fats."
According to research, eating a diet rich in monounsaturated fatty acids can help prevent the buildup of the most deadly type of fat, stomach fat. The Mediterranean diet is a high-monounsaturated-fatty-acid diet that has been associated to a variety of health benefits, including a lower risk of central obesity.
Olive oil, avocados, almonds, and seeds are all abundant in monounsaturated fatty acids.
Eat More Soluble Fiber.
Soluble fibers absorb a lot of water and make it take longer for food to move through the digestive tract. This has been demonstrated to cause the stomach to grow and make you feel full by delaying stomach emptying.
In addition, soluble fiber may reduce the amount of calories your body can absorb from food. You are less likely to develop fat around your organs if you eat soluble fiber, which minimizes your waist circumference and the risk of various ailments.
Intermittent Fasting.
I am a proponent of the Intermittent Fasting lifestyle since Corrie and I have been doing it for years and many well known athletes and celebrities are practicing this extremely healthy lifestyle.
Intermittent fasting is a type of eating that involves alternating between eating and fasting for set periods of time.
Doing a 24-hour fast two to four times a week or a 16 hour fast followed by 8 hour to consume your meals, which limits your eating window to eight hours each day, usually between lunch and dinner, are the two most popular intermittent fasting methods. In general, this causes you to eat less calories overall without even realizing it.
Take Probiotics.
Probiotics are live microorganisms that have been shown to help with weight loss and maintenance.
Overweight and obese people have a different gut flora composition than normal-weight people, which could affect weight gain and fat distribution.
Probiotics may help to shift the balance of gut flora toward beneficial bacteria, lowering the risk of weight gain and fat buildup in the abdominal cavity.
Probiotic strains that are particularly helpful at reducing belly fat include the following.
Lactobacillus fermentum.
Lactobacillus amylovorus.
Lactobacillus gasseri.
Yogurt, kefir, tempeh, kimchi, and pickles are examples of probiotic foods.
Coffee or Green Tea.
It has been proven that drinking coffee increases your calorie burn up to 11%. I recently did a blog on the numerous health benefits of drinking black coffee and green tea that included the topic on losing weight. Green tea and unsweetened coffee are two of the world's healthiest beverages.
Drinking green tea or taking green tea extract supplements, on the other hand, has been demonstrated to boost fat burning by 17 percent and calorie expenditure by 4%. Green tea, black tea, and oolong tea are all examples of this.
Most importantly, research in both animals and humans have shown that drinking coffee and tea can help you lose weight while reducing your waist size.
Apple Cider Vinegar And Lemon Juice.
This is one of our favorite drinks in the morning prior to our coffee and there are numerous health benefits besides reducing our appetite and burning fat. Apple cider vinegar increases satiety (your feeling of fullness) and that’s very helpful for staying on track with your healthy diet. Especially at the beginning of your weight loss journey when you need a little bit of help to start and to stay on track.
Avoid Certain Drinks.
Sugary sodas, fruit juices, and energy drinks are all high in liquid calories and sugar. The problem with liquid calories is that they are not registered by your brain in the same way that whole food calories are. As a result, you'll consume these calories in addition to everything else you eat or drink. These types of drinks are high in fructose, which has been related to the accumulation of belly fat.
The following is the Active Functional Phase.
Walking.
Generally speaking, strenuous exercise isn't required to reap health advantages. Regular, brisk walks have been demonstrated to lower overall body fat and fat around the stomach. Walking for 30–40 minutes each day (about 7,500 steps) has been related to a considerable reduction in harmful stomach fat and a smaller waistline.
Incorporate Other Cardio Sessions.
Cardio, also known as aerobic exercise, is a great way to burn calories while also improving your overall health. It is also particularly good at strengthening your stomach and reducing your waistline.
Consider doing 150–300 minutes of moderate-to-high-intensity aerobic activity per week, which equates to around 20–40 minutes each day. Running, brisk walking, biking, and rowing are all examples of good cardio training.
Strengthen Your Core.
Crunches and other stomach exercises can improve your general health as well as your physical beauty. Regular core exercises help to develop and bulk up your abdominal muscles, which can help to prevent back pain caused by poor posture. A strong core will also help you stand taller and more confidently by improving your posture and supporting your spine.
Additionally, core exercises improve the muscles that hold your stomach in place, making you appear thinner. Planks or Pilates roll-ups are examples of core workouts that involve all of your core muscles.
Resistance Training.
Dieting causes muscle loss, which is a common side effect. Losing muscle reduces the number of calories you burn on a daily basis, which can be detrimental to your metabolic rate.
Resistance training on a regular basis might help you maintain or improve your metabolic rate by preventing muscle loss. Furthermore, resistance training may be particularly beneficial at reducing waist size and tightening the midsection. In fact, it appears that combining resistance training with aerobic exercise is the most effective way to lose weight.
Stand While Exercising.
Exercising while standing may be more beneficial to your health than exercising while sitting or using weight machines. When you stand, you use more muscles to keep your balance and support your weight. As a result, you'll expend more energy exercising. Standing will boost your muscular-activation and potentially strengthen your midsection.
Although this is a slight change from sitting exercises it’s worth giving it a try.
High Intensity Training.
Intervals of very intense action, like as sprinting, rowing, or leaping, with short pauses in between are a common approach to accomplish high-intensity training. Even after you've finished your workout, this method of training causes your body to burn more fat and improve your metabolic rate.
When compared to other types of exercises, high-intensity training has been demonstrated to have superior fat-burning effects, and is notably beneficial for reducing the waistline. Furthermore, this sort of exercise requires much less time than other types of exercise, as it usually only takes 10–20 minutes to complete.
In Closing.
As you can see, there are numerous ways that might assist you in achieving your flat stomach goal.
You might be able to see your six pack sooner rather than later if you incorporate some of the mentioned recommendations into your daily routine.
Remember that it will take some time and effort, but it will be well worth it in the end if done consistently.
About The Authors: Steve & Corrie are Christian Bloggers, Videographers, Steve is a Research Analyst, Corrie is a business owner and both are Personal Trainers who competed at a national level in their respective sports.