In order to lose pregnancy weight, it’s important that your metabolism is in top working order.
That’s what is responsible for burning the fat in your body.
So to make your body burn more fat, there are several things you can do that will push your metabolism into high gear.
1) Exercise First Thing In The Morning
You aren’t as tired as you would be after a long day, plus it is much easier to come up with excuses not to exercise at the end of the day.
Exercising in the morning gets your metabolism cranking first thing, and this will help it stay active during the whole day.
Of course, if exercising in the evening is the only option for you this is still very beneficial. You can see here for the science behind when the best time of the actually is to exercise
2) Get Into Cardio Mode
You need to get your heart pumping so that it takes your body to a level where it burns fat. This means you need to get out of your comfort zone a bit, as it is generally a point where you are out of breath and getting a sweat on.
Try a jog/run, a fitness class, a vigorous swim session, the cardio sessions from our Exercise DVD, or some cycling.
3) Weights And Strength Training
Having more muscle in your body means you can burn fat more efficiently – it can also boost your metabolism – see more on this here
So doing some strength training (sit ups, push ups, the plank) and some weights (hand weights can even be a tin of beans) can be really beneficial to get more toned and lose fat.
4) Enjoy Good Fats, Healthy Carbs and Quality Proteins
It’s important to get a good mix of nutrients from all of the food groups – which is why we never recommend cutting out certain foods from your healthy eating plan.
Try to get the mix of fat/carb/protein in each meal – for instance breakfast might be avocado, wholegrain toast and a poached egg. For more information on portion size see here
5) Don’t Skip Meals Or Go Hungry
The body needs food for fuel. If it doesn’t get it, it goes into starvation mode (AKA fat storage mode) which is the exact opposite of where we want to be.
Don’t get so hungry that your emotions take over your rational mind and eat unhealthy foods.
Plan ahead so that you have your meals and snacks ready to go so you aren’t tempted to skip a meal when you’re busy or buy junk food when you’re out and about.
The Healthy Mummy Smoothies are a great way to start the day if you find that your mornings are busy and stressful and always remember to have lots of healthy snacks ready to go – here are 21 healthy snacks to give you some ideas
6) Say Yes To Spice
Chilli and spicy food is a tasty way to get your metabolism cranking. It is as simple as adding chopped chilli or even jalapenos to some of your meals each week.
Try this Sizzling Spicy Chicken, or add more heat to this Spicy Lamb Meatball Curry.
7) Fill Up On Fibre
Fibre gets your digestive system in good shape and helps to rid the body of waste. Did you know that each serve of the Healthy Mummy Smoothie contains 6g of fibre? And that’s before you add any milk, fruit or veggies.
You can also find fibre in fruits such as raspberries, oranges, apples, pears, and mango; herbs and spices like cinnamon, thyme, cloves, rosemary and coriander; and in nuts and seeds too.
8) Drink Plenty Of Water
Every system in the body needs water to function, including your metabolism. So make it easy on your body by toting around your water bottle and sipping regularly so that you don’t get dehydrated. And if you are bored of plain water – see ideas of how to jazz it up here
PLUS, join our 28 Da6 Weight Loss Challenge with thousands of other mums and lose weight with 1000’s of other mums
Need to stock up on Healthy Mummy Smoothies? Then see our shop here
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