By Sara Ferrer
As a mother it is your challenging yet fulfilling duty to teach, protect and nourish your children. However, the world’s most important job can often times leave you so frazzled that the equally crucial task of taking care of yourself (and finally losing those pesky, lingering pregnancy-induced pounds!) can seem ultra-stressful and even impossible. The good news is that with some patience and persistence, as well as key planning and actions—transforming into the fittest and sexiest version of you is easily within reach. Just take heed of the following tips and your vision of sleek, toned and bikini-ready body can become reality within a few months. You can do it!
The Workout: How to burn more fat and firm your curves in less time.
Perform multi-joint exercises. Strength training and a bikini-worthy figure are a packaged deal; there’s no going around the fact that hitting the weight rack—or incorporating resistance exercises using your own weight—will expedite the delivery of beach-body results.
Contrary to what you may believe, strength training on a regular basis will not make you appear bulky or masculine. Having nothing but benefits to offer, lifting weights will not only will make you firm and sexy, but also turn you into a fat-burning furnace—lean muscle is an active tissue that catapults your metabolic rate and torches calories, even when you’re at rest.
However, you likely won’t have the time to stand around doing bicep curls all day. Instead, you’ll incinerate more calories per workout session and tone your entire body as unit by incorporating compound exercise, resistance-training movements that utilize multiple muscle groups and joints.
Combine the following moves into a circuit routine. While resistance training sculpts your shape, aerobic exercise is what melts the fat that’s keeping it hidden away—some popular methods of cardio include activities such as jogging, dancing, swimming or biking. But in place of splitting your workout sessions into two separate resistance and cardio portions, circuit training will allow you to do both.
By moving quickly from one exercise to another—with no more than 30 seconds of rest in between—you’ll be elevating your heart rate and simultaneously targeting every major group muscle in your body, effectively fusing a strength and cardio workout in one fell swoop.
Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of these drills; the caveat of these time-efficient and full-body workouts is the ramp-up of intensity that will leave you winded after every session (this is a good thing—it means you’ll see results all that much more quickly!)
Prior to your training, always remember to warm-up and stretch your muscles—you can do this by marching in place or taking a brisk walk for at least five minutes. Use dumbbells at a weight that allows you to blast through 12 to 15 repetitions of each exercise and go through at least three rounds as quickly as possible. No dumbbells? No problem—you substitute them with cans of soup, books or bottles of water.
1. ) Squat to shoulder press: This targets the muscles in your upper arms, back as well as the entire butt and thigh area.
- Start standing with feet shoulder-width apart, knees bent slightly, while holding your dumbbells at the shoulders with your palms facing away from you.
- As if you were trying to sit into a very low chair, squat by lowering your butt muscles towards the ground and bending your knees, being very careful not to go past 90 degrees or allowing your kneecaps to bend over your toes.
- As you stand back up, find stability through your heels as you extend your arms and push the weights above your head.
- Hold for a count and repeat the movement.
2.) Lunge and bicep curl: This exercise zeroes in on your biceps, as well as your entire butt and thigh area.
- Start standing with feet shoulder-width apart and palms facing towards your body with dumbbells in hand.
- Lift your right-foot and lunge forward with your knee, keeping to a 90-degree angle. Keep your back, left foot in-line with the rest of your leg.
- As you push through right heel to stand back up, turn your wrists upward and curl the dumbbell towards your shoulders.
- You can alternate sides, or perform all reps on one side before you switch and repeat.
3.) Burpbee/pushup combination: This works every major muscle group in your body. Get ready to skyrocket your heart rate and start sweating!
- Start in a standing position. Squat down, planting your palms firmly on the ground while throwing your feet back into pushup position.
- Perform a pushup by bending your elbows and lowering your chest to the floor, keeping your head, neck and back straight and aligned. (You can perform the pushups from your knees, if you need to)
- From your pushup position, bring your knees to your chest and replant your feet on the ground. Stand up back up and repeat the movement.
4.) Side plank with leg lift: This movement strengthens and tones your entire core and leg muscles.
- Get into a side plank position by propping your upper body on your left elbow, extending your torso and legs in a straight line so that you’re stabilizing the your body on your left, flexed foot as well. Extend your right arm towards the sky, or rest your right hand on your hip.
- Keeping your abs tight as well as neck and head straight and lifted, lift your uppermost right leg up towards the sky in a scissor-life fashion—don’t let your waist sink to the ground.
- In a slow and controlled fashion, bring your leg back down towards your lower one. Repeat for your allotted amount of repetition.
5.) Plank with arm lift: This version of the plank works your shoulders and your entire core.
- Get into the plank position by balancing on your toes and forearms, keeping your abs tight and your neck, head and back aligned with one another.
- Very carefully shift your weight onto the left forearm and leg, and extend your right arm out in front of you. Hold it for five to seven counts.
- Slowly bring your arm back in, re-shift your weight onto the right side of your body and extend your left arm for the same five to seven seconds.
- Keep switching and repeating sides for your allotted amount of repetitions. If you’re a beginner, one side each equals one repetition. To crank up the intensity, make both a left and right arm lift one repetition.
Powerhouse Nutrition Strategies
Put the focus on natural, not on low-carb or low-fat. Despite the ever-growing number of dieting and nutrition sources available, finding “the correct diet”, has been—and still is—a major source of confusion and grief among the public. But for the sake of soundness of mind and a lean body, the remedy is actually quite simple and powerful—eat from a variety of fresh, whole foods and minimize your consumption of refined and packaged ones.
Start off by eating an equal amount of lean protein, complex carbohydrates as well as healthy fats throughout the day. For most, the concept of a “balanced diet” is somewhere on the radar, conjuring up images of vague food items on a pyramid. But since you’ll be more physically active—it becomes all that much more imperative that you eat a variety of nutrients from across the spectrum of whole foods.
Despite what does diet books and programs may say, do not only perceive foods through the lens of their macronutrients; you need equal amounts of fats, carbohydrates and proteins to keep your energy zipping, your hormones balanced and your body in fat-burning mode—not to mention satiated and less likely to seek junk food. The following lists from each food group are not conclusive, but offer typical examples of healthy options:
Lean Protein:
- Chicken Breasts
- Egg Whites
- Low-fat Cottage Cheese
- Tofu
- Water-canned Tuna
Complex Carbohydrates:
- Brown Rice
- Steel-cut Oats
- Sweet Potatoes
- Whole Wheat Bread and Pasta
- Fruit
Fibrous Carbohydrates:
- Kale
- Broccoli
- Red Cabbage
- Asparagus
- Bok Choy
Healthy Fats:
- Olive Oil
- Avocados
- Nuts, such as almonds and walnuts
- Seeds, such as flaxseeds and sunflower seeds
Increase your results by eating smaller portions more frequently throughout the day. After you’ve given yourself a couple of weeks to adjust to your new menu, you are likely to be feeling flush with energy and confidence. But since we’re on a mission to get you to the beach and the poolside in prime shape, we’re going to ratchet up your progress by downsizing your portions and increasing the number of meals you consume during your waking hours.
For those who like the math, this translates into about 300-400 calorie meals approximately five to six times a day, spaced apart by only a few hours at time. By doing this, you’ll be warding off energy-sapping food binges, quelling off junk food cravings and keeping the turbines of your metabolism running smoothly while peeling off your body fat at the rate of a pound to a pound and a half per week.
Cravings happen—learn how to deal with them effectively. Food cravings might not show up in the first few days or weeks, but being the unwelcome guests they are, will always show up inconveniently and, if not dealt with correctly, can sabotage your fat-loss plans. However, by acknowledging their existence from the get-go, you can easily counter food cravings with the following preemptive tactics:
- Eat small amounts of “healthy” junk foods. This may sound paradoxical, but healthy versions of your favorite treats do exist. Go to any natural health food store such as Whole Foods Market, or the natural/organic isles of your grocer and you will find cookies, ice cream, chips and other snack foods and desserts that don’t require an advanced degree in chemistry to discern their ingredient list. That’s because these products are made out of real sugarcane, fresh butter and other simple, natural products–not manufactured fillers, preservatives and other additives at odds with your health. To fulfill your sweet tooth, try keeping a few dessert-like Lärabars on hand to keep you on track, while munching on crispy PopChips can offer you a more savory but healthy snack.
- Allow yourself some discretionary calories. You’re only human, and it’s okay to reach for a couple of Oreos—but only a couple. Allow yourself to have small portions of junk food a few times during the week—it will help stave off full-on binge attacks that can unravel your progress.
- Be sure to get enough sleep. Have you ever felt hungrier when you didn’t get a full night’s rest? It’s no coincidence—sleep has a profound impact on your ability to lose weight, and recent studies have shown that it may be just as important as keeping a tab on your diet and exercise strategies. When you’re lacking in the sleep department, your body gets inundated with grehlin and leptin—hormones that increase hunger and fat storage. Deprive yourself of sleep too often and this gets compounded with stress hormones such as cortisol, which can compromise your blood sugar, exponentially increasing your appetite and putting you at risk for diabetes and fat gain. So be sure to get your eight hours of shut-eye as every night—among the many health-saving benefits, it’ll help curb your cravings and strengthen your dieting resolve.
Recommended Supplements:
Guayaki Yerba Mate: This healthy and certified herbal drink comes in bottles, cans and as a loose-leaf tea; it has the boosting power of coffee while featuring a higher vitamin antioxidant and polyphenol content than green tea. (http://guayaki.com)
Glucomannan, or Konjac Extract Powder: This non-stimulating, vegetable-based powder offers a safe and effective way to decrease your appetite while increasing your soluble fiber intake. Konjac extract powder works by absorbing liquid and turning into a gelatin-like substance in your stomach and intestines, giving you the feeling of satiety for longer periods of time—it also aids in regulating your blood sugar as well as gently reducing constipation and cholesterol levels. (nowfoods.com)
Whole Food Multivitamins: The Vitamin Code Raw One for Women once-daily, specialized formula for women addresses the nutritional needs to support the following areas: Breast Health, Reproductive System, Bone Strength, RAW Energy, Healthy Heart and Healthy Skin. Going beyond vitamins and minerals, Vitamin Code RAW ONE for Women is an excellent choice for mental and physical energy and support of a healthy heart, optimal digestion, and breast health. (www.gardenoflife.com)
General Tips
Above all, be gentle with yourself. In a world where celebrity mothers snap seem to snap back into pre-pregnancy shape overnight (with aid of their dieticians, personal trainers and personal chefs, by the way), most women expect to see results of their efforts ASAP as well. However, keep in mind that your body was once a vessel that created and nurtured life, and depending on how long ago you gave birth, it needs some time to recuperate. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you should throw your diet and exercise plans to the wind—only that you’ll need to take the process a bit more slowly than you probably would like. With the added duties of being a parent and a provider, aggressive changes will only undercut your weight-loss efforts, not to mention drain your energy and sanity. Remember, the more gradually you alter your exercise and eating habits, the more likely you’ll keep it off in the long haul. Measure the progress of your “Mission Bikini Body” in terms of months and weeks, instead of days.
If you’ve just had your baby, give yourself at least six weeks to recover before attempting to get back in shape—be extra cautious if you’ve delivered a C-section birth. As always, it’s best to get medical clearance before delving into any weight-loss plan.
Preparation is everything. Finding time to exercise and make healthy meals is ultimately, an exercise in effective time management, like everything else important. Pencil in your exercise “appointments”. Prepare your healthy meals and set out your workout clothes beforehand. If you don’t preplan, more than likely your “good intentions” will fall through the cracks.
Mentally prepare yourself. Aside from fitting into your skinny jeans, take accurate inventory of the reasons that prompted your desire to change. Write them down in a journal. This will push you through instances of wavering motivation or when you feel like you just plain want to quit. Be patient with yourself and remember fitness is a process and journey; the discipline you apply here will positively affect other aspects of your life. Don’t forget to send yourself love when your mind reels with negativity; pessimism will hinder any progress.
Set up a home-based workout area. Whether you have a gym membership or not, don’t underestimate the importance of setting up a designated workout spot in your house. Between the helping with the homework, changing diapers, making dinner and going to work, finding time to get to the gym might not always be a viable option. By setting up a customized exercise space in places from your living room to your backyard, you can workout as early or as late as you like want to, or even find time between tasks and chores.
And while a treadmill or shiny Bowflex might sound nice, all you really need is a space to call your own—along with a couple of dumbbells, a workout mat and an MP3 player, or whatever gear you think you need that will get your heart pumping. You can mix it up by playing fitness DVDs in the living room and taking brisk walks or jogs outside. To cover all of your bases, it’s a good idea to also carry a pair of sneakers and perhaps a jump rope in your car. Now, you don’t have an excuse to not workout anytime.