Good Article to Share!

In prepping for the upcoming diet and exercise after little BB is born, I've been searching the internet to come up with my "plan of attack."  I'm not going to use anything gimmicky -- just hard core common sense and a promise to be honest about it on this blog. Oh, and I am going to wrap my belly and bind my hips... but that's as gimmicky as it will get.  Not sure if that will help... but...

Anyhow, I found this article and thought it was worth sharing.  Nothing earth-shattering, but good food for thought.  I've only shared some of it as I was having formatting issues, but it's interesting how some women lose NO weight and I've heard of others actually gaining after they've come home -- yes, these women actually weighed more after birthing an 8 pound child, placenta and losing all amniotic fluid -- how depressing!! Basically, it all has to do with fluid retention, and when we're pumped full of IV fluid through a long labor, I guess we shouldn't be surprised...
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How to Lose Weight after Pregnancy

Source:  http://pregnancychildbirth.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_lose_weight_after_pregnancy

1. Drink at least 10-12 glasses of water every day. Replace your high sugar beverages such as sodas and juices with some water and a squeeze of fresh lemon. You could also try flavored seltzer water which has no calories. You can cut out hundreds of calories a day this way.
2. Keep healthy snacks handy such as raisins, popcorn, wheat crackers, and nuts. Refuse to buy store-bought baked goods or junk food.
3. Eat lean meats such as boneless chicken and the leanest cuts of beef.
4. Eat whole grains (breads, cereals, pastas) instead of the "white" versions
5. Don't be fooled by foods that are labeled as nonfat. Some are loaded with calories and can have hydrogenated vegetable oils and/or high fructose corn syrup, neither of which are healthy. Read your labels!
6. Resist the urge to indulge in a fast food meal. Or if you do, order the salad and not the fat-filled burgers and fries.
7. As soon as you feel ready, start light exercise. Weather-permitting, take a 10 minute walk with the baby every day and slowly increase your time to 20 minutes per day. Babies can be worn in a snugli or sling or you can use a baby jogger or stroller when they get too heavy. Even better, walk at a regular time with a friend.
8. Find easy ways to increase your exercise like parking farther away or using stairs instead of elevators.
9. Breastfeeding uses up your fat stores! Breastfeeding burns about 500 calories per day so the longer you breastfeed, the more calories you burn.
10. Consider joining a gym and trade babysitting hours with a friend so when you each go to do your workout, the other can watch the babies. Some gyms may offer babysitting services as well.

Just remember it took 9 months to gain the weight; give yourself at least that long to take it off. I am not a fan of completely avoiding or drastically reducing food groups such as the popular diets of limiting carbs or sugars. I believe the more you deprive yourself of an occasional treat, the more you will crave it.