Beating The Postpartum Weight Loss Blues Part 2

Get the help you need to stop wallowing and start winning when it comes to losing weight. nWhen moms were asked what the most frustrating things are about losing weight after baby, they responded: nnThe lack of time and energy for working out nnHow long it takes to lose the weightnnHow much weight is still left after baby is bornnnThe body changes that take place after pregnancy nnDo these frustrations sound familiar? Facing reality of body after baby can be flat out depressing. So here are four easy things you can do to beat the postpartum weight loss: nn1. Laugh. When was the last time you had a really good belly laugh? Laughter is great medicine. You can’t laugh and feel sad at the same time. Go ahead and try it. It’s impossible! If you have a toddler, tune into their jokes. Laugh when they laugh and you’ll feel better in no time. People don’t laugh because they are happy. They’re happy because they laugh. nn2. Sing. There is a very successful businesswoman named Heidi Roizen who had an ah-ha moment about weight loss. When she stepped on the scale and realized she weighed more than her husband, she knew something had to change. She looked for music to help inspire her to lose weight but she couldn’t find any tunes with great lyrics. So she created her own! The CD is titled “Skinny Songs” and includes songs like “Skinny Jeans,” “Thin!” and “The Incredible Shrinking Woman.” Instead of soaking in misery, Heidi decided to sing and she succeeded in the process. When you sing positive songs, your postpartum blues will vanish. nn3. Pray. Call on God to help you. When tough days came, I would pray something like this, “Dear God, I feel discouraged. I can’t seem to get everything done that I need to. I feel like a lousy wife and mom. Please help me know what I’m supposed to do next and help me to be more disciplined with my diet and exercise. Give me the solutions I’m looking for.” And do you know what would inevitably happen? My mood would lighten and I would get a better perspective on things. nn4. Plan. Have something to look forward to. When you have an event in your calendar that’s fun on the horizon, it gives you hope. On the contrary, if you look at your calendar and all you see is grocery shopping and cleaning house, it can lead to despair! Make sure you carve out time for mini-weekend vacations and longer ones, dinner with friends, birthday parties, manicures, time alone, or movie nights. When you plan time for fun, you’ll be able to fight off those postpartum blahs. nnSo the next time you feel a case of the blahs coming on, remember to do these four easy things. When you laugh, sing, pray and plan, it gives you the power to overcome your weight loss blues. n