Not So Secret…Post Baby

Staying healthy before and during my pregnancy really helped me get back in shape after delivery. This included a routine of fitness exercises and a healthy diet. My Pilates exercises were modified at each stage of my pregnancy and I continued until Nolan’s birth. While pregnant, I walked a mile or two during lunch breaks which included climbing approximately 100 stairs (6 – 7 floors). Though I had some cravings during my pregnancy, I tried to maintain a healthy eating habit. Some of my cravings included mangoes, okra soup and lots of pina colada.

After delivery, I used a belly girdle  which was pretty helpful but what I attribute mostly to my post pregnancy weight loss is breast feeding. I breast fed my baby exclusively and the more I continued, the more I noticed a weight loss and ironically, my appetite increased. As a result, I ate smaller portions and stayed away from junk foods. About 3 months later, I switched to moderate carbs with more proteins and veggies.

Currently, I am enrolled in a group fitness class which includes Zumba dance routines, energetic weight training and “kick, punch and jab” energizing cardio sessions. I try to exercise consistently and monitor what I eat based on availability and practicability. I drink a lot of water and below is my current meal plan.

Breakfast:

Ø  Oatmeal

Ø  Cereal (Honey Bunches of Oats with Almond milk)

Ø  Omelet with egg whites

Ø  Wheat bread (no more than 2 slices with 1 boiled eggs)

Ø  Greek yogurt with fruits or granola, almonds & walnuts mixed

Lunch/Dinner:

Ø  Rice with veggies (broccoli, string beans, cauliflower, mixed vegetables)

Ø  Chicken (boiled or baked) with veggies

Ø  Fish with rice & veggies

Ø  Salad and chicken (love Chicken Caesar salad)

Ø  Rice with efo or egusi (Traditional vegetable soup)

*Usually I eat 1-1/2 cup/s of rice…brown rice preferably

Snacks (snack a lot)

Ø  Carrots

Ø  Mangoes, strawberries, apple, banana, cranberries, plum

Ø  Saltine crackers

Ø  Peanut butter & crackers

Ø  Dried banana chips or almonds

Try this belly girdles here:

I will be glad to answer any questions. Follow me on twitter here and tweet me with you questions with hash tag #askstella

Have a wonderful weekend

xoxo

Stella

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