Question: Maria, I have 30 pounds to lose since I had my baby, please share tips on how you did it! -Monanik 

The most important thing you have to understand about weight loss is that its all about “calories in vs. calories out.” In order to lose weight, you must burn more calories than you consume. SMART weight loss is doing this through a balanced diet and exercise. In terms of my personal weight loss, here are a few things I did:

– 4-6 weeks postpartum: I took 1 mile walks daily and drank lots of water.

-6-10 weeks postpartum: I added jogging into my daily exercise and cut sugars/desserts from my diet. I also started to take a vegetable based multi-vitamin (available at vitamin stores like GNC)

-10 weeks postpartum: I joined MY FITNESS PAL and started to track ALL of my meals and exercise. I also took group fitness classes at my local gym 4-5 times per week.

-12-18 weeks postpartum: I included weekly sessions with my Personal Trainer, by week 16, I reached my pre-pregnancy weight (128 lbs., currently, I weigh 120 lbs.).

Keep in mind, you need to burn approximately 3500 calories to lose 1 pound. You can accomplish this by cutting calories and making smarter choices when it comes to the foods you eat. I also recommend that you try to eat every 3-4 hours. Don’t eat until you’re “full” eat until you’re “satisfied.” Be sure to include small snacks in between meals as well. MY FITNESS PAL is an AMAZING resource. You can calculate your BMI, set weight loss goals, track exercise and more! There’s also a GREAT community of like-minded people on their forums. You can also find meal plans on their website.

You can also check out blog entries in the Postpartum Weight Loss Category

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