After hours in labor and a lengthy stay at the hospital you finally brought your bundle of joy home. Nothing can ruin the moment, that is, if you forget the flab that is hanging at your waist line.  That is baby weight and you would do well to get rid of it. Here is how you can make those few extra pounds a passing memory -

Perfect Posture

Even standing straight can help you shed the extra pounds that you were carrying with a life inside you. Your baby can help in this one. No seriously! For example, hold your child in front of you with both arms. This will force your body to straighten up. Holding your child to the side will make your hip and stomach extend outwards. This can hardly be a good thing in the middle of your weight loss program.

Once you hold your child out front make sure that you keep your shoulders straight and pull your stomach in from the spine. Do this for two minutes every day.

Drink up

Make sure that you drink plenty of water after your pregnancy. Not only will it keep you hydrated it will also boost your metabolism which promotes weight loss. How do you know if you are drinking adequate amounts of water? You should be going to the bathroom after every three to four hours.

Strength Training

A good weight loss diet plan is well and good but nothing beats good old exercise. Your body also needs to move in order to make those pounds go away so make sure that you incorporate some strength or aerobics exercises into your plan.

A trip to the gym won’t be necessary. Plus a gym is hardly a place for the baby and nannies are expensive. Instead, you can take a walk with your baby in the stroller.

What to Avoid like the Plague

Of course, your weight loss efforts will be for naught if you don’t know what to avoid during them. Do not –

• Eat a lot of cruciferous veggies like broccoli since they causes bloating
• Drink a lot of carbonated drinks
• Eat foods that are high in salt since these cause water retention in your belly
• Skip meals since you are more likely to eat more at others

This goes double for skipping breakfast because the baby kept you up all night. You will only feel hungry and tired throughout the day. A healthy breakfast early in the morning will help you stay active and more tuned into your weight loss exercises as well.

The same goes for getting enough sleep. You will start cheating on your exercise plan if you are tired and sleepy all day. Studies show that new moms  who get less than six hours of sleep every night six months after birth find it more difficult to lose weight than mothers who slept more than that. In fact, a good night’s sleep might be all you need to know about how to lose baby weight.