Fitness Friday - "Mummy Tummy"

My wonderful sister in-law asked me how she could get rid of her "Mummy Tummy" or "Mommy Tummy." You know that extra pouch we are left with after our precious babies enter this world.

Before I had my 3 kids via c-sections, I would have client's say to me, "I can't do that exercise because I had a c-section" or "They just can't drop that extra 20 lbs. of baby fat and my baby is 20 years old!" I would just smile and we would work through it, but in the back of my mind I was freaking out! Afterall, I hadn't been through 9 months of carrying a baby, let alone try to fit in workouts after having one.

Even with being a personal trainer I am admitting to you that my mind was plagued with the fear of never getting my body back. It is so easy to tell yourself or listen to others complain about "the lack of time," "lack of equipment," "lack of a gym membership," "lack of a personal trainer & personal chef," "I'm just too tired," and my favorite "I eat so I can cope and get through the day!" Falling into this mindset will get you nowhere! And, I am talking to myself too:)!

Without any further adou, Here are a few tips on how you can go from this...



Being left with this...

 

To something like this...


I am showing you these pictures of me, so you can see that I have been there and still working on it! Obviously, I could write a book to cover everything, but here are the top 5 to get you started.

Tip #1 - Drink at least 8 - 8 oz. glasses of water per day. Add two cups per lb. lost during exercise to prevent dehydration.

Tip #2 - Eat protein with every meal or snack. Replace packaged foods (longer shelf life = longer the fat stays on your body) with fresh fruits and veggies. Cut out sugary drinks, candy, junk food, and extra fat. Save those for special occasions
Example of one day -

Breakfast - 1 whole wheat tortilla with egg whites scrambled with 1 Tbsp of salsa

Snack - Banana with 1 Tbsp natural peanut butter

Lunch - Spinach salad with fresh strawberries & half of a turkey sandwhich

Snack - Apple with 1 mozzerella cheese stick

Dinner - Grilled chicken with steamed squash & zucchini with a side of pineapple

Snack - Granola cereal with skim milk or a chocolate peanut butter protein shake!

Tip #3 - Exercise with moderate intensity 5 days a week.

Sample program:

Monday - Power walk for 30 minutes

Tuesday - Do a total body workout video at home, gym, or from a book from your local library.

Wednesday - Power walk/jog/jump rope/bike/swim for 30 minutes

Thursday - Do a total body workout video at home, gym, or from a book from your local library.

Friday - Rest

Saturday - Combine Cardio with Weight training to extend your workout time and to burn more calories

Sunday - Rest

Tip #4 - Work on your posture. If you slouch all day long, then your back muscles will be stretched out which only adds to the weakening of your stomach muscles. Just think about pulling your navel in toward your spine and stacking your shoulders directly over your ribs, your ribs directly over your hips, hips directly over your knees, and knees directly over your ankles while you are standing! Your abdominals help support your spine and will help you burn 10% more calories per day if you will work on your posture.

Tip #5 - Find a workout buddy or an accountability partner. This will help you get started, stick with it, stay motivated, and push through when you want to give in and quit.

~~~Something to keep in mind~~~

You can't spot reduce by only doing abdominal exercises to get your tummy into better shape. You have to train the total body. By cutting out 500 extra calories a day you can lose up to 1 lb. per week.