How to Lose your Stubborn Mommy Pouch
If you're like me, and you've recently had a kid (or two!) then you know all about the stubborn mommy pouch (Also known as "Pooch" ) . So you've lost...
If you're like me, and you've recently had a kid (or two!) then you know all about the stubborn mommy pouch (Also known as "Pooch" ) . So you've lost most or all of the baby weight- but your tiny lower tummy pouch just won't seem to budge. Well trust me, all moms have or had the "Mommy Pouch" whether they look like it or not (Some just hide it really well) Below I will show you the many steps I took to slowly (but surely) get rid of that stubborn mommy pouch.
The mommy pouch is located on your lower abdomen, which tends to be the hardest place to lose fat, but with healthy, clean eating and some targeted workouts, you will see change week after week. Just remember, consistency is key! Do not give up until you Say Bye Bye to that mom pooch!
Avoid Sugary Drinks & Food
If you are an avid soda drinker, you should cut back, especially since the holiday season is coming up and drinking a lot of soda during parties can be almost inevitable. Try to hold your ground and go for a water or natural juice instead. Studies have shown that consuming too much sugar leads to extra belly & liver fat as well as contributes to a slower metabolism! Not to mention the sugar that you drink in your sodas are those little demons that like to turn into stubborn belly fat.
Chug that water.
It is a well known fact that water is AMAZING for you. It clears your skin, detoxifies, and is a great way to lose weight. How? It flushes toxins out of your body, and eliminates bloating, causing your mommy pouch to look smaller! The recommended amount of water to drink daily depends on your weight- you should consume half of your weight in ounces daily. For example, I weight about 125 pounds- I should be consuming about 62 ounces of water daily to stay hydrated! Another benefit of water is that it regulates bathroom use, and going to the bathroom is one way of losing fat, including water weight. Yes, oddly enough you have to drink more water to get rid of water weight. Silly right? But it works! What we find to be very helpful is getting a large water bottle or container that can hold the amount of water you need for that day, and just make sure you drink it all during the course of your day.
Fiber! Fiber! Fiber!
Eating fiber is extremely essential as it makes you feel fuller for longer periods of time, as well as help speed up your metabolism, and regulate your bowl movements! Fiber is a plant based nutrient, and when consuming it, you feel fuller longer, causing you to not crave even more food after eating, and helps with portion control. Some foods that are rich in fiber are: dark leafy greens (spinach), broccoli, beans & legumes, whole wheat bread, whole grain rice (brown rice), oats, and nuts! Personally, I have switched over from white rice to brown rice in two months and have found a significant difference in my stomach area! Win!
Get your heart racing
Getting your cardio in will help get your blood pumping and your heart racing which is essential to weight loss, and burning fat! How do we burn fat? By using our energy! Cardio is a full body workout that consists in working all your muscles at the same time. As a mom, I like to take a 30 minute walk a day, pushing my double stroller (about 15-20) pounds up and downhill. The kids will enjoy it, and you will definitely break a sweat by the time you get home. Another great full body workout for moms is Zumba. Most likely, if you attend a gym, you might be able to get into class for free. Do this 3-4 times a week to help burn the fat! Here are our top Cardio exercise we recommend to getting rid of your mom pouch!
Do exercises that Burn lower belly FAT
After you have done the above four strategies on how to lose your mommy pouch, It’s time to tighten up that lose skin! Many women claim to just use simple lower abdominal exercises to get rid of the stubborn lower belly fat. In reality, ab workouts are simply used just to tone your abs! But what if you have fat over them? That’s right! In order to actually lose the pouch, you must burn the fat on top of your abs. This means you need to do Fat burning workouts that will target all muscle groups, and use your core as the main focus. Here are a few of our favorite workouts that burn fat, and tone the belly at the same time!
1- BURPEE: The burpee is one of my personal favorite exercises because it targets every single muscle group, including your abs!
2- Mountain Climbers: Directly targets your abs and uses your core as the central support. This will really get your heart racing, therefore burning fat!
3- Kettle ball Swing: This targets large muscle groups such as the glutes, quads, and hips! Not to mention the weight will help build more muscle in these areas, and muscles are natural fat burners on their own!
4- HIIT: Setting up your favorite exercises (usually including 4 exercises) and following a circuit of non stop movement will really get your heart pumping, therefore burning more belly fat!
5- Weight training: This is one of my personal favorite things to do at the gym. Weather it is using dumbbells, the smith machine, or cable machine, building body muscle on my arms, back, quads and glutes will help me literally burn fat even when I’m home sitting on the couch, or asleep! Remember to not be intimidated by weights at the gym, if you can carry multiple grocery bags in one go, trust me when I say you can start at 15 pounds one day, and make your way up to 100lbs!
Reward yourself!
Believe me, I know how hard it is being a busy mommy and trying to get your body and health at a point that you are comfortable with. So when you do start seeing progress, whether it be losing a pound or two, working out consistently throughout the week, seeing muscle growth, or noticing your energy rising, Reward Yourself! You deserve it. Do not step over the tiny successes because ultimately they lead you to your overall goal. Reward yourself by getting your nails done, or eating that yummy treat you’ve been craving. You earned it, mommy!
get your shapewear on!
As you workout and eat healthy, there are many extra benefits to wearing a shapewear garment while losing weight. Click here to read why all moms should wear shapewear post- partum. You have extra back support forcing you to stand and sit up straight (also burning extra energy), your stomach is nice and supported so that when you actually lose the extra fat, you won't have loose skin as your shaper is helping to keep your skin tight! Additionally, when wearing shapewear, overeating is almost impossible. So if one of your problems is eating too much at meals, the shapewear would already be adding compression to your stomach, therefore making it unable to expand as much.
And you will certainly feel more motivated looking in the mirror and seeing your body goals daily with your shapewear on, so when you finally take it off- you won't see too much of a difference!
Since I have so many mommies looking for recommendations on what specific shapewear to wear to really lose the muffin top, here are my top 3 Picks for mommies!
If you have already healed from giving birth and are ready to slim down by working out, wear this sports trainer daily or to the gym to really target that belly fat!
Want to wear a waist trainer but don't want it to be too restricting? Wear this amazing Powernet Waist Cincher to work, and lose those inches!
New Mom, and need something comfortable yet durable to wear daily? This amazing full body shaper has got you tucked, covered, and comfortable all day!
Recently Gave Birth and don't know which Shapewear is best to help you lose that mommy pouch? We've got you covered!
Take Weekly Before & After Photos!
We recommend two ways of keeping track of your progress, why? Because seeing that you are on track and are on your way towards your goal will motivate you even more to keep pushing! Taking your waist, and hip measurements is one sure way to really know that you are shedding those inches! Another way is to take weekly photos and really get that visual representation of your mommy pooch slowly shrinking. We find that a truly motivating way is to even start a public or private mini instagram blog to get a timeline to really keep track! You can even get followers from moms who are on the same journey to lose their own belly fat!
Keep A detailed plan
It doesn’t have to be too fancy, you can either jot it down on a planner to have a physical copy on hand, write it on your notes or to make matters easier, download a fitness or diet app! Having an organized and detailed plan on how you are going to lose your tummy with your exact diet for the month, and your exact workout plans day by day will make it much easier to keep on track as opposed to just winging it! Remember that many fitness and diet plans work, it is up to you if you are going to follow them to truly reap the results. Here are a few apps that we find extremely helpful!
1- MyFitnessPal : is exactly what the title says! It is a completely free app that has an extensive database of foods that you can track so you know exactly what you are eating everyday! You can also log your daily activity, and weight goals!
2- FatSecret: is a great app that you can use to connect with others on the same journey! Not only can you log your daily foods, but you can plan them in advance as well as take photos of the exact foods your eating! It’s like a health conscious Instagram!
3- Yaizo is a great app that truly accustoms to your fitness needs! It even helps create meal plans that help you to reach your individual fit goals, like losing your mom tummy or even gaining some muscle! An additional added bonus is that it tracks your daily steps! Win!
Understanding the long game
Now that you know all of the steps on how to lose your stubborn mom pouch, it is time to understand that mindset is everything! If you are a new mom, it is important to note that it took you 9 months to expand your belly, and it is possible to take just as long to lose the pouch and for your cute mom tum to get back the way it was. Trust me, as a mommy of two myself , I understand how frustrating it is to not see results right away. Losing motivation after not seeing results FAST, is a common denominator of all mommies who tend to quit after a few weeks of clean eating and working out. Losing your pouch is a long, and challenging journey, physically as well as mentally. Take it slowly, and take your time to create healthy habits. Crash dieting, and doing crazy cardio for a month will produce results, YES. But will they produce long term results? Most likely not. So in order for us moms to lose our belly pouch, and keep our tummy flat , long term, understanding that it is truly a long process is essential, and the healthiest route to take!
Good Luck Girls! Let me know in the comments if you have any helpful tips for other mommies who are trying to lose that stubborn belly fat, and don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for blog updates.