Today mysia_m shares how exactly she did it: her exercises, massage and diet. See yesterday´s post for her story about how she decided to commit to turning her post-partum flab into enviable abs.
There are no miracles, you need to put in some effort, but let´s not overdo it. The 1600 calorie diet allows for eating comfortably, while training takes 30 minutes max every day with a break once a week. It´s worth checking the effects sporadically every 2-3 months, because then the difference is really big. Don´t start this diet and exercises earlier than 3-4 months after giving birth. The entire program has been developed by me based on help from the internet and my education. If any of you wants to try it out, I encourage you to work at it !
So, lets roll, darlings !
If you have extra kilos:
Breastfeed -- it´s best for your child, and it will help you burn lingering fat.
Limit your calorie intake -- 1600 calorie diet (it doesn´t mean you have to eat exactly 1600 calories, try to stay between 1500-1700. You´ll lose weight anyway.
Basic commandments of a mom on her way to lose weight:
EAT PROTEIN
White cheeses (such as curd cheese), milk, yellow cheeses (calorific), yoghurts (only organic), kefir are friends of nursing moms trying to lose weight (kill hunger, provide valuable nutritious substances and good bacteria which regulate digestive processes), eggs, cooked chicken.
Tip: a meal comprised of only protein helps to burn fat, for instance supper consisting of only curd cheese with cream, it could be cottage cheese.
DRINK LOTS OF LIQUIDS
Herbal teas are very healthy and tasty. I recommend nettle, Melissa and pansy. They have a great effect on the skin, well-being and milk production ! Breastfeeding moms can´t drink red or green tea, moms that bottle-feed can -- but remember that these teas are dehydrating. Replenish liquids by drinking water, whichever kind you like. It can be boiled tap water in quantities of minimum 4 glasses daily, that´s 2 liters of liquids.
EAT IN VARIETY
Your fridge should be colourful ! Bell pepper, broccoli, carrots, Kohlrabi (German turnip), cucumber, beans, peas. All of this is edible. That way you won´t get a lack of vitamins.
MOVE
I´ve tested on my own skin the effect of intensive walks with a buggy. The child needs to get fresh air one way or another. Instead of putting it out on a balcony, go to a park, to a meadow, wherever possible, as long as you use your legs. I myself started out taking walks for an hour every day, with fast paced walking. I came back soaked in sweat. After 2 weeks of everyday marches I extended the time to 1,5 hours. After a month till 2 hours. After 2 months the marches lasted even 3 hours.
Fast-paced walking fantastically shapes the leg muscles and butt, and the erect posture forces the belly muscles to return to the old shape.
After 2 months of such a diet and marches I lost more than 10 kilos.
MASSAGE
A very important element of shaping the figure. I personally have a specialist in physiotherapy, but this massage can by done by each one of you with a bit of persistence and discipline.
First of all -- twice a day, secondly -- using a firming product. That means any body cream labeled ´firming´. It would be ideal if it contains algaes or caffeine. These substances stimulate microcirculation, so the process of burning at least cellulite is speeded up. You will say for sure that creams work only on the skin, and the fat layer lies deeper. That´s true, but the smoother the skin, the less visible are the unevenness below it; and additionally a deep massage, which I will describe in a moment, stimulates the deeper layers of the skin to self-cleansing.
Execution:
We´ll work on the area from the line under the bust till the pubic mound and from one side to the other -- that´s a rectangle-shaped area. If you pass diagonal lines through it, they would intersect exactly at the navel.
1. Smear in the cream with the entire palm with a clockwise direction, from the navel outwards, like you would draw a snail. Use enough cream to slip, but not so much as to make it too wet. If you do use too much, wait till the excess is absorbed by massaging it in. Make around 20 circles.
2. Grab a fold of skin with both hands between thumb and fingers. The thumbs should be 3-5 cm from one another. Grab the fold so deeply that you grab all the exterior belly fat *example photo*. Begin with the spot under the navel. This fold should be rolled outwards, diagonally. Imagine drawing a sun: the navel is the sun, and the lines that we roll the skin folds in are the rays. Roll it precisely passing the fingers spot to spot, all the time tightly holding the roll so that it doesn´t escape. Move clockwise. That´s quite important, if you do it anticlockwise you could get strong constipation. Do the sun twice.
3. The next step is tightening the hand into a fist and making small circles with the knuckles. We press quite strongly, which can hurt, but this is a normal symptom. Massage in this way the entire area from the under-bust line till the pubic mound, twice around, clockwise.
4. Take some more cream and rub it in, stroking with a flat palm.
2. Grab a fold of skin with both hands between thumb and fingers. The thumbs should be 3-5 cm from one another. Grab the fold so deeply that you grab all the exterior belly fat *example photo*. Begin with the spot under the navel. This fold should be rolled outwards, diagonally. Imagine drawing a sun: the navel is the sun, and the lines that we roll the skin folds in are the rays. Roll it precisely passing the fingers spot to spot, all the time tightly holding the roll so that it doesn´t escape. Move clockwise. That´s quite important, if you do it anticlockwise you could get strong constipation. Do the sun twice.
3. The next step is tightening the hand into a fist and making small circles with the knuckles. We press quite strongly, which can hurt, but this is a normal symptom. Massage in this way the entire area from the under-bust line till the pubic mound, twice around, clockwise.
4. Take some more cream and rub it in, stroking with a flat palm.
After massage the skin might be red. Even small bruises may appear. If you get a rash, it means that the cream has caused an allergic reaction.
A regularly performed massage will cause that the skin will become satin smooth. Used together with exercises, it tightens it visibly (it´s very visible, already after 2 weeks ! I had old, neglected cellulite at the stomach height, from my university days. This massage helped me lose it. Under the skin I had clumps of condensed fat, like beads; right now the skin fold is smooth and soft in the center.
SET OF EXERCISES
The set of exercises called Weider´s Aerobic 6 can be found on the Internet. I have lightly modified the program for my needs, and the results were similar. These exercises beautifully shape the belly and the legs.
They saved me from a hernia operation. The muscles came together, covering the hole. The bellybutton went back in. The painfulness went away. I have to do these exercises for ever, if I want to maintain the results. 2-3 weeks break from exercising are enough for the hernia to reappear.
Some rules:
-- 6 repetitions in the 1st week
-- 12 reps in the 2nd week
-- 18 reps in the 3rd week
-- 24 reps in the 4th week
-- 5th weeks and beyond: 18 reps in two series (if you want to improve the ab shape) or 12 reps every day (if you want to maintain results).
The exercises may be done in doses, but the whole series has to be done in one day. Although they are tiring, it´s worth carving out 30 mins for the whole.
Remember to breath ! Don´t pant quickly, but breathe calmly in the rhythm of the movements.
Exercise 1
Lie flat on the floor. Arms along the torso. Alternate lifting the legs till they are bent at right angle at the hip joint. The angle at the thigh-calf joint must also be 90°. (At the top of the lift the thigh is vertical, and the calve is horizontal)
Exercise 2
Still lying flat on the floor, with the arms along the torso. Lift both legs at once, in the same way as in exercise nr. 1
Exercise 3
Lie in the same way. Lift straight legs 30 cm from the floor and make a scissors movement (open legs wide apart, bring them together and cross them). Try to make the movement as big as possible ie. open the legs as wide apart as possible.
Exercise 4
Lie flat on the floor, arms along the torso. Lift the legs 45° up from the floor, keeping them straight at the knees. Maintain this for as many seconds as the repetitions you´re supposed to do today. For eg. 6 reps = 6 secs.
Exercise 5
Lie flat, but raise your head. Repeat the same exercises from 1-4, but with the head raised. Remember not to press the chin into the chest, but to keep it up, because it´s the belly muscles that should work and not the neck.
If you have problems maintaining the arms along the sides on the floor, try putting the thumbs under the butt. This also prevents sliding around.
Lie flat on the floor. Arms along the torso. Alternate lifting the legs till they are bent at right angle at the hip joint. The angle at the thigh-calf joint must also be 90°. (At the top of the lift the thigh is vertical, and the calve is horizontal)
Exercise 2
Still lying flat on the floor, with the arms along the torso. Lift both legs at once, in the same way as in exercise nr. 1
Exercise 3
Lie in the same way. Lift straight legs 30 cm from the floor and make a scissors movement (open legs wide apart, bring them together and cross them). Try to make the movement as big as possible ie. open the legs as wide apart as possible.
Exercise 4
Lie flat on the floor, arms along the torso. Lift the legs 45° up from the floor, keeping them straight at the knees. Maintain this for as many seconds as the repetitions you´re supposed to do today. For eg. 6 reps = 6 secs.
Exercise 5
Lie flat, but raise your head. Repeat the same exercises from 1-4, but with the head raised. Remember not to press the chin into the chest, but to keep it up, because it´s the belly muscles that should work and not the neck.
If you have problems maintaining the arms along the sides on the floor, try putting the thumbs under the butt. This also prevents sliding around.
That´s all from me. The rest depends on you. For encouragement I´m adding before & after photos. And another thing. It´s better to give one´s all and maybe worry than one has terrible genes, then do nothing and complain. The regenerative abilities of a woman´s body is amazing. We got extra bindings in the skin, so that it may be elastic. Let´s use this. I wish you luck.
At the end I want to thank Eternal*Voyageur, who by calling me an inspiration, inspired me to write this article, thanks to which maybe one of you will soon jump with pride into low-waisted jeans.
So, any questions for mysia_m ? She´d be happy to answer them !