STAY IN SHAPE

health

You! One of the biggest struggles of motherhood is to lose weight while also balancing the overwhelming task of being a mom. What are some tips to help get busy moms focused on their health?

Zainab Sarwar:

Set your biological clock: Timings of your meals plays a very important role in influencing your metabolic function. Eating your main meals on time greatly help in curbing your appetite and cravings. Breakfast should ideally be taken between 6:30 am-8:00 am. For new mums, who are adjusting with disturbed sleep routines can have their breakfast early and go to sleep rather than waking up late and have their breakfast around noon. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day and it helps boost your metabolism. Lunch should be taken between 12 pm-1 pm and dinner should be taken soon after sun sets ideally between 6-7 pm. People who eat the largest meal of the day before 3pm lose 25 per cent more weight than those who eat their main meal after 3 pm. 

Choose healthy snacks: Eating your main meals on time and snacking on healthy choices is a key to healthier lifestyle. Working and busy moms can remove all junk from their pantries and stock it up with healthy options. Some examples of healthy snacks include: ½ cup yogurt; a fruit; handful of nuts; cottage cheese; munching on carrots or celery sticks.

Do mini workouts: If you struggle to fit in 30 minutes of exercise at once, try breaking your exercise time into 10 minute sets 3 times a day, instead. After-all, something is better than nothing. Moms can even workout while playing with their kids.

Have enough sleep: I know that sometimes it’s not always possible to have 7-9 hours of sound sleep if you have young kids. My rule of thumb is to just do the very best you can and try to get to bed at a reasonable time every night to give your best attempt at a good night’s rest. Your body and your attitude will thank you for it in the morning. It will actually help reset your metabolism as well.

You! Is there something about multiple pregnancies that makes it harder to lose weight?

ZS: Losing weight post pregnancy is the easier part even with multiple pregnancies but getting back into shape is the challenging one. An often-overlooked factor in a woman’s post-partum visible fitness is a condition called diastasis recti - a muscle separation in the abdomen due to which woman find it difficult to go back to their pre-pregnancy size. Putting too much pressure on a new mom to immediately lose weight is unnecessary.

Always remember that it took you nine months to put on this much weight, losing it can take several months. If the weight isn’t coming off as fast as you want it to or your weight loss has stalled, there are several factors that could be hindering your efforts. Nutritional deficiencies are among one of them. Some women are found deficient in both vitamin B and vitamin D. Increasing intake of these two vitamins can actually solve post-partum depression and restart metabolism.

You! Can you share some tips on what women can do to keep weight gain in control during pregnancy?

ZS: Tip1: Stop eating for two. You don’t need that many extra calories per day to nourish your growing baby. Current guidelines call for no extra calories per day in your first trimester. 340 extra calories per day in your second trimester and 450 extra calories per day in your third trimester, if you’re starting pregnancy at a healthy weight (These numbers vary according to individual statistics).That’s not a lot of extra calories to play around with, so choose foods with a nutritional value that help you feel satisfied.

Tip 2: Focus on small, frequent meals that are high in lean proteins, fruits, and vegetables, complex carbs and healthy fats. Choose healthy snacks between meals.

Eating a healthy snack every three hours should help you avoid overeating during main meals and help control cravings as well for example: Include an fruit with 1 tablespoon of organic peanut butter or honey, a protein-enriched pasta with organic marinara sauce, or Greek yogurt with a handful of nuts or fruit on top.

Tip 3: Keep yourself well hydrated during pregnancy. Have fruits with lots of fibre and high water content such as grapefruit, oranges, apples, berries, pears, and coconut. When you’re pregnant, your digestive system slows down. Getting enough fluids will help keep things moving along and prevent uncomfortable bloating.

Tip 4: It’s normal to have cravings during pregnancy. It’s ok to have the occasional indulgence but try to limit yourself to twice a week indulgence only. Always combine your junk cravings with something healthy, for example; have a bowl of ice-cream and mix it with fruits to have a fuller feeling and get some nutritional value out of your craving as well.

Tip 5: Carbs are known to be a pregnant woman’s best friend so in order to get maximum nutrition out of carbs, select them wisely. Use complex carbs only. Simple carbs such as white bread, rice, and pasta raise your blood sugar without giving you the nutrition that comes with whole grains. Complex carbs will not only provide you and your baby with more nutrients but will help you feel fuller for a longer period of time as well.

Tip 6: Simple walking regime is one of the best exercise a pregnant woman can do during this entire period. 30 minutes of daily walk is all they need for better circulation of blood, to remain active and have fewer aches and pains towards the end of pregnancy. If you are already into light workouts before getting pregnant, then no need to stop. Other than contact sports, any light workout can be done during pregnancy, if your doctor allows.

You can find Zainab on Instagram: Lifestylebyzainabsarwar Website: www.yogadubai.ae