Well! Till almost the end, I was to have a normal delivery but then, nothing is normal in my life! Thanks to my petite little baby girl, already two days late, she was out of me in 15 minutes flat. But, the after effects of the C-section made me wonder how people go through this more than once!
Nevertheless, I lost weight in the first three months (due to breastfeeding) but the operated part hurt too much for me to care about my waistline. Lucky for me, I escaped the warts, hair fall and stretch marks during and after my pregnancy but my bulging paunch would just haunt me every day and every night.
Initially, as my baby increased a kg every week, I lost the same on the weighing scale. It was going how it was supposed to, until one day, I found that we both were gaining kilograms!! And, after that, for almost two and a half years, my weight stopped at the same digits every time I stood on the truthful machine. Ugh!
While I halfheartedly tried various things to feel slim again, I knew my eating habits played a big role in making me feel just the opposite. Healthy eating wasn’t on my list. Running on the treadmill is good to keep you fit but it won’t help much if you get back and scavenge for carbs in the fridge! I mean, come on, imagine if your only workout is a walk downstairs and then you get home and gobble a plate filled with rice. Would it make a big difference?
Read WHY Your Body is your Real life partner!
I believe that everyone has the right to feel beautiful, even after having children. So, I vowed to myself that I would not allow myself to look like a ‘typical big fat aunty’ for as long as possible. I have seen couples wherein the man looks like a young boy and the woman looks like his mother instead of his wife. Many men work on their body even after marriage or becoming a father. So, why not us women? Shouldn’t we take care of our health and body, too?
One fine day, I woke up and decided that I needed to do more than just avoid aerated drinks, rice and potatoes. I needed to watch every bite and piece of food that traveled through my lips and into my tummy. It took a while for me to get started as the out of station trips weren’t helping much. The sumptuous spreads, laid out in front of me, were hard to ignore, considering I would not have the opportunity to guzzle on them after this! Then again, I woke up another day and decided, this is it! It’s now or never! Yes, I love Michael Jackson AND Elvis Presley. 😉
It was a difficult, but eventful, period during the next six months, of healthy eating. I aimed to lose only my paunch but lost eight kilograms overall, too. Yes, if I had resisted temptation on several occasions, I would have lost the weight sooner but temptations never cease. After my second child, I got back to my original weight within a few months because this time, along with me, the husband was on a healthy diet too!
This post has been edited to help some of you to lose weight (like I did) because, strangely, when you decide to go on a healthy diet, your hunger pangs make you forget what can be eaten and what not. So, depending on how many kilograms you want to lose, you can do the diet as per your wish! Of course, I gifted myself with numerous cheat days on the days I had a party to attend, but despite that, I watched what I ate! 🙂
Weigh yourself. Drink some water before you even brush your teeth (courtesy GM diet). You can add mint leaves, the night before, for a fresh taste. Also, recently I began drinking water from a copper bottle.
Once you are ready for breakfast, you can have the following:
**Porridge (mix oats, ragi powder, crushed cashew nuts in a mug with half milk/half water and honey or a little sugar; stir and heat till it becomes a pudding – I eat it that way).
**Soft boiled eggs and antioxidants like an orange or some grapes or strawberries or grapefruit (courtesy Chemical Regime Diet).
**Half a glass of plain milk (I drink it cold) and a banana.
**Scrambled eggs with a few pieces of lightly fried bacon.
**A sandwich with lettuce, tomato, slice of cheese, cucumber, lightly fried paneer/cottage cheese and a drop of mayonnaise spread evenly.
**A sandwich with lettuce, boiled eggs, tomato, slice of salami and a drop of mayonnaise spread evenly. Sometimes, I enjoy this as a submarine sandwich.
**A bowl of freshly chopped fruits of your choice! A combination of banana, apple and mango was something I enjoyed in the mango season!
Finish your breakfast by 10am. The idea is to be discipline in every way.
While I followed my own diet, I enjoyed the meals prepared by my husband for his Ketogenic diet. Out of all the meals cooked by him, recipes for chicken wings and prawn fry are written in detail here.
Some of my lunches included the following:
**Chicken soup with tomatoes and other vegetables (boil all together and add some salt and pepper).
**A bowl of fruits (like above) can do wonders at any meal.
**A scrumptious submarine sandwich; gizzard sub, veggie delight, red submarine.
**Simple salads. You can add shreds of meats too.
**Lightly fried bitter gourd with a paneer/cottage cheese filling.
**Chicken wings in different styles. Recipe above.
**Salads of different types; iceberg lettuce, green leaf lettuce, red leaf lettuce, red spinach (amaranthus dubius), green spinach, basil leaves, methi leaves, fresh parsley, tomato, cucumber and onions remains the base of all my salads. For non vegetarians, you can add bacon cubes, shreds of leftover meat, lightly fried spicy squid pieces or get creative and inform me.
**Baked/grilled or steamed meat with vegetables on the side.
Get done with your lunch by 2pm.
Avoid snacking on processed foods like chips, chuda, samosa and other fried items.
Keep ready and include the following in case hunger strikes.
**Bitter gourd juice. The internet helped with different way of preparing it!
**Banana milkshake (preferably in the day time).
**Broccoli juice!
**Boiled green grams with tomatoes.
**Boiled corn sauteed in butter and lime. Add pepper.
**Flax seeds, walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, etc.
**Just watermelon.
**Drink plenty of water instead of any store-bought juices.
Timings to snack could be between breakfast and lunch or lunch and dinner. Tea time can also be your snack time where you avoid tea, coffee and other caffeine drinks.
While you can have all the items prepared for lunch, for dinner too, try and have the same by 9pm at least. Yes, it is better to get done with dinner by 7pm but it’s close to impossible for me, so, I do not preach what I don’t practice myself. Sometimes, I have a bowl of fruits with a little ice-cream for dinner. The icecream is not healthy eating, but the fruits are. And this does not happen every night.
You require a lot of determination and the power of resistance to acquire satisfactory results here. Workout is also necessary. Get yourself into dancing, exercising or enroll yourself at an aerobics class. Whatever you do, do it thrice a week, so your body is fit and fine from top to toe. All the best!
Disclaimer: All advice and information on this site are totally based on the experiences of the writer. With no medical diagnosis, no result can be certain. Causes, for being overweight or obese, differ in every person. Whether genetic or environmental, it should be noted that food intake, rates of metabolism, levels of exercise and physical exertion vary from person to person. Please consult a doctor or a certified dietitian if you do not feel well after following the above healthy eating habits.
47 Comments
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Thanku for sharing dear. It really means a lot. Very helpful. The steps by steps make it more easy.
So I’m pregnant for second time and I can relate to ur each word, as I know how it goes, in my case I did normal delivery but with 4 + kg baby, so the cut was similar to c sec in my case
Thank you for sharing this detailed diet options for healthy eating. Its going to be of immense help to me.
This is such an honest post. Actually, when you have made up a mind of eating only healthy it becomes easier. I have recently removed all sugar from my kitchen. I got jaggery powder instead.
Eating healthy not just makes you lose that extra fat also also makes you internally happy.
Losing post-partum weight is important not only for our health but self-confidence too. You shared some great tips . Following few and will add others. Thanks!
Wow, so many healthy options to eat. Will try to include in my diet too.
This is the complete diet for one to follow. Yes it’s the determination and the timing of the meal that plays a major role.
I agree that mothers should take care of themselves too along with the new born and the way you have shared how we can get back in shape is really going to help all mommy’s!!
Loved this motivational post to eat right. Let me try to alter my diet and include these foods.
You have been so honest about how you felt, Cindy. Really appreciate that. Also kudos to your sensible approach towards weight loss!
The day when we moms realize to work on fitness and healthy eating comes months after the weight scale starts screaming. I like how you worked on yourself and reached the desired level. Keto sounds fancy to me or am influence deeply by Rujuta Diwekar, her food notes helps me. But again, in the end, our fitness matters. Surely this would give pointers to Keto enthusiasts.
I don’t follow keto. Only hubby does.
Great post and you had shared really great and healthy food ideas for our everyday meal. I agree we women should have an attitude to be fit even after being a mom. it is all about maintaining a healthy lifestyle that includes healthy diet and regular exercise.
The most stubborn area is around the waist that we have Target after delivery. And yes, after C-section it gets hard to work in this part. But sincere and consistent efforts always give fruitful results.
Eating healthy is so important in today’s time. Our body is like a temple that we need to worship everyday. Thanks for the real useful hacks.
What a detailed post ,I too gained excess weight and now its difficult to shed as I dont stick to any diet or healthy eating.
If you want, you can. All the best!
This is inspiring Cindy. I lack will to stay on healthy lifestyle. It’s like moment i see myself losing weight my body magically decides to put me back on a higher scale. ðŸ˜
It’s all in the mind. Tell yourself, Urvashi you can do it.
Definitely healthy eating is very much possible and required too. I am currently on vegan diet. And its not just about eating healthy, its also about avoiding the junk.
Vegan wow. That needs courage.
Women should always take care of themselves and never neglect their health… I am glad you shared this health plan! 🙂
Even I am trying to loose that baby belly that I’ve been carrying around frm the last 3 years after my 2nd child was born….but yes m also following a similar method now and trying hard to shed some weight
Thanks awesome. All the best.
Agree. With healthy eating and balanced diet, anything is possible. Only thing is to be consistent.
Yes that’s true
Great transformation dear, i am also working on my eating habit and patterns. Portion control really helps.
Yes all the best. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing this healthy diet with us. You have explained each and everything in details and I love such blogs. I am sharing with one my friend who is looking to loose some kilos. She recently gave birth to a baby girl.
Hey Sundeep Thanks for reading. Do share with whoever you feel needs it.
I am surely including these dishes in my diet. That was a very inspiring post. Thank you so much.
You’re welcome Gayatri.
This blog is like a cue for everyone to follow healthy diet and maintain healthy lifestyle, as it is must for everyone. Plus the 2 different pics of you are like the goals set; remarkable change.
Thanks. Yes. Realization strikes early sometimes 😄
These unique food recipes and ideas are so tempting! Definitely gonna try out!
Sure. Message me if you need help
Wowm. Cindy.. Love ur blog.. U have explained in detail about ue diet and the pics are the icing on the cake
Thanks dear. Wanted to help those who want to help themselves.
After going through the blog, u have really inspired me
All the best
thanks for the blogs… they are really helpful and keep it up <3
Thank you
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