Follow my blog with Bloglovin Healthy eating and losing the baby weight; Preparation is key!

I am just over 7 weeks post baby and currently 5lbs away from my pre baby weight of 123lbs. This extra 5lbs seems to have set up camp on my waist and stomach and is showing no signs of moving at the moment and that's fine I am in no hurry to lose it and I am defintely not dieting or restricting myself. I have just been eating as healthy as is possible for a self confessed hobnob lover! I have also been exclusively breastfeeding and doing weight bearing workouts at least five times a week, which I think has helped with weight loss.
I recently had to cut dairy out of my diet due to my baby being intolerant to it (see earlier posts) and the lack of cheese, chocolate and ice-cream has definitely helped aswell.
I am not a nutritionist, fitness expert or in anyway formally qualified to advise on weight loss these are just things that work for me personally.

1. Before breakfast I drink coffee without milk with a teaspoon of coconut oil added. Coffee is very necessary to get me up and functioning while looking after a baby and I add the coconut oil because it it rich in the fatty acid Lauric acid, known for its antimicrobial properties. I am planning to dedicate a whole post on the many ways I use coconut oil and its benefits.

2. I always eat breakfast. A healthy, hearty breakfast sets you up for the day and all that and I truly believe this. Breakfast for me is usually porridge. I make my basic plain porridge with 40g of oats, a pinch of salt and some cinnamon and I use almond milk. I don't measure anything out I just do it by eye, but it is around 40g of oats. Then you can just get creative with toppings, I usually have a chopped banana and some honey. Here are a few ideas for other healthy toppings;
Blueberries or mixed berries, frozen berries are cheaper to buy than fresh and you can just defrost them in the fridge overnight and either cook them with the porridge or add them after.
Chopped apple and raisins with cinnamon, again you can either cook this (as I prefer) or add after.
Chopped dates and crushed hazelnuts or almonds.
You could also add a scoop of protein powder to make the protein content higher particuarly if you are exercising. 
Oats are a great food if you are breastfeeding as they are known to promote a healthy milk supply. They are also high in fibre and low GI, therefore help to prevent spikes in blood sugar levels.

3. Meal prep! I meal prep my lunches in tupperware boxes and pop them in the fridge. Having a screaming baby to take care of can lead to me reaching for a sausage roll or some other nutrient lacking, quick fix lunch. For this reason I prepare at least 4 days worth of meals at the start of the week that I can just grab from the fridge and eat with one hand while trying to feed my baby with the other.
Some meal prep ideas;
I will cook up 500g of lean turkey mince with coconut oil, a chopped onion, a teaspoon of curry powder and a tiny bit of harissa paste. Again I don't measure I just go by eye. I will then steam any veggies, I personally love kale, brocolli, green beans, peas and corgettes (obviously I will just pick about two or three types for each batch of meal prep not every single one.) I also steam sliced sweet potato if I am using that as my carbohydrate or if not I will cook wholegrain rice. When everything is cooked I just divide it all equally between four tupperware tubs and I am sorted. 
You can select different types of lean protein, tuna or salmon work well with salad leaves and rice, avocado and tomatoes. Or instead of turkey mince you could use chopped chicken breast or lean beef mince with chilli powder rather than curry powder.

4. When it comes to healthy dinners I tend to eat the same as my fiance who is not massively concerned with healthy eating and certainly doesn't need to lose any weight. I do not have time to cook two completely separate meals while taking care of a seven week old baby so I just make healthy substitutions for myself for certain parts of a meal. For example for spaghetti bolognese I will have a baked sweet potato and steamed vegetables rather than spaghetti or I will use a spiraliser and make corgette spaghetti to eat instead. I always have wholegrain rice rather than white rice to accompany chillis and if I make fajitas I will have steamed veggies with the chicken rather than eating it in a wrap.

5.Having healthy snacks in the house is something that I find crucial for healthy eating success. I have a big appetite and sometimes I need to eat between meals, plus breastfeeding makes me extra hungry. I have a box of the Pulsin protein bars, these are great, not particuarly low calorie but they contain 12g of protein they are dairy and soya free and suitable for vegans and taste pretty good too.
I also make sure we have plenty of fruits and nuts in the house that I can just grab. I also love sliced apple with wholearth peanut butter on it. Wholemeal toast with peanut butter and sliced banana or marmite is another one of my favourites. Again these are not necessarily low calorie but they are healthy snack options.
I also drink protein shakes post workout to aid my muscle recovery and I occasionally have one as a snack between meals aswell. I use the Vega sport protein. This is a vegan protein powder so it does not contain whey and I find the vanilla flavour particuarly nice. I make it with water and it contains 30g protein per serving.

6. Hydration. I drink at least two litres of water during the day and then I will drink a further litre overnight when I am feeding the baby. It is so important for anyone to be drinking plenty of water, it helps to flush toxins out of the body, prevents constipation and for me it definitely improves my skin by stopping me getting breakouts. When you are breastfeeding staying hydrated is crucial for milk supply aswell, particuarly if, like me, you are working out aswell as breastfeeding.

7. Supplements. I talked about the Boots prenatal supplement that I am continuing to take while breastfeeding in my post natal hair loss prevention post. It just ensures I am getting all the vitamins and minerals that I need. I also take a DHA fish oil capsule daily

These are just things that I find work for me. I don't always stick to this religiously and some days I do end up eating sweets and crisps but I do try and follow this the majority of the time because I feel better in myself when I eat healthily and take care of my body.

Jx

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