Any other moms out there trying to get rid of that left over baby weight? My son is only 12 weeks old, so I have a ways to go! I am finding that the second one is a lot harder to recover from (weight wise). Here is a tip that helped after babe #1 and I'm hoping it does the same this time!
Negative Calorie Foods!
Now I know your thinking, "Negative calorie foods? That's ridiculous!", but I'm telling you this actually exists. Let me explain. There are actually foods that take your body more calories to digest than are actually in the food. So when you eat them, your body uses the calories from the food itself first to digest then pulls calories from stored fat to finish the digestion since there are not enough in that actual food. Wow, great news right?! So essentially, food from this list, the more you eat, the more weight you lose. (Exercise helps a lot too!) So eat away, girls and lose that baby weight. You will also be setting a good example for your new baby about eating habits.
Here are a few of those negative calorie foods:
Fruits
apple, strawberry raspberry, tangerine, cantaloupe, orange peach, blueberry, grapefruit, honey dew melon, watermelon, pineapple, tomato
Veggies
cucumber, celery, spinach, lettuce, zucchini, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, radish, onion, carrot, garlic, asparagus
As seen on http://www.breastfeeding.com/:
House Cleaning Tips for New Mothers or 30 Minutes to a Cleaner HouseYou're getting company in 30 minutes. Your house is a mess.
WHAT WILL YOU DO?Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the first session of Housekeeping Tips for New Mothers. If you're a Martha Stewart type of housekeeper, this column is NOT for you. However, for the rest of you, this is your chance to learn 15 Secret Shortcuts to Good Housekeeping that your mother never told you.
SECRET TIP 1: DOOR LOCKS
If a room clearly can't be whipped into shape in 30 days, much less 30 minutes, employ the Locked Door Method of cleaning. Tell anyone who tries to go in the room that you accidentally locked the door and can't find the key. Of course, the locksmith can't possibly come until tomorrow.
CAUTION: It is not advisable to use this tip for the bathroom.
Time: 2 seconds
SECRET TIP 2: DUCT TAPE
No home should be without an ample supply. Not only is it handy for plumbing repairs, but it's a great way to hem drapes, tablecloths, clothes, just about anything. No muss, no fuss.
Time: 2-3 minutes
SECRET TIP 3: OVENS
If you think ovens are just for baking, think again. Ovens represent at least 9 cubic feet of hidden storage space, which means they're a great place to shove dirty dishes, dirty clothes, or just about anything you want to get out of sight when company's coming.
Time: 2 minutes
SECRET TIP 4: CLOTHES DRYERS
Like Secret Tip 3, except bigger. CAUTION: Avoid hiding flammable objects here.
Time: 2.5 minutes
SECRET TIP 5: WASHING MACHINES & FREEZERS
Like Secret Tip 4, except even bigger.
Time: 3 minutes
SECRET TIP 6: DUST RUFFLES
No bed should be without one. Devotees of Martha Stewart believe dust ruffles exist to keep dust out from under a bed or to help coordinate the colorful look of a bedroom. The rest of us know a dust ruffle's highest and best use is to hide whatever you've managed to shove under the bed. (Refer to Secret Tips 3, 4, 5.)
Time: 4 minutes
SECRET TIP 7: DUSTINGThe 30-Minutes-To-A-Clean-House method says: Never dust under what you can dust around.
Time: 3 minutes
SECRET TIP 8: DISHES
Don't use them. Use plastic or paper plates and you won't have to.
Time: 1 minute
SECRET TIP 9: CLOTHES WASHING (EEWWW)
This secret tip is brought to you by an inventive teenager. When this teen's mother went on a housekeeping strike for a month, the teen discovered you can extend the life of your underwear by two ...if you turn it wrong side out and, yes, rerun it. CAUTION: This tip is recommended only for teens and those who don't care if they get in a car wreck.
Time: 3 seconds
SECRET TIP 10: IRONING
If an article of clothing doesn't require a full press and your hair does, a curling iron is the answer. In between curling your hair, use the hot wand to iron minor wrinkles out of your clothes. Yes, it really does work, or so I'm told, by other disciples of the 30-Minutes-To-A-Clean-House philosophy.
Time: 5 minutes (including curling your hair)
SECRET TIP 11: VACUUMING
Stick to the middle of the room, which is the only place people look. Don't bother vacuuming under furniture. It takes way too long and no one looks there anyway.
Time: 5 minutes, entire house; 2 minutes, living room only
SECRET TIP 12: LIGHTING
The key here is low, low, and lower. It's not only romantic, but bad lighting can hide a multitude of dirt.
Time: 10 seconds
SECRET TIP 13: BED MAKINGGet an old-fashioned waterbed. No one can tell if those things are made up or not, saving you, oh, hundreds of seconds over the course of a lifetime.
Time: 0
SECRET TIP 14: SHOWERS, TOILETS, AND SINKS
Forget one and two. Concentrate on three.
Time: 1 minute
SECRET TIP 15:If you already knew at least 10 of these tips, don't even think about inviting a Martha Stewart type to your home.
This article in unattributed. If you wrote it, write us at feedback@breastfeeding.com and we'll credit you!
So to all you moms who are having trouble getting creative with dinner preparation and don't really have much time to plan it much less prepare it, I have found this new nifty little free site that you can sign up for that does meal planning for you and even gives you a grocery list you can print out and! Yay! More time for myself! So anyway here is the link for anyone who is interested.
http://www.menusformoms.com/
Also there are all kinds of neat tips for freezer cooking and all sorts of things! The menus and grocery list are free, but for a few cents a week if you want you can get the nutritional information.
All of you moms with little girls, don't forget to check my etsy store trendytot.etsy.com for some cute dresses. I am adding new things frequently!
