Meal plans? Why would meal plans help me lose belly fat? Simple. Planning and preparation will help you make the best choices because it takes the thinking out of what you will eat. This is a key component of weight loss.
So, you want to lose belly fat after pregnancy and tone up all over? Great. You are in the right place. Exercise alone will not get you the results you are looking for. Although losing weight is about 90% mental, once you CHOOSE to lose weight then nutrition and exercise are tools to use to get YOU there.
I like bullet points or numbered lists to tell me what to do, so I will do that for you.
1. Make a 30-day calendar for the next month
Planning for the next month makes it easier to grocery shop and prepare for your meals. If you are on a budget, like most of us in this economy, this will also help you save money.
2. Create your meal plan each day for the next month
This may sound a bit overwhelming, but once you have your recipes you will not have to do all this research again. I got a lot of my recipes from joining Jillian Michaels' website. I also just tweaked old recipes and made them healthy and more nutritious by adding protein powder, flaxseed, etc.
3. Create your grocery list from your meal plan
This is where saving money comes into play. If you are like me, you're shop and buy items that you never used and ever thread them out. Well, if you shop for your meals then you will have food for those meals only and you will not end up throwing stuff out.
4. Do not buy any processed foods
Not only are pre-packaged foods expensive, they have preservatives and unhealthy fats in them. I make my own bread, it's about $ .50 / loaf when I make it. It's whole wheat and I know every single ingredient that's in it! Again, it comes down to planning, planning, planning!
5. Avoid High Fructose Corn Syrup because your vitality depends on it!
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) leads to belly fat! If you want to lose belly fat after pregnancy, then I suggest you read those food labels and STOP eating foods with HFCS. Researchers at the University of Michigan found that men who consume very high levels of fructose elevated their triglyceride level by 32 percent. As trygliceride enters our blood stream, it makes our cells resistant to insulin, making our body's fat burning and storage system even more sluggish.
Finally, once you have a plan in place, work your plan and lose belly fat! I guarantee if you are planning healthy meals in advance you will be prepared to "battle those cravings" because you know you have a plan in place and food to make it!
I could go on and on about what to eat and what not to eat, but these are the main points to help you create your meal plan. Start from a foundation. If planning for 30 days in advance is too much for you right now, then plan for a week in advance. It's always OK to start slow, habits stay longer if we start them slowly and stay consistent.
If you are ready to lose belly fat after pregnancy, then I suggest learning more about a comprehensive program that will get you there with a fail-safe system.