As a pre/post natal fitness specialist and previous Pilates intstructor, I really know what it takes to get that long, lean and toned body, even if you are postpartum. To get that lean and toned body it takes two steps. One is to detox your body and really clean it out from the inside. This sheds a lot of the extra water weight covering the muscles that you do have, and it allows you to build and tone your muscles without adding a lot bulk. A detox plan is essential if you want to really maximize your workouts. If you don't clean up your nutrition, you will build the fundamental Pilates strenght, but it will be hard to see the definition you are looking for. I love Pilates for postpartum healing, strength and recovery. It is gentle, but highly effective, and you can do it almost immediately postpartum.
A detox is my favorite way to fix my hormones and lean out postpartum. I usually end up losing a few pounds, feeling amazing, and finding hormonal balance again. My detoxes include eating a specific diet, plus drinking this drink every day to help support my body through the detox process. Adding in additional nutrients help me be able to keep up with my activities and regular life, while also limiting a lot of my favorite hormone disruptors like crackers, candy, ice cream, dairy and all of the extra stuff I slowly end up eating more and more of. I've been following this detox ever since I was breastfeeding, and it a safe plan for losing weight, detoxing and regulating your hormones postpartum. It is a free sugar detox you can download and follow, and add in this detox drink to help your body detox faster and let go of fat faster.
CLEANTOX Detox Drink Safe For Postpartum and Breastfeeding Mamas Too!
I am obssessed with this drink. It mixes really well with water or milk, and I sip on it throughout the morning or afternoon. When I've tried to detox before, I usually have such little energy the first few days, and I'm kinda irritated as I am getting off the carbs and sugar. As soon as I started drinking this, I have no sugar cravings and so much energy. I barely feel like I need to eat much at all, and I am satisifed eating all the whole foods. Drinking a detox drink like CLEANTOX is one of the best ways to support your body through a detox, and the specific nutrients in the drink help your body get rid of excess estrogen, chronic inflammation, and regulate your digestive system. High estrogen levels are often the cause of excess fat, and if you don't do an estrogen detoxification, your body won't be able to let go of fat cells because the estrogen is telling your body to store fat. A poor diet paired with chronic stress is the best way to send yourself on a hormonal rollercoaster, and that will really mess with your energy levels, cravings and fat storage. Lifestyle changes like eating a healthy diet, sleeping more, and exercising are more important than many realize to maintaining a proper balance in al the hormones including thyroid hormone. Everything is connected, so when one hormone is out of whack, it throws the other ones off too.
I love a good detox drink to help me jump start my detox, and if I really need to slim down, I combine it with a metabolism booster to help my body really use fat as fuel. The faster you can get your body using fat and stored toxins as fuel, the more weight and swelling you will lose in the first few days. A good detox program combines a healthy diet with supplementation to support your body's natural detoxification processes. These can be uncomfortable at first, and supplements help ease the symptoms and make the detox so much easier.
Benefits of Pilates Postpartum:
Pilates can be incredibly beneficial for postpartum moms as it focuses on core strength, flexibility, and overall body awareness, which are crucial during recovery. Here are some specific benefits of Pilates for postpartum women:
1. Core Strengthening
- Pregnancy often weakens the abdominal muscles and leads to diastasis recti (separation of the abdominal muscles). Pilates focuses on deep core engagement, helping to strengthen and rebuild these muscles safely.
- Strengthening the core improves posture, reduces back pain, and enhances overall mobility.
2. Pelvic Floor Recovery
- Pilates emphasizes controlled movements that target the pelvic floor, helping to restore strength and function. This is especially helpful for moms experiencing incontinence or pelvic discomfort.
3. Improved Posture
- Carrying a baby, breastfeeding, and holding newborns can strain the neck, shoulders, and back. Pilates helps correct posture imbalances by strengthening the muscles supporting proper alignment.
4. Gentle and Low-Impact
- Postpartum recovery requires gentle exercises that don’t put undue stress on the body. Pilates offers low-impact movements that are safe for new moms while still being effective.
5. Mental Health and Relaxation
- Focusing on mindful movement and controlled breathing in Pilates can reduce stress and anxiety, promoting better mental health. This is vital during the postpartum period when mood fluctuations and fatigue are common.
6. Improved Flexibility and Mobility
- Pregnancy and childbirth can leave some muscles tight and others weak. Pilates balances the body by improving flexibility and restoring full range of motion.
7. Gradual Reintroduction to Exercise
- Pilates provides a safe way to ease back into fitness after childbirth. It focuses on gradual progress, which is crucial for avoiding injury and overexertion.
8. Strengthens Back and Relieves Pain
- Strengthening the back muscles and relieving tension can prevent or alleviate postpartum back pain, which is often caused by carrying the baby or poor posture.
9. Boosts Overall Energy Levels
- Regular Pilates practice helps improve circulation and oxygen flow, leading to increased energy—a much-needed boost for sleep-deprived new moms.
10. Encourages Body Confidence
- Reconnecting with your body through Pilates helps rebuild confidence and a positive self-image during a time of significant physical and emotional changes.
11. Customizable for All Levels
- Pilates can be adapted to suit individual needs and fitness levels, making it an ideal exercise for postpartum recovery.
When to Start Pilates Postpartum
- Vaginal Delivery: You can typically start light Pilates exercises around 6 weeks postpartum, but always check with your doctor first.
- C-Section Delivery: Wait for clearance from your healthcare provider, usually around 8-12 weeks postpartum, as healing may take longer.
Tips for Postpartum Pilates
- Work with a certified instructor experienced in postpartum recovery.
- Focus on proper form and avoid overexertion.
- Gradually progress to more challenging movements as your strength and confidence build.
Pilates can be a transformative practice for postpartum moms, helping them feel strong, energized, and connected to their bodies again.
Start you Pilates Program with Your Detox:
I always combine a detox with my Pilates workout routine. I am telling you that this works. I created CLEANTOX to support milk supply and postpartum, so it will help you keep up your energy levels and lactation, while also encouraging your body to let go of fat.
The detox plan I follow comes free with your purchase of CLEANTOX, so you can jump on that right away.
It is basically ten days of no sugar, processed carbs and dairy. You focus on eating fruits, vegetables, and lean protein as your main nutrients. I always do a Milk Dust Lactation shake every morning or afternoon to ensure I get enough protein and extra nutrients in. The Milk Dust Protein Powder has a specific formula to help you feel full and stop sugar cravings. It also tastes amazing as a shake, so I feel like I am drinking dessert.
From there, I focus on getting a good Pilates workout in every day. You can follow any program you like, and I have a basic plan outlined for free here.
I also have a great ab rehab program that is all Pilates based, focusing on healing your core and pelvic floor to get rid of the mommy pooch from the inside out.
Follow your detox with a solid meal plan for breastfeeding and weight loss:
I love a good meal plan for breastfeeding mamas because it takes the thinking out of eating healthy, so you can stay on track with less confusion. It is also really important to follow a breastfeeding meal plan, to ensure your milk supply stays strong while you are eating healthy. I put together my breastfeeding meal plan that works well for me when losing weight while nursing, and I don't lose my milk supply at all.
When you combine your detox, meal plan and Pilates workout plan you will start seeing those lean results. I have a great Pilates mommy pooch challenge that focuses on shredding some of that body fat and healing your core from the inside out. It retrains your muscles back after being stretched during pregnancy.
What is the 8-week Mommy Pooch Challenge Exercise Plan?
After 4 pregnancies, and years of healing myself and helping other mamas, I put together all the exercises that actually work to heal your core and pevlc floor. I then took those exercises, and built a slow progression to actually building strength back into your abs. Many times, mamas stop at just healing their core. They do the Pilates work, or the pelvic floor exercises, but then move into their preferred workout plan, and never keep building strength in their abdominals. The program I created first takes you through healing your abdominal separation through great exercises that are proven to build back your abdominal wall muscles. Think of these exercises as pulling and cinching your abs back together. Imagine a zipper being put to pull your abs in again. These takes the first few weeks of consistent and specific exercises and reps. From there, you start progressing into building strength back. I've found that if you take your ab work just a bit further and build your core back to strong again, you can actually start to see your abs again, and you will have a safe foundation for continue exercise and strength training. With a strong core, whatever HIIT, cardio or workout program you prefer, you can go into with confidence. Building your core strength also helps heal postpartum issues like pelvic pain, urinary incontinence and poor posture. I highly recommend this program to help you build your foundation back, see your abs again, and develop a strong foundation to whatever workout plan you enjoy doing. On top of this program, there is some nutrition details included to help you burn fat and reduce extra weight on your belly. This is also an important part of healing your core again.
Let's discuss the postpartum belly fat, and how protein can help burn it off - fast:
Protein keeps insulin levels down:
Protein has a minimal impact on insulin. A rise and fall in insulin is connected to extra calories and fat being stored on your belly. Basically, insulin sensitivity plays a role in WHERE fat is stored. There was a very in-depth study done in Germany illustrating this concept, "Our study reveals a novel key mechanism that regulates fat distribution in humans. Insulin sensitivity in the brain determines where fat is deposited." What they found is that a higher sensitivity to insulin in the brain affected where fat was stored, ans specifically the dangerous visceral fat on the belly. Protein is a key nutrient to help keep insulin levels down, and increase sensitivity. Protein helps with satiation and keeping blood sugar levels down by never spiking them much. By combining protein-rich foods with fiber-rich foods, a person can feel full for hours without spiking blood sugar.
Protein helps decrease sugar and carbohydrate cravings:
Many times, a person craves carbohydrates and sugar, without realizing that they are deficient in protein. Our bodies don't produce all the amino acids on their own, so we need to consume these amino acids for our cells, muscles, hair, skin and nails to be healthy. Both pregnant and breastfeeding mamas need protein more than non-pregnant or lactating women. This is why we focused on creating a protein powder for breastfeeding women to help with weight loss. Many women crave carbs and sugar, leaving protein behind in their daily consumption. Oatmeal, toast, cereal, lactation cookies, cows milk, flavored yogurts, rice, potatoes and bread are all foods that many mommies grab quickly, without thinking about the added fat and lack of protein. But, the body doesn't really know how to signal a craving for just protein - it often comes out in a sugar cravings. This is confusing, and results in a cycle that is hard to break. By consuming more protein, and filling in those nutrient and amino-acid needs, a mama can reduce the sugar cravings and stabilize insulin. Milk Dust is specifically formulated to target these sugar cravings with herbs and nutrients (as well as protein), and a sample pack is a great way to see if it is something that will work for you!
Conquer Breastfeeding Cravings With This Sugar Detox (10-Day Plan To Lose Belly Fat!)
Protein burns more calories in digestion:
As we discussed in our protein and weight loss article, protein takes more energy to break down. This means that your body works harder and burns more calories consuming protein than carbohydrates. Basically, protein is fairly magical in the sense that it gets sent straight to important parts of the body like muscles, fetal development, hair and skin, and it takes more energy to do this. Carbohydrates go straight to the brain, then to fat, while fat goes to fat (assuming you have enough calories in your diet). Some argue that fat takes energy to break down, and technically, if you have to break down fat for energy it does. But this is only if there is a deficit in calories, or no glucose coming in for your brain to use.
