Katie here, the founder of Milk Dust, and I am also a mama of 4 boys, so I know a thing or two on the baby belly. I've actually spent most of my online career helping new mamas lose their baby belly through both healing the abdominals (
try these exercises!), as well as diet. As a mom of 4 and a Pre/Post Natal Fitness Specialist, I've learned what it takes to really lose the baby belly in 2 weeks.
2 weeks isn't much time to lose the baby belly after pregnancy, yet so many mamas seem set on this time frame. They really want to know how to do it! This is completely posiible with some caveats.
A little background on my story. I am a mom of 4, and after having 4 babies, I've really figured out what works to lose the baby belly, without losing any milk supply or drastically reducing calories. Part of my journey was creating
Milk Dust. I've been able to use Milk Dust now for one full pregnancy and postpartum. I can't tell you all how hepful it has been in keeping up my milk supply while losing weight. I don't particularly like protein. I like sweets, so having a protein powder (
or bars!) like Milk Dust really CHANGED THE GAME for me! No more fighting ice cream cravings at night. No more taking my kids cookies and treats. I actually feel totally satisfied with my smoothies and drinks. I am the classic sugar addict, and breastfeeding used to make it so much harder. This time, even with my fourth baby, I was able to lose the weight faster than ever. I'm being totally serious. Once you lose the baby belly in terms of the extra weight, it is really important to do some daily exercises to help your abdominal muscles heal and pull back together, so don't forget that while also going through these tips!
First, what is the baby belly?
I think we need to define exactly what we are talking about losing in two weeks. The baby belly is purely the extra fat in my opinion. We can't force the uterus to contract at lightning speed and be completely normal in 2 weeks. We also can't magically shrink any stretched skin that is more of an overhang (read: )
Mommy Tummy Explained: Overhang vs The Pooch).
Second, what steps are requred to lose the baby belly in 2 weeks?
I am gonna break it down into steps you can take to lose the baby belly in 2 weeks, which have worked for me and other mamas I've worked with.
Here's the quick breakdown of 5 steps to lose the baby belly in 2 weeks:
- Lowering processed carbohydrates (but keeping all the good carbs!)
- Increasing lean protein
- Managing sugar consumption (and cravings!)
- Increasing total activity (keeping up with your step goals!)
- Using milk supply boosters to keep milk supply strong
I do want to mention that two weeks is an agressive goal. I am discussing the two-week mark mainly because it is so frequently mentioned and asked about. I don't suggest going for two weeks, or really setting a time frame on losing the baby belly at all. It can be stressful to try and lose belly fat so fast with a newborn baby, or in such a short amount of time, so just keep that in mind.
Because so many mamas want to lose that baby belly in two weeks, I am here to do my best to show you how! Let's get into the 5 steps you can take, so you can get started right away.
Reducing processed carbohydrates:
This is the first step because it can make a huge difference in your belly fat the fastest. Seriously, you can see results in just days if you do this. I tell all my mamas to completely eliminate crackers, bread, chips, pastas and rice. Replace these foods with higher-quality carbohyrdates like quinoa, oatmeal, sweet potatoes and a little bit of brown rice. Fill up on fruit too! Fruit can really help alleviate the carbohydrate cravings when you are first taking them out of your diet.
Even better, by taking these processed foods out of your diet, you are adding more nutrient-dense foods to your diet, which often help boost your milk supply. I've personally found that when mamas follow my eating plans, they experience more milk, while still dropping pounds! This is really because we are giving your body more nutrients, rather than less calories. There is an awesome
10-day sugar detox plan that has recipes and eating guidelines here on the Milk Dust site. I highly recommend downloading that for recipes and more information.
Increasing Lean Protein:
I often suggest that mamas write down everything they eat for three days. The most common issue I see is that women are high in carbs and fat, and low in protein. Changing this ratio is key to losing belly fat. Fat and carbohydrates are two energy sources, so by giving your body both, and a lot of both, you are absolutely going to storing fat. Increasing protein and lowering fat, you can keep yourself fueled, but also burning fat because the protein takes more calories to burn to digest. Protein is also very satiating, so it will help you feel full.
When our brains are tired and low on sleep, it prefers glucose as fuel. I don't suggest a low-carb diet for breastfeeding mamas because it can often just be too hard. I always suggest more carbs and protein, and smaller amounts of fat for the postpartum season. That is what works for me as well. I fill up on healthy carbs like fruits, veggies, oatmeal and sweet potatoes, so my brain has the glucose it needs to function, but I'm not ruining my blood sugar or giving my body low-nutrient foods.
Protien shakes are the easiest way for me to get in more protein. I LOVE my Fudge Brownie mocha frapps (literally like every day!), and because it tastes to amazing, I don't feel like I am eating egg whites and turkey all day.
I specifically formulated
Milk Dust to be more than just a protein shake. It boosts milk supply at the same time by offering some amazing lactation herbs, so my milk supply never suffered while losing weight.
Managing Sugar Consumption and Cravings:
As I mentioned previously, I loved having ice cream at night. I craved a bowl of ice cream topped with chocolate and cookies every night. It was always so hard for me to give this up when working on losing the pregnancy weight. But, I KNEW that the excess sugar in the evening leads to increased appetite and sugar cravings the next day. The blood sugar roller coaster gets going, and it is really hard to stop.
Milk Dust is the best thing that ever happened to me for this. I have a
fudge brownie milk shake at night instead, and I am so happy!
It is really important to reduce your sugar intake and get a handle of your blood sugar. Blood sugar spikes and dips can make you think you are hungry, when you aren't at all. Many times, new mamas eat carbohydrates late and night, and they wake up starving. That is super low blood sugar from the night before. Eating earlier in the evening, and eliminating major carbohydrates can really help alleviate that intense "hunger" feeling in the morning. Being hungy gets confused with low blood sugar. Low blood sugar doesn't mean your body needs calories. It just means your blood sugar dropped from the higher sugar meal before.
Many mamas find that balancing their blood sugar by eating less sugar really helps alleviate the intense "hunger" they were feeling while breastfeeding.
Increasing activity total:
This is really helpful, but doesn't require a lot of effort. Rather than stressing about getting a workout in, I find that increasing my total movement through the day is achievable with a new baby. I do my best to get to 10,000 steps a day by adding in walks or playing with my kids. Sedentary kills your calorie burn. Just remember that every time you sit down haha! Of course in the beginning there is a lot of breastfeeding and holding baby. But as your baby gets older, and you start feeling better after birth, add in more walks with the stroller and baby in a carrier. It really helps keep your body active and moving, which will keep your metabolism moving faster.
Use Milk Supply Boosters:
I highly recommend having a milk supply booster that you like. There are so many out there now, and it will alleviate any stress you may feel if you think your supply is dropping from changing your diet. I find that having supply boosters like Milk Dust really keep your milk supply strong as your diet changes. If you don't have room for any drop in supply at all because you need storage for going back to work, then get lots of healthy supply boosters! Don't do all the cookies and packaged foods. Choose healthy options like our
bars,
protein powder, teas and pills. These will give your supply the boost, without ruining all your work.
Overall, it is possible to lose the baby belly in two weeks with the right steps. You can safely lose the belly fat without losing milk supply if you are really careful to take the same steps I did. I've learned through four babies now what works and what doesn't. I can honestly say Milk Dust is a life saver for me, and I hope it helps you too!
We have
sample packs in the shop, so you can try it and see if it does work. Each pack has 6 servings, to give you a week or so to really see if your supply increases and your body responds well.
