Once in a while, some women are able to walk out of the hospital with their new babies, looking like they had never even been pregnant in the first place. But, in most cases, it can take several weeks or even months to lose weight after a pregnancy. One of the first things to do is to start following a lower calorie diet, making sure that you are still getting all of the nutrients your body needs. Here are five more tips to help you lose that baby weight.

• Drink Lots of Water – Water is a great weight loss tool, because drinking it before meals can help you to feel fuller, so you don’t eat as much. Nursing mothers can really benefit from drinking a glass of water before and after feeding their babies. Not only is the water necessary for hydration, it is also going to make it less likely that you are going to feel like snacking between meals. In fact, any time you feel hungry during the day, have a glass of water before reaching for potato chips or other snacks. You may find that you no longer want these snacks once you have filled up on water.
• Go for Walks – A great way to lose weight without having to hit the gym hard every day is to take regular walks. It is a good idea to get into the habit of walking every day. Take the stroller with you, and enjoy walks in the park and around the neighborhood with your baby when the weather is nice. This is one of the best exercises to start out with after pregnancy, because it is low impact. Start out by walking for 10-15 minutes at a time, and as you regain more and more strength, increase the duration of your walks.
• Don’t do too Much Cardio – While most people think that they need a lot of cardio exercises in order to lose weight, it is not as important as you may have been led to believe. It is best to do cardio workouts no more than three to four times weekly, and just for 20 minutes per session, and only after you have built up to this level (try one or two 10 minute cardio workouts to start out). On the off days, you should try to concentrate on strength building exercises, particularly core strength exercises.
• Take Dancing Lessons – Exercise is a lot easier when it is fun, and one of the most fun ways to exercise is to dance. A great way to lose weight after pregnancy is to take dance classes, such as salsa lessons. Get your partner to take the classes with you, and not only will you both be getting into great shape, you will have something fun that the two of you can do together. Don’t forget to ask about learning other ballroom dances, as well as other dance styles. Whether you do it alone or with a partner, you are going to actually look forward to exercising, and you will lose weight.
• Eat Frozen Treats – There is no sense in depriving yourself of treats, because you are just going to end up overindulging at some point. But, there are tricks that can help you eat fewer treats. For instance, start freezing dessert treats, so you only eat a little bit at a time. Stock up on treats like frozen yogurt, which is going to help keep you from indulging in heaping bowls of ice cream. Also, these treats come in pre-portioned containers, so you aren’t as likely to overindulge as you would be if you had a tub of ice cream in the freezer.