This article discusses how to lose baby belly fat quickly, without risking your health.
If you’ve recently had a baby, you may have post-pregnancy belly fat and be looking for the easiest way to lose it quickly and safely.
Immediately after giving birth, you will lose weight naturally from all the physiological changes your body goes through. Over the first few days, much of this “weight” will be water.
Your weight should continue to drop for at least a few weeks after this. However, if you’ve gained and stored excess fat, it will not vanish automatically.
There’s no getting around that dedication is required to lose baby belly fat.
It is, however, possible to see a difference relatively quickly without resorting to dangerous crash dieting.
A crash or fad diet would leave you short on nutrients, irritable, and tired at a time when you will need extra energy to care for and enjoy the new member of your family.
By watching your calorie intake, doing regular cardio workouts, and including muscle toning exercises that focus on your midsection, you will be amazed at how much baby belly fat you will be able to lose in a short period.
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How to Lose Baby Belly Fat Through Diet
Life with a new baby at home is busy, tiring, and stressful. Resist the temptation to reach for convenience and comfort foods to get you through this challenging time.
The first thing you should do when wanting to lose belly fat after having a baby is to assess your diet.
A healthy diet is more 
important at this time than ever before, even more so for women who are breastfeeding.
You can lose excess body fat after you give birth if you make healthier food choices. How do you do this when time and energy are low?
It all comes down to preplanning.
Healthy weight loss is far easier if you have nutritious, low-calorie, easy to prepare food on hand, so you don’t have to resort to snacking or take out.
Make and freeze as many dinners as possible before the new addition arrives. This way, you can grab a meal from your freezer and reheat it instead of cooking from scratch.
Next, we look at some easy food swaps to help you lose baby belly fat if you haven’t precooked your meals.
How many Calories Should you Cut?
When caring for a newborn, you don’t need the added pressure of undertaking a set diet that requires special meals to be cooked and eaten at specific times.
The most straightforward approach to losing post-pregnancy belly fat is to cut 500 calories per day from your diet.
Do this, and you should lose 1 pound a week through dieting alone. It isn’t all that difficult to do, either.
If you usually have regular milk in your latte, swap to skim or no-fat. This will lower your calorie intake by 120 calories per cup.
If you are accustomed to eating whole-fat flavored yogurt, eat fat-free vanilla yogurt instead.
Add 1/2 a cup of chopped strawberries for the added nutrients and flavor, and you will still be cutting 105 calories.
Other simple changes you can make include substituting an 8-ounce baked potato for an 8-ounce serving of French fries. This will save 104 calories.
Having a 3-ounce serving of mozzarella cheese rather than Swiss cheese will cut 108 calories.
Pass up that 4-ounce whole wheat banana muffin and opt for two wholegrain waffles instead, and you will be taking in 270 fewer calories.
By baking or grilling your food instead of frying it, using white meat instead of dark, swapping to low-fat dairy products, and cutting down on sugar, you can begin to lose your baby belly fat without putting in much effort at all.
While cutting calories without increasing your physical activity will result in weight loss and help you lose your post-pregnancy belly fat, partaking in regular exercise will speed up your results.
Other things You Can Do
You can do other things to help lose post-pregnancy belly fat.
While it is not possible for every new mother, breastfeeding can help you burn more calories than you would otherwise.
The number of calories you burn will depend largely on your weight and your child’s intake, but you should use up an extra 400 to 600 calories per day.
Breastfeeding will also encourage you to eat nutritious foods. And the health benefits for your baby and the emotional bond you forge are priceless.
Another thing you can do is drink plenty of water.
It may be tempting to down caffeinated and sugary beverages for an energy boost during those first few challenging weeks of parenthood. While these may help you briefly feel energized, they contain a lot of empty calories.
Drinking water will keep your body functioning optimally and reduce caloric intake overall. Both these things can help you lose weight after pregnancy.
Water also helps prevent dehydration. Dehydration increases the risk of headaches and other unpleasant side effects that you do not need when getting used to your new schedule as a parent.
*If you are already eating light, healthy meals, do not attempt to cut back your daily calorie intake.
Remember, you will naturally lose weight after giving birth, especially during the first few weeks and if you are breastfeeding.
How long Should you wait to Exercise after Pregnancy?
If you’ve recently had a baby, you may be wondering how soon you can start exercising.
While having a baby is an exciting, life-changing event, the birth process itself is a physical ordeal, so give yourself some time to recover.
If you’ve been exercising throughout your pregnancy and the birth was a smooth one, you should be able to start doing gentle exercise pretty much right away.
If the delivery was difficult and you’re suffering complications, you might need to wait for six weeks or so before exercising.
Women who have had a C-Section will probably have to wait eight weeks.
We are all different, though, so use common sense and follow your doctor’s advice. When you do start exercising, don’t overdo it.
Losing Baby Belly Fat Through Cardio Exercise
Cardio exercise is excellent for losing baby belly fat, and one of the most gentle forms is walking.
Getting out of the house on your own and heading to the gym or even walking around the block is a great way to reduce stress and enjoy a short break from new parental responsibilities.
If you don’t have a babysitter, you can still regain your fitness and lose weight with a baby on board.
Carrying your child in your arms, a sling, or other approved carrier burns calories and adds additional weight-bearing exercise to your daily activity. You can also pop the little one in a stroller and take a walk around your neighborhood, the shops, or a local park.
Walking for exercise a week or two after giving birth should not be a problem for most women. Your body will let you know when you are ready, but go easy at first.
A good starting point is a 15 to 20-minute walk, undertaken at a slow to moderate pace. Do this at least 3 or 4 times a week.
Build up to walking 30 to 60 minutes most days, and pick up the speed. Later, you can add other forms of cardio exercise if desired.
It may not be convenient for you to go to a gym at this time, and it isn’t necessary. If you have a treadmill or other cardio exercise machine at home, use it.
While you don’t have to own home exercise equipment to get into shape, I love the convenience it offers. It allows me to walk or run no matter the weather; even on those days, it’s impossible to get out of the house.
With your own fitness equipment, you will be able to exercise while your baby sleeps, and you can watch TV or get in a bit of reading at the same time.
If you don’t want to buy exercise equipment, there are specially designed prams that will enable you to comfortably and safely jog while pushing your baby.
More stable than traditional prams, jogging strollers can cope with rough terrain, provide a smooth ride, and they come with safety harnesses to keep the baby securely in place for your peace of mind.
Another option is to buy a post-pregnancy workout DVD. I like and recommend Tracy Anderson: Post-Pregnancy Workout, which celebrities including Madonna and Gwyneth Paltrow claim helped them get back into shape after giving birth.
Lose Baby Belly Fat Doing Toning Exercises
Doing toning exercises that focus on the abdominal area will flatten and define your abs as you lose your baby belly fat. A fitness or stability ball is excellent for this purpose.
If you don’t want to buy a fitness ball, you can do crunches or other bodyweight exercises that focus on the abs. Exercising with a ball, however, may give you a better result.
In fact, a study conducted by Sacramento State University found that people who undertake stability ball exercises to lose belly fat develop double the number of muscle fibers as those who do regular stomach crunches.
So if you want to get into shape faster, I highly recommend getting a fitness ball. They’re inexpensive, easy to use, and fun.
As well as using the ball for exercise, you can use it as a seat. Doing so will engage your core, helping you to tone your abs muscles further and faster. It will also benefit your posture and help ease back strain.
Exercises to Lose Baby Belly Fat
Choosing the Right Fitness Ball
When selecting a fitness ball, it’s important to get the correct one for your height. Refer to the individual manufacturer’s guidelines to determine the right size for you.
The majority of women will find that a 22-inch ball suits them. If you are 5 feet tall or under, an 18-inch ball should suit you best. Those over 5 feet 8 should find the 26-inch size the most comfortable.
After unboxing your fitness ball, you will need to inflate it before you can use it. The better balls come with instructions and a pump, making the process quick and easy. Be sure to refer to the instructions so that you inflate the ball to the right size.
My fitness ball came with an exercise chart. Two of my favorite exercises for losing baby belly fat are the Reverse Crunch and Rock and Roll. The instructions for these are below.
Fitness Ball Baby Belly Fat Exercises
• Reverse Crunch
- To do a reverse crunch, lie on the floor on your back, with your arms resting by your sides and your palms facing downwards.
- Position the ball so that you can place one foot on either side of it, between your ankles.
- Pressing your ankles and feet firmly together, contract your abdominal muscles and lift the ball approximately 3 to 6 inches off the floor. Hold this position for a count of one to two seconds before lowering the ball to the floor.
- Repeat for 5 reps and do 3 sets. When your abdominal muscles are stronger, do 3 sets of 15 reps.
* To prevent strain, keep the small of your back pressed into the floor throughout the exercise. To further intensify the challenge, don’t lower your feet to the floor between reps.
You may not be able to lift your legs at first. Only push the ball upwards until you feel your abdominal muscles working if this is the case.
• Rock and Roll
Along with being excellent for the upper and lower abs, Rock and Roll also works the arms, shoulders, and thighs.
- Kneeling on the floor with the stability ball behind you, your arms directly below your shoulders with your palms flat on the floor, place first one foot, then the other, on top of the ball. Your body should be in a straight line with your legs extended behind you.
- Engage your core muscles and roll the ball towards your upper body before pushing it back out to your starting position.
- Repeat this movement 12 to 24 times, maintaining correct form throughout.
*By adding a twist as you roll the ball back up, you will also work your oblique muscles.
Final Thoughts on How to Lose Baby Belly Fat
It can be difficult to find the spare time and muster the energy to undertake an intense diet and exercise program with a new baby to look after. Fortunately, that won’t be necessary. 
By making small dietary changes and regularly doing cardio and toning exercises, you will be able to get back into shape and lose your post-pregnancy belly fat quickly and without too much effort.
Don’t be discouraged if it takes longer than you thought it would. Remember, your tummy has been expanding for nine months to nurture and accommodate your growing baby. Stick with your diet and exercise plan and be patient.
We’ve become accustomed to seeing pictures of flat-bellied female celebrities wearing skimpy bikinis two weeks after giving birth.
For most of us, this is not realistic. Usually, these women were extremely fit pre-pregnancy, and they ate very carefully and exercised right up to the birth.
After having their baby, some cut calories to a dangerous level to get back into shape. So while they may look great, they probably don’t feel it.
Many have a housekeeper and a nanny to care for their baby. Some have a personal trainer and even a chef to help them.
It may take longer for the rest of us to lose our post-pregnancy belly fat, but we can still accomplish it quite quickly.
Now you know how to lose baby belly fat without having to work too hard! Start putting the tips above into practice today, and you will soon be fitting back into your pre-baby clothes.
