Yep, that Mum Tum can be a bit annoying, but don’t worry, if you make some changes and put in a bit of work, you will get your tum back!

Your body changes SO much during pregnancy. You change shape, put on weight and you grow a baby! Your body goes through so much, but you know what? You can get your pre-baby body back. You just have to put in the effort.  I know, because I have done it!

I have a 4 year old and an 8 month old and I practice what I preach.

There are no quick fixes and no magic pill and no magic tummy flattening machine, sorry.

Here are my Top 10 ways to get rid of your Mum Tum!

1. Exercise

If you want a chance of seeing your tummy muscles again, you need to get rid of any fat above the muscles.

Cardio exercise is great for fat burning, but so is doing all over body strength work – squats, lunges, push ups, plank etc. When doing cardio exercises – running, skipping, walking, swimming, you have to step outside your comfort zone.

You need to push yourself to your limits, make sure you are giving it 100%.

Check out my website here for more information on these types of exercises and how you can do them.

2. Take wheat & dairy out of your diet

There is a lot of information out there now about the positive results that have come from a paleo lifestyle – that is taking wheat/grains and dairy (plus sugar) out of your diet. Why not try it for 2 weeks (although 4 will be better) and see how you go.

There are so many alternatives out there.

Think of protein and good fats and getting your ‘carbs’ from fruit and vegetables.

3. Eat more good fats

Good fats are the type of fat found in nuts, seeds, avocados, coconut, oily fish and olive oil. You should be eating good fats everyday. Good fats encourage your body to burn fat around your middle, helping you to achieve a flatter tummy. Don’t be afraid of good fats. Try and have a small amount of good fats at every meal.

4. Take acidophilus

Taking a probiotic is great for putting good bacteria back into your gut and your digestive system.

Taking it in tablet form is the best and the most efficient way of getting the good bacteria back – Inner Health Plus, Swiss, Bioceuticals, or something similar is good. Make sure you keep it in the fridge.

5. Reduce your stress

I know it is hard to escape our busy lifestyles, especially with families and work and everything else that comes with being a mum.

But stress doesn’t help the fat around the middle.

The stress hormone Cortisol causes our bodies to dump fatty deposits all over our tummies.

So it’s time to relax – take at least 5 minutes to yourself each day and do something for you. Do some exercise, focus on some relaxation breathing, go and have a massage, have a bath with some Epsom salts, read a book.

It really is important to take some time out for yourself. Happy Mum, happy family!

6. Don’t skip meals

I know as a mum and working/running a business, every day is busy and it can be easy to forget to eat sometimes, but skipping meals just makes your body think that you are starving it, so it starts to store fat as a reserve.

If your body is constantly nourished, it won’t think you are starving it, so will focus its energy on digesting your food and functioning properly, therefore not reserving extra fat, giving you a flatter tummy!

7. Get rid of the sugar

We all know that sugar is bad for our health, but did you know that so many of us are actually addicted to it?

Sugar is found in pretty much everything in some form or another, but as a general rule, the ones you REALLY need to avoid are:

• Cakes
• Sugar/sweetener in coffees or tea
• Soft drink/fizzy drinks
• Cordials
• Chocolate
• Biscuits
• Lollies
• Chips
• Alcohol (bugger!)
• White, wholemeal, brown breads
• Milk & milk products
• Anything that is in a packet and has been processed.

8. Drink more water

How much water do you drink every day?

You may think you are drinking enough (or maybe you know that you don’t and you should!), but many of us are unknowingly dehydrated.

You should be aiming for 43mL of water for every kilo of body weight for your body to function at it’s best!

Did you know your body is made up of about 70% water, so it is one of the most important nutrients your body needs?  When you are dehydrated, your blood can become thicker, which makes oxygen and nutrients harder to get to your muscles.  When you haven’t drunk enough water, your brain has trouble distinguishing whether you are hungry or thirsty, so being dehydrated can lead to over eating! So get drinking!

If you are hydrated, you will have improved energy levels and concentration. If you aren’t drinking enough, you might suffer from headaches, feel ‘flat’ and are constantly tired.

9. Get more sleep

This is seriously important. You won’t loose weight if you don’t get enough sleep. A hormone called leptin is responsible for telling your brain when your stomach is full and it also helps to control appetite and metabolism.

Not sleeping properly disrupts this hormone, which is why you find yourself eating more when you’re sleep deprived. Which I know can be really tough for a mum especially if your kids kids aren’t great sleepers.

10. Do your pelvic floor exercises

There are 2 things I get my clients to do. The first one is a good habit to get into, which you can do all the time. Just suck your belly button in towards your spine. Your shoulders will automatically go back, your pelvis will tilt under and you will stand taller, all the while you have sucked your tummy in. Do this ALL THE TIME.

Doing actual pelvic floor exercises – you can do these at any time and anywhere – sitting, standing, driving, walking. All you need to do is to imagine you are stopping yourself from peeing (but don’t do it while you are on the loo).

Now that you are aware of these muscles, tighten them around your front passage, vagina and back passage as strongly as possible and hold for 5 secs. As you lift, imagine these muscles are going up a lift – level 1, level 2, level 3 – go up a level each second, till you get to level 5. Hold there for a second, or another 5 seconds if you can, and then slowly release – try and control this release. Try and repeat for 5-10 times at least 3-5 times a day. The more you do, the stronger they will become.

Make sure you don’t hold your breath and build up the number you do slowly.

I have often had pregnant women ask me if its OK to do your pelvic floors while pregnant – the short answer – yes, its very important! Do them!

Hopefully the above tips will help you to get your tummy back!

Would love to hear the way you got your mum tum back, please share with us in the comments below!

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