Mom's Own Health: Slimming the Mommy Tummy

New Year's Resolution: Trim Down

A woman's figure, no matter the size, always seems to be a work in progress. If media representations of actresses and models aren't bad enough, we are in constant competition with ourselves; in high school, in college, and now, pre-baby. Your body has to change, and as a reasonable person you can understand that, but body image is anything but reasonable. We care about the numbers; what's on the scale, on your pants, and certainly on your mind. After doing the mass-pinning of shame for myself, I was overwhelmed by what different magazines and experts expect us to be able to do. As a result, I've created my own list of numbers to focus on, and I hope they help you too.

1-2

This is the amount of weight you should aim to lose a week in a healthy way, but it also makes the seemingly overwhelming task of hitting a goal weight slightly easier. Each week is a fresh start on the same journey. Plus you're not fixated on a large, possibly unrealistic, and certainly subjective idea of what your end game should feel like. If you lose 28 lbs and feel great, then you're done! You don't have to struggle and stress over not losing 30 lbs if your jeans already feel better and you're happy with what's in the mirror.

30

Thirty represents the time I am dedicating to myself every single day - twice a day. The first, I will spend this time doing bursts of awesome exercises guaranteed to leave me feeling like I accomplished something. Be it mind cleaning yoga poses, challenging core exercises, or a strong power walk with my son in tow. The second is just as important, for my mind. Stress is known to add weight to your core, so meditation, reading, or journaling for half an hour will do just as much good as my fitness component to lean my stomach muscles.

8

You would be surprised how much eight comes up when trying to shed a few pounds. You need 64 oz (or 8 x 8 oz glasses) of water a day to stay well hydrated and burning fat to your maximum potential. It also helps reduce food cravings and improves the condition of your skin. Ideally, you should sleep 8 hours a night (in chunks, plus naps if you have to) to restore your mind and leave you able to conquer your day. Most balanced meal plans recommend 5-10 (or 8 as a positive goal) of fresh produce in your diet. Two in each meal, with one for each snack, is a simple way to fit fruit and vegetables in easily. 

Here are 8 fabulous exercises to conquer that muffin top and tone that tummy.

• Modified Plank: also great for arm strength, it is one of the best tummy toning challenges you can take on. Start with focusing on posture, rather than time, and build up the duration and difficulty. 
• Reverse Plank: with your eyes now facing the ceiling, you have to really squeeze your tush for this move, working those muscles as well. 
• Banana: Lying on your back, slowly fold so as to bring your hands and feet together. As you build up, you could pass a swiss ball back and forth to increase the work. 
• Crunches: while nobody's favourite, this work out standard offers targeted ab training with lots of modifications for all levels of fitness. 

Reverse Crunches

• Reverse Crunches: bringing your knees up towards your navel is possibly harder than the standard exercise, using that lower stomach area and your back muscles. 
• Superman: lie down on your stomach with your arms flat in front of you (don't fall asleep), then gently lift your arms and legs off the floor as if you were flying. It's more of a struggle than you think. 
• Swimming: from the the same position as Superman, trying lifting one arm and the alternate leg at a time. 
• Pendulum: start on your back with your arms stretched out at each side, then lift your legs and slowly lower your legs towards each side. 

If you're worried about your dedication alone, I cannot stress enough the benefits of doing it with a partner. Encourage your partner to eat well during the week, join a sports team with your sister, or challenge a fellow mommy to help you stay accountable. There are also lots of free websites to find support online. Sparkpeople.com is a fantastic resource for finding new workouts, nutritious recipes, and motivation from users all over the world trying to live a healthier lifestyle. Bet on yourself and focus on the right things. You can do it!