If I meet one more beautifully skinny mom on the street, I may have to … get her number and schedule some play dates over meals so I see exactly what she puts in her mouth. I was at the diner early this morning and a tall beautiful brunette walks in with her toddler wearing short shorts and ankle boots. I haven’t worn short shorts since I was 5 years-old, and even then, it wasn’t cute. She ordered eggs, no potatoes, and a fruit bowl. Let’s just say there were no fruit bowls on my table.

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Most moms struggle to lose weight after giving birth. It took me about a year before I got back to my pre-baby body. Of course, my pre-baby body needed some serious work. We are all a work in progress, and being patient and kind to ourselves is probably the first and best step to losing our pounds. Then, you probably want to order that darn fruit bowl at breakfast.

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Here are some other tips and tools for losing weight after having a baby:

Weight Watchers
There’s a reason why Weight Watchers is the most popular diet that’s been around for over 40 years. And there’s a reason why Oprah signed on too. It’s super easy and you don’t have to calorie count, which is great because I have a hard time counting to ten sometimes. I went on Weight Watchers in high school and it didn’t work too well back then probably because of my discipline and munchies, but this time I found success. After a few months, I lost my last 10-15 pounds, even without going to a meeting. I’ve tried many diets, but this one will always be my favorite go-to.

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Drink it Up
I don’t know why drinking water all day is so hard, but it helps flush out our toxins and improve our metabolism. Many people add flavors, essential oils, and lemon to their water to make it taste better. Sometimes, I would rather add rum. Nevertheless, I start the day with warm water, lemon and honey and then try to drink the recommended 6-8, 8-ounce glasses a day. It’s not always easy, but I do my best! Plus, it helps my skin glow too.

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Pick a Work Out You Love
I have never been a jogger or runner so I’m not going to try now. It’s a shame, because I have a little gym in my building with treadmills, but they are pointless. I just need someone pushing me, yelling at me and telling me what to do when it comes to working out. Trainers can be expensive but they may be worth it for a short period of time. The truth is, I love spin classes more than anything. So I invest in Soul Cycle classes once a week. They are not cheap — but it’s the only work out that will get me sweating!

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Find a Gym With Day Care
Many gyms today have a drop off day care service you can use. Their day care rooms have toys and sitters, so you can occupy your little one while you work out. Usually, the gyms will call you if your child is crying or miserable. Hopefully, you’ve worked out long enough to burn some fat by then! These gyms with day care can be a great option if you can’t find time to get away to the gym on your own.

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Cut Down on Sugar
My eighty-year old mother who has been dieting her whole life was about to turn diabetic. She had to change her diet and eliminate or cut down on sugar ASAP. She had no idea that carbs turned into sugar, but started to get schooled quickly about what she should and shouldn’t eat. I saw her eating wraps instead of bagels and low-sugar cereal instead of raisin bran. Three-months later, she lost six pounds on her low sugar diet. She says in her New York accent, “If I knew it was this easy to lose weight, I would have done this years ago!”

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Wait Till Your Child Starts Walking
I guarantee that once your child starts walking and running, you will not have a moment to rest. The amount of calories you will be burning trying to keep up with your little one will sky rocket. Just get one of those step watch calculators and see how much more you’re moving. Of course, this doesn’t mean you should eat more, on the run, too.

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Get Happy
A diet or workout is usually just a band aid. Beneath the surface, there is a reason why we might over eat or not want to work out. If we aren’t feeling good about ourselves or are emotionally empty in some way, our bodies suffer. Get at the core of your emotional issues and find a way to be happy. When you’re happy and even emotionally, you won’t have to make the effort to diet, you will just know when to stop eating and when to order that fruit bowl.

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This article originated from Mommy Writers.