Losing pregnancy weight doesn’t have to be complicated especially when you kick those bad habits of skipping meals or snacking late. Also, if you don’t have a lot of time or money, then you should probably ditch those ideas of spending tons of cash on exercise schemes or expensive gym memberships. Become a resourceful mom and lose your tummy with these five do’s and don’ts.

1. Don’t obsess over your daily calories. Skipping meals or becoming too strict with yourself could lead to binging when hungry and purging to ease the guilt. Committing to eating healthy meals for losing pregnancy weight should be a gradual transition so it won’t sabotage your efforts by being a shock to your system and psyche. Choose natural foods and healthy low-calorie receipes and snacks that cater to your tastes.

2. Do make sure you snack properly. It’s okay to slip in a treat every once and a while, but make sure it’s still worth your while. Having a chocolate covered protein or granola bar will always be better than having a sugar packed chocolate candy bar. Every little detail can help when losing the pregnancy weight.

3. Don’t forget to stretch out those muscles. Returning your body back to its pre-baby shape after giving birth can be challenging. Muscles in your neck and lower back, hips and arms could benefit with a good morning strecth. When stretching always include a brief warm-up and cool-down. Stretching helps when losing pregnancy weight because it helps enhance physical fitness by reducing muscular soreness and tension.

4. Do incorporate some resistance training. Alternate your jogging days with some resistance exercises such as crunches on an Bosu ball or dumbbell lunges. Resistance training is an effective method for losing pregnancy weight to get quick results because each exercise works several muscle groups and this burns more fat. Instead of going to a gym, try and get an exercise ball or light weights for your home and that way you can workout while watching TV or listening to your iPod.

5. Don’t avoid hitting the sack early. It’s always better to get more hours of sleep than watching extra television on the couch. Lots of new moms are on top of losing the pregnancy weight but get burnt out fast because they aren’t sleeping enough. It can be hard with kids to get a full night in so try and join your baby at naptime to give you more energy through the day.

No matter how you’ve decided to go about losing the pregnancy weight, make sure you take care of yourself. These do’s and don’ts simply help you stay focused and relaxed at the same time. It can be super stressful being a new mom but just remember to take time to breathe and take things one day at a time.