As a mom of two children, I understand the desire to get rid of the baby weight post-birth. I work with many young moms who often don't realize these four key things they should be doing to help achieve this goal. 

Plan

Do you plan your meals on a weekly basis? If not, pick one night each week that you will sit down and write out at least the dinner plan for each night. Use this to then build your grocery list. Focus on easy prep foods such as crockpot cooking. Meal planning sounds labor intensive, but it doesn't have to be. This simple step to plan will save you time and stress during the week. Less stress means better weight loss response. Planned out meals probably means better food will be eaten overall, which is also good for your waistline.

Hydrate

Nursing moms especially get dehydrated fast. However, any mom knows that in the craziness of responding to a newborn, running after a toddler or driving around young children, water often isn't on the mind. To change this, carry around a water bottle at all times. Your efforts to stay better hydrated not only will help the body flush out toxins but also contribute to muscle building and fat loss.

Keep It Real

Just because you have children doesn't mean you have a license to bring in child-marketed food into the house (think fruit snacks, animal crackers, juice boxes, etc.). You don't need that food and neither do your kids. Teach your kids that snacks consist of real food like vegetables and fruits. This helps start good habits in them and keeps the junk food out of your reach as well.

Be Forgiving

Keep in mind that it took nine months for the weight to go on. It isn't going to all fall off in three months. Try to keep your focus off the scale and just enjoy the beautiful blessing you have been given. This is especially important if you are a nursing mom, as extreme dieting can cause your milk production to dry up. Be forgiving with yourself, and take it slowly to assure that you are dropping the weight for good. Expect around one pound of weight loss per week to truly drop body fat. Weight loss much more than two pounds per week often means you are losing either water or muscle.

Kate Davis is the owner of RDKate Sports Nutrition Consulting, based out of Naperville, Illinois, where she offers expertise in sports nutrition, eating disorders/disordered eating, intuitive eating and weight management for sport. She holds a master’s degree in nutrition with an emphasis in exercise physiology. She is both a registered dietitian and one of only 550 RDs in the United States to be board-certified as a specialist in sports dietetics. As a runner, triathlete, snowboarder and rock climber, Davis understands the physical and mental challenges of being a top athlete. She has previously consulted with NCAA Division I and Division III, NFL and NBA athletes. She is available for individual consulting, team talks and group seminars. Visit her website at RDKate.com; from there you can navigate to her weekly blog, Eat to Compete, and connect with her on Twitter or Facebook. Contact her directly at YourRDKate@gmail.com.

The views expressed in this article are the opinion of the author and not necessarily the practices of USA Triathlon. Before starting any new diet or exercise program, you should check with your physician and/or coach.