Habits that helped female trainer lose 21 kg after giving birth

Hanoi With healthy eating habits combined with gym training, Thanh Thao, 31 years old, lost 21 kg after giving birth in just 5 months.

Hoang Thanh Thao, 1.68 m tall, currently a gym trainer, said her previous view was that girls who went to the gym would become big and bulky, so she never thought she would stick with this sport.

In 2016, Thao gave birth to her first child. Gaining 27 kg after giving birth made her struggle to find a way to get back in shape. Thao started by losing weight, fasting, and doing aerobics. As a result, she lost about 10 kg and then stopped, her body became loose.

From then on, the woman began to learn about resistance exercises with weights. The more she practiced, the more benefits Thao saw, her body became toned very quickly so she decided to pursue this training method.

In 2020, Thao became pregnant for the second time. Despite her experience, she still gained 24 kg. After her baby was 5 months old and her postpartum body gradually recovered, she decided to return to training, switched to studying bodybuilding and became a trainer until now.

Many studies have shown that gym exercises stimulate hormone production, so that muscles can absorb the necessary amount of amino acids and become firmer. When practicing gym regularly and with the right technique, the body's metabolism runs more smoothly, and the amount of calories burned increases significantly, thereby helping to lose weight.

Thao's flabby body after giving birth. Photo: Character provided — Thao's flabby body after giving birth. Photo: *Character provided*

In addition to exercise, Thao initially chose to combine intermittent fasting but it was not effective, fat still accumulated a lot.

Intermittent fasting is a term used to describe a cyclical diet and fasting regime. It allows the body enough time to fully digest food while severely limiting calorie intake. Intermittent fasting typically involves restricting eating times during the day (eating for 6-8 hours and fasting for the remaining 16-18 hours). This stimulates the body to convert glucose-based energy to ketone-based energy, which can help reduce stress, reduce the incidence of cancer and obesity, and increase longevity.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in late 2021 found that intermittent fasting helps reduce stress, reduce the risk of cancer and obesity, increase longevity, and aid in weight loss.

However, experts say intermittent fasting can still lead to weight gain. Fasting for long periods of time can cause some people to binge later. Eating more calories than your body needs can lead to fat gain, even after continuous fasting cycles of 12 to 16 hours per day.

Fasting for long periods of time can cause low blood sugar levels, causing dizziness, lightheadedness, headaches, and nausea.

Experts recommend that people with underlying medical conditions consult their doctor before trying intermittent fasting. People with type 1 diabetes and those on diabetes treatment are likely to experience adverse reactions to this diet.

Restricting your food intake can lead to eating disorders. Not eating enough calories each day to meet your needs can lead to nutritional deficiencies, reduced immunity, and health problems.

After that, the mother of two decided to switch to "eating clean" combined with a calorie deficit to get back in shape.

"Eat clean" focuses on choosing minimally processed foods such as fruits, vegetables, and grains. This way of eating contributes to improving health and preserving the natural flavor of food.

At the same time, according to experts, one of the most important factors in weight loss is a calorie deficit, meaning that the amount of calories taken into the body must be less than or equal to the amount of calories consumed. Calories taken into the body (calories in) a day include food and drinks. Calories consumed (calories out) are metabolism, normal activities (including breathing or sleeping) and exercise.

Thao distributes all nutritional groups evenly, focusing on quality over quantity. Her diet always includes enough nutrients, prioritizing protein and green vegetables and not exceeding the allowed calories to lose weight without affecting her health. She limits fat, switching to olive oil when necessary. At the same time, she prioritizes choosing fresh foods, limiting processed foods such as sausages, spring rolls, etc.

Thao's toned abs after losing weight. Photo: Character provided — Thao's toned abs after losing weight. Photo: *Character provided*

Before applying the scientific weight loss method, Thao's starting point was 79 kg and her measurements were 88-82-80. After 5 months of perseverance, she lost 58 kg with measurements of 84-72-95 and has maintained it until now with a healthy, energetic body.

Now, after achieving her desired figure, Thao still works out regularly 4 times a week. She doesn't eat as strictly as before, switching to eating at home with her family, but still calculates a reasonable amount of calories to avoid gaining weight again.

From her own experience, Thao advises everyone to eat scientifically and combine appropriate exercise, especially resistance training to build muscle and burn fat throughout the body. Avoid losing weight by extreme methods such as fasting and taking medicine.

"Choosing the right exercise will help shorten the process and get you to your destination faster," Thao said.

The mother of two said that after losing weight, she became more confident and comfortable sharing her knowledge and experience to help those who want to change their body shape. "Being able to help people lose weight scientifically, not in a negative way, is what I find most successful," she shared.