You have had a baby. You have shed some of those nasty baby pounds, which of course, were well worth it, right? Now, you are stuck with the last few stubborn pounds that just don't seem to want to come off no matter what you do! Losing the last ten pounds post pregnancy can definitely be difficult, therefore frustrating, which can lead to many wanting to give up. Is this sounding all too familiar to you? In this article, we will talk about tips/tricks to help you say "bye bye" to those last few pounds for good!

1. Food Journal. Some think it's annoying to have to write down everything they eat and drink during the day but many say that this aids in weight loss success. If you don't want to do this long term, at least try doing it for a good 2 weeks to a month. This way you can see if you may be eating too many calories, fat, sugar, sodium, etc. throughout the day, then you can make any necessary adjustments.

2. Drinks. Are you drinking your calories? Many drinks, such as alcohol, soda and juice, contain calories, so be careful. It is best to stick to drinks such as green tea and, of course, lots of water. If you are a juice drinker, try eating actual fruit instead as it does not contain all the sugar that juice does, it's lower in calories and higher in nutrients, plus it will keep you feeling full longer.

3. Stay Strong. Strength-training can play an important role in losing the last ten pounds post pregnancy. So, if you are not already doing it 2-3 times a week, it is a good idea to start. Why? Well, not only does it burn body fat and calories, but it also raises your metabolism so it is very beneficial. If you are already strength-training, you want to make sure that you are increasing your intensity every once in awhile. Your body will get used to the same old repetitions and the same old weight amounts that it's lifting which will lead you to a plateau in your weight loss. Your body needs to be challenged so, for example, if the weights you are lifting are not feeling challenging to you anymore, then you need to increase the weight amount, but just by little bits at a time. *Important note: Make sure you check with your doctor, and they give you the go ahead, before beginning any kind of exercise routine.

4. Small Changes. You know the old saying "Every little bit counts"? Well, apply that to what you consume. For example, do you take cream and sugar in your coffee? Are you drinking this coffee every day? That cream and sugar is going to add up! Also, think about how you prepare your food. Some healthier choices are grilling, baking and steaming, while an unhealthy choice would be deep-frying, among others. Also think about what you use to prepare your food. Using healthy oils, such as olive oil, and eliminating unhealthy oils and spices that contain sodium are best. Think about cutting out things like gravies, dressings (especially the creamy types), creamy sauces (such as Alfredo sauce), dips, and mayonnaise. If you are eating whole dairy products, try switching to lighter versions, such as light cheese, skim or 1% milk, almond milk, and low fat/fat free yogurts. Think about the "little things" and figure out if there is anything you may need to eliminate from your diet.

5. Sugar. Are you consuming a lot of food/drinks that contain sugar? If so, this will make losing the last ten pounds on your post pregnancy body that much harder to lose. Basically, the more sugar that you eat, the more fat that will be stored in your body. Don't mistake these "bad" sugars for the good kinds (natural sugars) that are contained in foods such as fruits and veggies. Some examples of "bad" sugary foods are donuts, cakes, chocolate bars, etc.

6. Portions. Think about the food portions that you are eating. Do you find that you are feeling stuffed after a meal or snack? Your body should just be feeling comfortably full. Also remember that your body takes approximately 20 minutes to feel full so practice eating slower too so that you don't overeat. Try to keep this in mind when putting food on your plate for a meal; half the plate should be veggies or salad, a quarter should be protein and a quarter starch.

7. Cardio. We talked about strength-training, but don't forget about doing cardiovascular exercising as well. Combining the two will be very beneficial in losing the last ten pounds off of your body. If you are already doing cardio workouts, you may need to increase your intensity. Many people find interval training beneficial but it can be a fairly intense workout so make sure you have the "ok" from your doctor before trying it. What is interval training? It is a workout where you have short bursts of intense physical activity followed by intervals where you work at a lower intensity. These types of workouts increase endurance as well as burning great amounts of fat and calories. If you do not wish to try interval training, remember just to simply challenge your body more either with increasing your intensity or maybe trying a new physical activity.

Losing the last ten pounds post pregnancy can be difficult, but all it might take is just some minor adjustments. It's a big achievement that you have lost some of your baby weight already so just be patient and keep putting in the effort. You'll get there!