Mom says babywearing helped her lose added weight

About eight weeks after having her first baby, Mary Nahorniak realized babywearing was the key to losing her pregnancy weight.

Nahorniak, USA TODAY's deputy managing editor for digital, gained about 40 pounds during pregnancy. Fast forward two months after birth: Her weight plateaued, like many moms, before losing the last 10 to 15 pounds.

"I felt like I was living in my maternity jean shorts," Nahorniak said. "I am the shorts. The shorts are me, and we are one."

After more than nine months in spandex, she wanted to wear normal clothes again. She wanted to burn the shorts. She wanted her body back. 

To lose the weight, she did more of something she had been doing the last several months: She carried her daughter, Alice. Nahorniak loves babywearing and realized doing more of it helped her achieve her weight-loss goals. Alice is almost 1 now and weighs 20 pounds. 

"It's like having a 20-pound dumbbell strapped to your chest," Nahorniak said. 

Here are three movements she incorporates in her afternoon walks to keep Alice happy and get the most of her babywearing workouts:

Dino Walk: When daughter Alice is fussy, Nahorniak instinctively widens her walk. Suddenly, she's doing lunges. She likes to add sound effects to this one, because Alice loves it.

Jumps: When Alice grew stronger, Nahorniak found little hops made her smile. While Alice is giggling, Mom is also strengthening calves and abdominals. 

Calf raises: These can be done slowly, even with young babies to help Mom tone legs. Calf raises are great, but they're an even better workout with the added weight.

When babywearing, Nahorniak always follows the TASK rule: 

Two fingers can be placed under baby’s chin
Always able to view baby’s face – even while nursing
Snug and Supported
Kissable – able to kiss the top of baby’s head easily

Mom Bod is a USA TODAY video series featuring tips from moms on fitness, nutrition and mental health. The goal? Let's be real about the struggle to "healthy" and learn to love our mom bods.