How to shed your post-pregnancy pounds
"Nine months up, nine months down" is the old adage for shedding post-pregnancy
pounds.
"Most women feel okay with this time schedule, until they hear how film stars Gwyneth
Paltrow, Julia Roberts (who had twins) and Demi Moore dropped their pregnancy weight
within months after delivery.
Moms naturally want to reclaim their fi gures just as fast. Well, you could, but
only with the help of a box-office hit to pay an entourage of dietitians, cooks,
personal trainers, massage therapists, yoga instructors, Pilates coaches and, yes,
throw in a psychiatrist, too!
Is it safe for moms, celebs or not, and for their babies, to drop pregnancy weight
that quickly? The answer for most women is: NO. Closely monitored, paid-to-be-thin
celebs are probably not at risk of depriving their babies of nutrients through breast
milk. For the rest of us, however, crazy crash diets or weight-loss plans that eliminate
entire food groups seriously deprive growing babies of essential nutrients and slow
down healing of a mother’s body.
9 MONTHS UP
Maintaining a healthy weight during pregnancy makes it easier to
lose weight after giving birth. And these same celebs who instantly dropped post-pregnancy
pounds also worked with a crew of experts during their pregnancies to make sure
they were eating and exercising appropriately every minute of their pregnancy. But
know that even an overweight mom-to-be should never diet during pregnancy. Still,
pregnancy is not an excuse to pig out either.
9 MONTHS DOWN
There is no magic formula for post-pregnancy weight loss. To know the best time
to start shedding pounds, ask your doctor when it is safe to diet or exercise, particularly
if you had a difficult pregnancy or a C-section. Start slowly and be patient. Ideally,
lose only about a kilogram per month, whether you are breast-feeding or not. Set
reasonable goals for yourself and take pride in your new family instead of focusing
on your weight.
POUND POINTERS
• A woman within an ideal pre-pregnant body weight will gain about
10 to 17 kilograms during a healthy pregnancy. Amazingly, the baby only accounts
for about one-fifth of the total weight (3 to 4 pounds only).
• Most women lose about 5 kilograms during labor and delivery, from the weight of
the baby, placenta and amniotic fluid. During the first week after delivery, women
lose the additional weight of retained fluids. It is the stored fat that is the
hardest to get rid of and the last to leave.
• Where does the weight go? 2-3 kg of maternal stores (fat, protein, other nutrients),
1-1.5kg of increased fluid volume, 1.5-4kg of increased blood volume, 0.5-1kg of
breast enlargement, 1kg of enlarging uterus, 3-4kg of baby, 1kg of amniotic fluid
and 0.75kg of placenta.
TIPS TO GET BACK IN SHAPE
1. Make every calorie count! Stay within an optimal calorie range
as determined by your doctor or nutritionist. Breast-feeding mothers should maintain
at least a 1,500 daily calorie intake. Always choose foods that are nutrient-dense.
Meals and snacks should all be high in vitamins, minerals, calcium, protein and
fiber.
2. Ditch junk food, fast food and highly processed snack foods. To fight these temptations,
fill your kitchen with healthy snacks and make as many home-cooked meals as possible.
Some good snack choices include granola bars, fruits and vegetables, low-fat cottage
cheese or yogurt, whole-wheat crackers with low-fat cheese, smoothies or a hard-boiled
egg.
3. Choose high-calcium, low-fat or fat-free dairy products, and opt for the leanest
cuts of meat and poultry. Fish, shellfish, beans, eggs, nuts, and tofu are all excellent
low-fat sources of protein and vitamins. Calcium and protein are important nutrients
for breast milk.
4. Keep fiber intake high with fresh fruits and vegetables, whole-grain cereals
and wholewheat products. Whole grains contain m"