Losing weight after having a Baby

Meet Three Inspirational Women

I interviewed three women who are Moms that have successfully lost weight after giving birth. They are an inspiration to others by proving that you can skip the crazy diet pills and actually lose the extra “baby weight” in a healthy way.

You will learn a lot from these women, from relating to their weight loss battles and you will find strength in their ability to succeed.

Brenda E. and baby Zohie from Pensacola, FL.

Postnatal Exercise

As a new Mom, it’s important for you to realize that you need to rest and let your body properly heal after having your baby. Your body just went through a lot!

Depending on the type of delivery you had, you may need extra time to heal. Some Moms wait six weeks, while others wait several months before they start to exercise again. Wait for your Doctor to tell you when it’s safe to exercise, as well as listening to your own body’s needs.

There are a lot of exercises for you to choose from, so which types of exercises will work best for you?

For Brenda, who was preparing for a marathon before she got pregnant, she decided to go back to her roots and start running again.

“I love to run! So I started running again and that was great! Running has always been a stress reliever for me, so it felt great to run and leave the stress of having a newborn out on the road.” – Brenda E. from Pensacola, FL.

I think a great way to workout is to involve your baby! Katie talks about how she took her daughter in the stroller and went on walks. It’s a great way to burn some extra calories while letting your little one explore the world outside!

“I took my daughter on walks. I also did a walk at home exercise DVD. It is great!” – Katie S. from Draper, UT.

Are you ready to workout? If you have ever been on bed rest, you can relate to Genine. She had a high risk pregnancy and spent most of it on bed rest. Once she started her exercises, she started with small steps and worked her way up, which is a great way to start a new exercise program.

“…since I was on bed rest for so long I was struggling to even move – so I started with Pilates – twice a week. From there I moved into cardio – and then onto weights – now I maintain cardio 5 days a week, Pilates twice a week and weights twice a week.” – Genine F. from Cincinnati, OH.

Genine lost a total of 140 pounds since she had her twin boys! She lost the extra weight in a very healthy way, and said that she is in better shape and more balanced now than before she was pregnant!

Biggest contributing factor in your weight loss success

I understand that with a small child, it can be hard to get your exercise routine back. I asked these wonderful Moms what helped them most with their weight loss success.

Brenda realized that exercise wasn’t the only factor that led to her weight loss. You can’t focus on the reasons why you shouldn’t start eating healthy or exercising again. There’s plenty of reasons to hold you back, but all you need is one to move forward in the right direction.

“It is so easy to come up with a million excuses (most of them extremely valid!), but with motivation; nothing stops me!” – Brenda E. from Pensacola, FL.

Be sure to surround yourself with those that are able to support you with your goals. Katie found that having a workout partner is very helpful in succeeding. If someone else is working with you towards the same goals, is seems to help ease the burden of trying to do it yourself.

“My husband worked out with me, and was very encouraging.” – Katie S. from Draper, UT.

 

Are your thoughts in the right mindset to help you succeed? You need to decide if eating right and exercising is a temporary change or a permanent one. Once you make the decision that this is a lifestyle change, you will start to incorporate healthier habits into your life that will help you reach your health goals.

“Consistency and Patience – this was going to be a lifestyle change and a marathon not a sprint – so even when I didn’t want to workout i did. When I wanted to eat bad, I would stop and think if I still want it after a glass of water 10 minutes from now then I will have it, most of the time I forgot.” – Genine F. from Cincinnati, OH.

Time to Motivate Yourself!

Everyone has their reason why they want to lose weight after their baby is born.

What motivated you to get back into shape after giving birth? Losing the extra weight is healthy for you and helps you feel good on multiple levels.

I have to say, I just love what Genine had to say when I asked her what motivated her to lose weight after she gave birth to her twin boys!

“Honestly – I often joke that I wanted someone to think I was the nanny to the twins” – Genine F. from Cincinnati, OH.

Every Mom deserves to feel good about the way they look.

Becoming healthy is a journey that doesn’t end with a single decision. Health starts before your pregnancy, during your pregnancy, and a long time afterwards!

Weight Loss: Challenges and Success

Trying to lose weight can be quite the challenge, especially when balancing the hectic schedule of having a little one around the home!

“It was hard to find the time to strength train at home because most workout videos that give good enough workouts are 45-60 minutes! I just don’t have that kind of time. Once I found Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred, it became a whole lot easier! Her workouts are only 20 minutes (almost 30 with warm-up and stretching), but they really kicked my butt! It was perfect!” – Brenda E. from Pensacola, FL.

Everyone faces the challenge of trying to get started, and the first step to losing weight is just making the decision to do something about it. Once you have made the decision to change, you need to create a plan and take action immediately. Don’t wait any longer, and you will reap the many rewards of a healthy lifestyle.

“I sometimes lacked motivation to lose the weight. Then one day I just got really motivated, and started working out everyday, and eating even better.” – Katie S. from Draper, UT.

If you run into a brick wall where you seem to stop losing weight, does this  mean that you have reached your goal weight? Without measuring your body fat ratios, I can’t give you an answer. No matter what the situation, you still have every reason to continue to eat healthy and exercise. Perhaps you can evaluate your current situation and see if there is something you can improve.

“The biggest challenge that I have found is that I would plateau every few months – and would have to go back to the drawing board and change some things up… there are also days when I just don’t feel like working out or being healthy but I have pushed through…” – Genine F. from Cincinnati, OH.

Great Advice for You!

These three Moms did it. Now it’s your turn to get back into shape! Here is some practical advice to help you lose the extra weight in a healthy way that will be beneficial for your body.

“Just do something! Even if it small, it is a step in the right direction! Want to eat healthier? Try adding just one extra serving of vegetables to your intake for a week or two, then add another and so on! Also, always eat your vegetables first! Filling up on the healthier options first will cut calories and provide you with more nutrients! Want to be more active? Try taking the kiddos with you for a short walk or go to the park and be active with them! You don’t have to start with long workout hours! Just adding more active minutes into your day will help burn calories! Remember that you don’t have to be active and eat healthy on your own! Your whole family will benefit from it, so include them too!” – Brenda E. from Pensacola, FL.

“It may seem hard to lose weight after your baby is born, but you can do it! Just take one day at a time, and before you know it the weight will be gone!” – Katie S. from Draper, UT.

“Don’t look at the immediate – look at the long term goal!” – Genine F. from Cincinnati, OH.

I would like to thank all of them for their willingness to share their story and inspire women to get back into shape after giving birth – in a healthy and safe way.

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Tags: Baby, exercise, Fitness, Healthy, Lose Weight, New Mom, Nutrition, Pregnancy, success story, weight, Weight Loss

Miranda Kerr’s Natural Birth

Let’s face it, celebrities aren’t always known for being the best role models…but Supermodel Miranda Kerr is an inspiration to all women when it comes to being a healthy new Mom.

Natural Birth

She may be known as being a petite supermodel, but I recently learned that Miranda Kerr is one tough woman! Miranda made the decision to have a natural birth, which means that she didn’t use any pain medication while she gave birth to her son, Flynn.

Miranda explains that she had a long and “difficult labour”, but with the help and encouragement from her supportive husband, Orlando Bloom, she was able to make it through the entire birthing process just fine. The happy couple welcomed their baby boy on January 6th 2011, who weighed a healthy 9 pounds and 12 ounces.

Wow! I just keep thinking that if this petite supermodel can do a natural birth to a 9 pound baby, we all can have a natural birth if we decide to have one!

Breastfeeding

The first photo released to the public of little Flynn is that of an intimate moment showing Miranda Kerr breastfeeding her newborn. When woman see celebrities like Miranda choose to breastfeed their own baby, it really helps other woman with breastfeeding awareness and helps to promote the many health benefits that come with it.

Healthy Living

As an expecting or new Mom, it’s all about eating healthy, exercising, and taking care of your body. Miranda Kerr is a supporter of eating healthy, including organic foods, which is not a surprise since she studied Nutrition and Health Psychology at the Academy of Natural Living before she became a professional model. Miranda really takes care of her body in a natural and healthy way, which is something we can all strive to do.

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Image Source: koraorganics.com

Tags: Baby, Breastfeeding, Celebrity, diet, Healthy, healthy living, Miranda Kerr, Model, Natural Birth, New Mom, Supermodel

Workouts for your Baby

It’s never too early to exercise, right?  Your baby will benefit from exercise, just as much as you do! Babies need to work on building strength, and your little bundle of joy is going to need your help getting there.

Tummy Time

This helps your baby build a strong core, which strengthens your baby’s stomach, back, and neck muscles.

Why it’s Important: It’s important that your baby’s core muscles are strengthened so that if your baby is ever in a dangerous situation (such as face down and not getting enough oxygen), your baby will have the ability to roll over.

Lifting

Let your baby learn how to lift objects with varying weight and size,  such a baby’s rattle, toy keys, or Alphabet blocks. It will be a fun way for your baby to learn how to hold objects as well as build strength in the arms.

Why it’s Important: Building strength in the arms is an important step for your baby, which helps your little one push up and eventually crawl!

Kicks and Swatting

This is a fun way for your baby to build flexibility and coordination. Babies are naturally flexible, but it still takes work to build dexterity and stability. Kicking a targeted object is a good way to help your baby understand depth perception as well as cause and effect.

Why it’s Important: Kicking and swatting helps to increase leg strength and muscle control which eventually leads to crawling.

Twisting and Bending

Allow your baby to gently stretch since this is a great way for baby to gain flexibility and coordination which helps provide precise movement.

Why it’s Important: This will help your baby roll over from one side to the other.

Sources: Parenting.com

Your baby is just like you when it comes to getting bored with the same workouts. Switch things up and keep it interesting and fun for your baby!

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Tags: Baby, baby yoga, crawling, exercise, Fitness, flaxible, Healthy, lifting, mom, muscle, strength, tummy time, workout

Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett Loses 40 Pounds

Pregnancy Weight Gain

During Kendra’s pregnancy, her diet became a “free for all”.

” I had no boundaries. I just ate, ate, ate. I just said, ‘This is my time, these are my nine months, I can just have fun, how big can I really get?’ Sixty pounds! I gained 60 pounds!”  -Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett

After giving birth to her son in December 2009, Kendra soon tried to lose the extra weight.

Kendra, at only 5’4″, went from weighing only 105 pounds to reaching her maximum weight of 165 pounds after pregnancy. For someone with such a petite frame, it was no wonder that Kendra was shocked that she had gained so much extra weight in just 9 months.

Kendra’s “After” Photo:

How Kendra lost 40 Pounds

Kendra credits her weight loss to the following:

Eating Healthy – Kendra has cut out almost all junk food from her regular diet! She eats healthier foods, including healthy smoothies and she sometimes nibbles on her baby’s food.  Of course, you can make your own pureed foods for you and your baby!

Abdominal Cuts – Of course Kendra is crediting Abdominal Cuts for her weight loss! Why? Kendra promotes the company (also known as “Abcuts”)and gets paid for it. Actually, Kendra gets paid a lot for saying she credits this for her weight loss. Did Kendra actually use this to help her lose weight? Maybe. We will never know. What I do know is this: This fat burning pill is not the answer to your weight loss. If you really want to lose weight, do it the healthy way and you will keep it off!

Exercise - Kendra gets her exercise by taking regular walks and hitting the gym.

Kendra’s real weight loss “secret”?

Kendra said she stopped obsessing about her weight and the number on the scale.

Kendra said “The second I stopped obsessing  was the second I started to see results. I started to look good and feel good.”

It’s all about making the decision and focusing on what you really want, which is being healthy. Kendra credits a lot of her motivation for getting back into shape to her husband, Hank Baskett.

Congratulations to Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett for losing 40 pounds and making her health a priority again!

Image Credit: Kendra Wilkinson

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Tags: Baby, exercise, Fitness, gym, Health, Healthy, Healthy Eating, Kendra Wilkinson, Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett, Lose Weight, New Mom, no junk food, Nutrition, postnatal weight loss, pregnancy weight gain, walking, Weight Loss, working out

Breastfeeding vs. Formula

When you first get pregnant, one of the many important decisions you will need to make is whether you should breastfeed or not. It’s a decisoon that will effect your baby’s health. You want to make sure that you give your baby the best.

Which is healthier;  Breast milk or Formula?

Research shows that Breast milk is the healthiest option for your small baby. Even though formula has come along way, it still doesn’t quite compare to what Mother Nature has to provide.

Baby’s Benefits

• Perfect balance of Nutrients, which also evolves to meet your baby’s needs throughout development.

• Easy to digest.

• Helps prevent sickness, including Ear Infections, Stomach Flu, Pneumonia, and Digestive Tract Disorders.

• Protection against Diabetes, Heart Disease, Respiratory Infections, and Allergies.

• Improves brain function.

A healthy baby is a happy baby!

Mom’s Benefits

• Helps Mom burn calories! Also, breastfeeding reduces fat stores, which helps you return to your normal weight before you even got pregnant.

• Studies have shown that woman who breastfeed have reduced risks of breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

• Breast milk is free. I know this shouldn’t be your reason the breast feeding, but it’s a nice advantage to it!

Formula

Some woman are not able to breastfeed, so choosing the right formula is an important decision to make. Not all formula is created equal.

• Stay away from Soy based formulas. These may be “Lactose Free” and marketed as a healthier choice, but in reality they compromise the health of your baby in many ways. Soy formulas affect the baby’s hormone levels, impair thyroid function, and will expose your baby to dangerously high estrogen levels.

• The average baby formula is based on pasteurized milk. This type of formula can compromise your baby’s digestive system, but still better for your baby when you compare it to Soy formulas.

Interesting thought

For someone who makes a profit from selling formula, what does a company like Gerber® have to say about breastfeeding?

“Breast milk is best for babies and provides the nutrition for cognitive development and physical growth”

If you have the choice, breast milk is the healthiest option for your baby and you!

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Tags: Allergies, Baby, Breast Milk, Breastfeeding, digestion, Formula, Healthy, New Mom, nutrients, prevention, soy