| Detail Warning: This article is for informational purposes only and is
not intended to replace proper medical advice that can be supplied by a physician. It is
important to remember that before undertaking any exercise program, you should consult
your physician.
September 1, 2007
|
It's hard to believe
that Francisca Dennis has six children! Furthermore, Francisca successfully juggles
motherhood with competitive figure and fitness modeling – she was the runner-up in
the Fitness Model category in our SAF Model Search on June 15.
(Photo June 2007 by Glen E. Grant) |
|
Having a Baby Changes Everything:
Post-Pregnancy Dieting
After I had my daughter, everyone told me to accept my new
– bigger – body and that my waist would never be 25" again. This bothered
me because, with running, I had always stayed in shape. It also bothered me because I knew
that in both figure and fitness worlds many of the competitors had children. In fact, I
had recently interviewed one who had six! I figured that if these women were able to do
it, then it was possible for me to get back into shape. So, I bought a scale, measuring
tape, calendar, jogging stroller, and exercise videos. I also started research.
There’s no secret to returning your body to pre-baby
condition. A healthy lifestyle beforehand helps, but with a combination of diet and
exercise, and lifestyle choices, researchers have uncovered what really matters for weight
loss after the baby. And after interviewing three moms who are serious about fitness, I
found not only did their lifestyles agree with the research, but they also had practical
tips that they had learned through their own experience.
The stats
- Francisca Dennis – Fitness Model
Kids: Jess (19), Trey (15), Trent (13), Jade (11), Cole (6), Capri (5)
Average weight gain: 25-35 pounds
Weight loss: 6 weeks after delivery
- Dionne Sinclair – IDFA Figure Pro
Kids: Althea (18), Pamela (15), Breann (8)
Average weight gain: 25-30 pound
Weight loss: 6 weeks after delivery
- Kary Odiatu – IFBB Fitness Pro
Kids: Jordan (3), Kylie (1)
Average weight gain: 26 lbs
Weight loss: 3 months after delivery
Although these three lost the weight faster than the
average time of 6 months, or 1 pound per week, new moms must be PATIENT. Sometimes –
as in my case – it can take as long as 18 months.
Nature will prevail, it put the weight on and it will take
the weight off. Only 12 percent of new moms retain weight. And the more physically fit a
woman is prior to pregnancy, the greater the chance she will lose the weight.
Breast-feeding
It is believed that the best way to lose weight after a
pregnancy – and it cannot be stressed enough how healthy it is for baby – is
breast-feeding. In fact, the extra fat you put on during pregnancy is there to ensure
there is enough energy for a mother to breast-feed. Breast-feeding uses 200 to 500
calories per day and this is why it is important to continue to eat for both yourself and
your baby while you are breast-feeding.
Professional figure competitor Dionne Sinclair is a firm
believer in breast-feeding. She says, "It's great for baby and also does wonders for
the waistline. I would breast-feed in the babysitting area after a workout." Dennis
and Odiatu also breast-fed and all three women noticed that they were hungrier and ate
more during this period. None of them cut calories in any way during this time, and still
they quickly lost weight.
It’s what you eat
Breast-feeding does work wonders, but research points out
that breast-feeding alone will not help women lose pregnancy weight. One of the largest
and most comprehensive studies – Project Viva – on post-pregnancy weight loss
concluded in 2006. It followed 902 women for one year, analyzing their habits and diet
after giving birth. What was uncovered was surprising.
Of all behaviors and dietary choices, only three were
strongly correlated to post-pregnancy weight loss – less than 2 hours of TV, 30
minutes of walking, and low trans-fat consumption.
Trans-fats are fats that have been heated and hydrogenated
and made into margarine, shortening, and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. They are
cheap and last a long, long time. That’s why trans-fats are found in processed foods
and fast foods. Trans-fats are so extremely unhealthy – lowering good cholesterol,
raising bad, increasing body fat – that companies which produce them are under
increasing government scrutiny.
Sinclair, Dennis, and Odiatu limited, if not eliminated,
trans-fats from their diets, and the content of their diets did not change before, during,
or after their pregnancies. They ate healthy meals with a good balance of carbohydrates,
fats, and protein, and with a focus on consuming whole foods and not processed ones.
Dennis and Odiatu focused on eating more lean proteins and vegetables after having their
babies. Sinclair stuck to her favorites like chicken, roast meat, steak, and potatoes, and
she found her new best friend was a slow cooker. None cut calories, and, as the study
found, their healthy balanced diet with low trans-fats led to post-pregnancy weight loss.
Conclusion
Fitness pros not only inspire – because of them I
believed and now have my 25" waist back – they are also role models in healthy
choices. And the diet choices they make are backed up by hard science.
Losing weight after the baby takes two things: patience and
healthy food. Cutting calories will not lead to weight loss and a new baby takes enormous
energy. Fast and processed foods are convenient, but that’s all they are. It takes
time and perseverance and hard work, for there are no quick fixes in weight loss.
...Alison Aulph
alison@seriousaboutfitness.com
References: Television, Walking, and Diet: Associations
with Postpartum Weight Retention. American Journal of Preventive
Medicine, Volume 32, Issue 4, Pages 305-311 E. Oken, E. Taveras, F.
Popoola, J. Rich-Edwards, M. Gillman. |
