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A Body Like Beyonce? The Reality of Post-Baby Weight Loss

Celebrity moms like Beyonce, Halle Berry, Gwen Stefani and Heidi Klum are famous for losing their post-baby weight seemingly before their baby’s first burp—and woe to the celeb who doesn’t. Recently, Bollywood actress Aishawarya Rai was criticized as “fat” and “lazy” for not returning to her pre-baby figure six months after giving birth.

Six months after having my son, I wasn’t thinking about losing weight; I was just trying to survive. Between sleepless nights, diaper changes and nursing every two hours, I barely had the energy to brush my teeth let alone work out.

So just how fast are everyday moms supposed to shed their pregnancy pounds and fit back into their skinny jeans? “Take the patient approach,” says Michael Roizen, MD. “Remember that it took you nine months to add the weight, and a realistic goal is for you to take nine months to drop it.”

Finding the time and energy to lose the 30, 40, 50, and—in my case—almost 60 pounds (don’t judge!) gained over nine months may seem impossible. But Sharecare experts say that with a little bit of patience and planning, it can be done. Here are five tips.

  1. Take a few weeks off. “In the early post-partum weeks, your body is still trying to heal and readjust to its pre-pregnancy state,” says the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).
  2. Breastfeed if you can. According to Dr. Roizen, on average you can lose 500 calories per day by breastfeeding.
  3. Focus on healthy foods. If you craved junk food during pregnancy, it’s time to get back on the wagon. “Try to eat healthy foods in slightly smaller portions,” says NASM. “If you were very liberal with your diet during pregnancy (lots of sweets, snack foods, etc.), try to take some of those out of your diet, and replace them with fruits and vegetables.  Keep the focus on eating well (not less).”
  4. Start slowly. “It is important to build up your exercise regime slowly because postpartum women have a higher chance of injury,” says NASM Elite Trainer Suzanne Luft. “Avoid crunches or sit-ups, which can exacerbate any diastasis you have after pregnancy.”
  5. Stroll your way fit. “Pushing a stroller around the block for 30-45 minutes per day will help with your energy level and with weight loss,” says family physician Darin Winn, MD. “Any exercise that is fun and relaxing will be much easier to stick with than strict exercise regimens that you don’t enjoy.”

If you’re anything like me, you’d love to have a body like Beyonce’s. But like me, most mothers can’t log endless hours in the gym and don’t spend their days rehearsing choreography for world tours. So unless you’re expecting a multi-million dollar recording contract in the near future, cut yourself some slack.  Enjoy your baby and take your weight-loss journey one pound at a time.

Have you struggled losing the baby weight? Let us know in the comments box below.

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File under: In the News

Contributor

Nicole Lester

Nicole Lester is an Editorial Project Manager at Sharecare. She has worked in project management and in the healthcare field for over ten years with organizations such as Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Quintiles Laboratories. Along with being a published author, Nicole is a wife, mother, minister and mommy blogger who loves putting the adventures of parenting a toddler on paper.

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Comments

  1. Towanda

    Ha! It’s comforting to know that it isn’t just me. After having my children, I was anxious to show off my baby but not the fat that was left behind. My biggest fear was that someone would ask when I was due (after I delivered!). Thanks for the helpful tips…I will keep pressing on:)

    May 29th, 2012, 5:45 pm
  2. Alice

    To all the mommies:
    Sometime it takes some new moms longer than others to take of the “baby fat” because our bodies are made different. I have 3 children, with the first two, I went back down fast, in less than 6 months. The 3rd, well, that is a different story. I gained more with the 3rd and it took me years to take it off, even with exercise. So depending on your finances if you can afford someone to help you take it off that would be great, otherwise, thanks for the tips. At this stage, I am what I am. (smile)

    May 29th, 2012, 9:49 pm
  3. Tabitha Hoskins

    Awesome article. As a new mom, I’ve found that there is so much pressure to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I am a 1st time mom at 32 and I am constantly being compared to moms who’ve had babies in there late teens / early 20s. Not only is every woman different, but once you hit 30, something strange happens to your body’s ability to “bounce back”. I I appretiate the honesty in this article and I am empowered to take it 1 pound at a time.

    May 29th, 2012, 11:27 pm
  4. Naomi

    This was great. I shared it on Facebook and Twitter. I am not a mom yet but this is GOOD.

    May 30th, 2012, 2:38 pm
  5. Lema

    I was the opposite! I lost 35 pounds during my pregnancy with twins ( cause I was so sick) and ate healthier than ever before (when I could keep something down).
    After the kids came, I gained weight :( . Maybe I should have eaten their baby food ( I recall my college friends eating baby food to lose weight. crazy,huh?) instead of french fries,lol. Oh well!
    Thanks for the tips, Nicole! I guess it’s not too late to try …….
    Tips #3- healthy foods and #4 – exercise
    ( 5 years later, oops!)

    May 31st, 2012, 11:55 am
  6. Dee

    Hi Nicole,

    I gained almost 60 lbs (i wont judge if you wont, lol) and it took me almost a year to ALMOST take it all off. Surprise, i’m not a celebrity mom so i had to strap my new baby to my back to even try to get housework done. Finally 12 years later, I’m back to my pre-baby weight (we agreed, no judging). I’m an older woman now but I think the tips will be very helpful to the new mommies. Good luck ladies! Keep hope alive :)

    May 31st, 2012, 7:05 pm

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