by Kim Stairs

Created on: September 18, 2008   Last Updated: November 01, 2008

One Hot Mamma!

Hold the phone, who stole my body? I don't recognize this post-delivery form in front of the mirror. My pre-pregnancy weight was 110 pounds. I was a skinny new mom until; I started eating everything in sight (that is if it didn't make me nauseous)! Eating for two seemed never ending. Then upon my daughter's birth, she only weighed 7 lbs 15 oz. So that left me with an extra 42 pounds to lose on my own. That means I had gained 50 pounds during my pregnancy!

You'd thought I learned from the first pregnancy, but with the second, and then the third child, I also gained 40-50 pounds. I never had that cute little basketball shape to my stomach! My whole body took on the baby fat! But I managed to go back to 120 pounds after each child. How'd I do it?

Here are my tips for you:

Diet and Nutrition- My downfall was that I ate everything that sounded good and then some. I love food, sweet, salty, chocolate food! Well my body disagreed. I gained enough fat for a famine for me and the baby.

You need to start back as soon as possible on the healthy diet you may have been on before you got pregnant. Fruits and vegetables should be eaten regularly throughout day. You should be getting 5-9 servings a day. You should also continue to take your prenatal vitamin for a period of time after you have the baby. Your doctor should advise you on how long.

Also make sure you are eating enough protein. If you aren't eating protein throughout your day, your body will store the fat and eat up the protein in your muscles first. So if you increase the protein in your diet, you are giving your body the energy it needs to make more muscle and burn the fat (during exercise).

When you want a good pop or a yummy snack, remember the key is moderation! It's ok to enjoy food, as long as you follow the guidelines for the serving size you should be eating! You can find this information on the package above the ingredients list. Also check the sugar and amount of fats that are included. To find out how many calories of the food include these too amounts, first look at the total calories, then multiply the fat calories by 9 and the sugar calories by 4. If you get a large number that is close to the total calories listed, you know that the product is mostly full or fat and sugar.

Exercise- For those exercise giants, the word sounds fun. For the rest of us, we know it's anything but! Exercise can be fun if you think of it as other than hard work. There are expensive ways to exercise and cheaper ways.

Simply put that baby in the stroller and go for a nice walk three or four times a week. Join some other moms and make it a mommy moment. In the winter, you can use the baby during your routine. Lying on your back put the baby on your shins and lift your legs up and down. This is great for the calves and thighs. Lifting the baby up high in your hands is great for the arms. If your home has steps use the steps for cardio.

Pilates is also a great toner for the body if you can get the set. I found this worked the fastest for me. Tae Bo also was great for cardio and strength. And if you can't buy these exercise sets or afford the gym, the library has great workout tapes and dance tapes that can really work off those extra pounds!

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