How I Lost My Baby Weight: Real Moms Dish
By Marianne Magno
If we could only be so lucky to have personal trainers and nutritionists at our beck and call. But you don't need either to lose the baby weight. Real moms dish on how they slimmed down post-pregnancy.
Related: Our Lose the Baby Weight Plan
"Incorporate your baby into your exercise routine."
Erin W., 30, of Scotch Plains, New Jersey, got help from her daughter during her workouts. "Strap your baby into a baby carrier for added resistance when doing squats," she says. "And they make an adorable distraction when you're doing crunches or push-ups!"
Related: Top Moves to Get Your After-Baby Body, Fast!
"Take it 10 minutes at a time."
"When I got the okay from my doctor six weeks after giving birth, I got on the recumbent bike for 10 minutes every day," says mom of two (soon to be three!) Valerie V., 37, of Houston. "I put the baby right next to the bike so I could hop on and off if she needed me. In about four months, I worked up to hour-long sessions, four or five times a week. I was in better shape than before I got pregnant!"
Related: Lose the Baby Weight Fast: Toning Circuit Workout
"Use bonding time to get fit."
"Two weeks after my C-section, I strapped my baby in my BabyBjorn and started walking," says mom of two, Ashley R., 31, of Atlanta. "I'd go for about 30 minutes, just around the neighborhood. It let us enjoy the outdoors and spend time together!"
Related: How to Get an Even Better Body After Baby
"I made over my diet."
"Before I got pregnant, my typical meal included large portions of white rice with a greasy fried entree or a Big Mac meal," says Venessa M., 33, of Jersey City, New Jersey. "After giving birth, I stopped eating fast food and cut my portions by about half and added more fresh fruits and vegetables."
Related: Be Well Bites: The Best Foods to Eat After Having a Baby
"I stayed fit throughout my pregnancy."
Mom of two Melanie was starting to take on a running routine when she found out she was pregnant. Instead of completely pushing back her fitness goals, Melanie, 27, of Manteno, Illinois, adjusted her workouts. "Every week I did two 30-minute cardio sessions on a stationary bike or walking on the treadmill and two 30-minute strength workouts with dumbbells," says Melanie. "A week after I had my daughter, I started walking 20 minutes a day about three times a week."
Related: The Truth About What Happens to Your Body After Baby
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