Bye bye baby weight - Sydney Morning Herald

Healthy weight loss ... diet plan proves popular with new mothers.

Admit it, we'd all like to say that, like Miranda Kerr, our bodies were runway-worthy six weeks after giving birth. But back in the real world, that certainly was not the case for me, and I suspect, most of you.  My second son is now three and a half months and while I'm happy to report I'm back in my skinny jeans (just) – gotta love that breastfeeding - lets just say I'm far from on form.

Having happily stacked on 20 kilos throughout the incubation period – the recommended weight gain is 10-12 kilos but when else can you eat what you want without guilt – I now fantasise about pounding the pavement. Or signing up for Pilates. A fantasy sadly is where it ends. I've never been much of a gym junkie – frankly who has the time or inclination, even without a newborn, let alone severe sleep deprivation. And it's not like breastfeeding mothers can embark on one of those silly starvation diets.

Something however has to be done. Maybe it's the second time round, but I need to lose the back fat, bid adieu to the love handles, reclaim my waist and try to return my tummy to its former glory (OK it was never that flat to begin with, but being stretched to its limit yet again has resulted in quite a wobble).

Comparing oneself to the likes of Miranda Kerr, Heidi Klum or Victoria Beckham, is however a very dangerous game. Oh how those supermodels and cashed-up celebrities love to flaunt how fast they've shed the baby bulge. I'm sure we'd all look like that with the help of an A-list personal trainer, 24/7 chef, stylist and night nurse – not the mention the blessing of fabulous genetics.

"Supermodels like Miranda Kerr have a different body and different metabolism so it's like comparing apples to oranges and you should never do it," say Rhian Allen who turned her back on a stressful corporate career after the birth of her first baby – a boy, now 10 months – to tap into her passion for good health and nutrition.

'When I was about six months pregnant I started doing some research into post baby weight loss and I found there wasn't anything that existed on a holistic level. There were fitness groups but nothing offered solutions for mums and when you've got a baby you can't apply the normal weight loss rules. You're too knackered to go to the gym and it's about shoveling anything into your mouth when you can," she says.

"From our research we established that mums, especially those breastfeeding, were seeking a really simple weight loss plan to follow. We also learned that around 70 per cent of those suffering post-natal depression were down because they had gained weight and weren't able to lose it."

That said Allen set about devising a diet and exercise plan specifically for frazzled, sleep-deprived new mums that promised to shed the baby weight without dreadful diets or hard-core exercise. The result was www.losebabyweight.com.au, a simple and safe weight loss plan based on healthy eating, nutrition and exercise. The diet plan hit a nerve with new mums. There are now 5500 women following it who collectively have shed 20,000 kilos. It's also earned Allen the Emerging Mumpreneur of the Year award at this year's AusMumpreneur Awards.

"In an ideal world we'd all eat freshly prepared organic food and work out with a personal trainer every day. But unless you have lots of money and a nanny, our program is about doing five minutes of exercise here and there at home and making fast nutritious food. Our philosophy is to fuel your body from a nutrimental basis by eating lots of nutrient-rich whole grains, fibre, coloured foods, berries, eggs, spinach, lean meats, flax seeds and oats because then you'll naturally lose weight," says Allen, who worked with the breastfeeding association to ensure all of the recipes met with their approval. The goal is not to overdo it but to lose one kilo per week. Exercise is also key.

"Weight loss is 80 per cent food and nutrition. A lot of women lose weight from breastfeeding but what we find is they hit a stumbling block after a few months. The reason women store fat on their legs, tummy and bum is we have more estrogen, which we need to have babies and breastfeed. If you don't combine diet with exercise you won't tone up. You don't have to run marathons, you need to do muscle-boosting exercises such as squats, which work the biggest muscle in the body so they speed up the metabolism and burn fat on tummy. Our advice is to do a few while you're doing every day things such as cooking dinner," says Allen.

In addition to the diet plan, there's Allen's weight loss bible, exercise videos, expert tips and practical advice on breastfeeding and sleep settling.

"By providing overall support women are better equipped to lose weight. A big part of what we do is about making mum and the entire family embrace healthier living as that is a much better environment to grow up in.  The best feedback we get is from mums who say that their babies are much brighter and sleep better."

TOP TIPS FOR HEALTHIER LIVING

-       If you have coffee, try and have just one cup a day and don't have the creamy latte version.

-       Satisfy a sweet craving with dark chocolate, which is a lot better for you.

-       Share dessert with your partner.

-       Follow an 80/20 rule - eat well all week and have a treat on the weekend

-       Eat wholegrain bread instead of processed white bread.

-       Always try to eat fresh rather than processed food.

28 Sep, 2011

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