Stand in the line at the grocery store and you only need to turn your head to read the weekly magazines rejoicing a celebrity mom’s fabulous post-baby body. It has become a race in which celebrities are pitted against each other to see who can bounce back to their pre-baby form the quickest. Some don loose-form clothing and duck their heads as they run from their tinted-window car to the gym/trainer/surgeon, waiting for absolute perfection before their big reveal. Others parade their winning efforts while the headline shouts a promise to share their “secret” so that you too can be bikini ready. Regular women everywhere are the collateral damage.
Here I am three years post-baby and I am still waiting for my big reveal. I had three children before I was 30 and each one left me with a five-pound souvenir. In the days before I was a mom, I could eat anything and everything with nary a concern for the consequences. Now, as I am getting older I worry about things like cholesterol numbers, belly fat and fibre. At 33, I just need to look at a donut and we’re roomies for a good few months. Those 15 extra pounds have survived numerous diet attempts. I feel I must begrudgingly accept that, along with the stretch marks, these unwanted guests are here to stay.
Still, the noise gets to me. While the celebs tout their secrets to being tighter, fitter, and healthier, I find myself wondering is it possible for my body to return to its former glory or must I accept the reality that my increasing age, hectic lifestyle and meager budget will stand in the way of those cover-worthy results?
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT, MOM
The majority of people have to contend with work and a family’s schedule chock-full of activities – sometimes it’s nothing short of a miracle to get a hot meal on the table.
“Don’t forget that many celebrities have full-time cooks, caregivers and trainers. Most of us don’t have those resources at our fingertips,” says nutritionist Simone Finkelstein. Genetics also play a significant role when it comes to losing weight. Some women really do just have it easier.
This makes me feel somewhat better about myself and confirms that Heidi Klum really is a freak of nature. Before I can solely place the blame for my short neck and saddle bags on my ancestors, I am told that it is possible to boost my fledging metabolism (which for most of us starts to decline after 30) with regular heart-rate raising exercise, choosing nutrient-rich calories over empty, processed ones (good-bye late night pantry raids) and eating a healthy breakfast within 30 minutes of waking.
Finkelstein suggests eating three meals a day (think smaller, balanced meals and not heaping plates from the all-you-can eat buffet) and two or three snacks (like whole fruit, veggies or nuts). I scoff at this suggestion. Between shuttling a mini-van load full of kids to soccer, karate and swimming lessons while practicing spelling words and discussing the merits of the snowy owl’s camouflage, I am hard-pressed to find that kind of time to stand in front of the stove or make sense of what’s in my fridge.
Not one for excuses, Finkelstein offers practical advice for busy moms that includes a weekly planning session where menus are decided, groceries purchased and as much pre-prep for the week done as possible. “Grill up some extra chicken breasts to use on salads for lunch, keep hard-boiled eggs and pre-cut veggies in the fridge ready for eating,” she says.
What about when the kids are begging for pasta or laziness dictates grilled cheese again? It’s that mindless eating from my kid’s plates or indulging in their higher-fat fare that are making those stubborn pounds stick. Finkelstein tells it like it is: “You need to make better choices. Don’t eat pasta for a main; instead have a small helping on the side. The bottom line: the better calories you put in your body, the better you will perform and the more full you will feel.”
THE TRAINING GAME
What you eat is 80 per cent of the weight-loss game – the other 20 per cent comes from exercise. With so many exercise programs promising miracles, what ones will deliver?
Samantha Montpetit-Huynh, founder of Core Expectations, says that squats and lunges are among the best exercises we can be doing because they are functional – we squat and lunge all day. She promises that if done correctly they will tone large muscles in the legs, and strengthen the core.
“You can do cardio for hours on end, and while it is beneficial to your heart and overall fitness, you need to incorporate weights into your routine if you want to see changes to your body.”
When I launch into my diatribe about my loathing of all things “celeb” and “post-baby body,” I quickly find that I have an ally in Montpetit-Huynh. We talk about the forbidden topic of the fourth trimester when post-partum bodies are soft, weak and leaky and how fatigue and sometimes depression can make a new mom feel like she’s isolated and unfamiliar, even to herself. Photoshopped images of perky breasts and flat stomachs do nothing to create a cohesive, caring community of mothers.
“As far as I am concerned the words new mommy and boot camp should not be in the same sentence,” says Montpetit-Huynh. Women should not be running, jumping or doing any high-intensity activities for a minimum of three months post-partum – preferably six. Give your body time to heal; spend time with your baby and seek out professionals, like a post-partum physiotherapist, to get the go-ahead before returning to a vigorous workout regime. Montpetit-Huynh is an advocate for women’s health and believes that it is entirely possible to get back to your pre-baby physique with dedication and a good diet. She warns not to be in a rush or feel compelled to live up to an unrealistic expectation.
BODY BY CHOICE
She says there is hope for all women, no matter how many years it’s been since they rocked their baby to sleep. That said, in order to see changes, 30 minutes of daily cardio combined with a weigh-training routine three or four times per week needs to be a priority. “Set attainable goals and tell everyone: your kids, your partner, your friends,” says Montpetit-Huynh. You need support.
If I have learned anything after talking to the experts it is the importance of scheduling time for myself. Like many moms, I put the needs of my family well before my own and that’s not something that is likely to change. Scheduling exercise every day may not be do-able at this point in my life. Just like the boys have their activities though, I can schedule fitness for myself three times a week. I also need to be realistic about what’s attainable. Since I have no aspirations to be on the front cover of a national magazine in my bathing suit, I don’t have to shut my mouth to all my favourite foods. I do need to rein it in and be more vigilant about portion control and now that I am feeding three always-hungry boys it would serve me well to get more organized, and stop feeling intimidated to cook healthy, flavourful meals from scratch.
It is possible to lose weight and be healthy even after having children. That said, it takes dedication and commitment – much like parenting. I feel badly for those celebrities who feel pressure to maintain the illusion of perfection. I prefer to spend my days enjoying an active lifestyle with my kids and indulging in the occasional ice cream sundae.
