Tag Archives: postpartum

The Best Workouts For Moms: Options for Every Type of Exerciser

mom

Mother’s Day has come and gone, but I’m of the opinion that we should always celebrate moms. After all, mothers work harder than most of us—changing diapers, packing lunches, checking homework, and doing whatever else needs doing. And sometimes, if they’re lucky, moms make time to work out, giving themselves that same sort of TLC they traditionally dole out on others. What are the best ways for moms to get in shape? I’m glad you asked! 
prenatal yoga

Prenatal Workouts
Doctors say pre-baby fitness is a good thing for mother and child. Classes like Fit4Baby and prenatal yoga are designed to increase energy during pregnancy and reduce regular maternal aches. Many women say the classes actually ease labor and the recovery process, plus they connect you with a network of expecting women just like you. Sounds perfect!

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Posted on June 12, 2023 by Jessica Tholmer

Looking to Shed Post-Baby Pounds on a Juice Cleanse? Think Again.

baby juice

New moms everywhere are following the recent trend of celebs like Fergie and Jessica Simpson who have shed post-baby weight by juice cleansing. Women inside and outside of Hollywood to lose weight are under pressure every day but are under special scrutiny to rush back to their pre-baby body. But is this dramatic weight loss safe for mamas and their new babies?

Today Shape Magazine posted about the popularity and potential harms of postpartum juice cleanses. Juice companies now market this new fad and have created specialized cleanse programs for these women. The verdict?

“No!” says Registered Dietitian Mary Hartley. “Don’t even attempt to diet until the baby is at least 8 weeks old.” New moms who breastfeed need at least 1600-1800 calories per day to get the nutrients both baby and mom need. Juice cleanses typically only provide about 1200 calories, and nursing moms need at least an extra 500 calories for breastfeeding alone according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. “After 8 weeks, to make sure the baby is growing well and mom is not excessively hungry, mom shouldn’t attempt to lose more than one pound a week,” cautions Hartley. Juice cleanses would shed pounds much too rapidly for any adult to sustain, let alone a nursing mother and her newborn. (more…)

Posted on March 7, 2024 by Katie McGrath

Shower or Eat? Nutrisystem Allows Real Hollywood Mom Melissa Joan Hart to Choose Both

Staring down a new year’s resolution looks a little different for actress Melissa Joan Hart this year. Now in what she’s calling maintenance, the star of Melissa and Joey is “no longer trying to lose weight, just to maintain a healthy lifestyle.” That’s her goal for 2024, when she will celebrate a one year anniversary as spokeswoman and client of Nutrisystem.melissa joan hart ns

After delivering her third son in fall of 2024, she, like just about most women, had postpartum weight to lose. She turned to the meal delivery diet, which she calls “a little lifesaver,” and it has helped her get back to her fighting weight, so to speak.

“It’s a simple system for any mom to use,” she told us. “It takes the guesswork out.”

Any mom is faced with the seemingly daunting task of getting back in shape after delivering a child, but in Hollywood, the pressure is almost cruel. Hart told us that this group of famous moms are “ridiculed, almost like bullied,” and says it’s tricky being in the spotlight because “everyone wants to see how fast you can lose it.” She calls the situation unfair, but digresses that “it’s our job, it’s what we do.” And for this busy working (and acting) mom of three, it’s good motivation “to be as healthy as I can while putting my children first.”

She admitted to rushing through breastfeeding in the past so that she could start a crash diet and lose the weight, but that wasn’t the case this time around. Almost six months after delivering her third son, she started Nutrisystem. Thanks to the ease and variety of the brand’s wide menu, the only resolution Hart is taking on this year has a lot more heart itself. “I’m focused on my children and more playtime with them,” she said. (more…)

Posted on December 9, 2023 by Natalie K

6 Rules for Running as a New Mom

Babies are exhausting. As I new mom to a three-month-old baby girl, I know first hand exactly what this means. I also know what it’s like to be inside a postpartum body trying to get back into your running routine. It’s not easy to find the time, motivation, strength, or patience, but it IS possible! It gets easier every week to figure out your new routine, and your body WILL bounce back. Here are my tips for how to return to running when your world has been turned upside down.

runner
1. Wait six weeks before starting to run again. Whether you ran throughout your pregnancy or not, you gave birth to a child and your body endured a huge amount of trauma. As a result, your body isn’t quite the same as it was before you delivered and it needs time to recover. Some doctors will tell you it’s fine to get back out there at your two-week postpartum check up. My recommendation is to wait at least six weeks after you give birth to start running again. Use the time to build up to long walks and maintain/build strength you need to start running again. Be smart and ease back slowly.

2. Start with run/walk intervals for a minimum of one week. Don’t make the mistake of trying to run for 30 minutes straight on your first run back after pregnancy. Instead, get comfortable with your new mom body by forcing yourself to incorporate scheduled walk intervals into your runs for at least the first week of running. How often? That’s up to you, but I recommend five minutes running and one minute walking. This enables you to check in with your body and make sure everything feels OK and that you are building back smartly. (more…)

Posted on December 2, 2023 by HotBirdRunning

Kim Kardashian Uses Atkins Diet to Lose 25 Pregnancy Pounds, She ‘Luvs it’

Kim Kardashian is following the Atkins Diet to lose her pregnancy weight. The reality TV star, who’s recently stepped out with blond locks and a slimmer figure, shared the news on Twitter during an impromptu Q and A Sunday.

An Atkins rep told us that “She is eating lots of lean proteins, healthy fats like nuts and avocado, carbs, fruits, veggies, and cheese.” Reports suggest Kim has lost between 20-25 pounds since adopting Atkins and birthing North. For the always trendy Kim, her choice to go with a half-century old diet concept is a bit shocking. But if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. (more…)

Posted on October 15, 2023 by Patrick

New Mom Duchess Kate’s Normal, Healthy Approach to Motherhood is Refreshing

The Great Kate Wait may be over, but there’s no less attention turning toward the most famous new mom in the world. The Duchess of Cambridge, or as we commoners like to call her, Kate, delivered the third heir to the English throne in July to global media fascination; but the reality of her postpartum experience has been a quiet one that any new mom would want and, frankly, deserves.

New at Vanity Fair is a four-page, in-depth look at the private life of Kate with Prince William and their new son, His Royal Highness Prince George Alexander Louis of Cambridge. The article is an adaptation taken from author Katie Nicholl’s most recent royal biography.

kate middleton baby

She discloses how Kate has been “cocooned” by her family at their country estate, Bucklebury, outside of London, and that the new mom feels “safer [there] than anywhere else in the world.” Her young family moved in with Kate’s parents just before the baby’s arrival and have stayed there most of the summer, only recently returning to digs of their own.

Most interestingly, the story gives a glimpse at the often coveted information for how Kate cares for herself. While pregnant, she practiced prenatal yoga – benefits of which exist for the mom, baby, and even for postpartum recovery. During one of the hottest summers on record in England, Kate was known to swim in the family’s pool – not only a great low-impact form of exercise to maintain strength during pregnancy, but a fun way to stay cool when hormones meet heat! And on the well-protected grounds, Kate frequently took walks, one of the best ways to ease the nesting jitters and stay active during pregnancy.

Before and after the baby, Kate’s mom made sure she had healthful meals, even whipping up fresh fruit smoothies and keeping plenty of the expecting mom’s favorite muesli snack bars on hand. (more…)

Posted on September 18, 2023 by Natalie K

Diet Buddies Jennifer Garner and Reese Witherspoon Offer a Valuable Hollywood Weight Loss Tip

After drinking your water and getting plenty of exercise, buddying up is typically one of the top diet tips that experts offer. It provides accountability, someone to use as a sounding board, and someone to offer endless high fives when you need them most. It’s not just something we all use out here in the real world as it seems the Hollywood set believes in “diet buddies,” too.

Jennifer Garner and Reese Witherspoon, both of whom delivered their third child this year, seem to have buddied up to support one another in getting back to their pre-baby bodies. According to reports from FemaleFirst.co.uk, the moms speed dial when their insatiable sweet tooths attack.

And since they’re practically neighbors, the two have been seen attending Pilates classes together.

If anyone is taking diet advice from Hollywood, we’d say this is the place to start. Forget the pills and potions and partner up instead!

“When dieting, there are many people who may unintentionally tempt you to break your commitment to healthier living through peer pressure. A diet buddy can be your support in these situations and other tempting scenarios,” explained Brooke Randolph, LMHC, our resident mental health expert. “Food can be closely tied to our emotions and mental functioning, so a diet buddy can also provide emotional support and commiseration.” (more…)

Posted on December 17, 2023 by Natalie K

The New-Parent Diet is Low on Sleep and High on Saturated Fat

If you’re a mother, you can certainly relate to first-time moms as they dream their dreams during pregnancy. We all did it. We dreamed of the new little face we’d soon meet, the blissful hours of snuggling, and we planned all the amazing ways we were going to educate, feed, and rear our baby.

I feel it’s fair to say I’m not alone in having most of those dreams dashed. Don’t hear me wrong, I fell in love with my son deeper than I thought possible. Our time together during his first few years was the most gratifying experience in my life. But it came with lots of tears (his and mine) lots of laundry, so many messes, lots of sleep-deprivation, so much poop, and a lot of saturated fat.

You read that right, saturated fat is part of the new-parent routine, unfortunately. According to a recent study, this chaos that hits new parents like a ton of bricks has lead to a trend in increased saturated fat consumption. CNN reported on a study from the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Jen Christensen interviewed the lead author of the study, Dr. Helen Laroche. Essentially, the study revealed that parents eat more saturated fat than adults without children, especially within the first seven years of becoming parents. Laroche pointed to the fact that busy and tired parents tend to have more convenience foods in the home and many of these types of foods are high in saturated fat. (more…)

Posted on August 13, 2023 by Lacy

Brandi Laughlin Lost 60 Pounds after Baby with Weight Watchers and Running

For most women, postpartum weight can be a tough number to break. In 2024, Brandi Laughlin went to the doctor’s office for her six-week check up after giving birth to son, Tucker. Brandi thought her pregnancy weight would just drop off. When she saw 198 pounds on the scale something hit her, it was a sign, the weight wasn’t going to magically disappear. Brandi knew she had to commit to her weight loss.

Brandi’s husband supported her decision to lose weight, but he’d heard the line “I’m going to lose weight” more than once. He was skeptical of Brandi’s weight loss, but supported her like any good husband would. Brandi said she would be happy at 150 pounds, but set a goal of 135 pounds. She lost 15 pounds the first three months of her weight loss process with the help of Weight Watchers and some running.

She ran her first 5K within the first nine weeks of starting her weight loss. The running that she was doing to lose weight made her realize she actually loved the physical activity. She has a love/hate relationship with running, it’s her favorite exercise. (more…)

Posted on July 5, 2023 by Samantha

Transformation Diaries’ Simona Owns Her Weight Loss Journey for Herself

On May 23, GNC and Discovery Fit and Health announced the launch of “Transformation Diaries,” a web series following four women with health and weight loss goals through their journey.

One of those women is 31-year-old Simona from Washington, D.C. who is working to lose weight and set healthier habits after the birth of her second child. Simona is on her way to success, despite the complications of being a working mom with very young children, and she took a quick break to answer some of our questions.

What was the most concerning part of the game plan for you when you started?

The plan required a lot of significant change, which concerned me given that we were already introducing so much change to our family with the new baby. It also required me to balance my needs against those of my family, which was difficult for me personally.

How do your children interfere with your goals and plan?

For me personally, children and family come first. That means that I need to think about what my children’s schedules, likes/dislikes, and needs before I think of my own. The lack of a schedule with a newborn in particular kept me from establishing a good fitness routine initially because I could never predict exactly when she would wake for feedings. Additionally, the stress of childbirth was harder this time than it was last time, so I wasn’t cleared by my doctor for exercise until about eight weeks after the baby was born. (more…)

Posted on July 5, 2023 by Brooke Randolph

Fitter Moms Have an Opportunity to be Better Moms

By Cat Poland, a work-at-home mom blogging at CatPoland.com.

Car doors closing quietly, subdued greetings, sneaker-laced feet shuffling as stretches begin, hands slapping at mosquitoes eager for an early-morning snack. At 5 a.m. on a weekday morning, these are the sounds of the Fitness Junkies, all mothers (or grandmothers) who are committed to pushing their bodies to the brink of collapse all in the name of getting a good workout.

I went once, puked twice, and haven’t returned. That was before my second child, and despite my utter and complete failure during my first go-round, I’m considering giving it another try. Why?

Well, I have a confession to make. Sometimes, I want to run away from my children. No, not “Thelma and Louise” style running away, but good, old-fashioned, feet-pounding-pavement running away. I just want to escape, feel blood coursing through my veins, and just be alone. Completely and sweetly alone.

Of course, I would eventually run back (if I didn’t collapse somewhere along the way). I love my darling babies, but as a new work-at-home mom, I need “me” time. Not only that, but I need more energy (and strength, mental clarity, etc.). I went from sitting at a computer for 50+ hours a week, to chasing around a one-year-old and three-year-old overnight. As much as I love my new gig, I’m not physically prepared! (more…)

Posted on May 16, 2023 by GuestBlogger