New moms: Don't lose weight too quickly

Once our babies are on the outside, it's oh so tempting to whip our bodies back into shape. Not so fast. Carrying around a little extra baby weight for a few weeks is not only normal -- it's probably healthier than shedding the fat.

Research shows that six weeks after delivering a baby, many women weigh six to 15 pounds more than they did before getting pregnant (more like 20 pounds, in my case). This is perfectly OK, especially for breast-feeding moms who need as many as 500 extra calories per day. Breast-feeding aside, it's hard to reestablish healthy eating patterns after baby. It's hard to be active too. Recovering from a C-section? You need to heal, then work on weight loss. Stressed by overnight feedings that rob you of your sleep? Don't worry about the diet just yet. Once you settle into a routine, things will fall into place.

Weight loss should be gradual, for new moms and everyone else too. That doesn't mean you should abandon eating right and exercising, though. Just take it slow.