That's Fit

How many moms fit into their skinny jeans a year after the birth of baby? I sure didn't. Luckily I wasn't alone. Babycenter surveyed 7,000 new mommies about their bodies. 'New' means these moms had babies just a few days old to 2 years old. Here are a few highlights:

• Weight Loss Expectations: Sixty-five percent of new moms expected to shed pregnancy weight by their baby's first year, but only half of the moms with 1- 2-year-olds had accomplished this feat. It truly is a tough road -- I finally lost it, but had to pay money to hop on the Weight Watchers scale every Saturday morning to pull it off. After that I'd have a big breakfast -- with hashbrowns -- then start counting Points all over again.
• Tummy Woes: Eighty-seven percent of women say their stomach still hasn't returned to normal. My girlfriends across the country consistently report thanks to stretch marks (for some) and pregnancy's final-month-ultra-stretch, their abs are not the same.
• Pregnancy Weight Gain: Forty-two percent of moms surveyed gained more than the recommended limit of 35 pounds. Herein lies a major obstacle to losing the weight -- if you eat wildly during pregnancy and gain too much weight, it'll be tougher to take off later. Only 32 percent of the survey's big gainers lost their pregnancy weight within a year compared to 50 percent of moms who gained less.

Body image wasn't too stellar for survey-takers either. Over half admitted their body image has worsened since motherhood. But there's definitely good news here -- healthy eating and physical fitness is ever-ready to rescue pregnant and new moms. Go for it -- fitness fans everywhere applaud your efforts!