pregnancy-related stories
How Can I Tone My Abs After Pregnancy?
Fitness, Your Personal Trainer: Joe Dowdell
Even if your body shrinks to your previous size after giving birth, the stomach can still seem as though it will never snap back. During pregnancy -- especially in the second and third trimester -- some women can experience a separation of their abdominal muscles, which is a condition known as diastasis recti. Basically, this condition occurs when the rectus abdominus begins to pull apart leaving it thinner and weaker. Try adding in some core exercises, such as the front pillar bridge, at the end of your normal strength training routine. This exercise will help strengthen the muscles on the anterior side of your core; and in particular, the rectus abdominus.
The Exercise Prescription: Try performing two to three sets of the front pillar bridge (or the Kneeling version). Ideally, the goal is to hold for 30 seconds in the top position without breaking form and that would equal one set. If you are unable to hold the top position for that long, try holding for five to 10 seconds per rep and perform as many reps as you need in order to total 30 seconds in the top position.
Here's how to do the moves:
Prenatal Yoga: Great Classes for Expecting Mothers
At first glance this is just what you think it is: Yoga classes for expecting moms typically in their second or third trimester, ranging from the novice to the advanced. What's different, however, is the class itself.
A typical prenatal yoga class will consist of poses geared towards pregnancy such as relieving back pain and restorative yoga.
In addition to connecting to other moms-to-be, you'll feel calm and relaxed while building your strength and agility. Plus, you'll learn poses and breathing techniques which can help you during childbirth. As the third trimester approaches, though, prenatal yoga may not be in the cards for you. You'll feel lethargic and you'll most need to avoid all poses that involve compressing the stomach. If you're a yogi beginner during the latter part of your pregnancy, it's recommended to speak to the instructor before you begin.
Just as yoga has become popular and immersed into mainstream by celebrities, so has prenatal yoga. Rebecca Gayheart and Kourtney Kardashian are among the prenatal yogis in Hollywood.
Octomom Loses 145 Pounds Without Surgery Or Trainer
Diet & Weight Loss, Celebs & Entertainment
Photo: Headlinephoto/BuzzFoto/FilmMagic
I know what you're thinking -- just how does a mother of 14 young children find time to diet and exercise? She had to trade a bit of sleep for the sake of fitness by heading to the gym at midnight while a nanny minded the children. Once there, she did strength training but no cardio because "I get enough of that with the kids," she tells US Weekly.
And as for her diet? She relies on five nutritious, protein-rich meals a day, and chooses from household staples like oatmeal, lean protein and even sushi.
She's not the only one -- Sarah Michelle Gellar is already back in shape just one month after giving birth!
Click on the gallery below to see how celeb moms dropped the weight after having babies.
Sarah Michelle Gellar Back in Shape Just One Month After Baby
Photo: Marcos Vasquez, BuzzFoto/FilmMagic
It seems like news of her no-doubt adorable daughter's birth broke just the day before yesterday, but Sarah Michelle Gellar is already back to her pre-pregnancy weight -- or at least that's what it looks like judging by recent photos of the new mom out and about in LA. Wearing a pair of tight jeans and high heels, and heading for a manicure with a friend, it's pretty hard to believe that she's only a few weeks into motherhood -- her little bundle of joy, Charlotte Grace, was born exactly a month ago today on September 19.
What's her secret? Prior to becoming a mom, the 32-year-old Buffy actress talked about how she bikes and heads to the gym to stay fit, but I doubt she'll have time for that right now with an infant to look after. She hasn't revealed her slim-down tricks just yet, but seeing as Anna Oritz from Ugly Betty recently called breast-feeding "nature's lipo," maybe that's got something to do with it?
Click on the gallery below to see how other celeb moms have dropped the baby weight.
Voted FHM's Sexiest Woman in the World in 2007, Jessica Alba admitted in an interview with Cosmopolitan UK that during her pregnancy she's never felt less sexy and couldn't wait to lose all her baby weight. Jessica gained 25 pounds while pregnant and said she craved all food in general but told Fit Pregnancy that she had a sudden desire for citrus based foods like lemonade and oranges.
How Celeb Moms Slim Down
By Jennifer Fields,Vicki Salemi and Christina Parrella
Voted FHM's Sexiest Woman in the World in 2007, Jessica Alba admitted in an interview with Cosmopolitan UK that during her pregnancy she's never felt less sexy and couldn't wait to lose all her baby weight. Jessica gained 25 pounds while pregnant and said she craved all food in general but told Fit Pregnancy that she had a sudden desire for citrus based foods like lemonade and oranges.
Ginsburg-Spaly, X17online.com
How did Jessica Alba manage to look so slim shortly after giving birth to her daughter Honor Marie? "I wore a girdle," the star confessed in a recent issue of Elle. "Eight weeks after my girlfriend had her baby, you could see her six-pack. She told me to put an elastic band around my waist -- any kind of band or girdle works."
The actress did, however, have to hit the gym to shape up to shoot Club Campari's annual calendar. "[The workouts] were horrible," she told the magazine.
It was reported in People that Jessica shed the baby weight on celebrity trainer Ramona Braganza's 321 Baby Bulge Be Gone plan. On it, Jessica opted for a low-fat, low-carb diet and worked out with her trainer six days a week.
Gregg DeGuire, WireImage.com
During her pregnancy with twins Dolly and Charlie, Rebecca Romijn told Page Six Magazine, "I can't move anymore...I'm a beached whale!" According to her husband, Jerry O'Connell, the supermodel and "Ugly Betty" star reportedly craved "a lot of ice cream."
Revolutionpix/INF Photo
Just one month after giving birth, Romijn was spotted looking svelte while out and about in Calabasas, Calif. wearing a form-fitting top and yoga pants.
Brogmus / INF
While pregnant with son Bronx, Ashlee Simpson-Wetz took to her blog to make it clear she wasn't worried about putting on a few pregnancy pounds: "Carrying a child is the most inspiring, emotional, amazing experience of my life. My weight and my pants size are the absolute last thing I am concerned about. I am only concerned with having a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby."
Bauer-Griffin
In an effort to shed the 30 pounds she gained while pregnant with Bronx, it's been reported that Simpson-Wentz has turned to Jackie Keller's 30-day Body After Baby plan, which incorporates "mommy and me" workouts. Ashlee's also using Keller's meal delivery service, called Nutrifit.
Bruce Gifford, FilmMagic / Getty Images
British beauty Kate Winslet is said to have felt she was the size of a bus after gaining 55 pounds during her pregnancy.
Gareth Gay, Alpha/Globe Photos
In order to shed the pounds Kate gained prior to delivering daughter Mia, the five-time Oscar nominee relied on the popular British facial analysis diet, which prescribes a meal plan based on an individual's complexion and facial features.
Kevin Winter, Getty Images
The always-stunning Halle Berry was constantly aglow during her pregnancy. Part of the reason could have been the fitness routine she maintained throughout that included yoga and swimming.
X17online.com
Just six weeks after giving birth to a baby girl, Berry flaunted her voluptuous post-partum figure -- the result of hour-long sessions with celeb trainer trainer Ramona Braganza in which she used the elliptical and stair climbing machines and did kickboxing.
Toby Canham, Getty Images
Pilates for Pregnancy
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| Photo: Torsten Mangner, Flickr |
To keep your pounds in check and a bounce in your step, CafeMom thinks pilates is the way to go. It's low-impact, it strengthens the core, and most moves can be modified to fit your ever-changing body. Check out CafeMom's featured video, and you'll see Nisha from The 9 Month Club as she demonstrates two perfect moves for growing moms.
Then check out Florida Gator football wife Shelley Meyer -- she scored a healthy body during and after three pregnancies.
Don't Rush to Lose Weight After Pregnancy
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| Photo: Getty Images |
"We would discourage a rush to lose weight after pregnancy, it places undue strain on the mother's body when she needs her strength to look after her baby, and the evidence suggests that slow and sustained weight loss, if needed, is the sensible option," Louise Silverton, a midwife with the Royal College of Midwives told the BBC.
It can take women six months to a year -- not weeks -- to shed the weight they put on during pregnancy, according to experts. In fact, women need some of that extra weight to provide nourishment for the baby, according to Germany's Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care.
Don't let those skinny celebrities convince you that bouncing back after baby is a simple feat. While the pounds do melt away from some women, it's just not so easy for many.
The smartest post-pregnancy plan is to eat a nutritious diet and start with a slow fitness schedule, gradually building up to more vigorous exercise. Eating healthy and staying fit before and during pregnancy should be part of every woman's strategy too.
Small Weight Loss Increases Fertility
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| Photo: eric langner, Flickr |
Women in the study had a BMI of nearly 40. They were given medication (orlistat or metformin) to help them shed pounds. After 12 weeks, researchers discovered that even a modest 5 percent drop in weight increased blood flow to the womb, which reduced testosterone levels and triggered the ovaries to function properly.
When you have lots of weight to lose, it can be daunting to look at your long-term weight goal. Particularly so when you have an important goal -- like getting pregnant -- in mind. That's why it's important to set milestones along the way. If you're overweight and trying to to get pregnant, start with the goal of losing just 5 percent of your weight. Then aim for 10 percent. Short-term goals are more attainable and can help keep you motivated.
Most of the women in the study had Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) which can make weight loss more difficult. If you have PCOS and have had difficulty losing weight in the past, ask your doctor for advice. But healthy eating and exercise are necessary for everyone who's trying to lose weight, and they're particularly important for women on the verge of getting pregnant. Check out AOL Health for weight loss tips that work.
Get Your Pre-Baby Body Back
Motivation, Best Life with Bob Greene
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| Photo: Ed Yourdon/Flickr |
To get back on track after baby, you should be:
Patient. You gained your pregnancy weight gradually so don't expect to lose it right away. While it's not uncommon to drop 10 pounds shortly after childbirth, the rest may come off more slowly. What might be even more frustrating is that many women aren't able to return to their original fitness routine right away, particularly if they've had a C-section. Once you get the OK from your doc to start exercising, aim to build up slowly. For instance, if you used to go for a 30-minute walk three times a week, start with once a week for 10 or 15 minutes, or as long as you can comfortably go. The next week, try to increase the time by a few minutes. Once you get back up to 30 minutes, add another day of walking, and so on.
LiLo's Weighty Role, Stay Slim on Vacation and More - May 26 to June 2
Diet & Weight Loss, Fitness, Nutrition & Supplements
When's the best time to start worrying about shedding the baby weight? According to the LA Times, before you get pregnant!
Need some motivation to get your behind to the gym? How about fashion? Shape Magazine is counting down the best new workout gear.
It's that time of year again -- road trip season. Stay slim on the road with help from Fit Celeb.
Do celeb weight struggles help or hinder your own slimming abilities? That's what the New York Times Well Blog is talking about.
Thank goodness for this -- Lindsay Lohan is being asked to gain weight for a movie role, and she needs it judging by the recent photos of her gaunt frame.
Apparently, crash diets do work -- provided you stick to healthy foods and aren't just subsiding on diet coke and celery.
Probiotics and Belly Fat
Jonny's Take, Nutrition & Supplements
The benefits of probiotics -- the "good bacteria" that populate your gut -- are legion, and many nutritionists consider probiotics to be one of the most important supplements you can take. They help support digestion and assimilation of nutrients. And emerging evidence strongly supports the idea that probiotics are important for a healthy immune system.
But cutting belly fat?
Yup. Researchers from Finland enrolled more than 250 pregnant women in a study on pregnancy weight gain. During their first trimester, they were divided into three groups. Two groups received standard, prudent dietary advice in line with current recommendations about weight gain during pregnancy. They were also provided with lots of foods that contained monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, plus fiber-enriched cereals and the like. But one of these groups was given capsules of lactobacillus and bifidobacterium, commonly used families of probiotics. The third group was the control group -- the women in this group received no counseling and were given dummy capsules.
Overweight Pregnant Women Should Gain Less Weight
For the first time since 1990, the weight-gain guidelines for pregnant women have changed. Well, not for all women -- just for those who are overweight.Pregnant women with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 should limit their weight gain to 11 to 20 pounds, according to the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council. Previously, these women were advised they could safely gain up to 25 pounds over nine months.
Why the reduction? Because mounting evidence says that excessive weight gain is linked to a number of health problems for both mother and baby. Gestational diabetes and the life-threatening blood-pressure problem called pre-eclampsia are possibilities for mom, and kids born to overweight moms are more likely to be overweight or obese themselves. Therefore, doctors are urged to counsel overweight women to lose weight prior to conceiving. About 55 percent of women of childbearing age are either overweight or obese.
The guidelines for women with a body mass index under 30 do not change. Underweight women, with a BMI of less than 18.5, should gain 28 to 40 pounds during pregnancy; normal-weight women, with a BMI of 24.9 or lower, should gain 25 to 35 pounds; and overweight women, with a BMI of 25 to 29.9, should gain 15 to 25 pounds.
Marcia Cross Has No Time For Workouts
Desperate housewife Marcia Cross doesn't have time to work out, she told Kelly Ripa on Tuesday's "Live With Regis and Kelly." What with that hit TV show, two-year-old twin girls, breast cancer lobbying, skin cancer awareness campaigning and all, I kind of see where she's coming from. Somehow, though, the pounds that crept on the beauty's frame during pregnancy -- she scored a top weight of 190 -- are definitely gone. She's looking long and lean for sure.Long is key, said Kelly. When you've got lengthy legs, which Marcia has, everything is naturally slimmer. Marcia swears there's nothing natural about her shape, which makes me think she's got to work for what she's got. Makes sense. It's what most of us have to do, after all. But if she doesn't work out, how does she come by her svelteness? Could it be diet alone? Our own Fitz tells me that weight loss and maintenance is 80 percent food, 20 percent exercise, so maybe Ms. Bree Van De Kamp is just eating right.
According to a few media archives I've tracked down, Marcia has tried her fair share of food and fitness endeavors over the years. To drop some baby weight, Marcia embraced BravaBody, according to "ABCNews." Developed by two over-50 women, BravaBody focuses on nutrition and the slowing metabolism of aging women (Marcia is 47). "Fit & Healthy" shares that Marcia is not afraid of the Spanx and that she exercises a little bit every day, mostly at the LA fitness club Burn 60. She's reportedly no stranger to cardio and strength training, and a diet filled with protein and veggies helps out too. "iVillage UK" dishes on Marcia's pre-marriage, pre-baby practices -- apparently, lyengar yoga kept her long, and low-fat foods kept her lean.
Marcia is still long and lean. And while it may not come naturally and she may not have time for exercise right now, I'm betting the star follows an always-healthy lifestyle, and treadmill or no treadmill, that matters. Eat right, chase toddlers, keep active, and I'm guessing you'll see some results too. Oh, yea, and you might want to yank on a nice pair of Spanx.
How Celeb Moms Slim Down
By Jennifer Fields,Vicki Salemi and Christina Parrella
Voted FHM's Sexiest Woman in the World in 2007, Jessica Alba admitted in an interview with Cosmopolitan UK that during her pregnancy she's never felt less sexy and couldn't wait to lose all her baby weight. Jessica gained 25 pounds while pregnant and said she craved all food in general but told Fit Pregnancy that she had a sudden desire for citrus based foods like lemonade and oranges.
Ginsburg-Spaly, X17online.com
How did Jessica Alba manage to look so slim shortly after giving birth to her daughter Honor Marie? "I wore a girdle," the star confessed in a recent issue of Elle. "Eight weeks after my girlfriend had her baby, you could see her six-pack. She told me to put an elastic band around my waist -- any kind of band or girdle works."
The actress did, however, have to hit the gym to shape up to shoot Club Campari's annual calendar. "[The workouts] were horrible," she told the magazine.
It was reported in People that Jessica shed the baby weight on celebrity trainer Ramona Braganza's 321 Baby Bulge Be Gone plan. On it, Jessica opted for a low-fat, low-carb diet and worked out with her trainer six days a week.
Gregg DeGuire, WireImage.com
During her pregnancy with twins Dolly and Charlie, Rebecca Romijn told Page Six Magazine, "I can't move anymore...I'm a beached whale!" According to her husband, Jerry O'Connell, the supermodel and "Ugly Betty" star reportedly craved "a lot of ice cream."
Revolutionpix/INF Photo
Just one month after giving birth, Romijn was spotted looking svelte while out and about in Calabasas, Calif. wearing a form-fitting top and yoga pants.
Brogmus / INF
While pregnant with son Bronx, Ashlee Simpson-Wetz took to her blog to make it clear she wasn't worried about putting on a few pregnancy pounds: "Carrying a child is the most inspiring, emotional, amazing experience of my life. My weight and my pants size are the absolute last thing I am concerned about. I am only concerned with having a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby."
Bauer-Griffin
In an effort to shed the 30 pounds she gained while pregnant with Bronx, it's been reported that Simpson-Wentz has turned to Jackie Keller's 30-day Body After Baby plan, which incorporates "mommy and me" workouts. Ashlee's also using Keller's meal delivery service, called Nutrifit.
Bruce Gifford, FilmMagic / Getty Images
British beauty Kate Winslet is said to have felt she was the size of a bus after gaining 55 pounds during her pregnancy.
Gareth Gay, Alpha/Globe Photos
In order to shed the pounds Kate gained prior to delivering daughter Mia, the five-time Oscar nominee relied on the popular British facial analysis diet, which prescribes a meal plan based on an individual's complexion and facial features.
Kevin Winter, Getty Images
The always-stunning Halle Berry was constantly aglow during her pregnancy. Part of the reason could have been the fitness routine she maintained throughout that included yoga and swimming.
X17online.com
Just six weeks after giving birth to a baby girl, Berry flaunted her voluptuous post-partum figure -- the result of hour-long sessions with celeb trainer trainer Ramona Braganza in which she used the elliptical and stair climbing machines and did kickboxing.
Toby Canham, Getty Images
Grilled Cheese, A 'Canning' Idea and More - February 25 to March 3
As fabulous as we at That's Fit think this blog is, the truth is there are hundreds of wonderful blogs on healthy living to be seen all over the blogosphere. So in this feature, Fit Links, we'll introduce you to some that have caught our eye.Love grilled cheese? Um, yeah, who doesn't? Slashfood gives us some tips on how to make this comfort food classic a healthy, balanced meal.
Get ready to start canning your own goods -- according to Lemondrop, Depression-era living is the latest rage.
Long day at work? Yeah, me too. Luckily Fitsugar has some great lunch ideas for that stressful day. Give 'em a try!
Kate Moss - Not Pregnant, Just Eating Like She Is
I was pretty miffed a few months ago when the cashier at the local grocery store asked when I was due (I'm not pregnant), but it's nice to know I'm not the only one -- even super skinny Kate Moss has awkward moments like that. Recently, the tabloids were buzzing with the supposedly 'confirmed' reports that Moss, 35, was expecting another little one with boyfriend Jamie Hince. Supported by photos of the star looking a bit heftier than usual, even Moss's close friends were ringing her with congratulations. But, alas, Moss recently admitted that she's not expecting -- she's just eating a bit more than usual. "Even my friends are phoning me up and saying 'Are you pregnant?' And I'm like, 'No! I just put on a couple of pounds, and they went in the right place," she explained to "The New Yorker," adding that she's recently "grown breasts," and "just started wearing bras," which is "great timing" for the launch of her lingerie collection."
So when she gains weight, it goes straight to her breasts? Lucky cow. Do you believe her?
