By Joshua Stone, MA, ATC, NASM-CPT, CES, PES, FNS
One of the most common inquires I get is from new moms looking to lose that postpartum belly. How is it possible that celebrities like Heidi Klum can drop 30-40 pounds in just four months? Anna Paquin goes from twins to 6-pack abs in five months. For new moms, that is frustrating, when you work so hard to lose stubborn body weight. What do they do that you don’t? Trust me, there is no super-secret information or magic formula that only they are privy to. You have the same physiology and weight loss capabilities as Hollywood superstars.
Normal weight gain during pregnancy is 30-35 pounds. Roughly 10 pounds is lost immediately after birth – 7 pounds for the baby, plus 2-3 for blood, amniotic fluid and other. Through the first week your body will flush another 5 pounds of reserved water weight. Optimal weight loss should be 1-2 pounds per week. If you do the math, you will find that Anna Paquin and Heidi Klum lost about 2 pounds per week. Suddenly, Heidi and Anna’s weight loss isn’t so dramatic, does it? A loss of 1-2 pounds per week is easily attainable if you are diet compliant and dedicated to exercise.
Weight loss is not easy and takes hard work. My colleague, Michelle Maloney, who is also a Zumba and Yoga instructor as well as a mom to two beautiful kids says: “It’s important to find a variety of physical activities that you like so you don’t feel you have to do the same thing all the time. In fact, variety is key in avoiding plateaus in your weight loss process.” Tina Greenlee, a fitness instructor here at Human Kinetics states that the integration of resistance training in to the daily exercise program is vital to success. Travis Akin of MaxResults Fitness, says start slow and be realistic with weight-loss goals. While many celebrities achieve weight loss quickly this is not typical. The exercise program outlined below echoes the experts’ comments above.
Phase I: Day 0 (or physician clearance) -5 weeks postpartum
In this phase your goal is to increase baseline fitness levels. Depending on your previous fitness level this stage can be progressed through quickly. In order to improve baseline cardiovascular levels it is best to start with steady state training. Steady state exercise is low intensity exercise that is done for an extended. Walking, jogging, or biking for 30 -60 minutes are good examples. The key in this training is that intensity level stays constant and relatively low. Intensity is low, with target heart rate (THR) of 50-65% of your max heart rate. Target heart rate can be determined using the following equation [(220-your age)*percent]. Bottom line, low and slow will build a base.
Developing and retraining postural and core musculature is vital following pregnancy. During pregnancy your postural muscles lengthen and tendons stretch. It is prudent to strengthen these structures as this will reduce injury risk and rebuild the core, the foundation of all movement. Good postural exercises are Kegels, abdominal bracing, and the drawing-in maneuver. In this phase you will start slow, but by the end of week 5 you should be exercising five day a week for at least 30 minutes.
Phase II: 5-12 weeks postpartum
In this phase you are going to increase strength and train your heart to work at higher intensities. This is done through interval training. Take the baseline cardio program from phase one, but add in short bursts of high intensity exercise. For example, jog for two minutes, run at three-quarter speed for 30 seconds. Repeat the cycle of jog, run for a set period of time. The brief bouts of spiked heart rate increase your average heart rate during the workout.
Increasing strength is also very important and with a resistance circuit training program you can increase both cardio and strength. Circuit training is simply a series of exercises that are performed for a set time frame with minimal rest periods in between each exercise. Designing a circuit program is easy. Pick a series of 5-10 exercises. Alternate the exercises between upper body, lower body and total body. Here is sample 30 sec on /30 off program:
Push-up (30 seconds)
Rest (30 seconds) – Note: during your rest period get ready for the next exercise
Ball squat
Rest
Bent over row
Rest
Step-up with overhead press
Rest
Ab crunches
Rest
Repeat that cycle five times. Total workout time would be 25 minutes.
Phase III: 12 weeks – goal weight attainment
A word of caution: You should only workout in this phase if you have the physical ability to do so. In this phase the goal is to perform high intensity exercise for maximal caloric burn. Target heart rates in this phase are often 85-95%, which may not be suitable for everyone. If you have a history of cardiovascular disease or question your physical abilities seek consultation from a physician. If you are unable to exercise at this high-intensity, do not worry. An individual can easily exercise in phase II and still meet weight loss goals.
High intensity equals high calorie burn. In this phase you will perform exercises that elevate your heart rate to near maximal levels. Plyometric exercises, boxing, and jump rope are examples. Anna Paquin’s favorite exercise post pregnancy was boxing. Due to the high intensity, your workout time can be significantly reduced. Take a look at this workout comparison for a 30-year-old, 150 lb. female:
Exercise Routine A: 40 minutes @ 60% heart rate (115 BPM) = 235 calories burned
Exercise Routine B: 20 minutes @ 90% heart rate (170 BPM) = 235 calories burned
However, the caloric burn doesn’t stop there. Following a lower intensity workout your caloric burn will remain elevated for 2-6 hours. Following high intensity exercise caloric burn can remain elevated for as much as 18-24 hours. This means continued weight loss.
Diet is not to be forgotten about. A common myth is that nursing moms need to eat more, which leads many new moms to over eating. Nursing moms rarely need to increase diet intake more than 300 calories.
Have a diet high in lean protein (fish, poultry, pork, eggs) as it suppresses hunger longer than a diet filled with processed carbohydrates. Fruits and vegetables should be your primary source of carbohydrates. Following a diet of lean protein, colorful fruits and vegetables ensures you are receiving much needed vitamins, such as Vitamin A, D, E, K, B-complex and minerals like potassium, copper, zinc, iron and magnesium. A diet high in vegetables will also provide adequate fiber, which is good for postpartum moms to regain normal gastrointestinal function.
Weight loss is not rocket science. Keep it fun, simple, and stay compliant with your plan. You will get there.
Joshua Stone is an Acquisitions Editor for Human Kinetics in Champaign where he works with experts to create health and wellness books. Josh is an also Independent Consultant helping individuals become pain free and meet fitness goals. Over the years he has worked with everyone from moms and kids to Olympic and professional athletes. Josh’s hobby is expressing his passion of health and wellness through his blog site: AthleticMedicine.Wordpress.com