Moms in Motion

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Did you ever wonder why you exercise until you're blue in the face and you either don't change that much or you hit a plateau?

The reason for this is because if you are exercising for weight loss, nutrition is responsible for about 80 to 85 per cent of it. Sad, but true.

It's not rocket science, it just means that you have to burn more calories than you are taking in, therefore causing a caloric deficit. But as simple as it sounds, this is what most people find so challenging - especially if you are a new mom.

I recently had a client who put on 10 pounds during her first few months of maternity leave because she was so sleep deprived and grabbed whatever could give her quick energy when she needed it.

Sound familiar? We have all done it, but it would have been nice if someone warned us that lack of sleep can have profound ramifications.

So here's my suggestion.

Remember when you were pregnant and you prepared meals for when the baby comes? Try to do that with your snacks. When you're having a good day (energy wise) prepare some healthy quick snacks in advance. This way, when hunger hits, you're prepared.

Healthy snacks include:

Raw veggies and hummus

Fruit yogurt with nuts

Apple with 1 to 2 tbsp peanut butter

1 slice whole grain toast with nut butter

Natural protein or energy bars (low sugar)

Nuts and seeds (handful)

Remember to try and choose foods in their most natural state so you know what's in them and what's going into your body. Good quality, clean foods will get metabolized quickly and keep you regular (that's always good).

Combining protein, carbs and fat at every meal and snack will also help to avoid blood sugar drops and sustain energy levels longer.

If you are a new mom and you are nursing, it is not recommended that you cut calories as this could affect your milk supply. Nature has a funny way of keeping a certain amount of fat stores required for milk production and this is different for every woman.

So please remember this the next time you look at another mom and wonder how she looks so damn good. That's her genetic makeup and not yours. At the end of the day, if you look back and see that you have made healthy choices with your food, the weight will eventually come off when combined with physical activity.

Hey, it took nine months to put the weight on and it's probably going to take about nine months to get it off.

 

Samantha Montpetit-Huynh is the mother of two girls residing in the Danforth area. She is a certified personal trainer and holds certifications in pre- and post-natal fitness, nutrition and wellness and resist-a-ball. She offers in-home private and semi-private training and gives workshops on the subject. You can reach her at www.coreexpectations.com or by calling 647-897-5220.