Ladies Who Launch

by Carey Peters,
Ladies Who Launch member, Los Angeles

Worried you’ll be saddled with an extra 20 pounds forever? Fearing that your new life as a mother will have to include several pairs of roomy (and dowdy) “mom jeans”? Relax: Just follow our 10 tips to help you lose the baby weight, and before you know it you’ll be slipping back into your favorite little black dress.

1. Sleep. Lack of sleep increases cravings (particularly for “fake fuels” like caffeine and sugar) and affects the body’s metabolism, making it difficult to lose weight. Not to mention that the world is a pretty miserable place when you’re exhausted. When baby naps, you nap.

Outsource alert: Ask your spouse, your partner, your mother, your brother, or your friends to watch the baby so you can sleep.

2. Mother’s milk. Breastfeeding burns around 500-700 calories a day. Not bad for relaxing on the couch! Many studies show that nursing moms return to their pre-pregnancy weight more quickly. Not breastfeeding? Take a nap while your partner gives the baby a bottle.

3. Walk the line. Walking is great exercise for new moms. It’s easy on your body, it doesn’t cost a penny, and you don’t need any special equipment or a babysitter. It supplies you with plenty of Vitamin FA (fresh air) and Vitamin S (sun), both of which will feed your body and lift your spirits.

Girl-time alert: Set up a walking date with friends to get some Vitamin GT (girl time)!

4. Rock me, Ayurveda. According to the ancient, brilliant Indian science of Ayurveda, your digestive fires rage hottest from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and dwindle in the evening. So breakfast like a queen, lunch like a king, and supper like a pauper—preferably before 7 p.m.

Discover your Ayurvedic dosha at http://www.lifespa.com/body_type_quiz.asp.

5. Steady, Betty. With changing hormone and serotonin levels, it’s crucial to keep your blood sugar stable by combining protein, fat, and complex carbs at each meal or snack. If you do eat processed carbs, don’t eat them without combining them with other types of foods, and don’t eat them at night.

6. Caffeine. Caffeine mimics the dreaded blood sugar drop and stimulates cortisol production, both of which cause cravings for processed carbs and more caffeine. When you have consistently high insulin and cortisol levels, you can’t produce the fat-burning hormone, glucagon.

Coffee alternatives: Green, white, and rooibos tea, yerba mate, Teeccino.

7. Sport your newest accessory. Being a mom is often about getting two things done at once, so try carrying your baby in a sling or soft cloth carrier to burn calories as you go about your daily tasks. Or, use your baby as resistance during squats, sit-ups, and arm lifts. Start with a couple of short sets a day as you play, and work up as your baby grows.

8. Quality, not quantity. Forget about calories and focus on quality. Ideally, eat foods that don’t have labels, like veggies, fruits, beans, whole grains, lean protein, and nuts. If you do eat foods with labels, make sure the ingredient lists are short and that you can pronounce every item in them. Avoid refined sugars, white flour, partially hydrogenated oils, and high-fructose corn syrup.

Outsource alert: Use your grocery store’s prepared foods aisle to get pre-cut veggies, pre-cut fruit, and ready-made salads and grains if you feel there’s no time to prepare these healthy foods at home.

9. Water’s secret weapon. Here’s the ultimate water secret: Add green powder—like wheat grass, barley grass, and kamut grass—to your water, and your cravings will disappear, your energy will blast through the roof, your skin will glow, your immune system will strengthen, and you’ll infuse your body with high-quality nutrients all day long. Drink at least half your weight in ounces every day. Add 1/4 teaspoon of green powder per eight ounces of water.

10. Clarify your why. Mostly, we think of weight loss as a goal—something to achieve. We suggest going further into your goal to uncover your deeper “why.” Because weight loss is just a vehicle, not a destination. How will you feel in the world, and what will you do in the world, when you reach your weight loss goal? Those feelings and actions are your deeper “why.”

Focusing on your why: Make a list of your desired feelings and actions, hang them up in your home, and focus fondly on them every day.

Carey Peters is a member of the Los Angeles Incubator and a certified holistic nutritionist.