Well, actually, I don't think age/genetics has as much to do with it as people think. A lot of it depends on how much you gain during pregnancy, I think. Plus, you can be young and still gain tons of weight during pregnancy and not be able to lose it very quickly. And then there are older moms who lose it right away. Ashlee Simpson's defense sounds to me like she will probably end up having to actually work at staying thin when she's older if she doesn't have the good habits in place now.

I've never liked her very much. But I am sure her age and her previous physique played a big role in her ability to shed the baby pounds.

Absolutely not. I think the pressure in Hollywood is enough to drive people to do ANYTHING to lose the weight and maintain their appearance. It is so frustrating to see starlets give advice like "Just eat what you want, that's what I do." Total fiction!

Agreed, Sunbelle ! "I just walk my dog and do yoga ... I lost 60 lbs that way" bs.

yeah and a personal trainer and chef probably helped.

Sunbelle I agree. For most people weight loss takes a ton of effort and hard work and it can be so discouraging to hear thin celebs claim to do nothing and look that way.

Does anyone remember her reality show years ago? The one on MTV. Well if you do, you probably remember that she was noticeably heavier then than she is now. And she's been listed as one of the anorexic starlets from a couple of years ago, pre-Pete Wentz. It's just impossible to buy her story, because she has such a history of weight issues. She is certainly trying to make us think she has always been naturally super-thin.

I was 22, a toned size 4/6, and gained 33 pounds when I was pregnant, yet my stomach is shot. (Its been 4 years and I lost almost all the weight immediately) My mother gained 60 pounds with me and didn't get one stretch mark. I got a bunch of silvery white ones all over my lower belly, that is now a lovely "pooch". I will never wear a two piece again no matter how much weight I lose. My stomach looks awful especially in sunlight lol! So maybe genetics and age play a role in some people, but in my case that just wasn't so. I saw those recent pictures of Jessica Alba, and personally, I think she looked too skinny. She lost her boobs, and her butt. She wore a skimpy little suit that gave the illusion of curves, but when your really look, she looks thin thin. She appears less womanly than before she gave birth-go figure.

Genes? Maybe not. Age, quite possibly. Your body just doesn't behave the same way at 40 as it does at 20 -- no matter how you slice it. There will always be some form of difference, some metabolism slowing, etc. However, the weight you gain is a huge factor in losing your baby weight. My mom gained 25 lbs with me, and didn't even have to wear maternity clothes, obviously. As soon as I was born, boom, back to her normal weight (just with huge boobs). So, she was skinny, gained a ton of weight with my brother and has never been the same. She had me a few days after turning 26, and my brother when she was about 27. The big difference wasn't age, but how she treated her body. Pizza, junk food, tons of bagels, tons of ice cream -- and she was pretty big with my brother. My mom puked at the sight of huge meals and any candy or other junk food -- so it was all healthy.

Genes and age are a factor in some things. I just don't think it's a huge factor in losing your baby weight.

From what I've seen, yes. Two of my cousins had a child young (one at 17 and one at 22) and they both got back into shape very quickly. The one who had a baby at 17 gained a lot of weight but lost it very quickly. The baby was born in December and she was slim and trim in her prom dress in May.

The 22 y.o. was all stomach and was back to her normal size in about 3 months.

And they're sisters. Their dad is super skinny, but their mom, which is my mom's sister, is a little over weight. I don't know if age played more of a role than genetics.

I don't really buy this from her either. Based on the way she dressed and her body language, she seemed super self-concious of her body for the first few months after she had her baby. Then, when the weight did finally drop off, she was everywhere in these tiny dresses. Based on her history (which the Anon poster outlined), I'm willing to bet she stressed a lot about getting that body back.

Look, I was 27 when I had my first daughter and 30 with my second. I gained 30 pounds each time. And both times I had lost all the baby weight plus 10 pounds in a week. And I did NOTHING, not even breast feeding. However, the tone is not there, I have what I lovingly (?) call the "hangy thing" this flap of floppy skin on my lower abdomen. But I wasn't in great shape before I had my daughters, if I had been, this weird belly might have shaped up instead!

I agree with the person who remembers her "heavier" years. She looks like someone ambitious who wants to be admired like the other starlets for losing that baby weight after 5 days. genes and age might be a factor but not in her case she was not always naturally skinny.

I just hate how the celebrities have to starve themselves and do other unhealthy things to look so emaciated, and then shrug and say some transparent explanation for the weight loss. She's way too thin now and back in the day, I used to like her for the very fact that she wasn't rail thin. Being friends with Shanae Grimes won't really help her either, because I've read a lot of things about her having a less than stellar outlook on food as well.

Age and genetics def. do play a role, but I also think your health and workout regiment pre-baby are big factors as well.

In Ashlee's case, I think it's all three, plus maybe more. I don't know what she was doing to herself, but I felt like she dropped her baby weight too fast and was looking quite gaunt.

I've seen Jessica Alba's mother, genetics had nothing to do with it.

Hold up. This is coming from someone who has been documented as having anorexia - twice - and someone who has had a nose job? Genes ain't got nothing to do with whatever you are now, honey.

Ok, so when celebs make fake comments about losing weight ("I just breastfed!" "I just do yoga!") people attack them as being fake. Now we have a celeb-mom who is being truthful in saying sometimes it really just good genes, people still attack. Honestly, there is no right answer is there?

Smacks83: When someone like Ashlee Simpson, who, when you look at old photos, is clearly not naturally that small, this b*s just gets old. She has battled eating disorders before, and she seems to have lost too much weight too fast.

My point is that I am just over hearing these lies. The lengths that new mothers in Hollywood go to to get thin are just sick (and do nothing but make the rest of us feel insecure). Multi-week hospital stays for an I.V. drip diet (which, actually, Ashlee Simpson was rumored to have completed) and Lap Bands to lose that last ten pounds (Debra Messing according to Lainey)? It's just so sick!

Anyway, obviously gossip isn't always true, but in my experience, where there is smoke there is fire.

i do believe it's genes, some people just have the ability to go back to per-baby weight...i hope i do!

is that her old nose in that picture?

Who knows. It can be just luck, and a bit of paying attention to eating right - I gained 25-30lbs with each child, and lost it really quickly with breastfeeding and walking only. I had kids at 35 and 36, and was expecting a lot worse - got no stretch marks and snapped back within weeks. It really can just happen. (And, no, my Mum was not like this at all.)

Can some women lose all of the weight by bf-ing? absolutely ! Asche is absolutely right though --- many celebs credit "good genes" and "yoga" to losing ridiculous amounts of weight after baby.

An older mother -- I love you!!!! I'm 35 and about to have my first child (due Sept 12). Thank you for sharing some GOOD news instead of bad.

I think genes has a ton to do with it. As does your fitness level/ eating habits before you got pregnant

I think your diet and exercise routines DURING pregnancy help towards the weight loss afterwards. I was an unhealthy 164 lbs pre-pregnancy, but hopped onto a great dieting plan (fresh fruits and vegetables, lean meat, protein, etc...) and did lots of walking and pre-natal yoga and now, after giving birth to my baby am 125 lbs. I still have flab from my tummy stretching, but going from a 12 to a 2 is definitely possible. So, in my opinion it's not so much to deal with your age and genes as much as it has to deal with your habits.