FitSugar

New Moms: Get This Gear and Get Your Prebaby Body Back

Jenny Sugar — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 13:30:18 PDT

When you finally get the go-ahead from your doc to start exercising after having your baby (usually at about six to eight weeks postpartum), you may find it hard to leave your little one to fit in some exercise. That doesn't mean you have to abandon all hopes for getting your prebaby body back. Here are some must haves for new moms to help you drop the pounds you gained during pregnancy.

Hey Mommas! Prevent Packing on the Pounds With These Tips

Jenny Sugar — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:44:40 PDT

As a mother of a nine month old, I've been spending time with lots of mommas lately. I've found that besides chatting about diapers, teething, and lack of sleep, we all tend to mourn over the loss of our pre-pregnancy bods. Even if we did lose the baby weight in the beginning, our busy schedules make it hard to find time to exercise and eat right, so it seems inevitable to gain a pound here and there.

If this sounds familiar, I've put together some tips and reminders to help you get your body back (and keep it!).

Don't finish their meals or snacks. A few extra bites really add up so pack up the leftovers and save them for next time.
Don't eat just because they are. Kids are really active and since they're often too busy to sit down and enjoy a full meal, they end up eating little bits several times a day. That doesn't mean you should reach for a cereal bar too. Stick to your regular eating schedule to avoid consuming extra calories.
Don't use high calorie treats as rewards. You're more likely to end up rewarding yourself as well.

For more tips on avoiding mommy weight gain keep reading.

Get the Bod: Tori Spelling Post-Pregnancy

FitSugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 10:00:00 PST

After seeing photos of Jessica Alba's rockin' body just two months after she gave birth, Tori Spelling's initial reaction was disbelief that she, too, would be able to quickly bounce back to her pre-pregnancy weight. Tori had gained 50 pounds during her second pregnancy, and after giving birth just six months ago, the mother of two is sporting a teeny bikini in In Touch magazine.

Six months is longer than the time it took Jessica Alba to shed her baby weight, but losing weight is not a race. This is the mentality that enabled Tori to lose weight healthfully and at her own pace. Here are the highlights from Tori's In Touch bikini feature.

Her diet: While losing weight, Tori didn't count calories but watched what she ate. She said, "Breakfast was yogurt, fruit and nuts. Lunch was homemade soup with a sweet potato or soy milk base. We'd snack on celery and peanut butter, and then I'd make lean protein with vegetables for dinner." Her maintenance plan involves three well-balanced meals each day with snacks in between, and she'll indulge on her cheat days.

To see what she did for exercise,

Her workouts: Tori said, "For me to go to the gym and leave my kids doesn't make sense." She walks with her family and takes her family swimming when weather permits. For toning, she does three sets of 12 crunches and sit-ups every day, does squats, and lifts weights.

Tori is proud that she achieved her goal weight on her own and said, "I'm a working mom of two, so to know that I did it all by myself was huge." Props to her for confidently doing things her own way.

Source

Fit Gift Guide: Healthy New Mom

FitSugar — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 12:00:00 PST

While the new mom in your life might be sleep deprived, chances are high she still wants to work out. Here are some goodies I wish I had when my girls were newborns, so I think any new mom would love them too.

Baobei Active: Nursing Sports Bra: This nursing sports bra looks fabulous and offers support, function, and style. The ease of the crisscross front makes breastfeeding quick and easy. This bra is a must for boot camp moms, moms on the go, or any mom working to get her body back after baby.
Strollometer: The Strollometer is a wireless speedometer that attaches to a stroller. It includes every function a new strolling mom could use: current speed, average speed, maximum speed, trip distance, daily distance, trip time, real clock time and ambient temperature. The Strollometer should fit any stroller out there and clips right to the handlebars so a new mom knows how many miles she has logged over the course of a day.
Yoga Ma Baby Ga DVD: This yoga DVD is designed to help new moms incorporate their babies into their yoga practice. It comes with multiple viewing options; one includes a large screen format with images to entertain the baby, with a small screen in the corner of the yoga poses for mom to follow. It reminds me of Baby Einstein meets mommy yoga.

Natalie Portman and Aleph Hit the Slides During a Smiley Park Day

Lauren Turner — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:45:46 PDT

Natalie Portman and her son Aleph Millepied spent Wednesday afternoon at an LA park together. Aleph played in the sandbox and took a ride down the slide with help from his mom. Natalie had the company of her husband Benjamin for a recent couple's night out on the East Coast, where they attended the New York City Ballet's Spring Gala. It's an exciting time of year for the family of three since Aleph is nearing his first birthday. The little guy has had a fun year with trips overseas, traveling coast to coast, and the marriage of his parents in February. Natalie's been focused on family lately, but she'll soon get back to the big screen with news that she'll star in the western Jane Got a Gun.

Meet Katherine Heigl's New Baby Daughter

Lauren Turner — Thu, 24 May 2012 11:20:50 PDT

Katherine Heigl and her mom, Nancy, went out to lunch in LA with baby Adalaide yesterday - see the first pictures of her cute face! Katherine and her husband Josh Kelley recently welcomed the little girl into the family and announced her adoption earlier this month. The new addition joins big sister Naleigh, who is 3 years old. Katherine and Adalaide have been out and about a few times in the past few weeks, including on Mother's Day, which was Katherine's first as a mom of two.

Glee-ful Highlights From Season Finale "Goodbye"

Shannon Vestal — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:00:40 PDT

We say goodbye to McKinley High's graduating class of 2012 on this week's season finale of Glee, and while we'll be seeing a lot of these characters next year, for some, it was their swan song (pardon the pun). Everyone is feeling nostalgic, not the least of whom is Mr. Schue, who gives the kids an assignment of picking a goodbye song. The episode is mostly devoted to the characters giving each other touching send-offs, which made me feel sentimental too.

There's a pretty big development at the end of the episode that I was expecting, but it surprised me by how bittersweet it actually is. Ready to break down the highlights of the Glee season finale? Just keep reading.

Alicia Silverstone on Her Eco-Friendly Beauty Launch, Green Parenting, and Clueless Reunions

Lindsay Miller — Wed, 23 May 2012 02:35:00 PDT

Alicia Silverstone may be best known for her acting career, but the eco-activist and mom recently took on a new challenge: developing her own collection of makeup and skin care with Juice Beauty. Alicia is a longtime vegan and champion for all things green, and she stopped by PopSugar studios to talk about applying that philosophy to her Alicia Silverstone for Juice Beauty range. We also chatted about how she instills her passion for the environment in her young son, Bear Blu, and her role on ABC's Suburgatory. She reunited with her Clueless costar Jeremy Sisto on the comedy and also recently wrapped a new movie with Clueless creator Amy Heckerling. The somewhat satirical vampire film, Vamps, is slated to hit theaters in the Fall. See how Alicia compared that project to the Twilight Saga in our interview, and find Alicia Silverstone for Juice Beauty products at Ulta stores everywhere now.

Find Out More About Virgin Olympian Lolo Jones

Tara Block — Tue, 22 May 2012 14:23:37 PDT

Track and field star Lolo Jones isn't an Olympic virgin, considering she competed in the 2008 games, but she is a virgin in the traditional sense. You might think that an almost-30-year-old virgin would not advertise the fact that she's never had sex, but Olympian Lori "Lolo" Jones isn't shy about her virginity. Later-in-life virgins have a new celebrity role model in 29-year-old Lolo, as she's been opening up in interviews and on Twitter about online dating difficulties and keeping her V-card until marriage. On HBO's Real Sports With Bryant Gumbel, the hurdle jumper said:

"This journey has been hard. It's the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. Harder than training for the Olympics. Harder than studying for college has been staying a virgin before marriage. I've been tempted. I've had guys tell me . . . 'Hey, you know, if you have sex, it'll help you run faster.' If you marry me, then yeah."

Keeping her virginity hasn't been the only hurdle Lolo has had to overcome. She grew up bouncing from school to school with a single mom who had to work multiple jobs to support her family, even living in a church basement at one point. After splitting from her family to pursue her track-and-field dreams, Lolo went on to excel in school and to become the accomplished Olympian she is today. Now, Lolo gives back to those in need with her charitable activities and involvement in Christian ministries. She definitely proves that you don't have to be having sex to be a strong, sexy woman to watch.

See more pics of Lolo in action and on the red carpet now!

Bachelorette Breakdown: The Week's Biggest Whoa!-ments

Maggie Pehanick — Tue, 22 May 2012 09:13:48 PDT

Week two on The Bachelorette brought plenty of action, and I'm not just talking about the chemistry between Emily and Kermit - though that was slightly uncomfortable. No, I'm referring to the first one-on-one dates, the first group date, and all the poolside drama. It looks like we've got a veritable Real Housewives of Charlotte on our hands, only in this case the housewives are men and Botox is replaced by Muscle Milk.

I'm recounting the good times, and the especially bad times, from this week's episode when you

When Emily told Ryan they'd be baking cookies for her daughter's soccer team on the show's first one-on-one date, I was like, Whoa. No doubt this guy thought the only food preparation he'd have to do on The Bachelorette would be stomping his own grapes when producers flew him and his date to the scenic Napa Valley, and even then it would all just be for show and they'd get to drink perfectly aged Merlot by the fire while staring into each other's eyes. Not this season, buddy!
When Ricki showed up in the audience of the group date, I was like, Whoa! Wasn't the whole purpose of bringing the show to Charlotte so that Emily could still maintain some semblance of normalcy in her daughter's life? First she brings Ryan to soccer practice (but makes him wait in the car mere yards away from her daughter) and now this? (Side note: I kept thinking they should have rolled up the tinted window, lest Ricki see the strange man in her mother's car, but then it occurred to me that he might suffocate in the South Carolina heat.) Actually, come to think of it, watching your mom be the ringleader in a variety show starring the Muppets and a dozen suitors (one of which will be your new daddy!) is pretty commonplace nowadays.
Whilst lounging in the hot tub, Kalon let slip that he thought Doug "put being a dad on hold" to be on the show, and Doug was all, Whoa. Despite the fact that Kalon is coming off like a tool and clearly making no friends, Doug overreacted a touch and told him to "check it," but in a much more serious way. Kalon tried to interject, and again Doug was like, "Check it." I believe the phrase he's looking for is actually "Check yourself before you wreck yourself, bro." It also appears that Kalon is no longer "Helicopter Guy" and has now been given the nickname "Chopper," which the guys think is derogatory, but which is actually really cool and something I might try to get my friends to call me.
Meanwhile, Emily went on her date with Joe. The two dined at her local cotillion venue and put their hopes and dreams in the "love clock." After laying out his wishes to come back to Charlotte to marry her, Emily told Joe he wasn't the guy for her, and Joe was like, Whoa. It was brutal, but it was necessary.
After the loads of private time he got with her this week, Ryan still thought it would be kosher to monopolize Emily's time before the final elimination. He did this by writing her a seven-page letter and then making her read it to him out loud. It took 15 minutes, which is about two weeks in Bachelorette hours. This wouldn't be quite so bad if Taylor wasn't awkwardly waiting in the wings, caught in the unfortunate position of either backing down or breaking mid-letter-read. All the guys who were watching from outside were like, Whoa.

Did I miss any whoa!-ments?

Photo courtesy of ABC