‘The Yummy Mummy’ guide to lose pregnancy weight

WELLINGTON - After losing more than 70kgs on her way to becoming a yummy mummy, Nadia Holland now wants to share her secrets with other women through her book.

Holland, 32, piled on 36 kg while she was pregnant with eldest daughter Isla, which left her feeling “alienated” and “guilty”.

“I’d put on so much weight when I was pregnant and had no idea about what to do to lose it,” nzherald.co.nz, quoted her as saying.

And with a combination of sensible eating and exercise, Holland managed to lose 43kg by the time her daughter was 15 months old.

But after falling pregnant again with daughter Chelsea two months later, she had put on another 30kg but managed to lose it again - leaving her determined to help other women from making the same mistakes.

And thus, she came with the book titled ‘The Yummy Mummy’, written with dietitian Nicky McCarthy.

“What I set out to do was to help other women who might be in the same situation as me and put on a bit more than the 12kg that the pregnancy books tell you you should,” she said.

One of the biggest problems she faced was subscribing to the theory that pregnant women should eat for two.

Dietitian Caryn Zinn has said that this was a trap many fall into.

“It’s not really eating for two, it’s eating for one and a bit. The weight gain needs to be steady and controlled,” she said.

Personal trainer and midwife Fiona Ross said that new mums often rush back into exercise, forgetting the body has been “battered and bruised”.

“I see mums coming into the gym because they’re desperate to get back into shape. But they’re actually not in any physical shape to be going straight back into sport,” said Ross.

Plunket clinical adviser Allison Jamieson says most women lose the weight they gain through breastfeeding.

Those who need more help should avoid crash diets and talk about weight loss with a medical professional.

Some of the weight loss tips from the book include:

1. Ditch the word ‘diet’. Think of it as a process of remodelling yourself.

2. Understand the basics. Weight loss is about “energy in” versus “energy out”.

3. Talk yourself up. Lack of confidence is the greatest obstacle.

4. Use your child(ren) as motivation: Do you want to be the “fat mum” at the school gates?

5. The sooner you start, the better for your health; being overweight has serious health implications.

6. Set realistic goals slow and steady wins the race. (ANI)