LaReine Chabut - Lose That Baby Fat!: Bouncing Back the First Year after Having a Baby—A Mom Friendly Fitness Program

Bouncing Back

the First Year

After Having a Baby

LaReine Chabut

with Foreword by Sheryl A. Ross, M.D.

Copyright 2006 by LaReine Chabut

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Published by M. Evans

An imprint of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc.

4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706

Designed and Typeset by Chrissy Kwasnik

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Chabut, LaReine.

Lose that baby fat! : bouncing back the first year after having a baby
/ LaReine Chabut ; with foreword by Sheryl A. Ross.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN: 978-1-59077-102-0

1. Postnatal care. 2. Mothers--Health and hygiene. 3. Physical fitness for women. 4. Exercise for women. I. Title.

RG801.C43 2006

618.6--dc22

2005025099

The information contained in this book is not intended to serve as a replacement for professional medical advice. Any use of the information in this book is at the readers discretion. The author and publisher specifically disclaim any and all liability arising directly or indirectly from the use or application of any information contained in this book. A health care professional should be consulted regarding your specific situation.

To My Daughter Bella,

Who gives me so much love every day
and inspires me to be a better mom.

I Love You,
Mommy

ITS TOUGH TO SIT ENDLESSLY for hours on end and come up with creative thoughts when youre writing. But both my husband Bobby and my daughter Bella made me feel like I could accomplish anything. And because this book is so personal and really comes from my heart, I want to thank both of them for being there and giving me the encouragement I needed along the way.

My editor, Matt Harper, who gave me an unlimited budget (ha!) and helped me to write the best book I could, also deserves a big thanks along with my agent, Danielle Egan Miller, who found it a home at M. Evans.

Patricia Ballesteros, who coaches seeing-impaired clients, was the technical advisor for the exercises. Patty really brought her natural talent and enthusiasm as a trainer to the photo shoot. Needless to say, she has an eye for detail. Thanks so much, Patty.

Tilden Patterson is the amazing photographer who suggested we shoot at a home studio to give the photos a more natural feel. I thank him so much for that and for making me look like a hot mama along with the help of makeup artist, Kerry Herta.

NIKE and Saga Hamilton also deserve big thanks for supplying all the clothing and for being a big supporter of mine since the beginning of my career. Thanks, guys, for continuing to believe in me...

A special thanks to SPRI Products and Toni Eckert for supplying all of the outstanding equipment for the photo shoot and on such a tight deadline!

Molly and Allison Lorber, Tracy and Bennett RosenthalI thank you all for the great pictures.

And a big thanks to all the moms: Kelly Bonanno, Laura Stanley, Erin Newman, Charity Brockman, Kathleen Anne Hunt, Lara Starr, Heather McDonald Tobias, Cheryl Dorfman, Janay Schrier, Adele Clarkson, and Elana Cornelius for bravely sharing their stories and revealing their insecurities for this book. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart!

IN 2001 B.B. (Before Bella, my daughter), I had time to think of only me, me, and well, me. I would take whatever yoga or kickboxing class I wanted at the drop of a hat, go to the movies whenever the mood struck me or grab a bite to eat at some hip new restaurant. Then I had a baby. And as everyone was so quick to tell me when I was pregnantmy life did indeed change overnight.

Now I work out at home, rent lots of movies, and make dinner for my family instead of going out. But am I complaining? Absolutely not! I wouldnt trade my life as a busy mom for anything in the world. I really do consider it the most important thing Ill ever do in this lifetime. Now I just have to manage my time a little bit better so I can fit everything I need to do into one long day.

But would I trade my post-baby body for my pre-baby shape? Well, thats an entirely different story. And heres my question: Why didnt anyone tell me I would still look six months pregnant when I came home from the hospital after giving birth? And why did some people (Im not going to name any names here, so dont worry) tell me to bring my jeans to the hospital because I would be able to wear them home? Ridiculous! What planet are these people from? Certainly not this one where according to the American College of Obstetricians, 80 percent of women who give birth each year gain more than the recommended 25 to 35 pounds while theyre pregnant. Yes, believe it or not, after talking to my friends and many other women, I found that most of them gained more than the recommended 25 to 35 pounds. Darn! If we only knew now what we didnt know thenthat it would be tough to take it all off. Especially those last 10 pounds!

And so I was inspired to write Lose That Baby Fat! to let you know that if any of the above sounds familiar, you are in good companyno, make that great company! My book is not geared to supermodels and actresses looking to rapidly regain their pre-pregnancy shape or to lose 30 pounds in 30 days. Rather, it is a practical guide and reality-based fitness program created just for youthe real mom trying to shed unwanted pounds the first year after having a baby. The real mom that doesnt have a personal trainer, nanny, personal chef, or timely tummy tuck!

And the greatest thing about this book is that Ive broken down the entire first-year-post-baby into a simple and easy-to-follow month-by-month format. Each month I give you specific goals you can easily achieve along with a laundry list that details how you may be feeling and looking each step of the way. I call them benchmarks, just like the benchmarks you use for your baby as they grow and change throughout each stage of their life.

And last but definitely not least, I offer personal stories, anecdotes, and questions from other new moms like yourself that bravely discuss how different their bodies look and feel after giving birth (a special thanks to all the moms that shared their letters with me). So if you lose weight by following the Lose That Baby Fat! program, get a renewed positive self-image, and have a few laughs while youre reading this book, then I guess Ive done my joband that is to help you through this miraculous and hectic time with a newborn and an unfamiliar body. So lets get started... before the baby wakes up!

As the mother of three active boys and a doctor with a busy practice, I know very well what you are going through as a new mom. In fact, youre probably having difficulty finding the time to read this book right now. Yes, the postpartum period tends to be an emotional roller coaster for all of us and by starting to work out immediately following the birth of your child, you stand to benefit in a number of areas. Exercise improves your metabolism, thereby giving you more energy, which helps to get rid of the extra weight gained in pregnancy and, mentally, reduces stress and improves your sense of well-being. The psychological benefit of getting into an exercise regimen is a powerful reason alone to start some form of exercise as soon as the baby is delivered.