Losing Weight After vs. Before Baby

By Kate Stahl

Updated on 3/4/2015 at 9:36 AM

Recently, I finally got serious about losing the last of my baby weight. Unfortunately, I'm not just talking about the few lingering pounds left from my now 1-year-old son, but also the seven (OK, sometimes 10) that I never got around to losing from his sister, who turns 4 in about a month. My previous excuses (I have a terrible time losing weight when I'm breastfeeding; why kill myself when I'm just going to get pregnant again; I'm so, so, so tired) were self-serving, though valid, but they had run out. If getting back to my prekid weight was as important to me as I kept saying it was, now was the time. After four months of hard work and diligence, I am now at the weight I was before I got pregnant with my daughter, and I've learned a lot during the process . . . mostly that losing weight after kids is a lot different than losing weight before I had them. Here's how.

  1. Diet prekids: If I wanted to lose a few pounds before kids, I often used a food journal, cataloging everything I ate and counting every calorie. I survived on low-fat smoothies, salads, and lean protein for weeks on end, and my main temptations were wine (which I totally caved on) and long dinners out with girlfriends. Luckily, they were all pretty health conscious, too, and the occasional sashimi and edamame dinner probably won't wreck your diet, no matter how much Sauvignon Blanc you consume.
  2. Diet postkids: These days, I barely have time to shower, let alone meticulously track everything that goes in my mouth, including that rogue Goldfish stuck to my son's shirt (gross, but you know you've done it too) or the banana my daughter swore she would eat and then only took one bite of. I knew I had to stop treating my mouth like the most convenient trash can for my kids' food, but with no time to make my own smoothies and salads in addition to providing the 12 feedings a day my kids require, what should I eat? The only strategy that has worked for me has been this: at breakfast and lunch I choose whether I want to eat my kids' leftover waffles and grilled cheese sandwiches or eat my own small meal — no kiddie food is allowed. For dinner, I eat a healthy meal with my husband, and the kids' leftover nuggets and quesadillas go in the trash — not my mouth — at least most of the time. Admittedly, I do love a half-eaten Trader Joe's turkey corn dog every once in a while (what has motherhood done to me?!).
  3. Exercise prekids: I was a bit of an exercise nut in the years before I had my daughter, always trying the latest studio and usually getting hooked on the class du jour. I had memberships at a regular gym, a barre studio, and a hot-yoga studio . . . all at the same time. In the months leading up to my wedding, I'd often do two classes a day, then take my dog for an hour-long walk around my neighborhood in the evenings — and even crazier, those days were my favorite.
  4. Exercise postkids: While the days of devoting multiple hours to exercise are a thing of a past, I still spend a lot of time at my oh-so-loved gym, but I picked this gym because of the great kids' programs and stellar steam room, not the classes. I've found a couple that remind me of my old favorites, but I've had to get out of my exercise comfort zone, finding my own workouts online and in magazines and trying classes that I wouldn't have considered in my previous life (Tabata has become a new favorite).
  5. Motivation prekids: I'm not going to lie — before kids, I dieted and exercised to look good, period. I wanted to wear miniskirts and skinny jeans, and if crop tops were a thing back then, I would have been all over them. Better health and more energy was just a nice side effect.
  6. Motivation postkids: Looking good is still important to me, and sure, all those celeb "amazing postbaby body" covers of Us Weekly have made me feel like I should fit into my prebaby jeans as quickly as possible, but these days, health is just as big of a motivator. After surviving two pregnancies, two sleepless newborn phases, and two-plus years of breastfeeding, it was time to, first, reconnect with my body and, second, make sure that body was as healthy as possible. My kids and I both deserve that — even if that crop-top thing is never going to happen.