Postnatal Personal Training Secrets: The Truth About Diets!

I was asked by a new postnatal personal training client today who wants to drop some weight: ‘Will I have to go on a diet?’ Then she added: ‘I seem to have spent most of my adult life on a diet, but the weight always goes back on…’

Which is why, IMHO, you should never go on one in the first place!

Here’s a postnatal personal training secret for you, with my compliments: Don’t Diet!

The best thing you can do to for your body shape nutritionally after having a baby (or at any time), is NOT to count calories or pick a ‘diet’, but to simply start to ‘EAT CLEAN’.

Make it a permanent change in the way you eat, not something you do or ‘go on’ for a few days or weeks.

Avoid processed foods & keep your food as close to its natural source as possible. By that I mean, if the original (natural) source of whatever you’re about to eat is un-identifiable , don’t eat it!

By the same token, if you can’t pronounce the ingredients list on the label… don’t eat the food!

White, refined grains such as white rice, white bread, & anything baked using refined flour are full of empty calories, which make you fat. They will also clog up your digestive system & may cause bloating… none of which is going to do much to lose the mummy tummy.

Switch to wholegrains for a lower GI & extra fibre, along with drinking plenty of water & herbal teas. This will help to keep your digestive system working efficiently & reduce bloating.

‘Diets’ by definition, always come to an end, & then you’re back to square one, whether they ‘worked’ or not.

I have this theory: if any of the ‘diets’ we’re told to go on actually worked, there’d only be one book. But there’s thousands. There is absolutely nothing remotely ‘magic’ about cabbage, or grapefruit, or any other wonder ingredient that we’re advised to eat exclusively for a set amount of time.

If you eat significantly fewer calories, you’ll lose weight. If you’re only eating a very limited selection of foods or food groups, you will by definition eat fewer calories (out of boredom if nothing else). The resultant weight loss doesn’t mean that a particular diet ‘worked’, it just means you ate less for a while, & lost some weight.

Diet ends… you go back to previous eating habits… the weight comes back. I’m not going to patronise anyone by listing the foods that make you fat.

This isn’t just about postnatal personal training, but about any personal training… if you’re being ‘put on a diet’, get a new trainer!

Every time you eat foods you know you shouldn’t (if you want a flat tummy that is) then you’re laying down an extra layer of fat. And every time you exercise more intensively & effectively, or eat cleaner, you’re laying the foundation for a lean, flat tummy.

Simple!

Note, I didn’t say it was easy. Simple. But not always easy.

What’s your story? What’s your ‘going on a diet’ experience? What has or hasn’t worked for you? Do you have ongoing struggles, cravings or battles with your food and drink choices? Please share your stories!

My Morning…

This morning started with… A run? Nope. Nice spot of yoga? Nope. A lie-in? Yeah right.

I had to share this with you to find out if my children really are THE naughtiest on the planet.

My 2 & 4-year-old were in the  kitchen at 5.45am, having put all the lights on (by standing on top of precarious ride-on toys) & emptying all the sugar, flour, porridge oats, golden syrup, vanilla essence, coffee beans (the really expensive coffee beans – obviously), & a carton of goats milk for good measure (& a nice sticky consistency) ALL OVER the floor.

They then put half a sack of dog food (the dry kind, that really swells up) down the toilet & stuffed a towel down on top.

So I’m there wearing my wellies (the only shoes I could find without my glasses on) mopping up at 7am. And it’s my wedding anniversary today ! Do you think my husband will buy me some new kids as well as a card?

Foods To Eat & Foods To Avoid During Pregnancy

Pregnancy Foods to Avoid:

Pate & soft or blue cheeses such as brie, camembert, stilton, boursin & soft goats or sheep’s cheeses can be infected with listeria, as can soft whip ice creams & unpasteurised milk (parmesan & gruyere are also unpasteurised but the risk is so minor they’re ok).

Go for hard pasteurised cheeses such as cheddar or, goat cheddar or cottage cheese.

Raw eggs & poultry can harbour salmonella – make sure both are cooked thoroughly (solid yolk in eggs) & don’t buy pre-cooked chicken or foods with raw eggs such as fresh mayonnaise or chocolate mousse. Homemade cakes may contain raw eggs in the icing. Avoid dips that may have been made using raw eggs (mayonnaise-based).

Poultry should be thoroughly cooked & ideally organic to avoid the hormones & steroids (& it’ll taste better!). Limit or cut out sausages & bacon due to high salt content & additives / nitrites (but no particular pregnancy-related dangers), & stuffing is fine – try to avoid over-processed shop bought varieties though.

Liver is often warned against in pregnancy due to its high vitamin A content. However you do need vitamin A, just not too much – so limit to once a week & make sure its organic, as non organic will be contaminated with growth hormones, antibiotics & steroids (as the liver is where all these nasties are stored). If you eat liver when pregnant, make sure your supplements (which you should be taking!) don’t have any retinol (animal source vitamin A), but only beta-carotene (the vegetable source). Avoid cod liver oil as this has very high levels of retinol.

Avoid raw meats. Some countries advise also avoiding cured meats, such as Parma ham or salami. The main concerns with these are listeriosis and toxoplasmosis – both of which are rare in the UK. Listeriosis is very rare as it only affects one pregnancy in every 25,000 and toxoplasmosis is estimated to affect one in 500 pregnancies per year, so the risks to you and your baby are very low. Toxoplasmosis is an illness caused by a parasite sometimes found in raw meat or cured meats… it’s only a problem if contracted for the first time (many of us unknowingly have immunity) during the first trimester.

What About Peanuts?  You only need to avoid peanuts during pregnancy if you have a family history of allergy, eczema or asthma.

Go For: Other nuts – almonds, walnuts, brazils, etc are all great sources of essential fats & minerals. Avoid packets of salted or dry roasted though!

What About Seafood such as prawns and smoked salmon? What should you watch for?

Smoked salmon – again a fear of listeria, but the risk is negligible. Most fish and shellfish are safe to eat in pregnancy, provided that they are properly cooked.

Some types of sushi (ie the cooked kind!) are fine to eat while you’re pregnant. Raw shellfish or sushi can cause serious food poisoning due to parasites such as tapeworms, which, if they grow large enough, could rob your body of nutrients needed for your growing baby. Freezing and cooking kills the parasites (many Japanese restaurants use pre-frozen fish for this reason – check if you’re eating out).

Avoid shark, swordfish & marlin (due to mercury levels) & limit tuna to once a week.

Go For: All fruit & veg are fine – choose organic wherever possible to avoid pesticides, & eat as local & fresh & raw as possible – air-miles, storing, chopping & cooking all reduce nutrients.

Basically keep your food as ‘clean’ fresh & additive / pesticide free as possible! (This applies to everyone, not just pregnant women!)

All fruits contain essential vitamins, minerals & fibre. Limit dried fruit & fruit juices due to high sugar content though, & because they may make you feel nauseous.

Citrus fruit may make nausea or morning sickness worse – avoid if you’re feeling delicate.

For early pregnancy or if you’re still experiencing nausea or morning sickness… a big roast dinner may turn your stomach! Stick to small portions – & some fresh air will help – don’t stay indoors around all the cooking smells.

In later pregnancy, where heartburn may be a problem, avoid big meals, rich, fatty foods, spicy dishes, chocolate and citrus fruit. Try to avoid smokers (assuming you’re not smoking yourself; and if you are – stop!).

Drinks: Enjoy a cold ginger beer or tonic water with lime as refreshing, nausea-busting party alternatives. Enjoy plenty of water, diluted fruit juices or herbal teas.

Alcohol: honestly? There is no safe limit… sorry! I won’t claim to have been a complete martyr on this one myself even, but the fact is that any amount of alcohol (or caffeine for that matter) does cross the placenta & affect your baby.

Decaffeinated coffee can actually be even more toxic due to the chemicals used to remove the caffeine, but you could look out for organic coffee decaffeinated using the ‘Swiss water process’ – Taylors coffee uses this method.

Eat well & enjoy your pregnancy… it’ll be over all too soon!

Pregnancy Is Not The Time To Diet!

Actually I don’t believe there is ever a right time to diet, but that’s a different post…!

Eating for pregnancy, you should not be restricting calories, but rather thinking more carefully about the quality of those calories. This is the time to shift your focus away from weight loss or your dress size & onto eating, exercising (& resting!) for health, vitality, strength & energy.

For both of you!

If you have been taking good care of yourself (eating right & exercising), but still feel that you’ve gained more than you need to – relax & keep up the good work! The extra weight gain might just be what your body needs to support your pregnancy (remember – the weight gain charts are just guidelines!).

If you focus on staying active & eating healthily & you don’t take your pregnancy for granted (i.e. don’t use pregnancy as a ticket to eat everything) -your weight gain during pregnancy & your weight loss afterwards will not be an issue.

Don’t kid yourself! The foods that make you fat when you’re not pregnant are the same foods that will cause unnecessary fat gain when you are pregnant!

There is no magic clause that says that the foods you eat whilst pregnant somehow don’t count! In fact they’re more important than ever, so make sure they’re good foods…

Extra EMPTY calories don’t produce “baby fat”, they produce “fat fat” & that fat won’t magically disappear when you have your baby, because your baby wasn’t the cause of that fat in the first place.

Realistically we all do (I did!) eat a bit more, treat ourselves a bit more & pat our belly with an ‘well I am eating for two’ whilst tucking into something we shouldn’t, more than once during pregnancy. This is completely normal & helps get us through those months when we’re feeling enormous & indulgent & happy… So give yourself a break, & find a healthy balance – you don’t have to eat mung beans every day, but you shouldn’t eat chips every day either.

Don’t use pregnancy as an excuse to slump on the sofa & eat junk food for nine months – you’ll just make yourself miserable & won’t be doing the best for your baby. You’re also likely to suffer from a whole list of pregnancy-related discomforts such as back ache, nausea, constipation, varicose veins, fatigue & head aches (not withstanding of course massive weight gain!).

Exercise & good food may not guarantee you none of these unpleasantries, but it sure as heck minimises the likelihood of you getting all of them!

Pregnancy Exercise & Nutrition: How Much Weight Should You Gain During Pregnancy?

When thinking about your pregnancy exercise & nutrition: How much WEIGHT GAIN IN PREGNANCY is too much? Or too little? How much of it is ‘BABY FAT?’

The most common pregnancy exercise question I get asked as a pregnancy personal trainer must be: ‘HOW MUCH WEIGHT SHOULD I PUT ON?’

Well every pregnancy is different. Some women gain a lot of weight (3.5 stone / 50+ pounds / 23kg), while others gain very little (1 stone / 15 pounds / 7kg). The answer partly lies in your pre-pregnancy body weight. For example, if you are around 5′ 6″ / 168 cm tall & weigh 10 stone 7 lb / 147 pounds / 67 kg then a healthy weight gain for you might be between 25 to 35 pounds / about 2 stone (11 to 16kg).

You do need to remember, though, that while weight gain charts can be helpful guidelines, I strongly urge you not to get too hung up on them. The best goal of any pregnancy exercise programme is not to worry about weight gain, but to take good care of yourself! REMEMBER (& I know this is stating the obvious but many women do seem to forget!)…

NOT ALL YOUR PREGNANCY WEIGHT GAIN IS FAT!

Your pregnancy weight gain is made up of the following (with approximate weights):

• Your baby ! (6-8 lbs)

• Placenta (1.5 lbs)

• Amniotic fluid (2 lbs)

• Uterine enlargement (2 lbs)

• Maternal blood volume (3-4 lbs)

• Maternal breast tissue (1-2 lb)

• Maternal body fluid (4 lbs)

• Maternal fat stores (roughly 7 lbs)

Secondly, weight gain during pregnancy is HEALTHY! It means your baby is growing well. If you’re active, following a sensible pregnancy exercise programme, eating healthily & not taking your pregnancy for granted, your weight gain during pregnancy & your weight loss afterwards will NOT be an issue. Your body is resilient! It will bounce back if you treat it well.

Remember (and trust!) that the extra weight WILL come off after you deliver your baby. If you’re active, you WILL get your pre-pregnancy body back… It’s only 40 weeks… so enjoy it!

If you feel you’ve already gained more than you should as a result of too little activity &/or overindulging, it’s never too late to turn over a new leaf! If you haven’t been exercising, start some pregnancy exercise today: a daily walk is a great start. And if you’ve been eating too much processed or take-away food, do your best to prepare & eat home-cooked meals with lots of vegetables!

It goes without saying that the foods that will make you gain unnecessary fat during pregnancy are the same foods that do you & your growing baby no good either.

So when someone offers you slices of cake or cookies telling you ‘Go on! You’re eating for two!’ – Your baby really doesn’t need those hydrogenated fats, sugar & empty calories any more than you do!

Actually, pregnancy is a great time to really start to think more carefully about what you are eating in terms of the nutrients you & your baby need. If you won’t change your eating habits for your own sake – at least do it for your baby’s! Remind yourself that there’s a little miracle going on in that bump… your body is an amazing, incredible machine, that is quite literally making a baby – brain, skeleton, nervous system, eyes, hair, every last bit of him or her is developing from scratch inside you!

Your body needs good fuel in order to do the best job it can – in the form of real, unprocessed, fresh food & plenty of good fats (Omega 3 & 6). If you choose your pregnancy foods with your baby’s development in mind, combined with sensible pregnancy exercise, then you won’t go far wrong & you won’t put on unnecessary weight!

A Quickie But Cutie…Children & Food Intolerances

My 3YO told her teacher at playgroup today that she couldn’t have ‘cow milk’ because ‘I’m electric to it’.

Simply had to write that down so I don’t forget it!

My Young Jedi is Learning…

3YO DD really impressed me this morning…  I was preparing her lunch box for playgroup, & showed her the tomatoes, cucumber & kidney beans I was mixing to put in some pitta bread. ‘Looks lovely’ she said (good girl). Then I told her I was adding olive oil so it wasn’t too dry. ‘But you won’t need it’ she said immediately, the tomatoes are juicy so it won’t be dry’.

An utterly banal domestic moment (like the rest of this blog is so earth shattering…!) but I thought that really showed she was thinking about the food & the tastes & textures. I added the olive oil anyway, when she wasn’t looking, plus a bit of black pepper… it was pretty good.

And whilst I’m *thrilling* your day with the minutiae of my mine… when she came back, she looked at me rather coyly & said, ‘Mum? Shall we have just a cheeky little piece of chocolate?’

Oh go on then.

Feeding The Kids Around Southern Califiornia!

Having neglected my millions of readers (that’s you, Dad…!) for so long, I felt the urge to post a few pics of my little treasures on their recent trip to sunny Southern Ca., sampling the pleasures of BBQ corn, sushi &, um, tripe… (even I was gagging a little there).

But I guess if you don’t tell them they won’t like it… they just might. And they did!

They had spicy beef sandwiches from a Vietnamese bakery somewhere near Anaheim in LA ( probably not free-range, but you know, when in Rome…);  Sushi at Laguna beach (whilst watching the beautiful people); Dim Sum (3 times) at the fabulous China Max, near Mirimar San Diego (Grandpa’s favourite); as well as Mexican, All-American pancake breakfasts & a *small*, healthy dose (actually it wasn’t at all healthy, but it was kinda fun) of pure junk…

In the Dim Sum restaurant,  2YO DS shouted “Bit! Bit” as the trolleys trundled by, demanding a ‘bit’ of every pork bun, potsticker, Chinese broccoli drowning in oyster sauce & garlic-y shrimp.

His 3 YO sister did however take the prize for her penchant for tripe in chilli sauce… Strange child. You know when maybe you think you may have taken a principle too far?

Both were big fans of the jasmine tea – which has translated at home to frequent requests for redbush tea without milk, or (very weak, before I get lynched for caffeine-ating my children) green tea.

It would have been easy to make assumptions about what they would or wouldn’t at least try. Most adults would have turned their nose up at the sight of dim sum selections of dubious animal origin, or at the mere thought of TRIPE with their noodles. But lacking in the organisational skills to have packed a bag of  familiar treats ‘just in case‘…  there wasn’t really an option.

Without second guessing them, they were happy to try pretty much anything – the slimier & spicier the better!

And just so you don’t think I deprived them of the ‘Real’ American cuisine – here’s my little angel at Disneyland. Junk and all. (Yes we did of course have an organic WEEK to make up for this meal )

*Secret Tip for Feeding Kids*: Don’t TELL the children they won’t like it!

Thought I’d share my lunch with you today (figuratively speaking of course)… as its inception goes some way to explaining the reason why you’ll very rarely see me post a ‘recipe’ but more a ’sort of idea I had’. This was also a lesson to self not to assume your kids won’t like anything till they (& you!) have tried it!

I opened the vegetable basket & saw: 4 beetroot with leaves still on, 3 carrots & a red onion. Pretty inspiring huh?

It was past midday, & I had 2 pretty whingy kids already so figured there was no time to boil or roast (usually my favourite) the beetroot. I remembered I’d once seen a recipe in a Jamie Oliver book about a beetroot salad, so flicked through some tattered indexes till I found it. It was for ‘Beetroot, Pear & Feta Salad with lemon dressing’.

Delicious!

Slight hitch.

I didn’t have any pears, feta or lemons.

Undeterred, I had found what I was looking for, which was reassurance from a proper chef that it was OK to grate or slice beetroot raw, & an idea. So in the absence of pears I found an apple, my feta became a pack of halloumi cheese, & my lemon… 2 fairly tired-looking satsumas & a lime.

Beetroot & carrots scrubbed, topped & tailed & grated (or you could use a mandarin or chop into matchsticks), beetroot leaves washed & ripped / chopped, apple cored & cut about the same, & half the red onion thinly sliced… (this honestly took less than 5 minutes). I squeezed the satsumas & the lime, & put the juice in a jam jar (no jam . You knew that. Just saying.) with a few large glugs of extra virgin olive oil & some black pepper. Shake the jar, & then pour it over the veggies & toss. (Fairly frantic tossing by this point actually as 21 m.o. was hanging off my leg screaming).

I grilled the halloumi (it’s cheese… which of course you knew, but I’m making sure this really is food-phobe proof…) – put the slices in a hot frying pan or griddle with no oil, & turn after a few minutes – you want it just brown on both sides. Obviously the feta crumbled over would also have been fab, as would any other sheep or goats’ cheese.

So, back to my salad  which is a very pink, crunchy bowlful of veggies, tossed with dressing & with grilled cheese on top. (Sorry Jamie, this is now bearing no resemblance whatsoever to your original, but you were the inspiration!).

On the side we had some fresh spelt bread dipped in the rest of the dressing. Dipping… we all know how kids love to dip. But this sort of dipping isn’t just for adults & gastro pubs you know – kids love it & extra virgin olive oil (cold- pressed please), with or without some balsamic vinegar, makes a nice change from fishfingers & ketchup.

My kids (21 months & 3.5 years) found it sheer genius that Mummy had made apple go bright pink, & thought the whole thing was delicious. The fact that they also had red teeth to bear at each other was an added bonus ( not to mention the *hysterical* red wee a few hours later).

Now I have to admit, I did think that even I might be pushing it with 2 very young tummies & my citrus-y, oily dressing & raw beetroot concoction, but with no ‘you probably won’t like this’ preamble… they ate it with gusto. If I’m honest, it probably wasn’t my finest culinary hour, but it was zingy & tasty, as well as being fresh, different & full of nutrients.

Don’t second-guess your kids, or assume they won’t eat something,  until they have. I have seen parents nervously place something in front of a child, over-zealous in their cajoling to ‘just try it’ & with the fishfingers on stand-by…

…They can SMELL YOUR FEAR Dear Parent!! ) And they will react as you expect them to – by rejecting it. Similarly, there is really no need for a carnival fanfare & promises of trips to Disney just because they DID eat it.

Calm down.

Eat.

Have a laugh.

Leave what you don’t want. (I know your grandparents said it, but I’m afraid the starving children in Africa really WON’T benefit by your clearing your plate… Give to charity instead.).

Please tell me about your experiments – the ones that do work & the ones that don’t!

Have confidence, Dear “I-just-can’t-cook” Parent! You CAN feed your kids!

I know that many parents are great cooks: ‘foodie’, Goddesses who rustle up super-healthy casseroles & fresh, omega & antioxidant-rich meals for their children on a daily basis… But many are just, well, not.

I often hear from Mums who have the very best intentions, but simply struggle to think of what to feed their kids every day. They don’t know where to start, cannot see how to combine their own meal choices with child-friendly options, & so resort time after time to the same, boring stand-bys. Don’t panic if he/she isn’t interested today – stand your ground & leave it till tomorrow – nobody’s going to starve overnight!

These posts are for you. Have confidence! Take a few ideas  & guidelines, & go with it. It’s not rocket science  & children are really very easy to please – provided you don’t pass on any hang-ups!  – They love to get involved with preparing & making food, they don’t care if it goes wrong, & if you are relaxed & keen to try new things, then so will they be.

Mealtimes should not be battlegrounds, & many issues & problems with weight & food in later life stem from a stressful or unhappy relationship with food as a child. A parent’s preoccupation with fat, calories or body image is all too easily passed on to her child – so try to make the relationship with food in your home a happy one!

Remember, food is not the enemy, it’s just food. Make it the good stuff , relax & enjoy discovering it & eating it WITH your children. Good luck !!

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