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!