Likely one of the most common New Year's resolutions is to lose weight. After pregnancy, many mothers find that they have unwanted pregnancy pounds.
I have not made a New Year's resolution in quite some time. Maybe you could call me a skeptic. I don't want to make a resolution I can't stick to.
Losing weight seems to be one of the most common New Year's resolutions, along with giving up smoking or coffee or other habits folks try to break. After pregnancy I remember feeling very unhappy with my body and concerned it would never go back to the way it had been before I was pregnant.
I have never in my life been a size two, but I also gained a substantial amount of weight each time - 45 pounds with my first and 42 pounds with my second. It was daunting to think about trying to lose all of that weight right away in order to get back into my pre-pregnancy clothes. In fact I can only remember one friend who actually lost all of her weight after giving birth.
This is one of the reasons why I began to think about New Year's coming up and what I would be thinking about if I had just had a baby. Losing pregnancy weight would likely be at the top of my list and even if it might not be a resolution, it would certainly be a worthy goal.
My article on How to Lose Weight after Pregnancy includes very easy ideas that almost everyone could try and continue. They are things that have worked for me as well as friends I know and they don't require major changes in your diet.
I will admit to you my personal feelings regarding "diets" that come and go. I hate them. They often involve cutting out certain food groups or dramatically altering your diet. I have not known anyone who has gone on a radical "no carb" diet, for example, whose health has improved and who has kept the weight off. It is well-known that yo-yo dieting and up and down weight loss and gain is dangerous.
What do you all think about dieting - pregnant or not? Is anyone planning on losing weight in '07? Any other ideas about easy ways to do that? Share them on our discussion boards. :)
Happy New Year and see you all in 2007!
Warmly,
Brenda
