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The Diet Traps
Every New Mom Faces
By Sandra Gordon
You’re strolling with your baby regularly and
deskinning your chicken but you’ve still got
leftover pregnancy pounds that just won’t budge.
What’s going on? One possibility is that you’re
expecting too much too soon. “To get back to your
old weight, give yourself a year,” says Fran
Grossman, a registered dietitian at Mount Sinai
Medical Center in New York City. It can take that
long, especially if you’re not nursing and you
gained more than the recommended 25 to 35 pounds.
Still, if pregnancy weight lingers past your baby’s
first birthday, it’s time to look at your lifestyle
habits, says Grossman. For Ilise Kesslin, from
Riverdale, New York, her nemesis was deprivation
dieting. “I realized that when I restricted the food
I could eat, I binged later in the day on snacks,”
says Kesslin, who now eats whatever she wants, just
in smaller portions. As a result, she says, “I’m
skinnier than I was before my pregnancy.”
What’s preventing you from dropping the extra
weight? Here, we reveal ten common mommy diet traps.
The Trap: Having some just because it’s there. Your
mother-in-law always shows up on your doorstep with
one of her pies. The other mommies bring treats to
playgroup. You help yourself to bites from your
child s lunch or eat leftovers so they don’t go to
waste. “This is environmentally-induced eating,”
says Daniel C. Stettner, PhD, a weight management
psychologist in Troy, Michigan. You eat food just
because it’s there (not because you’re hungry) and
those calories add up fast.
Food Fix: To guard yourself against a “see-food”
diet, don’t keep edibles out in the open. If you
find yourself foraging in your cupboards when you’re
chatting on the phone, talk in another room. When
you’re out at mothers’ groups and birthday parties,
carry a water bottle so you can take a swig instead
of nibbling on something. “It serves as a reminder
that you’re doing something healthy,” says Stettner.
If someone gets pushy about asking you to sample her
food, avoid saying, “Well, I really shouldn’t,”
which implies that you want to be convinced.
Instead, suggests Stettner, repeat this concise yet
convincing phrase: “No thank you. I’m not hungry
right now.”
As for finishing up leftovers, make a mental note to
prepare less food next time. Meanwhile wrap them the
extras and put them in the refrigerator
immediately--or toss them. And rather than
mindlessly munching from a box of animal crackers at
snack time, have something that’s calorie-contained
by design, like a piece of fruit or yogurt.
The Trap: Eating when you’re tired. Fatigue-induced
eating is diet pitfall for all women, and
particularly for new moms. According to a National
Sleep Foundation poll, women reported eating more
than usual on days when they didn’t get enough
sleep. “In that compromised state, we often reach
for food, especially sweets, because we’re looking
for a quick energy boost,” says Joy Bauer, RD,
author of The 90/10 Weight Loss Plan (Griffin,
2003).
Food Fix: If you can’t take a catnap, activate your
day: pace when you talk on the phone, deliver a memo
in person instead of sending an e-mail, or go for a
stroll with your baby. “Exercise pulls glycogen--the
stored form of carbohydrate in the liver and
muscles--into your bloodstream, which can ultimately
make you feel more energized as your blood glucose
level rises,” explains Neva Cochran, RD, a nutrition
consultant in Dallas, Texas. Also, use this snacking
system, which acts as a kind of nibbling speed bump:
“Designate three low-calorie foods you’ll eat before
grabbing anything else,” advises Bauer, such as two
handfuls of baby carrots, a nonfat yogurt and a
30-calorie fudge pop. “When you’re on this system,
you’ll probably realize you’re not hungry after
all.”
The Trap: A kiddie food diet. If your family meals
are dictated by kids’ preferences for high-fat,
high-calorie, low-fiber foods, such as french fries,
it’s a sure route to weight gain for both you and
your children. “If they’re not good for you, these
foods are probably not good for your kids,” says
Cathy Nonas, RD, author of Outwit Your Weight
(Rodale, 2002).
Food Fix: Make healthier versions of kid classics.
Prepare macaroni and cheese with skim milk and
low-fat cheese, says Bauer. Serve baked-potato fries
or mashed potatoes made with skim milk or even sweet
potatoes; they’re loaded with disease-preventing
beta-carotene. Also, be vigilant about introducing
healthy, grown-up entrees like skinless chicken
breast, fish filets and lean beef or pork. Try to
prepare two vegetables for dinner each night (such
as salad and peas). “Studies show that women set the
pace for healthy eating in the family,” says Nonas.
“If Mom’s eating more vegetables, everyone in the
family will, too..”
The Trap: Multitasking meals: Whether it’s in front
of the TV or as you talk on the phone, munching
while doing something else is an easy way to inhale
calories mindlessly. Moreover, on-the-go-calories
can be dissatisfying on an emotional level; you may
not feel like you’ve eaten. Then, you’ll seek that
fulfillment by eating more later, says Stettner.
Food Fix: When you’re at home, schedule at least 20
minutes for eating – the time it takes for your
brain to get the message from your stomach that
you’re full – without the television on or a book in
front of you. The one exception to this is
breakfast. “Most people don’t overeat at that meal,”
says Bauer. So go ahead and eat your oatmeal while
watching your favorite morning news program. As for
on-the-go meals, like that nutrition bar you scarfed
down en route to the doctor’s office, acknowledge
them. “Say to yourself, “This is half of lunch,”
Bauer says.
The Trap: Not eating all day because you’re too
busy. But by dinner – look out! You’ll be eating
everything in sight. “Not eating all day is one of
the worst things you can do,” says Grossman. “To
compensate for the lack of fuel coming in, your
metabolism will slow down and you’ll burn fewer
calories.” You’ll also feel cranky and lethargic.
Grrr!
Food Fix: Grossman recommends not skipping meals –
no matter what. In fact, she suggests stoking the
fire by eating something every three hours. Of
course, with kids, this can be a challenge. One way
to manage the situation is to take advantage of
naptime. “I have my biggest meal – lunch – when the
kids are down,” says Ilise Kesslin. “It’s a calmer
meal, and I truly enjoy it because I’m not rushed.”
The Trap: Cooking calories. You’re probably cooking
more now than ever. And that means taste testing.
Beware: Generous bites of mashed potatoes with a
wooden spoon can easily add up to one-fourth cup,
which translates into 50 unaccounted-for calories
and 2 grams of fat. That’s just one example. And
without realizing how much you’ve already eaten, you
sit down to dinner and have what you consider to be
a normal portion. Uh-oh.
Food Fix: To keep prep-time calories from adding up
to mini-meals, check seasoning with a teaspoon or
just the tip of your finger. If you’re starving
before dinner, have an appetizer, such as three
carrot sticks and two crackers with hummus, so
calories don’t get out of control. But, says Bauer,
be sure to say to yourself, “This is an appetizer,”
so the calories get logged into your mental tally.
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