There is so much pressure on women from advertising, magazines, TV programs and society in general to keep weight at the bottom end of the scale.
Women who have just had babies do not need this kind of pressure. It is only natural to gain weight during and after pregnancy. During this busy and very tiring time, I believe women should be pampered and looked after — not put under pressure to immediately try to lose weight.
Dieting and vigorous exercise can have a detrimental effect on conceiving. If you are badly off nutritionally, you will have difficulty getting pregnant. Ideally, a woman should eat a healthy, balanced diet in preparation three months before she conceives.
Pregnancy is not a time to eat as much as you like, but a time to eat for two only in terms of quality, so that the baby gets all the nutrients it needs, ensuring that both mother and baby are healthy.
The period after pregnancy can be a stressful time for new mothers enduring the pressures of society to keep their weight down. The clothes you wore before pregnancy may not fit and not everyone can afford to buy new clothes. My advice would be to enjoy this special time and do not let fashion pressure dictate how you should look. After all, babies are only small for a short while. If you feel able to breast feed this will help you lose weight and it is so good for the baby. Your body has just produced a beautiful baby; common sense dictates that you don’t repay your body by putting it on a crash diet. Eat a varied diet that contains adequate amounts of energy and nutrients and drink plenty of water.
Recipe of the week
Easy pasta with tomato sauce
(My recipes are intended provide healthy meals for the whole family to enjoy)
Serves 6
Ingredients
3 tsp. olive oil
1 large onion, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups chopped, diced tomatoes
3 tbsp freshly chopped basil
1/2 cup chicken stock
salt to taste
freshly ground black pepper
450 g pasta
Method
Add the olive oil and onions to a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cook the onions for about 5 minutes until they turn golden, then add the garlic, and cook until the garlic begins to soften. Add the tomatoes, basil, and stock and simmer for about 5 minutes for the flavors to blend. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes. Drain. Transfer the pasta to a warm bowl and serve with the sauce.
Ask Alva
Three months ago I started to change all my eating habits into healthy ones, more water, more fruit and vegetables, and very little oil in preparing food. I also eat all grain bread and cereals, and I exercise everyday for 20-30 minutes. My calorie intake is between 1,000-1,100 a day and I lost 6 kilograms but still I need to lose 5-7 kg. Especially because my body shape isn’t coordinated (my height is 165 cm. and 64 kg. now). My weight has remained constant for 2 weeks now, so what can I do to continue losing weight? — Manal
Your current calories intake is absolutely ideal but you sound as though you may have been on a low-calorie diet that is too low. These rigid low-calorie diets do not work in the long term because they slow down your metabolism, which is the rate at which your body burns up calories. Your body feels there is a famine and reacts by slowing down the metabolism so you burn fewer calories. This is the result of crash dieting -— the body feels under stress. Also I have to point out that you are not actually overweight. Your BMI measurement is 23 and that is a very healthy weight for a woman of your size. This means that your present weight may actually suit your body type, and you may find it tough to lose another 5 kilos. It sounds as though you have your exercise well under control too but it may be that you require an all-over toning program such as my Mini-Morning Workout. Mail me at [email protected] for a free copy. — Alva