Belly After Baby

Healthier_Me

Can C-Sections Lead to Fatter Midsections?
by Martica Heaner, M.A., M.Ed., for MSN Health & Fitness


Q: It’s been six years since my first C-section and two years since my second. I’ve had a hard time getting the weight off from my recent pregnancy—especially around my middle. I'm 27 years old, 5-foot-8 and weigh 197 pounds.

What am I doing wrong? I eat 1,500 to 1,600 calories a day, walk on my treadmill at 3.2 mph every day for at least an hour, and strength-train three to four times a week. I recently quit smoking and am using an IUD now. Could these factors be keeping me fat? I'm so desperate that I'm considering a tummy tuck.

A: A tummy tuck won’t solve your problem if you don’t get to the root of what’s keeping you overweight. It’s not always easy to pinpoint why it can be difficult to lose weight because so many factors can play a role.

You don’t mention how many pounds you gained with each pregnancy, but the amount of weight a woman gains seems to be the biggest predictor of how likely she is to retain extra weight afterward. A recent study in the International Journal of Obesity studied 563 women and found that those who gained 35 pounds or more were 2.5 times more likely to retain extra weight one year after giving birth.

While research shows that hormonal contraceptives are not likely to lead to weight gain, you should discuss the possibility with your gynecologist. And while you’re there, ask to have your thyroid function tested. Low levels of thyroid hormones are common post-pregnancy and can lead to a gain in weight or an inability to take it off.

Quitting smoking does tend to be associated with weight gain, but regular exercise and healthy eating should offset that change.

On the surface, you seem to be doing plenty of exercise and controlling your portions. However, you are exercising at an extremely low intensity. So even though you are walking for an hour, your pace is slow—and that minimizes the number of calories you’re burning during each workout.

For example, at your weight you might burn around 400 calories walking at 3.2 mph. But if you picked up the pace to anywhere from 4.0 to 4.5 mph, you could burn from 600 to 750 calories in the same amount of time. Since you are 5-foot-8, your stride is most likely long enough to enable you to walk faster and take bigger steps. (If you’re not used to walking faster, you’ll need to work up to speedier paces gradually.)

Since weight loss comes from greater caloric expenditure per week, you may see better results from walking faster every time. Also, while weight training is great for getting stronger and firmer, it does burn fewer calories, especially if you use lighter weights. You might try cutting back your resistance sessions to two and tacking those extra minutes onto your walks to burn more calories. Or better yet, incorporate some new forms of cardio into your routine (cycling, elliptical trainer, step aerobics, dancing). Boosting your walking intensity by incorporating intervals of climbing, walk-springing and jogging may trigger better results, too.

As for your diet, you appear to be on a suitable low-calorie program. But you might be eating too little. And while that won’t make you gain weight, it may trigger your body to hold on to what it has. Especially if you increase your calorie burn, you should experiment with eating more healthy food so that you are fueling your energy needs. Check out my past column “Baby Pudge Won’t Budge”( http://health.msn.com/fitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100124393 ) for tips on monitoring how much you should eat.

http://health.msn.com/fitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100161445

Healthier_Me

Can C-Sections Lead to Fatter Midsections?
by Martica Heaner, M.A., M.Ed., for MSN Health & Fitness


Q: It’s been six years since my first C-section and two years since my second. I’ve had a hard time getting the weight off from my recent pregnancy—especially around my middle. I'm 27 years old, 5-foot-8 and weigh 197 pounds.

What am I doing wrong? I eat 1,500 to 1,600 calories a day, walk on my treadmill at 3.2 mph every day for at least an hour, and strength-train three to four times a week. I recently quit smoking and am using an IUD now. Could these factors be keeping me fat? I'm so desperate that I'm considering a tummy tuck.

A: A tummy tuck won’t solve your problem if you don’t get to the root of what’s keeping you overweight. It’s not always easy to pinpoint why it can be difficult to lose weight because so many factors can play a role.

You don’t mention how many pounds you gained with each pregnancy, but the amount of weight a woman gains seems to be the biggest predictor of how likely she is to retain extra weight afterward. A recent study in the International Journal of Obesity studied 563 women and found that those who gained 35 pounds or more were 2.5 times more likely to retain extra weight one year after giving birth.

While research shows that hormonal contraceptives are not likely to lead to weight gain, you should discuss the possibility with your gynecologist. And while you’re there, ask to have your thyroid function tested. Low levels of thyroid hormones are common post-pregnancy and can lead to a gain in weight or an inability to take it off.

Quitting smoking does tend to be associated with weight gain, but regular exercise and healthy eating should offset that change.

On the surface, you seem to be doing plenty of exercise and controlling your portions. However, you are exercising at an extremely low intensity. So even though you are walking for an hour, your pace is slow—and that minimizes the number of calories you’re burning during each workout.

For example, at your weight you might burn around 400 calories walking at 3.2 mph. But if you picked up the pace to anywhere from 4.0 to 4.5 mph, you could burn from 600 to 750 calories in the same amount of time. Since you are 5-foot-8, your stride is most likely long enough to enable you to walk faster and take bigger steps. (If you’re not used to walking faster, you’ll need to work up to speedier paces gradually.)

Since weight loss comes from greater caloric expenditure per week, you may see better results from walking faster every time. Also, while weight training is great for getting stronger and firmer, it does burn fewer calories, especially if you use lighter weights. You might try cutting back your resistance sessions to two and tacking those extra minutes onto your walks to burn more calories. Or better yet, incorporate some new forms of cardio into your routine (cycling, elliptical trainer, step aerobics, dancing). Boosting your walking intensity by incorporating intervals of climbing, walk-springing and jogging may trigger better results, too.

As for your diet, you appear to be on a suitable low-calorie program. But you might be eating too little. And while that won’t make you gain weight, it may trigger your body to hold on to what it has. Especially if you increase your calorie burn, you should experiment with eating more healthy food so that you are fueling your energy needs. Check out my past column “Baby Pudge Won’t Budge”( http://health.msn.com/fitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100124393 ) for tips on monitoring how much you should eat.

http://health.msn.com/fitness/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100161445