OK - Bounce back after baby like … Angelina Jolie - Pg 86

Fairly obviously, this article’s about how Santa Angelina got her fab bod back after having Shiloh. Her diet’s mainly credited - then later it’s slipped in that she worked out with Gunnar Peterson, one of the top celeb trainers in Hollywood. It mentions she avoided gaining too much weight while pregnant - only 10kg, which is in the “only what you need to gain for the baby” range. I think this is a really conservative estimate - I’ve just checked my information about training pre and post natal women, which says that 12.5kg is an average, and recommended weight gain during pregnancy. It also says “don’t dwell on weight gain unless excessive, encourage moderate exercise and healthy nutritious diet”. I like that advice much more than the crazy Hollywood version.

The expert quoted here advises “taking off around 9kg in four to six weeks”. This is unrealistic weight loss in anyone’s terms - 500g to 1kg a week is a safe, and maintainable weight loss. Telling anyone they should lose 9kg in six weeks is bad advice - unless you want them to feel like a failure, or go on some crazy diet/exercise program.

Somehow the last paragraph seems to negate everything else that’s said here, with the sentence “don’t get too hung up on the scales”. That’s after quoting kJ intake for breastfeeding mothers. Isn’t it enough to be dealing with a small baby, sleep deprivation and everything else that goes along with having a child? Angelina may have lost weight in an insanely quick period of time, but she doesn’t live a normal life. Also, the mention of following a low-carb diet yet again is silly. Eat plenty of carbs, just choose the right ones - and don’t always believe the hype.

Training pre and post natal women is one of my areas of expertise, so it disappoints me to read something that could negatively influence people’s idea of health and what’s expected of their bodies. Make sure when you read something like this that you investigate what’s said so you know it’s both true and safe. *

Woman’s Day - Mariska’s Post Baby Body - Page 30

All I can say is hooray for Mariska Hargitay - this article is everything the previous one isn’t. She gained 25kg while she was pregnant, and has lost all the extra weight by eating a sensible diet, breastfeeding, and taking a smart approach to her life. She also has realistic expectations about her body - her mother was Jayne Mansfield, so as she says, “I’m allowed to have curves”. If you’re looking for celebrity advice on losing post baby weight, check out this article, and go for the sane approach. ****
New Idea - Get Fit With Guy - Pg 96

This is an update of Guy Leech’s “extreme overhaul” of Dicko, which by this account is going well. What’s most interesting is in the bottom left corner - a list of different alcoholic drinks and ho, their kilojoule count, and how long they take to burn off. Some of the activities are a bit dodgy - washing the car maybe isn’t the most practical way to convert kJ’s - but when a Jim Beam and cola takes 25 mins of jogging to negate, it puts it into more user friendly terms.

A lot of people trying to lose weight forget about counting alcohol and focus just on the food. You could be packing on the equivalent of another huge meal just from a few beers after work - worthwhile (but boring) thinking about it. **

NW - Set your sites on a hot bod - Page 70

A whole bunch of websites that can help you in your quest to lose weight, and get support and information about health and fitness. Some of it is interesting, but some is a little too obsessive - entering what you’ve eaten, getting a breakdown of kJ’s, and what it’s made up of is a great way to send yourself mad. Try to eat sensibly, pack in heaps of fruit and veggies, and you won’t need a computer to tell you what’s going on. Sure it’s not as much fun, but why hang out in front of the computer when you could be burning off what you’ve eaten? **

This week’s weight related headlines:

Woman’s Day:

Libbi’s Hot New Shape. (Pg 31)
Selena’s joy - I’ve got my body back (Pg 82)
Kristin’s New Curves (Pg ?)

NW:

Proof! Brit’s Lipo Belly Ripples (Pg 28)
Diana Goes Bottoms Up (Pg 45)
Jorge’s A Smoothie (Pg ?)

OK

Kate’s New World (Pg 37)
Ricki Lee Gets In Shapes (Pg 46)
When the Chips are Down (Pg 48)