Want Your BC Body Back? Part 2.

Yo Max… Ask The Trainer!

Want your BC body back? There are no shortcuts! (Part 2.)

My last column was about women trying to get their BC (before children) bodies back. I received several emails about the column. Most were from women who said, in so many words, 'That's tough to hear, but I think honest'. I got one from a woman who asked, ‘Have you ever been pregnant before? If not, where do you get off making struggling new mothers feel like crap?’ That was never my intention but, as a writer/columnist, I fully expect to take some heat when I write about something controversial or of a sensitive nature.

Confused though this woman is, I thought the response below worthy of printing. Hopefully, I can make things more clear.

If you didn’t read the first column go to www.YoMaxFitness.com. It’s the most recent entry on the Articles & Columns page.



YoMax,

If I was Bummed in Conshohocken I’d still be bummed because there is no chance that I am getting up at 5, training for an hour every day, and strictly limiting sugar, alcohol and TV.  HOWEVER, I can give 40-45 minutes 5 days a week, and work really hard when I do that.  And, there are times that, while it’s not an excuse, I am going to miss my scheduled workouts.

If I was going to guess, Pamela has most of the following: a major type A personality, a lot of money, a nanny to watch her kids, a really supportive husband, family close by and a selfish streak. Pamela is a very rare individual and most people can’t (nor do they have the desire to) achieve this.  The problem with only presenting option A without giving the parameters for option B is that A is overwhelming.  So overwhelming that many people won’t even start.

My point is, and I don’t need to tell you this, start somewhere –but it’s not likely to be an hour a day for most people.  The message of it’s really hard work is loud and clear, but if that person doesn’t have the option of working quite that hard isn’t there a plan B?

Beth, Philadelphia



Yo Beth,

I'm not sure you fully understand what ‘Bummed’ was asking or considered her question literally – word for word.

Before I get into this, let me include part of what is posted on my Website at the top of the 'Yo Max' page where all of my columns are listed.

TOUGH LOVE...

‘Contrary to what we’ve always been told, getting in shape is NOT easy. It requires great discipline, consistent effort, and a willingness to change your lifestyle. I want my readers to feel confident that the information I provide is honest and straightforward. I will never paint a rosy picture just to make you feel better, but rather share my twenty years of experience as a personal fitness trainer in a way that I hope will help you gain a more realistic perspective. The truth, although sometimes harsh, is what I will always strive to provide’.

Here’s the thing, Beth. Bummed didn't ask, 'How do I lose those few extra pounds I put on since having my baby?' or ‘What exercises do you think are best to work on my sagging mid-section?', or ‘What big changes should I make to my diet to help get my old body back but still provide sufficient milk for breast feeding?’, or, for that matter, a question more like what I think you must have interpreted, such as, ‘How can I exercise with limited time (about 45 mins. per day), and get the most benefit - feel better, look better, have more energy, etc?'

What she asked was, 'How do I get my, ONCE FIT LOOKING, BC body back?' This is an entirely different question and a VERY TALL ORDER! If you read between the lines, it's clear that she was once 'Fit' and also that she wants to look 'Fit' again.

Your response to my column makes it seem as if I was telling someone interested in beginning a new exercise routine that it was pointless unless they could commit to becoming a world class athlete!?

OF COURSE, Bummed could and would benefit, perhaps immeasurably, from most any form of regular exercise. But, the question is, will she look the way she did before having her baby with out committing serious time and great effort? As I said, unless she's either very young, or genetically predisposed, No, she won’t. Period.

I base this statement on my experience working with new mothers (I'd guess as many as 100) over the past twenty years. They've all wanted their bodies back but less than 20% ever achieved that goal. Why? Because, for whatever reason, they didn't work hard enough.

Yes, this is about busy schedules, priorities, desire, lactating, Kcals in and Kcals out, stress, hormones, sleeping patterns, exercise science and exercise physiology.

It's not (necessarily), about a person’s character, lacking any discipline, being lazy and hopeless, not being willing to make sacrifices, or having zero dedication. They may well be very dedicated and strong in many aspects of their lives.

None of my clients who failed to regain their BC bodies were bad people. Quite the contrary, I enjoyed the company of those who 'failed' often more than the few who 'succeeded'. As you pointed out, the type 'A' personality that may well be required to achieve this goal does not always make a person fun to be around...

As for Pamela, she does, in fact, have some help - baby sitters and a woman who cleans her house once per week. But is that so unusual for a family of five with two working parents? Is she selfish? Well, that’s just silly. We’re all selfish and to do what she’s done definitely does require a certain commitment to the task and at a very high cost. But the reason she's been successful in regaining her physique, after each pregnancy, is due solely to the fact that she trains twice as hard as most other women would be willing to. Again, FOR WHATEVER REASON. It's that simple.

As for eating a diet that is low in Alcohol, sugar and carbs and high in vegetables, lean proteins and water, I say BIG DEAL! That's the way we should all eat anyway! That's just basic nutritional common sense and I have little sympathy for anyone who complains about their body, woman or man, postnatal or not, if they're unwilling to eat well.

My whole point is that the process of getting your body back to the way it looked before nine months of pregnancy, delivering a baby, and breast feeding, may be the hardest physical undertaking a woman will ever face.

Personally, I have a great deal of respect for mothers just for enduring the process but the reason that so few regain their pre pregnancy bodies is because it's a goal that often is just not possible, due to a combination of complex factors just described. It's a task few can tackle.

Please visit www.YoMaxFitness.com and email your question or comment regarding health, fitness or nutrition on the ‘Ask Max’ page.

Want your BC body Back? There are no short cuts!

Yo Max,

I had a baby 5 months ago and I’m freaking out that my once fit looking body seems like it will never be the same again! I read so many different and conflicting things about what I should do. Is there a tried and true answer or am I just gonna have to accept that my BC (before children) body is a thing of the past?

Bummed, Conshohocken.

Yo Bummed,

Congratulations on your new baby. It sounds like you’re both healthy and that’s a wonderful thing.

Like you, I spend a lot of time reading the latest theories and expert opinions on fitness and health issues. And you’re right; much of it seems confusing and conflicts with something published just days earlier - sometimes by the same person! The topic of postnatal recovery is no different.

The answer, in my opinion, isn’t what people want to hear. The truth is both sobering and presents a challenging scenario.

First, we have the factors of genetics and age. Both of these issues play a role but they can also be off set by a person’s lifestyle, exercise habits, and diet. By lifestyle, I mean how you spend your day. Do you live an active life or are you generally sedentary? By exercise, I mean do you exercise everyday for at least an hour? Do you really push it and workout intensely? Do you lift weights? And, by diet, I mean do you eat healthy foods like vegetables, fruits and grains, get sufficient amounts of lean protein and drink lots of water every day?

I ask these questions because unless you’re 20 years old, or have exceptional genetic gifts, this is what it takes to get your body back to where it was BC. Period.

I see women all the time training in the gym that are just going through the motions. They begin with about twenty minutes of walking on the treadmill, possibly breaking into a run for the last five. Then they lift weights that are much too light, with poor form and an attitude of ‘I can’t wait to get out of here’. At the end they lay down on the mat for a few sets of crunches that look more like rocking in a chair.

The thing is, if you want to see results, especially if you’ve just had a baby, you have to WORK A LOT HARDER. And that’s the part that people don’t want to hear.

I have a client named, Pamela. She’s 38. She had her first child at 30 and twins two years later. To look at her in a suit, business or bathing, you’d be more likely to guess she was a fitness model in her late twenties than the mother of three kids and approaching 40. Her looking fabulous is no accident. And although she’s blessed with good genetics – most of the credit for her still looking fit body is due to the fact that she busts her butt.

She gets up every day at about 5am and does between 60 and 90 minutes of intense cardio, either running on the treadmill, using the Elliptical, the Stairmaster, the bike or a combination of each. Then, she Strengths Trains, at a high intensity, 2 or 3 times a week for an hour with me or on her own. Through nothing but hard work, she’s gotten to the point where she can bang out 25 strict pushups, curl 50 lbs, and complete an abdominal routine that few men could even dream about. Pamela also manages to play as much golf and tennis as she possibly can, takes care of her three kids, manages a busy social calendar and is a practicing attorney. Her nutritional habits have also improved dramatically since we began working together two years ago. She now makes sure to eat several healthy small meals or snacks per day – things like nuts, fruit, seeds, salads, chicken, fish and eggs, and strictly limits her consumption of alcohol, excess carbs like bread, and sugar.

My point is, before you resign yourself to the idea that you’ll never have your BC body back, consider what it is, exactly, that you’re doing to get the results you want.

If you’re not working out every day and with real intensity, you could be doing more. And that difference is exactly what determines success or failure.

I understand that we’re all busy these days and this type of commitment might sound impossible but we all have the same hours in the day and days in the week. Pamela has just decided to make daily exercise an absolute priority. I’ll tell you one thing, the only time she ever watches TV is when she’s on the treadmill and I’ve never known her to have an excuse not to train – injured, stressed, super busy, exhausted or otherwise. Get cracking, stick with it, and good luck!

Please visit the all new www.FullCircleFitness.com and email your questions regarding health, fitness or nutrition to Max off of the ‘CONTACT US’ page!