Archive for February, 2009

Eating Out Can Be Healthy Too!

Thursday, February 26th, 2009

An hour or so before eating out, it’s a good idea to drink a couple of glasses of water and then 30 minutes before you go, have a small snack. How about a small sandwich with some lean ham and a little Edam cheese, for example?

These simple steps will take the edge off your appetite and slow the absorption of any alcohol into the bloodstream. Alcohol is an appetite stimulant and if you’re ravenous when you arrive at the restaurant, it’s harder to make healthy food choices. Remember, you’re not on a diet or dieting, just making better choices!

If snacks are on offer, avoid the crisps and fried snacks. A few nuts or olives are a good choice, or better still, look for vegetables, such as celery sticks or small tomatoes. Give any creamy dips a miss too if you can.

Take your time choosing from the menu and don’t feel swayed by what others are ordering. Look for tasty dishes with plenty of green vegetables or salads and avoid anything fried, with cream or rich sauces. Avoid dressings, other than olive oil. Drizzle this over greens or salads with some salt and pepper - it’s delicious and very healthy!

If you fancy an alcoholic drink, try a glass of wine (preferably red) and at least two glasses of still water for every one of wine. This will ensure that you stay hydrated and also fill you up. A small glass of dry cider is another suitable alcoholic option.

Diet carbonated drinks are little better than the standard versions for promoting healthy weight-loss as they contain additives and artificial sweeteners. Try orange juice (not squash) mixed with still or sparking water and a slice of orange - a refreshing and healthy choice.

For desert, look for fresh fruit salad (no cream), sorbet or a small portion of lower fat cheese, rather than a traditional sweet or pudding.

When going out with the children, it’s best to suggest somewhere other than a fast-food restaurant and don’t be tempted to finish their leftovers. Look for a restaurant with a variety of healthy foods on offer, especially those where you can find lean protein, such as fish without batter or coatings.

If you have the opportunity to look at the menu before going out, this will enable you to make a more relaxed and informed choice. Many restaurants publish their menus on-line or call them and ask to see the menu a day or two beforehand.

You really can say ByeBye to that Baby Belly while enjoying nutritious and healthy meals out and about. No diet required after pregnancy - just good information and the right choices.

Email Lynn@byebyebabybelly.com to join our brand new coaching programme. Great results for a lot less than you’d think.

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ByeBye Baby Blues

Thursday, February 26th, 2009

Hello, it’s Lynn,

Having a baby is exhilarating as well as exhausting. After giving birth, many women encounter what is commonly known as the “baby blues”. Sometimes you may feel weepy or moody.

When I began to feel like this, I couldn’t make any sense of it. After all, I had a wonderful home, a supportive partner and now a beautiful new baby. So what on earth was I crying about?

I discovered that the “baby blues” are linked to hormonal changes. Three to four days after having your baby, hormones dissipate and milk production kicks in. Some women can feel a sense of emotional anti-climax after the birth. I remember feeling a huge sense of uncertainty when I left the hospital, knowing that I was now out in the big wide world with my baby.

These feelings are very common and can affect up to 60 to 80% of new mums.

The good news is that the feelings only usually last a few days. The “baby blues” is not an illness. All that you usually need is reassurance that you are a great mummy, lots of support from family and friends, rest when you can, and a little time to yourself.

How can partners, friends and family help? Reassurance that how you feel is perfectly normal really helps. Of course you’re emotional, you’ve just given birth and are experiencing lots of emotions. You may be unsure of yourself and your ability to cope with your new responsibilities.

Cry, if you need to; it really can help. Ask your partner, friends and family to reassure you; to say what a great mummy you are and how well you are doing. Remember to reassure yourself as well.

Ask for help in the home so that when your baby is asleep, you can sleep too. Ask someone else to make dinner, so that you can just relax and enjoy the meal.

The best thing others can do is let you know that they are there for you at all times and to make you feel safe and loved. One of the most wonderful things anyone else can do is to “nurture the nurturer”.

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Something Magical Happens When You Learn From The Success Of Others

Tuesday, February 17th, 2009

Something magical happens when you learn from the success of others. To become truly successful in pretty-much any area of life, it’s important to surround yourself with people who are already successful. This is particularly true for weight loss. No doubt you’ve found that almost everyone has an opinion on the subject. However, take only the advice of others who look lean, fit and healthy themselves and whom you know to be knowledgeable about weight loss, health and fitness.

Surround yourself with winners and copy those who are already getting great results. If your goal is to weigh 140lb or 10 stone by eating healthily and leading an energy-rich life, then seek out other Mums and families who also live a healthy lifestyle.

Find out what they eat and drink, spend their time doing and what motivates them. Consistently spending time with people who just talk about getting in shape but never take persistent action, or who just criticise your ideas and efforts, won’t make it easier for you to say bye-bye to your baby belly.

Get a Buddy or a Coach to help. With a Buddy or Coach rooting for you (and holding you accountable for results), it is much easier to stick with the small daily changes that you need to make.

Permanent weight loss involves unlearning some existing patterns or habits. What got you here, won’t get you there and life has a nasty habit of getting in the way. So try to find a Buddy with similar weight-loss goals; another Mum or a friend is ideal. Set goals and rewards together and make sure that you celebrate each others’ successes.

Focus on the results you’re seeking, not the process of getting there. When the alarm goes off at 6.15am, don’t focus on the process of getting out of a warm bed to exercise before breakfast. Instead, focus on how great you’re going to feel for the rest of the day after you’ve exercised and the great way your body will soon be looking and feeling.


Get another Mum as a Coach. Working with someone who has successfully implemented healthy lifestyle choices is a great way of accelerating progress. It also helps having someone to whom you make commitments and who will support you in delivering against those commitments.

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Don’t Delay: Lose Your Baby Belly Now!

Tuesday, February 17th, 2009

Mums can expect to gain between 25 and 30lbs during pregnancy. Approximately 8lbs of this gained weight comes from stored fat and other nutrients. These are built up naturally in order to nurture and feed the new baby. However, problems can arise when eating habits formed before and during pregnancy carry on after the baby arrives.

Many Mums have cravings during pregnancy and, quite reasonably, feel the need to eat for two. It’s easy for the stomach to expand in size as a result of eating more during pregnancy. Having increased in size, more food is needed to feel full. If the stomach remains enlarged, this challenge can continue after the baby is born and the extra pounds may become stones.

To avoid feeling hungry, it’s important that the stomach gradually reduces in size. Here are some simple tips to reduce the size of your stomach safely and naturally after pregnancy.

1. Strengthen tummy muscles gradually. It’s not advisable to get straight into situps. These risk injury to the lower back and can also result in long term “doming” of the stomach. Pelvic tilts are the best way to start. These are subtle, exercises that slowly strengthen the abdominal muscles. These exercises realign and strengthen the muscles without risking long-term damage. For a great demonstration of how to do pelvic tilts, visit this excellent website

2. Plan your meals and snacks for optimal nutrition. Getting the right levels of fibre protein, carbohydrates and vegetables, minerals and nutrients speeds up fat loss. Good nutrition helps you feel more energetic as well as look great. It also enables calories to be burned faster.

3. Slowly increase the amount of physical activity you engage in each day. Your body is primed for weight loss between months two and nine after giving birth and will naturally seek to move back to previous weight levels. A regular daily walk, pushing your baby is a great way to get started. Even 10 minutes a day will help.

4. Many women feel an urge to drink alcohol again after pregnancy. After breast-feeding stops, the occasional glass is fine, though more than this will impact your efforts to lose the baby belly. Make sure that you are properly hydrated by drinking 2-3 litres of filtered water each day (but don’t drink more than this).

5. Eat plenty of green vegetables and as little processed food as possible. Fresh live foods will reduce toxin levels, enabling you to add vitality and feel more energetic.  Skin tone, eyes, hair and nails will improve this way. You’ll lose weight by becoming healthier – always the best approach.

The ByeBye BabyBelly Program contains a practical and easy to follow plan to help you lose the baby belly, quickly and naturally.  Visit www.ByeByeBabyBelly.com and download the comprehensive program now, even if it’s 2am!

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Don’t Diet, Lose Your “Baby Belly” Naturally And Easily After Pregnancy

Sunday, February 8th, 2009

Many women find it difficult to lose their baby belly after pregnancy.  A few pounds here and there soon become a stone and none of the “Busy New Mum” stuff seems to shift it. Diets rarely work after pregnancy and are often unhealthy for you and your baby.

It doesn’t have to be this way, with some small, simple changes to daily eating habits. No “crash” diet needed.  Day by day, these changes will soon enable you to say “ByeBye BabyBelly”. Here are a few top tips; put them into practice today and feel the difference.  Expect others to notice too!

No more than 30% of your total daily food intake should come from fats and these should be healthy (not saturated) fats wherever possible. Healthy fats fill you up and add vitality.

Tips for reduced and healthy fat intake:-
1. Replace full-fat milk with skimmed, semi-skimmed or better still, soya milk
2. Use monounsaturated margarine spreads and do so sparingly
3. If you’re using a low-fat mayonnaise in a sandwich, don’t use margarine as well
4. Don’t fry. Instead, steam, grill or poach.  If you must fry, use olive oil in small quantities
5. Avoid take-aways.  Make your own easy pizzas, using a pre-made base and healthy toppings.  Kids love adding their own toppings!
6. Cut off surplus fat from meat and poultry.  Always eat your protein lean
7. Always remove the skin from poultry - that’s where most of the fat is
8. Use Quorn or other soya substitutes for meat, whenever you can.  Soya is 40% protein and very low in fat (around 3%).  It tastes great too!
9. Limit your consumption of hard and full fat cheese. Edam is a tasty lower-fat option
10. Eat 3-5 portions of oily fish a week - salmon and mackerel are ideal.

Portion Sizes
It’s easy to eat more than you really need (careful with the childrens’ leftovers!). The chances are you won’t feel any fuller and will simply put on extra weight. As a guide, your plate should compromise one-half vegetables, one-quarter protein and one-quarter carbohydrates.

A healthy single helping could consist of:
- cooked rice, couscous or pasta (fist-sized portion)
- meat, fish or poultry (palm-sized portion)
- raw vegetables 125g or 4oz
- cooked vegetables 60-70g (2-3oz)

Eat fruit in single portions such as a banana, apple, orange or pear.  Alternatively, try a handful of strawberries and cherries grapes, three plums, or four apricots.

Don’t combine fruit with other foods as these will make it harder to digest.

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