Biggest Loser Amy Wolff on Baby Weight - "I'm Not Dieting"
Categories: Bump Watch, Life & Style, Celeb Parenting
"I know I will get bigger, and I know I will have a lot of baby weight," she told ParentDish. "I know it won't be this huge, insurmountable thing. If I had gotten pregnant six months after the show, I would have been in the head space of worrying about my weight, and being really focused on that."
Reality TV Moms
Former Biggest Loser contestant Amy Wolff is expecting her first child in July with husband and co-contestant, Marty Wolff. "I feel like the luckiest pregnant girl ever."
Trae Patton, NBC
by Gabrielle Linzer
Think being a mother is hard? Try doing a decent job with a full camera crew under your feet 24/7. Some mothers have chosen to put their lives on display for the world to revere or condemn. Here, we provide a run-down of some of reality TV's best known mommas.
AP | Getty Images | FilmMagic | Getty Images
Michelle Duggar
This 2004 Arkansas "Young Mother of the Year" doesn't believe in birth control, and it shows. Michelle Duggar is set to give birth to her 18th child in 2009 according to Discovery Health, which may prompt TLC to change her show's name to "18 Kids and Counting"!
Beth Hall, AP
Amy Roloff
Amy Roloff may be little, but as you can see on "Little People, Big World," she has a huge heart. As the backbone of a half little, half average height family, Roloff encourages her average height children to succeed, but also commiserates with the struggles of her little son, Zach.
Thos Robinson, Getty Images
Kate Gosselin
Kate Gosselin didn't set out to create a family of eight, but her genes had other plans. Managing her set of twins and sextuplets with ease, this model mother makes having eight children look manageable, and maybe even a little bit fun.
Amy Sussman, Getty Images
Denise Richards
We've been hearing about Denise Richards and Charlie Sheen drama in the tabloids for years, but when Richards decided to get her own reality TV show, we learned she wasn't kidding when she claimed "It's Complicated." Between her messy, public divorce, raising her children and maintaining her status as a sex symbol, Richards' life is certainly more dramatic than the average mom.
Jason LaVeris, FilmMagic
NeNe Leakes
Arguably the most popular housewife in Atlanta, it's not surprising that NeNe Leakes upstages her two sons with social drama and her outspoken personality, Despite her magnetism to controversy, Leakes told Essence she still makes time to help others through her organization, "The Twisted Hearts Foundation," which promotes knowledge about domestic violence in the community.
Bravo
Tori Spelling
Although she was often upstaged by her late pug Mimi La Rue in the past, Spelling is a force to reckon with as she pursued entrepreneurship and stayed in the spotlight all while eight months pregnant with her second child, Stella. Now, as a mother of two back in L.A., Spelling continues to take on Hollywood at full steam with her role on the newly renewed 90210 series.
Chris Polk, FilmMagic
Mommy Meerkat
These moms are wilder than most of the other matriarchs on reality TV, but they manage their families with the same loving care. Dominant female Flower rose to power and led her pack, the Whiskers, for more than five years. These tough mommas are experts at multi-tasking, as they are filmed foraging, caring for their young and fiercely battling enemies to protect the pack.
Animal Planet
Renee Wilson
Appeared on "The Biggest Loser" with daughter Michelle Aguilar. Renee, 47, lost 45 pounds in seven weeks. "She was the quintessential yo-yo dieter," Michelle, 27, told "Prevention." Luckily the mother-daughter team was able to use familial motivation to break their old habits and start living a healthier lifestyle.
Trae Patton, NBC Photo
Wolff says she now puts her attention on how her body feels, and not on the number on the scale. Before she got pregnant, this 5-foot, 10-inch blond beauty weighed in around 154 pounds. But get this: When asked how much weight she's gained during the 15 weeks of her pregnancy, she didn't know.
"I know I've already gained more that I thought I would, but I'm less focused on the scale than on how I feel," the mom-to-be says. Weight gain, from a pregnancy or otherwise, is not "insurmountable." That is the single most important lesson she learned from the show (The Biggest Loser: Couples is now on Tuesdays at 8 p.m. EST on NBC).Wolff is unique in that viewpoint, considering that a recent Babycenter survey reveals that more than more than half of the 7,000 women who responded to the poll are unhappy with their post-partum body, and that many of them are still carrying extra pounds by the baby's first birthday.
Wolff is also quick to point out that she is not dieting: "I definitely classify it as healthy eating, not dieting," she adds. She also continues to work out, and tells us that exercise is the linchpin of any healthy lifestyle.
She is, however, cutting back on her workout routine, which used to consist of one to two hours of exercise every day. Now she goes to the gym when she "feels up to it," listening to her body and taking cues from the baby in her belly.
So just what cues does that baby give? Does it want pickles? Ice cream? Late night Taco Bell runs? Nope. It's bread and crackers for this mama. "I haven't really had any cravings, but I have added more carbs into my diet," Wolff says. "I am used to eating a very high-protein, low-carb diet, but now I am definitely eating my pastas and crackers."
As for advice for moms who want to lose that baby fat, Wolff strongly advocates exercise. As a certified trainer, she's more than qualified to dish out the tips for pregnancy work-outs:
Put yourself first: No question -- babies can take over your life. All that feeding and diaper changing can sap a new mom of her energy, and her time. But Wolff says the worst thing you can do is forget to take care of yourself. "Putting yourself at the top of your to-do list is an important thing," she says.
Start slow: If you are just beginning an exercise program, take it slow, advises Wolff. Take very slow walks around the neighborhood, or use a treadmill at a gentle pace. Swimming and yoga are also great, low-impact options.
As you were: Do you hit the gym every day? Then go ahead and keep on keepin' on, Wolff says. There's no need to cut back on your work-outs unless your doctor tells you to. You might want to put that marathon on the back burner, but there's no reason you can't stick to a regular schedule of an hour of exercise every other day.
Listen to your body: Does your body want ice cream? Get your butt to Dairy Queen. But don't buy a gallon and have it for dinner. Stick to a healthy eating routine, and eat when you're hungry. Keep your metabolism on an even keel by not over-eating. Remember, it's all about how you feel, and not how you look.
There you have it, folks. Sounds easy, right? The hard part is always turning intentions into action.
So tell us -- what did you do to lose your baby weight, or are you still struggling with your post-baby body image?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Melissa 1-22-2009 @ 5:17PM
I was a little overweight when I got pregnant, and it took me awhile to lose those extra lbs. My child is almost 3, and I amhappy to say, I am actually thinner than I was pre-pregnancy! But it took me a long time. I just recently started working out again on a pretty regular basis (that time of the month, when I don't want to get out of bed for anything, yeah I will slack off). So if you have time, yeah, great work out, eat right, and blah blah blah....but don't do it for other people! Do it for yourself! That's when I started doing well, because to me, food was like my drug, and I couldn't give it all up until I was ready. When I decided to be better for myself, and be the "hot mama" (lol) I know I am, I did great!
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getfiteatright 1-23-2009 @ 7:54AM
great tips - listening to my clients the #1 thing they mention is that they need support and a sense of community - a place they can go and be themselves and talk about things they might not even talk to about with their ob gyn - a lot of them meet up online at
http://www.freeonlinegym.com
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Jess 1-23-2009 @ 8:45AM
I gained 35 pounds when I had my baby and though I am a vain woman and was on a diet always...when you are pregnant, it is not about you. It is feeding yourself healthy foods so that your baby is nurtured. I ate donuts (too much) but mostly healthy stuff and ate what I craved. I did exercise in the form of walking. I wore smartsole exercise insoles which were cushy, comfy and increase your circulation. I still wear them now as they help you to burn more calories with every step. http://www.smartsole.com I had read about them in a Prevention mag article on walking.
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nahrx 1-23-2009 @ 9:38AM
Moderation, moderation, moderation. Just watch what you eat. Having been a fat @#$, I know that eating just about anything in moderation is okay. It comes down to knowing when to stop. It is much easier to eat just a small portion of something than to try and lose the weight from overindulging. I know what it's like to try and lose weight. I lost 47 pounds in 6 weeks using the Rapidthin diet at www.rapidthin.com. Good luck to all. Use what works for you.
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Katie 1-23-2009 @ 9:40AM
I gained 41 pounds with my first (and so far only) pregnancy. I have always been self consious of my weight and almost immediatly after giving birth I was thinking of how to lose the weight. I started walking 3 days after she was born and by 3 weeks I was jogging on the treadmill. After about 6 weeks I started using the Biggest Loser DVD's. I lost all my weight by 8-9 weeks and am now thinner than before. My advice would be to not wait to start getting your body back. Trust me it is a lot easier in the beginning when the baby sleeps a lot and such, than it is when they become mobile.
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LauraY 1-23-2009 @ 10:51AM
My brother and sister-law were told several years ago that most likely they would never have children. Infertility treatment was even unsuccessful. The only conclusion the doctors could draw was that it was my sis-inlaws weight problem. Last year our local televison station held a Mid-Michigan's Biggest Loser Competition styled after the regular show. My sis-inlaw submitted her application and reason for wanting to be on the show and was chosen out of 100's to be one of the participants.
The competiton ended in November of 2007, and though she wasn't the "Biggest Loser" (took 3rd) she and my brother are the Biggest Winners! Their baby boy was born in October of 2008.
She did gain some of the weight back but I'm proud to say she is doing great at taking it back off. The secret was to keep on with the new lifestyle she learned from the show. Healthy eating and exercise...... it works!
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Emily M 1-23-2009 @ 12:52PM
I was at my lowest weight ever when I got pregnant since, at 24, I was through with the stress of college and had gotten into an eating routine at work. I was really intune with my body and instinctively knew when it was ok to indulge a little and when I'd gone a little overboard. Throughout my pregnancy I only gained the recommended 25 lbs., but my focus wasn't on the scale - in fact, I made a point to only weigh in at the doctor's office. I was eating constantly, but because they were mostly healthy foods and eating a little bit all throughout the day keeps your metabolism going, I never felt ginormous. It's so important to know your body and what it takes for you to feel your best. Nursing postpartum has helped tremendously: within a month I was back in my skinny jeans and by 2 months I was just about at my prepregnancy weight. The key was 1) nursing and 2) tons of emotional support from my family. I was happy and able to focus on my baby and bask in this new love, so weight loss/gain went on the backburner. Now I've made it my focus to tone and strengthen so that when I've got grandbabies running around, I'll be able to chase after and hold them, too:)
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