Learning to lose baby weight fast after pregnancy isn’t a secret reserved for Hollywood A-listers like Jessica Alba and Halle Berry. It’s knowledge that top celebrity trainer Ramona Braganza is happy to share. Braganza helped celebrity stars Alba and Berry get back in front of the camera soon after giving birth to beautiful babies. Here’s the dish on how they did it. While these stellar moms can rely on expert help, the rest of us can adapt their routines for everyday life, Braganza says.
Jessica Alba embarked on a three-phase, three-month system to ease back into exercise after she gained 35 pounds during pregnancy with daughter Honor. Alba began strengthening her core muscles with 20-minute workouts at first and then built up to 40-minute sessions. The longer workouts included using light dumbbells as she moved through chest presses, triceps extensions, and squats, lunges, and jumps to build strength. included kickboxing and dance aerobics to burn fat
Her diet included three meals and two snacks, and while the plan called for at least one liter of water a day, Alba drank about two liters each day, said her trainer.
Alba ate fiber-rich whole grains, salads, and lean meats, and snacking on healthy protein, like low-fat string cheese for a total of about 1,700 calories each day. All that water helped ease hunger between meals and snacks while helping the breastfeeding mom maintain her milk supply.
Halle Berry gained 35 pounds with daughter Nahla but reclaimed her red-carpet figure within three and a half months after she started workouts. She began conservatively with cardio and stretching five days a week and soon included for hikes, jogs on the beach, kickboxing or yoga.
Berry mixed the calorie-burning cardio with free weights, planks and other core exercises. Toning trouble spots and getting the heart pumping called for combinations of squats, lunges, and jumps.
Keeping blood-sugar levels steady has always been important for managing Berry’s diabetes. She continued eating small meals every few hours. Avoiding foods laden with salt and fat also helped her lose weight. Homemade soups chock full of vegetables and beans as well as fish served with brown rice and leafy greens like kale or spinach.
How can new moms who want to regain their bodies adapt the stars’ routines? Trainer Braganza suggests starting by considering your living room as your in-home gym. Working out at home gives you the advantage of having your newborn nearby.
The only equipment you’ll need to buy are some dumbbells. Stacked pillows make an incline bench, and you can use the couch or a chair for triceps dips. A walk up and down the stairs gives you a cardio workout.
Any regular exercise is probably more realistic for new moms than trying to stick to a regimented program. Just getting back in the habit of exercising again is the important step. Schedule exercise in your day and make a standing appointment for your workout. Use your e-mail calendar to set dates for a walk during lunch or a stroll with your baby for 20 minutes every night.
Read More: Celebrity Secrets to Losing Baby Weight
