Everyone knows that women have it harder than men in the fat burning department to begin with… and if you’re a mom, chasing screaming little ones around the house all day long, you might as well forgo the thought of getting yourself in shape, at least until they’re all out of the nest… and if you’ve just given birth recently, well, just forget about your figure for a loonnnggg time – 9 months to grow a baby, another 9 months just to get your body back to normal… if everything ever “snaps” back at all…. right? Not so fast! In celebration of mothers day, I present to you, some of the “super moms” who have proven that none of these myths about motherhood and lack of fitness are actually true…
But first, Happy Mother’s Day to ALL Burn the Fat Blog-reading moms, all across the world! It’s a tough job, and well, we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for YOU!
We could fill pages and pages with our Burn the Fat “mommy” success stories and I’d like to especially congratulate ALL the Burn the Fat moms and wish you all an extra-special Happy Mother’s day.
What you will see below in this short post are just a handful of the women’s winners, finalists and success stories from our most recent Burn the Fat 49-day body transformation contests.
Looking at the before and after photos below, you’d be amazed even if these results took 4-6 months, but ALL of these extraordinary body transformations took place over a short period of only 7 weeks (49 days)… and yes, they are ALL Moms!
Rosine Simpson – Super Mom Gets “ripped!”
Rosine Simpson dropped what may seem like a modest amount of weight and body fat (down from 22% body fat to 18.7%). However, her before and after is stunning! The amount of new muscle definition is amazing! (the skinfold caliper test showed only 2 millimeters on the hip-bone pinch, so Rosine literally had almost no fat left there!
Rosine is a new mom, having given birth to her fourth child just 3.5 months prior to the Burn the Fat Challenge. Despite struggling with joint hypermobilty issues and painful sacroiliac joints following her last pregnancy, Rosine pressed her way onward right to the top 10 winner’s circle.
“I’ve learned more confidence, faith, and hope comes to us when we measure personal progress instead of comparing ourselves to others. A greater feeling of freedom and peace came as I decided to take more responsibility for my health. There is no magic solution for burning off excess fluff, building a stronger physique, or building a stronger mind. It just takes a proven plan, determination to succeed, a positive attitude and the endurance to ride out the highs AND lows of our experiences.”
Ali Finlay Of Australia Cuts Her Body Fat By 7.5%
and Drops 6.5 Inches Off Her Waist!
Ali Finlay gave birth to a baby girl just one month before the holiday challenge. An avid exerciser, Ali was already back to her pre-pregnancy weight by the start of the challenge. Her goal was to to end the challenge in better shape than before her pregnancy.
Using more weight training than she ever had before during the 49-day challenge, Ali dropped another 11 pounds and decreased her body fat percentage by 7.5%, while increasing her lean body mass by a pound and a half. Her waist measurement came down 6.5 inches and her hips came down 5 inches. Ali told us:
“During my pregnancy people told me, “it takes 40 weeks to put on the weight and it takes 40 weeks to take it off. I started the competition 4.5 weeks after birth and was already at my pre-pregnancy weight. My challenge was to be in my best shape ever. I’ve looked at so many before and after photos wondering if it really were possible. Lessons I learned along the way: I CAN transform myself in 49 days.”
Ali’s success strategies:
1) believing that change is possible in just 49 days
2) having powerful reasons to change
3) focusing on the now; one day, one workout, one meal at a time
4) reminding herself “it’s all worth it”
5) it’s not all or nothing
6) it’s simple, but not easy
7) roll with the punches.
Hannah Mauck Cut 6% body fat, shrunk her hips and thighs
and flattened her belly in 7 weeks!
I could say a lot about Hannah’s body transformation, but her photos speak for themselves – even the look on her face before and after says it all. Hannah cut 6% body fat and shed 12.2 lbs, almost all of it pure fat. By the way, did you know that on average, it takes most people 12 weeks to lose 6% in body fat percentage? She did it in 7 weeks.
Although Hannah’s body comp numbers show pure fat loss and not muscle gain, she sure looks more muscular doesn’t she? She has stripped away literally all of the fat to reveal beautiful muscle underneath, great overall body symmetry and an all-around TIGHT and TONED body! Now, the next time someone tells you muscles can’t be feminine, you show them Hannah, and then show them the free weights!
Oh, did I mention… Hannah is the mother of three children under the age of five, including a one-year old? I’m wondering how many moms feel motivated now?
and gained 2.1 lbs of muscle in 49 days!
Linda shredded 17 excess pounds, slashed her body fat 8.6% (down from 27.9% to 19.3%) added on 2.1 pounds of lean body mass, and flattened her belly – all in just 49 days.
Linda is a person who understands the importance of body composition versus body weight. Linda wrote:
“Becoming just a smaller version of myself just wasn’t good enough anymore. This time I was focusing on building and preserving lean muscle.”
THAT right there is the pure essence of Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle – keen insight and it paid off for Linda! (she WON the Holiday 2010 Burn the Fat challenge!)
A mom with a 6-year old daughter, her goal now is a triathlon… or maybe even a figure competition. I think either one is within her grasp!
Oh, and about the before snapshot, why the Santa cap and the red bikini out in the snow? Well, this was the Burn the Fat holiday (winter) challenge and Linda was showing some real holiday spirit!
Happy Mother’s Day to our Burn the Fat Champs! We salute you and congratulate you for your amazing achievements and we thank you for inspiring other moms all around the world!
And again, happy Mother’s Day to all our Burn the Fat Blog readers!
Keep on Burning!
– Tom Venuto
www.BurnTheFat.com
PS. Learn more about the 49-Day Body Transformation For Women: http://www.burnthefat.com/49_day_body_transformation_for_women.html
PS. Oh, and of course, Happy Mother’s Day TO MY MOM! (Because even if not another soul on Earth reads my web page, I know she will! Mom’s are the best, aren’t they!)
Images and content copyright Burn the Fat Blog. No reproduction permitted.
Happy Mother’s Day to all these mothers and congrats on looking so great.
Being a mommy is that easy,.. after giving birth will see to your body that you gain so much weight,..but having with a proper diet and exercise you will see that you are now much losing weight,,
Hi Tom, I have two kids 19years and 12years old and am 36years oldlady. I was wondering, Is that possible to get rid of the stretched skin from tummy and get nice toned tummy or not.I do have muscle underneath, i can feeL it but there is one layer of fat or skin about quarter to half inch is there to get rid of. thanks, I always read your blog. thanks again.
Hi kuljit, thanks for your post – if youre referring to loose skin after weight loss, you’ll find this article helpful: http://www.burnthefat.com/loose_skin.html
It is great to see mothers able to lose body fat and be so trimmed and toned so soon after childbirth
Dear Tom – I would love to participate in this programe but I live on a farm some 140km away from anny town and gym – how can I get results without gym equipment? Look forward to your response.
Naomi, don’t let that stop you! I worked out at home for this challenge. I have a little more equipment now than when I started, but you can do lots with just a simple weight bench and some dumbells. I got my first bench at the dump and dumbells at a garage sale. Second hand stores also usually carry alot of workout equipment so often you can get started for what one month would have cost at a gym.
Naomi, staying fit without a gym is very much possible, and people often overemphasize the necessity for gyms. You just need a set of unique workouts for your case. Do you have any friends or family who are into fitness? Having social reinforcement is huge, so because you are so distant from anyone it is best to get that reinforcement somewhere else.
Check out our social fitness network,theinterfit.com, hopefully it can help you :).
OMG Tom that was just what I needed to see, on the day after mothers day and on my 45th birthday. I have been struggling with that last bit of baby fat for five years now. today is a new day and time to kick it in gear
Thanks
Sue-Ellen repeta
Hi Tom. I’ve always loved your website and newsletter. I’m a mom of 2 and am getting back into shape after my baby was born 11 months ago. While certainly some moms might find the stories of “supermoms” inspiring, to be honest I found it a bit disturbing in some ways. While I believe that moms should take care of their health, some people have an unrealistic expectation that moms will do so quickly and easily after having babies, and the stories in this article were a reflection of that for me. I believe it’s important to mention that if someone is a nursing mom, they really need to be careful once they start an exercise and weight loss program, especially if they want to start it when their baby is not yet taking any solids. The amount of energy required to sustain one’s milk supply is at least 500 or more EXTRA calories a day than she would normally need to maintain her weight. If too many calories are used up with exercise or not taken in to begin with, there will be issues. More calories are required for some moms, such as those who had bigger babies like I did.
If moms are trying to “get ripped” instead, their baby may end up weaning quite quickly. While certainly I want to be healthy, I would never want to deprive my baby of this important start in life. Nursing moms need a minimum of 1500-1800 calories per day, sometimes more. I found I needed about 2000 the first 2-3 months, and then it decreased to 1500-1800 on average. I was still losing weight. Many find themselves famished in the first few months and during baby’s growth spurts.
Personally I found nothing wrong with how moms in the before pictures looked. I thought they looked great for just having had a baby. One of the after pictures was particularly disturbing to me, as while the mom had some serious muscle, she also looked way too thin. After having kids and especially nursing, our bodies are supposed to retain a percentage of fat to sustain our babies. I’d also never want moms to feel like they can and should do everything and quickly. Some babies also sleep a lot more than others. I was blessed with two particularly active and sleepless babies who met all their milestones early but were wakeful, and with few supports I do not have time to spend hours at the gym. I take brisk walks and work with my hand weights a few times a week. That and nursing has brought me down to my pre-pregnancy size. As moms we feel we have to do it all and some super fit moms really reflect the wrong image as far as I am concerned. My focus is on my baby especially the first few months, and on trying to get a couple of hours of sleep in a row if at all possible. I believe if a mom works consistently at eating well and getting a moderate activity level each day, she will lose weight and tone up. My husband also had a look at these pictures and he said to me that he prefers I look like a woman not a body building man. While women certainly can build muscle, we are made differently for a reason and I am happy being a woman and a mom, and a healthy one. No extremes one way or the other. However, if looking like a body builder is the goal of some moms, all the more power to them. I just wanted to make sure those of us who do not make it a priority do not feel bad and realize we are doing something important; providing care and sustenance to our babies during this crucial and special time. The rest will come with time.
Vicky, thanks for your comments, I do appreciate it your cautious perspective, though it was a bit of a buzzkill in a post written to celebrate and congratulate fit mothers. Keep in mind, some of these women were already exercising before their pregnancy, and none were obese to start with. Linda has a 6 year old, not an infant. Hannahs youngest of 3 was one year old. Many of these women are avid exercisers and I say more props to them for setting high standards and lofty goals.
The “ripped” comment was mine, not her “goal” it was how i described her level of leanness 49 days into her fitness program, quite a few months after giving birth. Nothing we do in our philosophy is extreme – in fact, we are the least extreme of the popular online programs in almost all areas regarding nutrition and training. Most moms are pretty smart about knowing their nutritional needs if they are breastfeeding and go to their physicians for advice.
Everyone is different both physically and mentally with regards to the value they place on health and fitness and the standards they have for physical appearance. Prudence? caution? common sense? Yes on all counts. But its an equal danger in my view, to carry a belief system that it’s not possible for new moms to get back in shape quickly after pregnancy, as I mentioned in the opening paragraph of my post.
You wrote:
“some super fit moms really reflect the wrong image as far as I am concerned.”
Well Im going to disagree with that statement and point out that its a matter of preference, prerogative and personal choice about how lean you want to be and this extends far beyond mothers and beyond women too.
The argument that some people are training too hard or are too lean to the point that its unhealthy is generally untrue. the world is fat and more likely to be unhealthy due to obesity and sedentary lifestyles not the reverse. While it can occasionally be true, as it applies to eating disorders for example, I think when highly fit people are criticized by others, those doing the criticizing ought to take a hard look in the mirror. I would never impose my body standards on other people and I expect the same respect in reverse
And of course, Consult a physician for exercise advice if you are pregnant or nursing
respectfully,
Tom V.
PS regarding your (and your husbands) comment about women looking like bodybuilders – none of these women are bodybuilders or look like bodybuilders. they are however, starting to look like figure athletes (or fitness competitors), and interestingly, whenever I ask female clients or members or readers what is their ideal body, I’d say the large majority of them clip a picture of a figure girl out of some place like Oxygen magazine. Again, everyone had different body goals and body ideals but our approach is that the skinny(skin and bone, no muscle) runway model looking body is NOT ideal, and the athlete look is what most people are after. Our approach – with real, serious weight training – and NO DEPRIVATION DIETING (“feed the muscle” dont starve it) – helps women achieve that
PPS. the greatest responsibility of a parent is to get and stay fit and healthy, so they can watch their children grow up, graduate, make their way in the world, get married, have kids of their own. I cant tell you the number of men and women who told me their “reason why” – their #1 motivation to get fit was to be there for their kids after a doctor told them they would die if they keep going down their old path. A baby is the reason TO get fit, not the reason not to.
I really don’t want to contribute to any controversy but just had to add that I am so inspired by the new mom’s fit and healthy physiques!
I don’t think they could have put on that beautiful muscle in too much of a deficit. I don’t know if they breast fed their babies, but I doubt that their desire to get fit played any role in that decision.
Also, I don’t know how many calories they were consuming, but mine averaged almost 2000 a day and I wasn’t nursing. Did I eat too much? Why are we assuming that they had less?
It is not necessary to spend hours at the gym for these transformations. Also, I don’t know if there are any studies, but I bet that on average moms that workout spend far less time primping in the am or in other activities that take time from baby than moms that do not!
I did not have BFFM and knew nothing about proper nutrition or exercise while my daughter was an infant so don’t know what I would have accomplished through a healthy plan while nursing. What I accomplished without terrified me. I packed on 15 pounds of pure fat a month until I wound up in emergency too dizzy to walk and at risk of having a stroke due to my high blood pressure. I was also depressed for the first and only time in my life and for the first few months was just going through motions of motherhood.
I am not proud of this and just admire those healthy, vibrant happy new moms so much!
You know what is really funny? I never once felt judged for my lifestyle or choices then, only after I started to eat clean, exercise and feel great?
Vicky, can I ask something? If you are not interested in lowering your fat% And or weight, and seen more interesting in breast feeding and baby car, why are you bogging here?
All my hurrahs!, and tons of cheers for all the ladies that are mothers, breastfeed, chase little ones (and sometimes no so little´s…) around, and that put themselves in an important place in their list of activities and priorities during the day. And as Tom says, if they are not ok and happy with themselves, it is very difficult to give happiness and joy to others…
I’m mother of 3, and breast fed them very long (12 month the shorter and 15 the longest), trying to eat well and exercing. In that time I didn’t knew Tom’s program, but I tried to eat nutritious and whole food. Of course as you are breastfeeding you are expending a lot of calories to raise the little other, and that is a big, big help. You can eat a lot of good and nutritious food, and also have more cheats meals or little regards as good dark chocolate, and continue to drops kilos and fat%. Now I’m here because I want to look and feel good and sexy, not only for the body, but for health. I want to be a role model for my kids also. With all the obesity now, it’s important that they learn how to properly eat and exercise. I’m also a food engineer and know a lot of food and all what they put in manufactured stuffs….I think that Tom’s approach is very healthy and of course in the beginning if you don’t have the time to exercise a lot, maybe is your time to exercise less, but to eat properly o f course!! Thanks Tom for all of you great advice and support.
Maria
Impressive before and after photos/stories. I especially liked reading where Ali Finlay said one of her success strategies for changing her body was “it’s simple, but not easy.” More people, both women and men, need to understand that it takes hard work to get and stay in good shape.
I think we all would like to thank your Mom, Tom, for giving us such a nice boy! Brains and brawn! Happy Mother’s Day to all the Mommies out there!
Wow! Great transformations! If this doesn’t motivate people then nothing will. I can’t wait to see my own transformation.
this is great for young wemen, Im 66 dont seem to have enough breath and energy, what do you think of HCG diet?
fay, we have women and men in their 50s and 60s doing remarkable things with their health and fitness. Its never never too late to start. Just start where you are, even if thats only enough breath and energy to walk a block. its a start.
HCG is complete garbage, a total scam: http://www.tomvenuto.com/asktom/HCG_diet_is_it_a_scam.shtml
Hi Tom,
I am a mother of a 3.5 year old and also am pregnant and expecting in August. I really dont think these stories are realistic to the majority of us, even fit mommas. I have been working out daily for over 10 years, I am a personal trainer and also a fitness instructor. I am continuing to teach my spin classes and lift weights pretty intensely even at 28 weeks pregnant, and my body, despite my efforts at eating clean, is packing on the weight and changing for the worst. The same happened when I got pregnant with my daughter, I gained 40lbs and it did take me 9 months to get back to my prepregnancy weight and another year to get my body composition where I wanted it to be.
Those who are able to drop fast, like the woman who lost all her weight in 4.5 weeks, are genetically advantaged in my opionion. In addition, I had a C-section, and my recovery time was much longer and I was unable to work out intensely to about 4 months post partum. Until then my workouts were much lighter in intensity.
I just wanted to say it would be nice to hear stories of real moms with stories more realistic than these examples you showed. It can be quite discouraging for some of us who dont experience the ease of post partum weight loss as those shown in your article, since the reality of it is, for many of us, the weight loss journey is a long process. Especially for those of us who choose to breastfeed, as I know I held onto 10lbs until I weaned, which at that point the weight just melted off.
Thanks again,
Mandy
Mandy, certainly… these ladies are special… they are winners and finalists in our contests… the best of the bunch…
on the other hand you know what they say:
“the harder you work, the better your genetics appear.”
best regards,
tom v.
Hey Tom! Well, Im going to be tracking my progress vigorously this time, so hopefully there will be another challenge this summer. During the duration of breastfeeding I plan on working to my genetic potential while trying not to compromise the milk supply, and hopefully by the time I wean I will be able to melt off the remainder!
Thanks for getting back to me. I have been trying to lose weight and belly fat for about 11/2 yrs now walking (till gasterl
intestental prob were embarsing and of course watching calorie intake Im at 1200 approx daily nothing happens! carido makes me short of breath and dizzy! Quit smoking 2 yrs ago this June 25th so what should I do to get at least some results?
please reply so I ma benifet from your knowledge Thanks Fay
Faye congrats on quitting smoking! That is a major achievement – fantastic. The first thing you MUST do is have your doctor check you out. Dizziness on exertion could be nothing, just getting accustomed to a new workout program, but dont take chances, check with your doc, tell him/her you experience not just shortness of breath but dizziness. Get your docs approval, see if you have any restrictions in terms of type of exercise, and see if your doc has any specific recommendations on type of exercise. Many people start their “cardio” workouts with nothing intense, just walking. you can slow it down or speed it up according to how you feel. The important thing for you is that you use “progression” in all your exercise. Start very very slow and within your capacity. It might not seem like much, but thats ok. Over time, slowly but surely increase the duration and the speed/intensity. The big mistake thats gets people – of all ages – discouraged, is that they dive in over their head with some “insane” workout, right from day one and it just destroys them physically, along with all their motivation to continue. The place to start, is right where you are, not where someone else is. so youre on the right track havin started walking, now its just a matter of gradually building up. Your next step then, with your docs approval, is to get into strength training and a great way to do that is with dumbbells, which you can even do at home and some body weight resistance exercises which you can also do at home. thats the type of simple but effective workout i wrote in the book the body fat solution. we’re proud of you for quitting smoking – keep up the healthy habits and the good work.
I own both of Tom’s books and I’m a member of his online community. I think this is a great article, and the photos are inspiring… except for Ali. I think she looks way too thin in the after pic. And I don’t particularly see much muscle tone on her. I understand that not everyone is going for the same look, but just thought I’d offer my opinion.
The rest of them look great, very healthy. I admire their discipline!
if youre going to be a critic, in this post that I made to congratulate, celebrate and appreciate the achievements of some real winners, then why dont you post your real name and your photos please, so our readers can critique you too (just their opinions). in the meantime, I offer you this classic piece of prose to consider:
It’s not the critic who counts, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or when the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions and spends himself in a worth cause; who at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who at the worst if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory or defeat. -Theodore Roosevelt
Tom, it seems that people’s responses here are hitting a nerve with you.
I don’t think it’s completely fair to imply that in order to express an opinion, one must be a paragon of fitness ones self, & willing to post revealing photos online. The fact is, you posted this article on a public blog, and by virtue of the comments section, invited readers to respond. People will respond, and it will not always be positive. (my own response was not all negative, it was mixed).
I don’t appear to be alone in my opinion that certain women profiled appear too thin. There is a fine line between healthy fat loss efforts and obsession which results in over-thinness. Everyone has to define that line for themselves, but everyone also has a right to an opinion on that subject – not just those who are models of physical perfection themselves. Especially on a public forum.
My intention was not to offend, and I’m sorry if I did so. I’m generally a fan of your work, but please know that many women are very sensitive to the “too thin” standard being represented in the media and online as ideal. It’s a loaded topic.
Again, I think the rest of the women look great, and I applaud their efforts. Not being a mother, I have no opinion to offer on the post-partum fat loss topic.
Ive always liked that quote, “Obsession is a word the lazy use to describe the dedicated.”
Of course, everyone is entitled to an opinion… (and anything civil and relevant to the topic will be published here, uncensored). Doesn’t make everyone right. quite the opposite. 97% of the people in the world are mired in mediocrity because of their own low standards and lack of belief in themselves and their ability to achieve great things
If someone is content with low fitness standards and an average body, that’s their prerogative. To me, as the great coach wooden once said, average means youre as close to the bottom as you are to the top and I dont like being anywhere near the bottom.
regarding the whole “too thin” thing… consider that in our programs and in our contests we judge and assess progress by BODY COMPOSITION. thats sets us totally apart from conventional mainstream diets. being thin or skinny is not our goal, Improving body composition is our goal – that often includes GAINING MUSCLE.
If someone loses pure fat, perhaps adds a little muscle in the process, Id be eager to hear how anyone can factually back up their assertion that such a body transformation constitutes “over-thin” or – especially – unhealthy.
I dont support “skinny” as a goal; i support “leaner”… stronger… fitter… healthier… and have been writing as such for years, as in this post dated 2007:
“scary skinny”
https://www.burnthefatblog.com/archives/2007/06/scary-skinny-tabloid-tell-alls.php
Im also not unaware of body image disorders across the board including among men and in my own field of bodybuilding. My eyes are wide open to the subject. Read this too:
muscle dysmorphia: Obsessed or dedicated:
http://www.bodybuildingsecrets.com/articles/muscle_dysmorphia_obsessed_or_dedicated.php
I will carry on and continue to support the women AND the men who dont want to settle for average but who want to be exceptionally fit and exceptionally lean – meaning fantastic body composition – NOT “skinny.”
frankly the ONE thing that hits a nerve is the fact that this was a mothers day post and a congratulatory article to some of our champs. NOT the time or place – in my opinion – to be critical or snarky
The trouble here is that people’s standard have slid into the gutter and what was considered obese is now called a bit over weight. Our perceptions about what is normal have become completely screwed up. I mean, we now have obese children. This was unheard of when I was growing up. Now it is common place and people debate it as normal. How often have you heard some idiot say that a girl is too skinny and that he wants a woman with some “meat on her”? Of course by meat, he really means fat. And then there is vanity sizing where a size 6 is really a 12 and a 32 waist measures 36. Being thin is normal, being fat is a pathology. Stop making excuses for your own lack of willpower and laziness and get moving, otherwise take responsibility for your failure and admit to yourself that you simple don’t care enough or want it enough to earn it.
After giving birth your body will gain extra weight,..but with a proper diet and exercise program you will see that you CAN lose the baby weight. These women are Inspiring!
There are a few things that get people riled up online. People have strong opinions about certain things. Tom, if you really want to cause a commotion, you could blog about circumcision. Another one you have stumbled into here is breastfeeding.
Not all women choose to breastfeed, and that in and of itself is cause for controversy. And then there are many common misconceptions about breastfeeding and weight loss, as well as the whole post-partum period. And then, everyone is different. Some women lose weight like crazy while breastfeeding, while other women can’t lose a pound (seriously, they ARE trying) until after they wean.
And THEN, every body is different. Some women are just naturally leaner, while other women tend to be curvier.
I think the important thing to take away from this article is that we shouldn’t make excuses for ourselves. Although results may differ from person to person, having a baby isn’t an excuse to eat crap; and before the baby’s born that’s very important–moreso after the baby’s born, if you’re nursing. Pregnancy and giving birth may be cause to modify the exercise routine, but there is always *something* you can do.
It is very easy to criticize others (and that is sometimes founded in jealousy) but the point here is to realize that excuses don’t get you anywhere. Our bodies were meant to create life, and that process doesn’t ruin us forever. It changes us, yes, but that is no excuse for giving up.
Thank you for your comment Katherine. I freely admit that i am no expert on breastfeeding and I refer my readers to their doctors and to my registered dietician colleagues when the subject comes up. Frankly, the topic didnt even enter my mind when i was posting these success stories. I was just posting success stories – to congratulate and, i had hoped – to inspire. The responses are interesting. thanks again for your feedback!
If you aren’t losing weight, you are eating too many calories, breast feeding or not, end of story. Breast feeding does not abrogate the laws of energy balance. To suggest otherwise would be to say that a breast feeding woman could not starve to death. There are no fat concentration camp victims. People always under estimate their intake and over estimate their activity level. The proof is in the results, it isn’t voodoo.
Are you a woman or a man? Because until you have been through the process, you have no idea. I recommend you brush up on a course on physiology and learn for yourself. There are a number of hormonal and physiological reasons why a woman’s body would want to hold onto bodyfat postpartum and while nursing. Many women report 10lbs melting off almost the instant they wean from the breast. Since breastmilk calories are produced from fat, it makes sense why this would occur.
So again, Id recommend you dont make such bold statements until you have all the facts. Yes, weight loss is definitely possible after a baby if the diet and exercise program are sound. In fact,I steadily lost weight after that baby the entire 9mos until I reached my goal. It just wasnt as super fast as some of these women reported here, and my nutrition and exercise were perfect, since I am a student dietician, sports fitness nutritionist, and also a personal trainer and fitness instructor. And Ive seen LOTS of women like myself experience the same thing.
What’s up Tom! Thanks for sending this. I am a fit mommy too…I decided after I had my daughter in November of 2008 that there were no more excuses and I want to set a good example for her. I’m in way better shape now at 33 than I ever was at 20. If I can do it anyone can. I’ve incorporated a lot of your advice into my commitment and life style change. Thank you!
Hi Tom!
They are really SUPER MOMS! Happy Mothers Day!
Wow !!! What a great achievement these moms did !! All my congratulations to all of them. They did a very great job, how far where they come.
And I know what I write, because as a mom of 2 boys (7 1/2 years old and 5 3/4 years old boys) and with a pubic dislocation at the second delivery I was not able to work out / train for 1 year…….
As A fitness Instructor, Les Mills Body Pump Instructor, and half-marathoner but also swimmer and doing bodybuilding you can figure out how hard was this time for me. Same as Mandy, I took a lot of weight during my 2 pregnancies. I feed my 2 sons for 1 year each and I have to admit that I only started losing weight the time I stopped to Breast feed my sons. Once I started to re- workout, It was great, but I have to work very hard to get back in shape, even if I have always being in shape before….. As you said, it depend on how much lean you want to be….. And we have all differents meaning about that. For me to get lean is to have a wonderful 6 pack abs and have very well defined muscles. But it could be different for other women. I know and meet some women who was able to feed a the same time they get lean…… That’s the life, we are all differents, and mother nature give to each of us some different things and possibilities. We just have to use them.
All is possible if you really want it and if you make about that your priority.
Just a question : even if I’m on shape right now and working hard during my workout, I’m very surprised with the results these women have especially on legs (I mean quads exactly)…….. because even if I ‘m able to have a six pack abs it’s extremely difficult for me to have definition on my quads…… Each time my quads look “beurk……” (French word to say that my quads look bad).
Which kind of workouts/program did they use ? How much time did they exercises per week……. Is there a “secret weapon” that I do not have or do not apply in my workout ?
Thank you in advance for your answer, and sorry if there is some mistakes in my English, I’m not native English, and then I learned by myself….. So thank you to be indulgent with how I write……..
Have a wonderful week end !
I have read through a few/most of the posts that are made in response to this article. I find this article, at the very least, INSPIRING. Obviously I am male. But, for anybody to criticize these women for the achievements they’ve made should, frankly, have their heads examined.
Think this before you post:
1. Would Tom ACTUALLY place pictures on here of a success story when, in fact, the overall result was not successful by all means of his BFFM message?
2. Did you actually read the book and take away what it was intended for? <—Overall healthy eating and exercise(no secret and I'm hoping this assumption is correct, Tom).
3. After all the messages of genetics being a factor in a lot of these results, maybe the "too thin" mom is actually within her genetic makeup for being as healthy and fit as possible.
4. Did you actually read the book and take away what it was intended for? Yes, I know this was asked twice.
If for some unreal reason you read this book and didn't understand it, gain better knowledge of nutrition or even just understand that self-improvement is from within you(all of us); PLEASE read it again. Cover to cover. Slower this time.
End rant.
With highest regards,
Floyd Owens
P.S. Did you actually read the book and take away what it was intended for?
Wow. I’m very sorry now that I offered my sincere opinion. Opinions are not right or wrong, they’re just opinions. It seems that only 100% uncritical responses are considered acceptable here. Personally, I only took issue with one of the women profiled, not all of them. As I said in my original post, I thought this was a great article overall, and very inspiring.
I wish everyone a happy & healthy weekend!
OMG I for one thank you I was doing so good and then allowed myself to get trapped in a give give give to the kids. I forgot to give to myself time to give to me a litte too. Thanks
You ladies did a great job. Its easy to stop caring for a while after having a baby. Too many in this world have and use it as an excuse. I am a man so I wouldnt begin to understand what you all go through but thank God for you. Keep up the good work.
All of these transformations are extremely impressive. I’ve long thought that “Mom” is the hardest job on the planet. So many different hats you have to wear, no two days are the same. And yet these Moms found the time (and energy) to undergo such a dramatic change. Bravo ladies!
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Hi Tom, how are you,? I would like to loose 20lbs and get lean muscles on my body. But my nutrition is not good. I wonder if you can give proper nutrition plan which will give good energy to burn the fat including snacks for a week. whatever is your charges let me know plz.I am fed up with this right now. I am 36years old and 5’6inches tall and 156lbs . I have two kids 19 and 12 years old. I wanna loose weight before it get too late. As I get old it will hard to loose weight. plz let me know what you can do . I will be waiting for your answer. If am 136lbs , i will be flying. Thank you so much for everything. You always gave a good advice to everyone. thanks again take care.
These transformations are truly impressive! The dedication that must have been required to alter their appearance so much (in such a relatively small time), is really impressive.
Those pictures are really amazing. It’s nice to know that there are moms who can still get back to shape after giving birth.
Some really great transformations here, well done to all the above moms!
Mark
Very impressive even for people without kids- the fact that all of these women are mothers of small children makes it even better!
I reckon a lot of different tricks were used here in these transformations, perhaps some that many commenters are not aware of that are explained in BFFM.
I just re-figured out that I was expending too many calories and not eating enough. Was eating 1200-1600 cals and burning 1000 cals the same day most days. Oops. Did this for an entire 3 weeks, saw some composition changes but definitely should have seen more fat loss. Moving into a calorie cycle approach… definitely wish I could have seen that coming before I spent 3 weeks eating more than 1000 below maintenance!
Wow, Tom. This is inspiring! I know you’re an advocate for skepticism on “too good to be true” claims… and anyone would think this IS too good to be true… but coming from you and these ladies… IT’S SIMPLY TRUE!! Which is great!! This is such an encouraging post, I know results like these take serious dedication, but they’re definitely worth it.
Cheers! This is just what I needed to see.