[Guest Post] Eating for the Post-Pregnancy Body: Part 1

This is a two-part series about enjoying the food you eat, and maintaining your pre- and post-pregnancy body. Written by Chicago’s #1 Super Mom, Eirene Heidelberger, of GIT Mom.

I eat, therefore I am.

I absolutely love food. In my view, I live to eat, not the other way around. I’m not a person who restricts themselves tightly, then feels guilty if I go off the rails. I’ve left that indulge/remorse cycle behind, and you can too.

I am the mother of three boys, ages ten, six, and two. During every pregnancy I gained exactly 60 pounds and within six months lost the weight.

Did I starve myself, do a juice cleanse, practice a yoga diet? Trust me, there are no shortcuts in the weight-loss game. The truth is, it’s a slow and steady race that requires consistency with some compromises, just like parenting.

Eirene_pregnant GITmom_fam

I prepare meals and snacks five times a day for three children, seven days a week. That’s 105 times a week that I’m planning, buying, preparing, and serving food! So, how do we find a balanced food strategy for ourselves when we have so much else to juggle?

Since I’m running the lives of three little ones (oh yeah, and a business!) my usual routine is of the grab & go variety. Here’s my daily itinerary for how to eat delicious food – while not losing your mind:

How to feed your post-pregnancy body:

The Three-Step Breakfast

Steel-cut oatmeal ready-made in the refrigerator. I quickly microwave it, then add
blueberries or raspberries.
Chomp an apple during the drive to school.
Almonds that I always carry in my purse (23 pieces is a serving).

Grab’nGo Snacks

Veggies with hummus and/or assorted fruits.
I make use good old-fashioned sandwich baggies to control portion size.

Lunch & Dinner

Chicken breast the size of my palm, doctored up with salt, pepper, and mustard.
Grilled fish with teriyaki sauce.
Tuna fish or egg salad with fat-free mayonnaise (also fridge ready).

TIP: Skip the full-fat mayonnaise. With it’s 10 grams of fat, you might as well be eating a 1/3 of a Big Mac. Don’t waste those high-fat calories on something where you won’t miss the flavor. Fat-free mayo is a super easyand tasty substitute.

Salads: Load them up with “fun” stuff like veggies, nuts, seeds, quinoa, etc. Anything that is a party for your mouth! (You’re not a rabbit. Thinking you’ll exist on lettuce and Italian vinaigrette is never going to work).

Monitor your body

The minute I start to feel hungry, I quickly grab one of the healthy items I mentioned from above. The trick is to prevent hanger (hungry+anger: It’s real, and it’ll make you cry for no reason). Think of yourself as a proactive eater; nutritious fuel will give you stamina and ward off stress.

Simple, right?
In the next post I’ll give you great tips for how to eat junk food without the guilt, and what to do the morning after you indulge.

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Eirene Heidelberger

Eirene Heidelberger is a certified parent coach with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the President & CEO of GIT Mom, a full service parent coaching firm dedicated to helping Moms “get it together”.