three seconds. Do 15 reps. This helps strengthen ab muscles.”
5. “I made over my diet.”
“Before I got pregnant, my typical meal included large portions of white rice with a greasy fried entree or a Big Mac meal,” says Venessa M., 33. “After giving birth, I stopped eating fast food and cut my portions by about half and added more fresh fruits and vegetables.”
6. “I stayed fit throughout my pregnancy.”
Mom of two Melia, 27, was starting to take on a running routine when she found out she was pregnant. Instead of completely pushing back her fitness goals, Melia adjusted her workouts.
“Every week I did two 30-minute cardio sessions on a stationary bike or walking on the treadmill and two 30-minute strength workouts with dumbbells,” says Melanie. “A week after I had my daughter, I started walking 20 minutes a day about three times a week.”
7. “I learned how to make the most of the gym.”
Margaret D., 48, got frustrated with how difficult losing the baby weight was after having her second child, so the former cardio queen took a weight training class.
“Our instructor taught us how to use machines and exercises with weights,” says Margaret. “I saw results in six weeks, but more importantly, I became confident in working my way through the entire gym.”