For Women Only

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There are two key times in a woman's life when weight gain is all too typical and may not involve overeating: after she's had a baby and when she enters menopause. Even if a woman has never had weight problems before, these special times and the extra pounds that may come with them often throw her into a tizzy. This is especially true for women who have never put on extra pounds before.

But while experts say putting on weight is common both for new moms and for women entering menopause, there are ways to deal with the changes going on. And if you put on more pounds than you should, there are ways to maintain a slim, healthy body.

Battling Postpregnancy Weight Gain

That brand-new baby of yours is a cutie, all right. But why, oh, why do you still feel nearly as big as you did when you were pregnant? Baby fat may be fine on a baby, but not on you. However, now that you're a new mom with an infant needing constant attention, you've hardly got the energy to even think about dieting. Luckily, you don't have to--not right away, anyway.

But first things first. Let's take a look at the weight you put on over the past nine months. "Nowadays it's considered okay to gain anywhere from 24 to 36 pounds during pregnancy, based on a woman's prepregnancy weight," says registered dietitian Joann Heslin, co-author of The Pregnancy Nutrition Counter. "If you start out fairly thin, then your weight gain should come in at the high end, and if you weigh more, you should still gain about 22 to 24 pounds."

Let's assume you hit those numbers, more or less. You leave the hospital, go home, hand the baby to your husband and collapse. Perhaps two or three days later, you'll get up the nerve to step on the scale. Well . . . you knew the news wouldn't be good, but it's not too bad, either: You're 10 to 20 pounds heavier than you were before you became pregnant. That weight consists primarily of your heavier uterus, which may have expanded from about 2 ounces in weight to as much as 24; extra breast tissue; extra blood, which might have increased by about 4 pounds; and maternal stores--anywhere from 8 to 11 pounds of fat and fluid your body accumulated during your pregnancy.

And while you're not thrilled that you can't zip your prepregnancy jeans right at this very moment, here's the best news of all: If you don't substantially increase your eating and if your activity level stays constant (and with a new baby at home, it's bound to), these extra 20-or-so pounds should drop off on their own within three to six months.

Breast-Feeding Bonus One of the nice things about breast-feeding--besides the way it lets you get close to your newborn--is that it may actually promote weight loss. In one study done in Philadelphia, 24 new moms--some who breast-fed exclusively, some who fed their babies formula exclusively and some who did a combination of the two--were studied for six months after giving birth. Those women who breast-fed, even only part of the time, were closer to their prepregnancy weight and had lost many more inches from their hips compared with the mothers who fed their babies formula.

Don't Sabotage Yourself

However, warns Heslin, you can't afford to become complacent. "Sometimes a woman will become so depressed about being heavy--if she's about 13 pounds more than usual, then she's up one dress size. That's when the 'diet saboteurs' come out," she says. "I teach nutrition classes to pregnant women, and I try to alert them during their last trimester to be aware of the tendency to sabotage their ability to lose weight. Sometimes all you need is awareness."

Once you've had a baby, you're fully aware that your life is no longer the same. Even if you were fairly active before, you're going to be a lot more tired than usual, and when you are, you're going to want to sit down, not jog around the park.

"You may think you're physically active because you're getting up six times a night and doing four loads of laundry. But," says Heslin, "that's just fatigue, and, unfortunately, it doesn't burn the same number of calories as running for the commuter train or taking an aerobics class does."

Chances are you're going to be eating more, too. "Not necessarily because you're depressed--although you may be experiencing postpartum depression--but mainly because your life is topsy-turvy," says Heslin. "You're at home, and if you worked before, you may feel isolated. Also, if it's your first baby, you may feel unsure about dealing with it. So to help you get through it all you may reward yourself orally. If you're nursing the baby at 3:00 a.m., you just may find yourself reaching for a doughnut."

That's where the need for awareness comes in. If you must nibble at those times, make a better choice--a piece of fruit, for example, or a glass of skim milk. These snack attacks need not be damaging to your waistline.

What about your diet if you're breast-feeding? Eat the way you would if you were still pregnant, advises Heslin. The old recommendation that breast-feeding moms should take in as many as 2,500 to 2,800 calories daily is out of date; these days doctors recommend 2,000 to 2,100 healthy calories. If before your pregnancy you were consuming two servings of low-fat milk, increase it now to three, and aim for about six ounces of protein daily. Like everyone else, try to keep your fat intake to about 30 percent, which will ensure that the remaining 70 percent will be loaded with healthy veggies, fruits, starches, low-fat dairy products and protein choices. (Naturally, you'll want to first check with your doctor, in case she recommends a different diet and/or vitamin supplement for you.)

For mothers who are not breast-feeding, 1,800 healthful calories should be adequate for most women--pretty much what you'll get if you shoot for the lower serving sizes from the Food Guide Pyramid (see page 54) devised by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 1993.

You've Got to Keep On Moving

And don't forget exercise! We're not talking about running a mara-thon--you shouldn't be doing anything too vigorous for at least six weeks following your delivery. But if your doctor okays it, there's no reason you can't start a program of brisk walking as soon as 48 hours after having your baby. When you feel up to it, take your baby for an hourlong walk every day.

"Put her in the carriage and push it uphill, or strap her into a baby bike seat and pedal around the neighborhood," urges Heslin. "Work up a moderate sweat. Not only will it help you lose weight but you'll also be serving as a healthy role model for your child." If the pounds aren't coming off at a steady two to four pounds a month, she recommends that you increase the time you spend exercising rather than cutting back too much on your calories.

Firming exercises are important now, too. According to Marion McCartney, a certified nurse-midwife at Maternity Center Associates in Bethesda, Maryland, and co-author, with Antonia van der Meer, of The Midwife's Pregnancy and Childbirth Book, you can begin doing some simple floor exercises as early as the day after a vaginal delivery. (Check with your doctor if you've had a cesarean; you'll need to be much more careful.)

Start with stomach crunches: Lie on the floor, with the small of your back flat on the floor. Slowly bring your chin to chest, then slowly return your head to the floor. No matter what your workout routine may have been before your pregnancy, go slowly. Do one stomach crunch the first day, two the next, and so on. Continually asking yourself, "How am I feeling?" will help you pace yourself properly.

Above all, remember that having a baby is a terrific but draining experience, so be good to yourself. "Even if you're determined to lose weight now, this doesn't have to be a period of total deprivation," insists Heslin. "The act of motherhood automatically means some losses--lost sleep, maybe a lost job, lost social contacts. . . . You may even lose contact with your husband because you're so overwhelmed. Of course, the baby is wonderful, but you may still want something to make you feel good."

Often, that means something sweet--but that doesn't have to mean completely sabotaging your diet. So one day, have some frozen low-fat yogurt sprinkled with raisins. Suck on a piece of hard candy or a lollipop, or eat a few jelly beans. A few handfuls of presweetened breakfast cereal gives you a quick sugar-fix and is a lot less harmful to your weight-loss program than an almond-studded chocolate bar would be.

"Sometimes, after being a new mom for a while, you want to be a baby yourself," says Heslin. "So . . . baby yourself."

Don't Let Menopause Put On the Pounds

If you're on the verge of menopause--or have already reached that plateau--you've certainly observed some changes going on in your body and mind. On the plus side: no more worries about becoming pregnant and, as many women report, there's that feeling of finally being comfortable with who you are. The flip side of menopause? It often means a few unpleasant symptoms including hot flashes, fatigue, bouts of the blues--and extra pounds.

Not every woman gains weight as she goes through menopause, of course. "There are some women who actually lose weight after menopause," according to Lila Wallis, M.D., founder and first president of the National Council on Women's Health. "But predominantly you see weight gain--about five to eight pounds if you're not overweight to begin with, and more if you are." And this seems to be the case regardless of whether or not a woman is undergoing estrogen replacement therapy (ERT).

Dr. Wallis explains the reason for this weight gain as "simple arithmetic."

"Women tell me, 'I don't eat any more than I did before, but I'm gaining weight.' And I say, 'Right! You didn't increase your intake, but your caloric requirements have dropped.' As people age, they tend to expend less energy," explains Dr. Wallis. "And unless they decrease the number of calories they take in accordingly, they'll gain weight."

So, sound eating habits are more important than ever at this stage of your life. A low-fat, nutrient-rich diet is in order--and "Your Perfect Weight 52-Week Plan," on page 177, is a good place to start. Aim for a slow, steady, pound-or-so-a-week weight loss. Don't attempt to cut back on your calorie intake any further than that, because it may cause your metabolism to slow down even more and weight loss will be far more difficult.

Battling the Blues

Dr. Wallis warns women who are going through menopause to be particularly careful of not letting their moods rule their diet. "A lot of obsessive eating is due to depression," she points out. "Women without many interests may fixate on food and it may now become one of their only pleasures." Although ERT isn't for every woman, one of its advantages, she adds, is to help elevate mood, which could make sticking to a sensible diet easier.

Experts agree that keeping active is at least as important for a woman after she's gone through menopause as what she eats. Happily, as women get older they often turn to physical activity of their choice. And a Prevention magazine survey reveals that that's exactly what many women are doing. Of the 16,500 who responded to the questionnaire, a whopping 80 percent of women over 65 say they exercise at least three times a week, and 40 percent of them work out almost every day.

And if they can . . . you can. To help your body become a more efficient fat burner, develop a regular exercise plan, if you haven't already. Stick to your favorite activities, whether that means swimming, biking, fast-walking or dancing, and do them as many days a week as possible. Not only will it help you shed pounds but it will also strengthen your bones and boost your adrenal glands' production of estrogen precursor. What's more, the lift you'll get from your workouts may ease some of your symptoms, such as the hot flashes and "the blues." "Exercise is a great antidepressant," says Dr. Wallis. "It makes you feel better immediately, as well as later on."

The best prescription of all for losing weight and staying slim forever? "Keep moving!" urges Dr. Wallis. "Don't just sit frozen in place, walk around! Not just when you're going somewhere, but also when you're watching TV, when you're planning something, when you're thinking. You think better when you walk anyway. And don't walk as if you're made of porcelain--use your arms, twist your torso, look around. You expend more energy by being alert and active."

And if you're alert, active, full of energy--and thin!--your age will be the last thing on your mind.