'Biggest Loser' host shares diet advice for moms

In addition to hosting the weight-loss reality show "The Biggest Loser" and starring on the soap opera "Days of Our Lives," Alison Sweeney is a mom who has struggled personally and publicly with her weight. In the introduction to her new book, "The Mommy Diet," she explains how you can get a great body, post-baby, without selling your soul or resorting to buying tapeworms on the Internet. 

Having a baby is a life-changing experience like no other. I’ll never forget the night my first baby—my son, Ben, who is no five—was born, and the moment when the nurse brought him to my room, handed him to me, and left me alone with him. As she walked away and closed the door, all I could think was, Where are you going, lady? Who’s going to make sure I don’t harm this innocent child? I am not qualified to be in charge here! A baby completely rocks your world. Mostly in a wonderful, amazing way.
Let’s be honest, though. Being pregnant and taking care of your beautiful little baby also mean some serious changes to your body, your sleep schedule, and your ability to take care of yourself. That’s normal, of course. Don’t feel like you’re alone in this, or like you’re the only mom who can’t figure it all out and get it together right away. Everyone goes through this stage, and that’s what this book is all about: You can still look and feel great! I’m not going to tell you it’s super easy to eat perfectly, or that you’ll get your body back in two weeks, or that you’ll find countless opportunities for exercise and pampering every day. And no, you’re not always going to look like a perfect catalog mom, strolling casually down Rodeo Drive with a beautifully dressed, napping child in a fancy stroller.
The brutal truth is that your hair and makeup won’t be flawless, your socks sometimes won’t match, it takes many months to get in shape, and you’ll often be wondering when and where you can get another snack. (Especially if you’re breastfeeding . . . you’ll be thinking about snacks a lot!) Now I’ll give you the good news: You can eat healthfully, be physically fit, look great, and find time to take care of you while at the same time learning to be a terrific new mom. Once  you enter the incredible world of motherhood, your priorities shift, as well they should. But you can’t leave you out of the equation. This is not at all selfish! Believe me, you and your family will be so much happier if you give yourself the attention you deserve and find ways to look and feel fabulous. I want to help you do that.

If this is your first pregnancy (congratulations!), you’re going to be reading a lot of books and getting tons of advice along the way. I read anything and everything I could get my hands on during my first pregnancy. And I got plenty of great advice—but I also got advice from many of the overly excited, usually well-meaning people who feel compelled to preach to every pregnant woman they see that she must do this and must never do that. You’ll hear people issue proclamations about everything from whether you can have a cup of coffee in the morning to the pros and cons of immunizations. I’m sure you’ve already run into this type. Well, that’s not how I roll.

And that’s not the kind of advice I give. Consider this book a safe space: I am not here to issue mandates or make you feel guilty or scared or confused. I definitely have opinions about all the main maternity issues, but I managed to survive two  pregnancies mostly by going with my gut. I encourage you to do the same thing. So what is The Mommy Diet? It’s not just a weight-loss book, though it is packed with information about how to eat right and get in shape. It’s about a “diet” of nutrition, fitness, and self-care that women can follow in order to look and feel fantastic—before and during pregnancy, and after giving birth. The focus of The Mommy Diet is getting you physically and mentally healthy and keeping you that way. It’s not about making you instantly skinny—sorry, that’s just not possible or healthy—though it will help you slim down for sure, in a positive, attainable way. With targeted advice and proven strategies for every stage along the way, The Mommy Diet will guide you through the three trimesters of pregnancy, the early postpregnancy recovery period, and the first nine months of being a mommy. Just as gestation takes nine months, it might take another nine months to feel “normal” (or better!) again—though you’ll be feeling really, really good much sooner than that if you follow the wellness plan outlined in these pages. The Mommy Diet will help you to be fit and healthy during pregnancy, lose weight sensibly after the baby comes, and look and feel great with tips for fashion, beauty, and self-care throughout the process.

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