Becoming a yummy mummy: From fad diets to Maxitone and a sustainable figure. By Caroline Syson, mum of four.

As I tucked into my third doughnut, I calmly reminded myself ‘I’m pregnant’!! It was as if those two tiny words allowed a whole ocean of cream cakes and sweet things to drift right into my mouth without even a backward glance in the mirror!

Back in the days when midwives were still of the opinion that you could eat for two, I would frequently lose an extra desert under the awning of my maternity dress and nobody even batted an eyelid. Instead they patted my ever expanding waist line and mumbled ‘don’t you look well?’ remarks at me which were all very reassuring!

But these days we are told we only need the equivalent calories of an extra bowl of cereal each day whilst growing our newborn baby and that hardly constitutes a lock down in the pantry with your favorite Cadburys chocolate bar..... thank goodness I had my four children back in the ‘old days’ when that word wasn’t out on the street!

But in all honesty, I did put my body through the mill – four babies in four years ..... and I averaged around four and a half stone of weight gain per pregnancy!! And with each baby only 14 – 15 months apart, it meant I gained a total of nearly 18 stone in those four years between 1995 and 1999! Phew! That was a lot of eating especially with no twins to show for it at the end of any single nine month period!

Looking back, I really should have been more responsible but when I was in the midst of pregnancy, I just recall feeling like ‘what’s the point’ and ‘I just look fat anyway’ so why not eat another cupcake to try and feel better! Of course it did'nt make me feel any better and out the other side, post baby, it was always an uphill battle to get back in shape before the next pregnancy but I kept thinking if I stayed even 1one stone overweight with each baby, at the end of it I would be a total of four stone heavier so it really helped to motivate me to try and get my finger out once I had delivered each time!

With my pregnancies so close together, I was either just post natal or beginning on the ante natal cycle so was never really sure where I fitted into the exercise thing and during each pregnancy, apart from eating rather too much, I hardly exercised at all other than running around after my young toddlers!

My diets between pregnancies consisted of following the old tried and tested established routines of either Rosemary Conley, Weight Watchers, Slimming World or calorie counting! But for some reason I was never able to revisit the same diet successfully a second time so I had to try something new after each pregnancy to lose the pounds!

I certainly did'nt go to the gym at that stage and instead just sat at home myself and only envied even more all the mums who seemed so together in taking their tot to the creche whilst they sweated themselves back into shape upstairs......unfortunately, I didnt really see the light of the studio twinkling until my last baby arrived and by that time I had come to the stark reality that I now had my family, and my body was my own and I could no longer hide behind the ‘being pregnant’ and ‘just had a baby’ chatter .... it was time to get started!

I was excited when I therefore asked for some help from a Personal Trainer but I was also way too embarrassed to see him at the gym. Good gracious no!! We started at home a couple of times a week when dad was on hand to mind the children and my goal was to be able to run for one mile without stopping by the end of six weeks! I know that may sound meagre to most people but I was out of shape big time unless of course you call ‘round’ a shape!

And sure enough, by week six, I really could manage the whole thing without needing to stop! Since then I have progressed on to 10km races and am even doing the Race for Life (5km) with my youngest daughter this year!

I discovered the benefits of the gym and healthy eating shortly after my fourth baby and I can honestly say I have never looked back! The exhilaration I get following a great run outside on a Spring morning or showering after a spinning class or hard weights session is addictive! I love to feel toned and watching what I eat has certainly been a key part of getting and staying in optimal fitness and shape.

Having never used any type of supplements before, I discovered Maxitone products when i was looking for a healthy alternative for an ‘on the go’ breakfast and found their Definity protein shakes provided the energy I needed straight after the gym. I also loved the ease of the nutrition bars, especially liked the Sculptress chocolate orange bar and now when I have a few pounds to lose after a holiday its so easy to add some Sculptress capsules to my diet whilst I watch more carefully what I eat to strip back excess fat and lean up a bit....

This month I am embarking on an 800 mile run / walk from John O’Groats to my home town of St Albans and will be taking Definity Crisp bars and Scultpress bars to keep me going through my days. They are so easy to combine with my usual foods and can pop in my bag in a jiffy.

So overall, I have realised that it is never too late for anyone to get back in shape after however many babies you have and if I can do it, then anyone can! I really should have watched a bit more carefully what I ate during my pregnancies and put on much less weight at the time but it is still more than possible with some determination and focus to get back into shape and that pregnancy and childbirth do not have to be inhibiting factors to regaining your curves and feeling great about your body.

Find something you enjoy doing, do it with a friend or with your partner and ask for help if you don’t know what to do. There really are loads of different and fun things you can do each week and it just takes consistency and a little bit of organisation to get you to where you want to be. Power walk outside, take your bike on a circuit round the local countryside, walk or run with the dog, join a pole dance club (they are fantastic work out sessions!), swim at your local pool, try a new class at the gym or just get the latest fitness DVD and work out at home!

And don't let anyone make you feel that getting your figure back after a baby has to happen over night! Just celebrate each milestone and work towards your end goal in stages and you will definitely make it if you want it enough.