Fear no swimsuit

Looking good after childbirth shouldn’t have to be more labor

The typical late night cravings, the temptation to dine for two and other over-eating patterns of expectant mothers lit up attorney Lori Higuera’s scale with an extra 35 pounds gained while pregnant with daughter Lola, 18 months.

However, when she returned to work as a partner for the high-power Phoenix law firm Fennemore Craig, colleagues would never have known she was pregnant if they hadn’t seen it for themselves. They commented on how great she looked and several even said she looked trimmer than before she got pregnant.

Fitness Tips

Andrea Granados-Larson, 45 Children: five, ages range from 2- to 22-years-old Servings. I went on Weight Watchers after my 12-year-old was born and that helped me stay on the path.” What she gave up: “I don’t even touch tamales anymore. During the holidays I have one. I don’t do lard, I don’t do shortening. My refried beans are made with just milk and cheese - not the way my grandma makes them.” Splurge: “Chips and salsa is a must for me.” Staying-in-shape secret: “A lot of it is hereditary, but I try to watch what I eat.” Advice: “Smaller meals more often, and walk.”

Lori Higuera, 37 Children: one, 18 months Exercise routine: “I go to the gym 2-3 times a week for an hour max, half-hour of cardio, half-hour of weights. On the weekends, I jog with my daughter in a baby jogger or walk down to Starbucks.” Diet: “Six small meals a day. I balance equal portions of proteins and carbs. I use my fist to measure the amounts. I’m amazed by how much drinking water does.” Splurge: “I went to a nutritionist and I told her I would do anything she said but the one thing I love is wine and it would not be realistic for me to keep to a diet if I could not have wine. She said it was fine, the problem is not the wine, it’s what you eat with the wine.” Staying-in-shape secret: “I’m a huge advocate of mixing it up. I used to sign up for a triathlon or 10K run to give myself a goal for three months, then I’d switch to yoga for three months, then switch when I got bored.” Advice: “You can do everything in moderation. Don’t feel like you have to eat the whole thing. Once you start eating small meals, you feel stuffed.”

Paulina Vazquez Morris, 38 Children: two, ages 5 and 7 Workout: “I have an elliptical trainer at home and free weights. At my gym there’s an activity room so I can bring the kids there while I work out.” Diet: “Sixteen years ago I became a vegetarian and that led to a healthier lifestyle.” Splurge: “I limit having Cuban and Mexican food to once a month as a treat. Being of Cuban and Mexican heritage, my mom makes big meals. But I realized the food I love is not the healthiest food for me.” Staying-in-shape secret: “I never sit still, I’m constantly moving. I drink lots of water. ... I try to add a salad to meals.” Advice: “Give yourself a break, have a glass of wine but not the whole bottle. Have a handful of chips, but not the whole bag.”

“I didn’t really do anything different from before I was pregnant. My workout and nutrition was the same. But I think I’m in better shape now,” says Higuera, 37, who weighed about five pounds less than her pre-pregnancy weight just three months after giving birth.

According to the Institute of Medicine, having a baby will add an average of 2.2 pounds of weight a year after giving birth, with the average pregnancy weight gain ranging from 20 to 25 pounds.

While many mothers struggle to take the weight off and keep it off, there are many who are living proof that the upcoming Arizona swimsuit season is not to be feared after having children.

Of course, they would love to bottle that mysterious, magical formula and make millions. However, they would be the first to disclose that their secrets are more logical than enigmatic.

Higuera was fortunate in that she could work-out during her pregnancy. She jogged, walked and made sure to work on her lower back. She continued to monitor her portions and ate six small meals a day, balancing proteins and carbohydrates, a habit she maintains today.

“I really noticed results when I coupled working-out with that diet,” she says.

Andrea Granados-Larson admits her 5-foot, 8-inch frame goes a long way toward her statuesque physique, even after giving birth to five children.

The Phoenix native, 45, was a stay-at-home mom until a few months ago, when she returned to the workforce as a customer service specialist. After her youngest was born two years ago,

Granados-Larson found that staying at home allowed her to work around her daughter’s nursing schedule, yet it also made it more difficult to carve out regular workouts. But she found time to fit in Pilates and watch what she ate.

 “Instead of four or six tacos, I have one or two. When you’re middle age, you get that middle age spread,” she says. “It’s not easy, you have to be dedicated. There are times when I’m lazy.”

Paulina Vazquez Morris, 38, gained 30 pounds while pregnant with her older son Diego, 7, and 25 pounds with her youngest, Mateo, 5.

Although the attorney and chairman of the Maricopa Special Health Care District is two pounds heavier than she was before getting pregnant, she feels fitter. She works out on an elliptical trainer and with free weights at home, and tries to incorporate activity in every facet of her day.

 “I’m far from perfect but I’m in better shape now. I feel stronger,” says Morris, who works out anywhere from two to four times a week. “I find creative ways to get a workout in. You don’t feel as good when you don’t work-out.”

She says having a husband who is supportive and interested in staying fit helps, as does planning healthy meals ahead of time so it’s easy and quick to get her children fed without the temptation of fattening take-out.

“We sit down for meals and eat slowly over conversations. If you take the time to enjoy the food and each other as a family, you’re less likely to overeat,” she says.

Higuera says being able to have time for exercise and her daughter is ideal and makes workouts less of a chore.

“Once you have kids, you have to be realistic with what you can do,” she says. “The time I spend working out is time I can’t hang with her and I don’t want to do that. So I do things that allow me to be more active and incorporate her into it.”

The labor of getting back into shape after baby labor doesn’t have to a recipe for failure or frustration, provided the process is taken slowly and you are gentle on yourself. The rewards of discipline are more zest for life, and more enjoyment of the children you worked hard to bring into the world.