Learn from the stars! Drop that baby weight

It’s hard enough to lose weight after having a baby, let alone if you’re a celebrity and doing it with the entire country watching your every move. These four women did it successfully, and if you are pregnant or just had a baby, there are many ways to take off the extra pounds in a healthy, effective way. TODAY nutritionist Joy Bauer and US Weekly style expert Jill Martin reveal the stars' secrets.

Jaime Pressly: Lost 30 pounds in under eight weeks
Jaime Pressly, star of the hit NBC show “My Name Is Earl,” is always wearing outfits that highlight her fabulous figure for her role as Joy. So after giving birth to Dezi in May of 2007, Jaime went to work to get back to work! She went from 155 pounds to 125 in under eight weeks. After dropping the first 10 pounds, she went on an all-protein diet, eating four to six times a day. She also did three-hour sweat sessions five times a week. Her trainer said she did what might take other clients six months to achieve.

Joy’s take-away tips:
Although Jaime’s quick weight loss is certainly not typical, women looking to drop their baby weight may want to try the following:

• Eat every four to five hours to keep hunger at bay.
• Consider following a higher protein/lower carb diet, comprised of lean protein, lots of vegetables and limited fruit. Skip all starch.
  
  Sample menu:
• Breakfast: Egg white omelet stuffed with vegetables (optional turkey bacon)
• Lunch: Large vegetable salad with grilled chicken and vinaigrette dressing
• Snack: Apple and string cheese
• Dinner: Grilled fish and vegetables (optional berries)

Tori Spelling: Bikini ready in seven months
Actress Tori Spelling gave birth to Liam in March of 2007. She's pregnant again (this time with a girl), and set to give birth this summer. After delivering her baby boy, she was back in a bikini looking slim and toned after just seven months! Tori shed 36 pregnancy pounds with the help of NutriSystem, sticking with a 1,200 calorie-a-day diet. She turbocharged her workout by doing kickboxing, squats and lunges up to three times a week.

Joy’s take-away tips:
For some people, meal delivery services are incredibly convenient:

• There's no need to count calories or measure portions, since all the math is done for you.
• Meals are balanced and healthy — low in fat and high in fiber.
• Most delivery services will include portion-controlled fun foods like low-cal brownies and cheesecake

Melanie Brown: Dancing her way to fitness
Melanie Brown (a.k.a Scary Spice) gave birth last April to daughter Angel. Eight weeks later, she had to start rehearsing for "Dancing With the Stars" and the Spice Girl reunion tour. Mel B. got up to 170 pounds while pregnant, but took off 50 in seven months. When Angel took naps in the morning, Mel would work out with a trainer for an hour, doing a lot of hill-running and swimming. Melanie also paid close attention to her diet. She ate three meals a day consisting of chicken, fish and whole grains. She told US Weekly it was "hard" to lose the baby weight, but once she started dancing, the weight came off and she got down to 120 pounds!

Joy’s take-away tips
Food is KEY when it comes to knocking off baby weight. However, calorie-burning exercises are the perfect compliment. For 30 minutes of activity, you’ll burn (based on 150-pound woman):

• Dancing: 160 calories
• Jumping rope: 357 calories
• Hiking: 214 calories
• Swimming laps: 286 calories
• Pilates: 196 calories
• Fast walking: 180 calories

                                                             Naomi Watts: Taking advantage of breast-feeding
Naomi Watts was set to film “The International” just a few months after the birth of her son Alexander in in July of 2007. Although the movie hired her a trainer, Naomi said breast-feeding really helped her shed the pounds.

Joy’s take-away tips:
Breast-feeding helps some women lose their baby weight faster (while for others it makes it more difficult!). If you choose to breast-feed, keep these "rules" in mind:

• Never go below 1,600 calories while nursing.
• Continue taking your prenatal vitamins.
• Drink plenty of water to keep hydrated.

For more information on healthy eating, visit Joy Bauer's Web site at joybauernutrition.com

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