Fats

The blancmange

Recently, a friend compiled a "what to expect when you are expecting" list, a sort of primer on having a baby, including what nappies to buy, and where it comes out. I note though, that reading her contribution on the intergiggle I am beset by targeted advertisements entreating me to 'get my body back after baby!'. I wonder how many women think; 'but it never went anywhere!'. Because if it had, say, biked to the shops, or popped off to the beach at a fast clip, then they might not be clicking on these advertisements.

Contrary to popular belief, the trick to a healthy body weight is, (shock) exactly the same as it was before you got pregnant. That is, match the calories in, to the calories out. And, I would add, follow Michael Pollan's advice: eat food, mostly plants, where food is 'something his grandparents would recognise as food' (I say 'his grandparents' because mine were Scottish, so if it didn't fall into the two main food groups of A) oats or, B) a handful of wet feathers, then it was probably a sin and best left to the Catholics.

To recap: Post baby, some exercise is a good thing if you want to use your body for something other than a large, fleshy lounge suite. For instance, I used to "do" running. (Doing running, by the way, is a middle class form of "actually running" where one is "actually being chased" by something) I am getting back into running slowly but surely, but I am getting there.

I think, therefore, my response to anyone tempted to click on the "Lose your baby belly in three easy steps!" how about, "lose your baby belly in about fifty eight million steps, some of them up a bit of a hill?"

Moral of the story: a bit of exercise might even be good for you.