Worried about how you'll get fit after the birth of your baby? Follow Kareena Kapoor's footsteps to 
get in even better shape than you were before
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 16, 2017)

After powering through her pregnancy without a maternity break, actor Kareena Kapoor is back about town looking as radiant as ever. The 36-year-old-actress who turned first-time-mum on December 20 is already back in her yoga and pilates class and, she's even confident that she'll be back in picture-perfect shape in seven months. Kareena aims to drop the 18 kilos she gained during her pregnancy in this time.

But, she does admit, this has been the most challenging journey of her life. "After you've delivered a baby, even getting onto a treadmill takes a lot of strength. It's impossible at first," she points out between sips of her large cup of coffee. "Rujuta has allowed me two cups a day. But, she'll lose her cool if I have a third. And, the rule is that coffee can never be the first thing I have in the morning. I have to begin the day with a fruit," she tells us.

Her dietician-nutritionist of 10 years and celebrated author, Rujuta Diwekar, seems delighted to see how well Kareena remembers the rules she's laid down. "Everyone's talking about Kareena's looks because she's already started dropping the weight," Rujuta beams. "A lot of women wait too long to start working on weight-loss; then, it takes longer and requires a lot more effort. Don't put off exercising for after the birth of your child. Healthy eating and exercising should be a part of your lifestyle before you get pregnant. For instance, Kareena has been eating right for the last 10 years. When you've always maintained a fit regimen, your body goes into auto-pilot when it comes to recovering post-pregnancy too. It just makes it that much easier." She adds with a smile, "I am proud to be Kareena's dietician, she's an inspiration. I take complete credit for her slim waist. Often, I take credit for her glowing skin and good looks too — it's all related to what she eats, of course."

Don't expect holidays when you're expecting
Rujuta says that you cannot take a holiday from walking (20-30 minutes a day, she assumes, is a fair amount that everyone does engage in) just because you're pregnant. Neither should you start running for an hour on the treadmill at this time — that would simply not be sustainable. "But, in a healthy pregnancy you can easily exercise right up to a week before your delivery," she highlights, "Kareena was up-and-about right until even two days before she delivered," Rujuta says.

Expecting mums need support
While Rujuta's focus has been on Kareena's meal plans and on devising her long-term goals with a view to sustaining a fit bod, Kareena says that it's also critical for expecting mothers to have a strong support system — she's grateful that she does with her large Kapoor khandaan and bunch of girlfriends. It helps the anxiety and resultant nausea, she explains. "I enjoyed my pregnancy and it was out there for the world to see. I was flaunting my double chin, knowing that I was being photographed from every possible angle. Now, Taimur is a very good looking baby and, of course, he has the Pathan genes, but I feel some of that also had to do with his mother enjoying a lot of ghee and parathas," she smiles.

"We all want to see supersonic results but you have to give your body time to recover after the birth of a child. You have to be disciplined — two slices means two slices," Kareena says.

No cake-walk
Shortly after she delivered, Kareena took to walking, even if it meant just walking around the house for 20 minutes with her son cradled in her arms. This is a mandatory part of her daily routine. "Walking is the best exercise, and it gives me time with my baby too," she says.

The actress recalls her sister, Karisma Kapoor's pregnancy in 2009, during and after which, she ate healthy. "Karisma had gained 26 kilos and it took her one year to lose the weight. But because she did it right, it has stayed off," Kareena observes. "What's best is that she looks better now than she did before — her hair's got a lot more volume, and her skin is always glowing."

Eating through pregnancy
Throughout her pregnancy Kareena had a tall glass of milk at night and her diet consisted of vegetarian meals, including dals, khichdi and fresh fruits. "Portion control is crucial. During my pregnancy, sometimes I had hunger pangs or was tired and my blood pressure dropped. I'm sure it happens to many expecting mothers. Rujuta gave me a list of home remedies that energized instantly. I'd have these and feel much better right away. What really worked for me, I found, was gud with ghee," Kareena shares.

Rujuta emphasises that the plan was never to stop Kareena from eating anything. She's eager to bust the myth that the intake of dairy products or even caffeine needs to be stopped in order to lose belly fat. Rujuta explains, "Women complain about not being able to get rid of stubborn fat from areas like their stomach, hips or thighs. But, dairy is not to blame — in fact, it helps you burn fat from those very parts. You have to eat fat to burn fat."

Nothing drastic
Crash diets are a common practice post-pregnancy, but Rujuta cautions against these, saying diets like those are one of the major causes for the thyroid problems that many newmums in India develop. "You are forcing your body to slow down its metabolism because you are reducing calorie intake by unnatural eating habits. In the long term this leads to hair-fall and you'll gain the weight back in three months anyway," Rujuta says.

Eating right is the exact opposite of counting calories. "Women often gets confused with conflicting information on what to eat and how many calories to consume. The safest and most sensible thing to do is to focus on eating wholesome food - fresh, local and home cooked. This is what the latest nutrition science is talking about. Making food-based guidelines and not nutrient or calorie-based guidelines. This is the path Kareena followed too - eating home cooked regular khana," Rujuta says, "I even ate pizzas when I craved them once in a while," adds Kareena. Both, Kareena and Rujuta urge women who are grappling with their post-pregnancy weight, to not avoid ghee. "The body needs those calories. I learnt that in one pregnancy, a woman loses five years worth of calcium from her body. So don't give up on the milk either. I love milk, and would often enjoy a spoon of ghee with bajra rotis too," Kareena beams.

Three steps to fitness
Rujuta chalks out a "mental meal plan" to follow after the birth. "This achieves weight-loss in general, in just three steps," she says. "Visualise how much food you want to eat on a plate. But, only take half of the three helpings you visualised onto your plate when it's mealtime. Take additional helpings only if you're still hungry." Rujuta adds, "Eat every three hours, and eat right. Diet rules are stricter post-pregnancy."

Kareena urges that it is important to know your body and encourages expecting mothers to reach out and seek professional help in order to look and feel good. Kareena says that the award-winning nutritionist counsels her on more than just how to get back in shape. "The word 'dietician' doesn't give you a true picture of the extent of her knowledge or the role she plays. I have the same problems that all women do and often telephone her at odd hours with questions about everything from dark circles around my eyes to irregular periods. She generally prescribes natural fats," Kareena says.

"We've laid the ground work and I am now working to strengthen my stomach muscles and get back into great shape," Kareena says, adding with a laugh, "But don't let anybody tell you that you shouldn't be wearing those leggings because your thighs are still fat. Enjoy it!"