From The Straits Times    |

Kareen piled on nearly 30kg after giving birth to twins five years ago, but through healthy eating and exercise, managed to lose the weight over nine months. Her transformation inspired her in 2013 to start Mums in Sync, a platform that customises fitness and nutrition programmes for mothers. The 32-year-old also recently published her first book, 18 Again: Bringing Out the Sexy Fit Mummy in You. She shares her tips on how to get back into shape after pregnancy. 

Eat well to be well
“Your diet should be based on wholesome, natural foods, as our bodies are not built to process anything else. Food should be as close to its natural state as possible – chicken should not come disguised as sausages, tomatoes should not come in cans, and so on.”

Exercise smart
“High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is more effective than steady-state cardio workouts when it comes to fat loss. It’s easy to do HIIT – for instance, instead of jogging at a constant pace, try sprinting all out for 20 seconds, before coming to a slow jog for the next 10 seconds. Repeat for five sets. With HIIT, you’re getting a bigger training outcome with less time spent.”

Seek help from others
“Motherhood is a 24/7 job, but self-care is also important. The time you spend investing in your own health will also benefit your child. So quit being a supermum and enlist the help of people around you – for instance, your husband can help to babysit while you work out.”

Celebrate small successes 
“Fat loss doesn’t happen within weeks. It takes time for your body and mind to cultivate new habits, plus you still have to juggle your responsibilities as a mum. Also, your body is vulnerable after childbirth, with weakened pelvic and abdominal muscles, along with hormonal changes. So be realistic and celebrate small achievements – whether it’s 1cm off your waist, or being able to survive a workout routine without feeling dizzy.”

This article was originally published in Simply Her October 2015.