Every woman who’s ever had a baby knows how difficult it is to take off that extra weight. But dieting is the last thing a new mother should contemplate, says nutrition and pregnancy expert Debra Waterhouse. Her enormously helpful book supports that theory while revealing some little-known facts that explain just why postpartum pounds are so hard to get rid of. For instance, during pregnancy:

– A woman’s waist expands 50 inches

– Her skin is stretched by 400%

– Her hips widen half a foot

– Her fat cells grow to 125% their original size – all 30 billion of them!

Despite these challenges, it is possible to lose post-pregnancy weight without losing your mind. Waterhouse’s trademark outsmarting tips can really help. Here she explains why dieting is actually counterproductive in the first few months; encourages mothers to include their newborns in their exercise regimen; shows how to boost metabolism by strengthening muscles; and invites them to embrace – not despair over – their new shape. Written in a warm, witty style that will endear her and her philosophy to frustrated new mothers everywhere, Waterhouse’s latest offering provides sensible advice, dispels long-held myths, and, best of all, shows women just how their post-pregnancy bodies can be fitter, sexier, and stronger than ever before.