Natalie fights baby fat - Part 3

Week 3: Busy mom and St Andrew-based banker, Natalie Murray, is the Gleaner's Health section 2011 weight-management candidate. We will be following her to the gym and nutritionist in March, as we track her quest to lose the 'baby fat'. Just about three months ago, 36 year-old Natalie, had her third child, a beautiful, bouncing baby girl, Sienna, but it's time now to lose the 'baby fat'. She is motivated to battle with the bulge.

It's week number three and Natalie is a real person living in the real world and she caught one of those flu and throat viruses that were going around as it's still the flu season. Natalie was disappointed, as expected.

"By Thursday, the cold virus I had been fighting took the better of me. I didn't want to miss any workouts, as few things make me feel as good as I do after a workout. However, I had to agree with my husband's good judgment, as he suggested that I miss one workout to rest and hopefully prevent myself from missing the next three," Natalie said.

But, in spite of the setback, she made some gains.

"Yes, I have been battling some virus or the other so I missed two workout days. But last week I did eight hours of exercising. I jumped on the Shakti scale Tuesday morning and was down to 172, so that's about just one pound off from last week," she said.

In week three (February 7 -11), total weight loss for Natalie since she started this intensive exercising and eating-management plan on January 11 with her nutritionist, Frances Mahfood, was about four pounds.

Though the pounds might not be melting away as fast as Natalie would like, she is gets a lot of satisfaction chopping inches off her waist and in other vital areas.

"I know the inches are down from when we started. I have cut about two inches from off my waist, at the navel," she said.

New measurements

Natalie's personal trainer, Nadine Prendergast, took her new measurements in week three:

Chest: 36.75

Waist: Navel 38

Hips: 44.5

Arms (right and left): 12.25

Thigh (right): 27.5

Thigh (left): 26.5

Her nutritionist stressed that Natalie is on track, as in eating less and exercising more, she's losing body fat the right way. (See Mahfood's article in this edition).

"Natalie's fat will never turn into muscle and her muscles will never turn into fat because they are made up of completely different cell structures. However, she can build muscle after fat loss," said Mahfood.

Eulalee Thompson is health editor and a professional counsellor. Email: eulalee.thompson@gleanerjm.com.

Natalie Murray

Age: 36 years old

Height: 5ft 8 inches

Post-pregnancy weight: 173 pounds

Target: 150 pounds over three months