Weight Watchers? Jenny Craig? Low fat? Low carb? Count calories? What’s the right approach for taking off the pregnancy pounds? The answer is: it depends. The method that will work for taking off the weight is the one that will fit into your life and with your personality. Perhaps you need structure with the food all preportioned so you don’t have to read labels or prepare meals. Or maybe you need the flexibility to eat out. Perhaps you’re not a planner or your day is very chaotic and it’s easier for you to take it one meal or one snack at a time.    

I have two friends that are working on taking off their pregnancy weight and both have 50-75 pounds to lose. One is counting points with Weight Watchers and the other is ordering food from Jenny Craig. Both are losing weight. Maintaining the weight loss is the challenge ahead.  

I am working with a client who finds counting calories to be most effective. She’s lost 17 pounds so far. She follows a schedule of breakfast (400 calories), snack (150 calories), lunch (400 calories), snack (150 calories), dinner (500 calories). The calories come from foods with a good balance of high fiber carbs, protein and unsaturated fat. She keeps a food journal to stay on course but is getting fatigued of it.  

All three approaches are fairly healthy but the key is that they need to be able to work it into their life so they can do it for the long term and maintain the weight loss. Studies support the idea that various diets can be effective for taking off the weight — whether it’s low carb, low fat, or counting calories, they may all work. To keep the weight off, the key is to eat in a way you can stick with for the rest of your life. That’s why keeping weight off is much harder than losing it. For tips to help you find that balance and keep the weight off - no matter which method or diet you choose - read The Baby Fat Diet.