Battling the post-baby bulge

While some women get tummy tucks at the time of a C-section, Casas cautions against it. The mother of two who's done hundreds of tummy tucks (but hasn't had one herself), won't do the surgery until at least six to nine months after delivery and only if women have lost the added pounds and tried hard to shape up without the scalpel.

It's better to wait and see how well the body bounces back with diet and exercise first, she says. Or you may decide that after growing a new person in your belly, you've earned the right to carry a little extra around the middle.

Q: I know the focus these days is on how to lose fat. Not that I should take my focus away from that, but I was wondering how to lose muscle. I have bulky legs that I would like to slim down. Any suggestions?

A: In a recent column on the opposite issue — bulking up, Michael Barnes, an exercise physiologist and director of education at the National Strength and Conditioning Association in Colorado Springs, Colo., explained that some people are so-called ectomorphs, who are skinny by nature. Some folks are chubbier endomorphs, while others are the more muscular mesomorphs. The point is that people come in all shapes and sizes, and some have an easier time losing weight or building muscle than others.

But bear in mind that few people naturally look like a body-builder. Are your legs truly "bulky" because of muscle — or fat? If it's fat, you can trim your thighs with fat-burning cardiovascular exercise.

If you still deem your legs too muscular, take a look at your exercise program, says Barnes.

A strength program that relies on short sets of super-heavy weights will promote muscle bulk, whereas using yoga, Pilates or a less-intense weight program will promote good muscle tone without the bulk. When structuring your workouts, he says, consider that cardio activities such as running, biking, swimming and hiking don't promote muscle bulk.

But your goal shouldn't be to dramatically lose muscle, which isn't healthy, he notes.

Smart Fitness appears every other Tuesday.

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