New mom Angela Simmons is back to living an active life just two weeks after giving birth to a baby boy.
On Wednesday (Oct. 5), the wellness expert posted a photo of her return to the gym. “Light workouts approved by the DOC #13DaysPostBaby #Day1Gym,” she captioned the photo.
The Growing Up Hip-Hop star is embracing motherhood one day at a time. In addition to her engagement to Atlanta businessman Sutton Tennyson, the 29-year-old has shared her love for her son with fans.
Simmons isn’t the only celeb to “snapback” with ease. Stars like Adrianna Lima, Coco Austin and Teyana Taylor have done the same, with criticism that the women aren’t addressing postpartum weight loss in an ideal way. When it comes to what’s right, the answer depends on your wellness levels before giving birth.
Speaking to Cosmopolitan in April, Dr. Sherry Ross, MD, ob-gyn, and women’s health expert at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, explained how the body operates pre-baby determines one’s post-baby weight loss journey. “The most common misconception about weight loss after pregnancy is that the weight should come off more quickly than it does in real time,” Dr. Ross said. “I tell my patients that it takes nine months to go through the pregnancy process, so allow yourself nine months during the postpartum period to have your body return to normal.” Obviously, this isn’t everyone’s plan, i.e., Simmons and the rest of the celeb world, but this doesn’t mean you have to adopt their system.
“If you’re aggressively restricting your calories and exercising excessively, this will affect your energy levels and ability to breastfeed successfully,” Dr. Ross continued. “Whether you’re a supermodel or [an] average, ‘real’ woman, your first priority should be providing for your newborn in the healthiest way and being patient in losing your postpartum weight.”
Kudos to Simmons, but don’t harm your body (and mind) trying to keep up.