Interview and Giveaway with Arlene Pellicane

Congrats to Amy V. (comment left May 27th at 4:16 pm). You are the winner of the friendship basket giveaway featuring two copies of Lisa Welchel’s new book. Send me your address at karen @proverbs31.org so I can get your goodies out to you right away!

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Hi Wednesday Weight Loss gals! Please check in as usual today, We love hearing how you are doing and knowing how to pray for you too. And please enjoy this guest interview with my friend Arlene Pellicane from www.LosingWeightAfterBaby.com. She and I met at a Hearts at Home event in California a few years back. She has an awesome ministry that encourages new moms in specific, but is also chock-full of info all women trying to lose weight can relate to. Enjoy! (And check out today’s giveaway!)

An energetic speaker and writer, Arlene Pellicane has been featured on The Hour of Power, The 700 Club, and Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah.  She created a website www.LosingWeightAfterBaby.com to encourage moms with podcasts, videos, articles, eBooks, and the audiobook, Losing Weight After Baby: 31 Days to a New You.

Before becoming a stay-at-home mom, Arlene worked as the Associate Producer for Turning Point Television with Dr. David Jeremiah.  She has also been an on-air features producer for The 700 Club.  Arlene earned her BA in Intercultural Studies and Communication from Biola University and her Masters in Journalism from Regent University.  She loves speaking to women at moms groups, seminars, and retreats.  Arlene lives in San Diego with her husband James and three children, Ethan, Noelle, and Lucy.

You have a ministry designed for women who need to lose weight after giving birth, tell us how you got started in it?

I found myself in my mid-thirties, pregnant 5 times in a span of 6 years, so I had a lot of firsthand experience with gaining and losing baby pounds!  Two of my pregnancies ended in miscarriage but they still involved gaining and losing weight.  I noticed so many moms around me were discouraged and hopeless about ever shedding those last 10 (or so…) pounds.  I wanted to develop something to help them recapture that hope and make healthy choices for themselves and ultimately for their children.

Why is losing weight after a baby so hard for many moms?

First, you feel entitled to eat.  You’ve been caring for one or more kids all day, so it’s easy to turn to food for comfort and a pick-me-up.  Next, you are pressed for time so you don’t plan your meals or exercise.  That’s why so many moms end up in the drive thru which is a killer for losing weight.  Then you look around and see that most of the moms you know haven’t lost their weight either.  It’s easier to go with the flow then put out the effort it takes to lose the weight.

Arlene's newest-sweet Lucy at 3 months

Being a mom is a huge job in and of itself. How can women carve time out to take care of themselves when they are so focused on taking care of their child or children?

That’s a great question because many moms get stuck here.  We are “mom martyrs,” doing everything for everyone else and thinking that is so noble.  Being worn out as a mom doesn’t serve anyone.  When you take time for yourself to exercise, you will be a better mom for your kids.  You can exercise out of your home.  For instance, I bought a used spin bike on Craigslist.  I pump up the music and ride while my 5 & 3 year old run around the house and go crazy.  They call it “exercise time!” and they love it.  Learn to incorporate exercise into your family’s schedule and/or have times when the kids are watched and you work out maybe 1 or 2 times a week.  In terms of food, when you make wise choices for yourself (an apple instead of a bag of chips), your kids will follow suit and that’s good for them.

What are some important facts for moms to remind themselves of in their quest to drop post-baby weight?

Nine months on, nine months off.  Don’t get frustrated if it doesn’t all just fall off with nursing.  Keep eating healthy and exercising until you reach your goal.  Set small doable goals (lose 3 pounds this month) and long term goals (back to pre-pregnancy weight in 9 months).  Losing weight is simple – mathematical really – to lose one pound a week, you’ve got to cut 3500 calories out.  That’s 500 calories a day that you have to exercise away or skip eating.  So losing weight is simple; but it’s not easy.  It takes a lot of diligence and perseverance.  Which is actually a selling point, because as you’re working on your waistline, you’re also working on self-control which is essential to mature as a Christian.

Any words of advice or encouragement for all women out there trying to reach or maintain a healthy weight?

Take small incremental steps and then celebrate your victories.  If you love soda, try to skip 1 soda a week.  And then the next week, skip 2 and so on.  Make small incremental changes that you can live with.  Meditate on meaningful Scriptures about dedicating your body to the Lord like Romans 12:1-2.  Rehearse positive affirmations in your mind like “I am a healthy person and my best days are ahead of me.”  Make losing weight as fun as possible by exercising with friends, having a biggest loser contest, and rewarding yourself for pounds lost (my rewards are massages from my husband).  You can do it mom!

Now for the giveaway!

One of you will win her audiobook, Losing Weight After Baby: 31 Days to a New You. For 31 days, you will receive a 5 minute audio message from Arlene in your email box to encourage you for the day.  Daily action steps will give you direction and Arlene’s friendly style will keep you motivated and upbeat.  All you have to do is listen for 5 minutes at your convenience on your computer, iPod or MP3 player!

More details about this wonderful feature can be found here: http://www.losingweightafterbaby.com/product_details.php?id=24

Okay gals, leave a comment checking in for the week or on a topic Arlene touched on above. You’ll be entered in the random drawing.

Have a wonderful week!

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