Some call it snap-back, others call it good genes, and there are those of us that know it’s all about hard work. But whatever way you slice it, all women want to get their body back–or an even better body–after having a baby. Celebrities seem to have an easier time bouncing back into shape with their flexible schedules, access to the best trainers, gyms and meal plans, but once in a while there’s a “real mom” who has to put in real time and effort to feel and look like herself again.
Here we have the top ten moms who have the best post-baby bodies. And yes, some have that snap-back, some are just born to have eternally flat stomachs after being pregnant two, three and four times, and a few had to bust their butts to get that Hot back.
Kim Porter
This model and mom to Quincy, Christian, and twin girls D’Lila Star and Jessie James Combs definitely has that snap-back body…it doesn’t seem like she needs any of the celebrity luxuries that daddy Sean “Diddy” Combs can afford–trainers, fancy diets–to always get to her pre-baby form.
Kimora Lee
If you’ve seen this mogul mom on her reality show “Kimora: Life in the Fab Lane,” then you know Kimora loves her burgers and fries and ice cream, and hates the treadmill. It looks like this mom to Ming Lee, Aoki Lee and son Kenzo Lee, has disciplined herself to get focused, eat healthier and workout because she is looking, well, fabulous!
Halle Berry
The newly single actress–who turned 44 on August 14–showed off a quite enviable body in a halter-neck string bikini and shorts as she walked on the beach this summer with daughter Nahla, 2. How’s that for a little inspiration to hit the gym?
Lauren London
Twitter was abuzz with news that “Nu Nu,” T.I’s co-star in “ATL” was having a baby, but it wasn’t until mid-pregnancy that Lauren London confirmed that rapper Dwayne “Lil’ Wayne” Carter was the father of her baby. Their son was born on September 9, 2009, and though she and Wayne were not a couple, Lauren seemed to snap back into shape and was always in high spirits. She was often seen hanging with her girls–the Kardashians et al–within a month of giving birth.
Stacey Dash
Mom to a 19-year-old son and a seven-year-old daughter, this 44-year-old bombshell has guys half her age doing a double-take. You won’t see Stacey in many movies–she’s best known for her role opposite Alicia Silverstone and the late Brittany Murphy in “Clueless” and for being the cousin of music mogul Damon Dash–but she has been known to grace the cover of a few men’s magazines and keep the guys standing at attention.
Heidi Klum
Heidi is the mother of all snap-back. The mom of four has walked the Victoria Secret lingerie runway show three times wearing little more than a bra and thong–and sometimes angel wings–within weeks after giving birth to sons Henry in 2005 and Johan in 2007, and daughter Lou in 2009. “I had a great birth, the baby was fine,” she said in 2005. “I thought, ‘Maybe I can get back into shape by then.’ ” It didn’t hurt that she had personal trainer David Kirsch to help whip her back into shape each time with two-a-day workouts and cut bread and sugar out of her diet. Heidi and Seal’s family (eldest daughter Leni is now 6) was spotted on vacation this summer in Italy. Heidi “The Body” Klum, in a black bikini, looked amazing…of course.
Jessica Alba
Known for her kick-butt body while she starred in the show “Dark Angel” and movies like “Sin City” and “Fantastic Four,” Jessica didn’t hesitate to get back in shape after the birth of daughter, Honor in 2008. After getting the thumbs up from her doctor just two weeks after giving birth–the standard wait time before a new mom can workout is usually two months–she started working out with personal trainer Ramona Braganza who created the “321 Baby Bulge Be Gone” plan. Alba started with short 20 minute workouts for the first few weeks and then gradually worked her way up to a one-hour workout over the course of two to three months. In the end, Alba,“trained six days a week and used a heart-rate monitor that included calorie counting. One of our goals was to see if we could burn 500 calories in a workout,” says Braganza.
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson was not about to settle for her pre-baby weight after giving birth to her son, David Jr., in 2009. She became a spokeswoman for Weight Watchers, going from a size 16 to a size 6, and is pretty pleased with her new figure. “I don’t want to lose any more weight, and you’re never going to see me skinny,” Hudson, 28, told InStyle Makeover magazine. “I think this is a good, natural size for me.”
Christina Milian
After the news broke that The-Dream was a cheat and a nightmare of a husband (he actually filed for divorce from the singer-actress nine days before daughter Violet was born) the very new mom knew just what to do: take her post-baby workouts to the streets, so all the paparazzi could document the great shape she had already begun to transform her petite frame back into. She was basically saying “eat your heart out,” and getting the sweetest revenge.
Nicole Murphy
Once upon a time, Eddie Murphy married Nicole Mitchell. They had a daughter Bria, who is now 19-years-old; a son Myles, 16; a daughter Shayne, 14; a daughter Zola, 11; and a daughter Bella, 8. Five kids, divorced from Eddie and now with former NFL balled Michael Strahan, and she still looks like that? It’s got to be the genes.
