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We've all had friends who got pregnant, and then never quite got back to their pre-pregnancy figure, and while it's shallow to judge someone on her looks, it's all part and parcel for how women feel about their bodies. Fortunately, it's not a given that pregnancy equals "getting a mom figure". If you start early on losing the pregnancy bulge, it can pay off.

Weight gain is an inevitable part of pregnancy. For one thing, you are carrying a whole new world inside your body. Its not just fat. A pregnant woman typically carries an additional 1.5 pound for the placenta, 2 to 3 pounds of increased fluid volume for you and for the baby, 2 pounds uterus, about 1 to 2 pounds because of having a full breast, 3 to 4 pounds of increased blood volume and 2 pounds of amniotic fluid. Also, the body may store about 4 to 6 pounds of maternal fat, which is intended to sustain breastfeeding and recovery after delivering the baby. On the average, a healthy pregnant woman can gain up to 25 pounds of weight during the entire pregnancy.

Weight gain is probably one of the reasons why so many women are reluctant to get pregnant. There's actually no need to stress out on how to deal with the weight issues. Working out that added 25 pounds is easy as one-two-three. You may have heard this for a long time but it is true.

Nothing beats healthy lifestyle in getting back to your pre-pregnancy weight. The first thing you should do; cut down your calorie intake. Gone are the days that you needed 100 to 300 calories more for the baby. The baby is now out so you have to work it out now.

It's not just the number of calories, but also what you eat that matters. Avoid processed sugars and processed flour products; if it's sweet, or has a mild flavor, it's probably empty calories. Your body is still chasing down the hormonal surges from pregnancy, and as a result, will try to store all the carbs it can get as fat. Focus on eating whole grains and whole vegetables. Eat more fruit for snacks, rather than a Danish. Set your goal weight, look at your calories, make a meal plan and stick to it. (And yes, this means not depriving yourself.)

As soon as your doctor gives you the green light to exercise, do it! Fined an exercise partner, your best friend, sister or husband, to keep you motivated in working out. Start with light exercise loads. As time goes by and as your body recovers from the strain of the pregnancy and delivery of the baby, you can gradually intensify your work out exercises.

Make exercise part of your daily routine. Being a new parent is like nothing else in the world, and you'll run around frantically trying to be the perfect mom. Take the time out to exercise. It reduces stress levels, and gives you some important 'me' time to be an adult and to focus on your own health. It'll also boost your energy levels, and set a baseline. It's easier to chase after toddlers when you've had a year of getting more exercise waiting for them to crawl.

Pregnancy weight loss is all about getting more exercise and running your metabolism at a higher rate. That's what the diet and exercise changes are for. A hidden secret to getting more out of it is to breastfeed; this will help burn those stocks of fat your body conveniently placed for you to feed the baby with. It will also trigger a number of the internal hormonal changes that cause other weight losses to happen.