Before I had a baby, I had no idea what shapewear was. Shapewear? What is that, I wondered? A girdle?

No matter how much baby weight I lose, I still have a little pouch of belly fat, known as a muffin top. You know, the kind that seems flat enough until you put on a pair of pants and you find it hanging over the top. Ugh!

If your after-baby tummy needs help, you can find lots of options including this Hide & Sleek Cami from Spanx ($44). Thank goodness slimming undergarments have come a long way since the days of your Grandma's girdle! Take a peek:

Did I hear someone say COOKIE DIET?

Come on, now. If you could eat cookies and lose baby weight, I would be a size negative 6 by now.

The cookie diet claims that amino acids in the cookies will curb your appetite. I'm sorry, but I've never met a cookie that didn't make me want to eat three more!

There seems to be plenty of new weight loss fads claiming to magically make the pounds disappear -- all aimed at us new moms. Did you hear the one about the baby food?

I saw a photo of Ellen Pompeo taking her little one, 9-month-old Stella Luna, to a mommy-and-me yoga class. I was intrigued.

Since I had Kavya four months ago, I'm back to my pre-baby weight. I didn't gain much -- I was "all belly" -- and so it fell off within the first few weeks.

But my body is definitely different. It still feels rounder and fuller, and despite the breastfeeding, I'm not where I want to be physically. Between taking care of Kavi and my non-stop work from home schedule, I haven't had much time to think about eating, let alone exercising (even though the gym we're looking at offers child care).

Boat Pose There are days when taking care of a baby (or two or three!) feels like a work out. On those days, losing baby weight is not your top priority.

If you feel like winding down, yoga for moms and babies might be just what you need.

Many yoga moves can be done easily in your living room. Of course, check with your doctor and make sure you are cleared for exercise before you try working out after having your baby.

Here are some mom and baby yoga moves that don't require you to be a yogi to learn them:  

Flickr photo by Preconscious EyeAlright mamas! If you're trying to lose baby weight (and even if you aren't), I have a tip for you today that virtually anyone can do, anywhere, at almost any time.

Go and get yourself a glass of water, at least 8 ounces of it, and  -- drink it. Chill it over ice cubes or pour it straight from the tap. You just did yourself a big favor. Give yourself a pat on the back!

Here's why:

Photo by Splash NewsReal Housewives of New York's Bethenny Frankel is rocking a size 4 not even a month after she had baby Bryn.

The newlywed gained 35 pounds when she was pregnant with her daughter and has already lost 29 of them.

In three weeks. Three WEEKS! This photo was taken just the other day.

How did she do it?

Flickr photo by -Paul H-With stars like Heidi Klum walking the red carpet just weeks after giving birth, you can't help but stare at them and wonder what they did to lose the baby weight so quickly?

I know she's a supermodel and all, but I wonder sometimes if that makes her a superhuman as well? 

Photo from babybootcamp.com

No matter if you want to lose a few pounds or if you just want to stay in the lovely shape you are right now, walking is a perfect exercise for anyone at any fitness level to lose baby weight.

But let's face it. Walking can get to be kind of boring. I've tried to change up my route and the time of day, but I feel like a change in routine would keep me motivated to lose weight.

A mom friend of mine recommended trying a Baby Boot Camp class. I want to -- but my muscles are afraid!