Animal protein does stay in your intestinal tract for a long time.(Varies individually, but more than 24 hours is common.) While it is not rotting in your *stomach*, (your small intestine, actually) Renee is correct about it taking much longer to digest than plant-based foods.

Renee looks very petite, so 1200 calories while actively trying to lose weight does not sound extreme. I give her credit for being honest vs. the whole “Oh, I just take care of the kids and the weight falls right off!” line that most new moms in the public eye are fond of claiming.

(Yes, maybe it does “fall right off” for a lucky few, but most people work at losing.)

I feel bad that people criticized her diet and she felt the need to defend herself. I didn’t comment in the original post about this, but I typically eat only 1,200 cals in a day. I have a slow metabolism I think. But I maintain I very healthy weight with this. Point is, everyone’s body is different, so one person’s diet may not work on another’s.

Whatever she is doing must be working, she looks great! Good for her and her healthy lifestyle.
Renee’s oldest daughter Kalyn is beautiful. A complete spitting image of Renee! And Bailey is just as cute as can be! (Love the name too, my niece is named Bailey)
Keep us updated Renee, I love hearing about the Baio family!

I’d like to respond to the several formula/ breastfeeding comments that were made.

Each woman’s choice to use formula instead of breastfeeding ia a personal one and not always a choice that is made willingly. That being said, formula is, obviously, not poison or toxic. It is, however, an inferior form of feeding your baby. It just doesn’t compete. So trying to defending formula’s honor (or your own CHOICE of using it) is unfounded.

-Michelle, RN, IBCLC

Bottle feeding may be a choice, but so is smoking or doing drugs. Of course it is a choice, its just the wrong one and there are no benefits to the baby, just allows the mother to push off bonding and caring to someone else. Alot of these celebrities don’t want to niurse so they can go back on pills or cocaine to maintain their weight.

@ Jamie – slight correction: Spain is not the only European countries where people nap in the summer. In Greece, people nap too and there’s even a law that you’re not allowed to make noise between 2.00pm and 5.30pm so people can sleep. My parents live outside of Athens, Greece, and between 2.00pm and 5.30pm in the summer, the only noises you hear are the wind, cicadas and pets.
And the reason obesity is a growing concern mostly in Northern Europe is not just because the South use olive oil and lemon, it’s just the eating tradition and climate that are different. North produces, and therefore eats, more potatoes and starchy foods, while South produces a greater variety of vegetables.

I just wanted to comment on the 1200cal/day as well. I don’t know this woman but I would venture to guess that she is much smaller than I am and when I am following a diet plan I consume 1200cal/day and when I’m maintaining I try to keep it under 1500cal/day. All this was on the advice of a nutritionist and I am not starving (or dropping the weight at any unhealthy rate) so it’s a bit odd that some people are getting in a huff as if she is promoting eating disorders. She’s basically advocating eating what you should as opposed to what you want. I often hear women complain that they haven’t lost the baby weight as they’re eating a bagel with cream cheese for breakfast. In order to lose weight you need to be disciplined.

“She also added that she has never heard about red meat staying in the stomach for 3 days and rotting, but that it’s true that “a very high protein diet of any kind (not just red meat) can be hard on the kidneys.”

Dr. Oz on Oprah had stated that red meat takes a few days to “rot” in your stomach before it digests.

Mel, we just disagreed with Starlet. There is nothing wrong with that. I’m glad Renee came on and explained her position on all of this

@ abby’s mom: Green tea destroys the iron in your blood, causing anaemia (more or less severe depending on how much tea you drink and whether anaemia runs in your family). I’m not sure this is the reason why breastfeeding women should avoid it, though.