Is it possible to lose weight during the 2nd trimester of pregnancy
candistyx
Posts: 547 Member
I have just crossed the threshold from class II to class III obesity, obviously this frightens me. Over the course of my pregnancy I have lost 5lbs and gained 11lbs making a net gain of 6lbs on my pre-pregnancy weight, this pushed me into the next class.
If I lose just 1lb I will be in class II obesity again, but I'd prefer to lose all 6 and make for a 0 weight gain.
Is this something I can do? I keep hearing how it's terrible for a pregnant woman to try and lose weight, but most pregnant women are not 246lbs.
Yesterday I decided to give calorie counting another go, but I set my calories to maintenance on the advice of my husband who's wary of me setting it lower. But maintenance won't include the extra 200kcal for the pregnancy right? So I should still slowly lose weight?
If I lose just 1lb I will be in class II obesity again, but I'd prefer to lose all 6 and make for a 0 weight gain.
Is this something I can do? I keep hearing how it's terrible for a pregnant woman to try and lose weight, but most pregnant women are not 246lbs.
Yesterday I decided to give calorie counting another go, but I set my calories to maintenance on the advice of my husband who's wary of me setting it lower. But maintenance won't include the extra 200kcal for the pregnancy right? So I should still slowly lose weight?
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Replies
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Yes, eating at maintenance will mean the extra calories burnt from being pregnant will push you under maintenance which is what you need to do to lose weight.
However, I really think you should talk to your doctor and work out the pros/cons and if weightloss during pregnancy is right for you.0 -
Well I've already discussed with them that for someone with class II they should aim to gain 0-9lbs, but the recommendations for class III obesity are to lose 0-9lbs.
Also to me if I don't go below my pre-pregnancy weight I wouldn't really be losing weight, just correcting the weight gain I already experienced.
I'm really terrified I am going to end this at 300lbs. I am only 20 weeks along, most people haven't gained any weight by now and I already gained 6lbs.0 -
Most people do gain weight by 20 weeks along. I have a friend who was obese and lost weight during her pregnancy, but she was under close supervision of her doctor. She wasn't trying to lose weight it just happened. Eating well is so important.0
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If you set an appropriate calorie goal and log honestly and completely and follow that calorie goal, then you will not end your pregnancy at 300 lbs. You've talked to your doctor. The internet is probably not the best place to ask your questions about your prenatal health.0
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Yes, this is a medical question not a weight loss forum question. And it impacts both you and your child. You need to ask a doctor, nurse or midwife.0
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punkrockgoth wrote: »If you set an appropriate calorie goal and log honestly and completely and follow that calorie goal, then you will not end your pregnancy at 300 lbs.
Well the crux of it is that I don't trust myself. I don't trust myself not to fall off the wagon again. I don't trust myself not to have something naughty "just this once" over and over again. I am really scared of this. I felt I was doing so well but in the past few weeks I've been gaining weight at a rate of knots and it's terrifying. I am scared I can't make it last. I am scared that if I don't use the few precious times of willpower to lose weight then I will have no buffer for the times when I am completely devoid of any self control.
It's frightening.0 -
you are pregnant.
the ONLY person you need to be speaking to regarding weight advice IS YOUR DOCTOR0 -
Well I've already discussed with them that for someone with class II they should aim to gain 0-9lbs, but the recommendations for class III obesity are to lose 0-9lbs.
Also to me if I don't go below my pre-pregnancy weight I wouldn't really be losing weight, just correcting the weight gain I already experienced.
I'm really terrified I am going to end this at 300lbs. I am only 20 weeks along, most people haven't gained any weight by now and I already gained 6lbs.
But, the weight you are gaining is the weight of the person you are making (and the fluids and such that go along with that). Your main focus should be how to have the healthiest pregnancy that you are able to have. Speak to your doctor about how you might be able to minimize your weight gain, and don't worry about losing weight until after your baby is born.
Congratulations!0 -
My friend who recently had a baby lost weight by just cutting out alcohol, eating very healthy and walking during second and third trimester. She did not count calories, but rather nutrition...getting in the macros and micros. She was a fit mountain biker but gave that up while pregnant and after baby she has a totally different look from walking and eating healthy. When she was 8 months pregnant we were walking/hiking 10 miles a day! The last month we cut back to 3 mile walks/hiking. I agree to check with Dr. and focus on being healthy yourself to have healthy baby!0
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You are pregnant and weight gain is inevitable. You can minimize it however. Ask your OB what they believe is a good calorie goal for you and use MFP to stick to it. You just have to do it, no excuses. Cutting out sugar and refined carbs (if you haven't already) will help you. Also drink a minimum of 2 quarts of water a day to help keep water retention in check. 100 ounces or about 12 cups of water would be better. You can do this! Congratulations on your pregnancy!0
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Call your ob. Tell them you need a comprehensive eating plan for your pregnancy or a referral to a dietician who can provide one.0
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I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes with two of my pregnancies. The first time I only gained about ten pounds while pregnant. The second time my weight remained exactly the same the entire pregnancy, so once I gave birth and all the water weight and such receded I had actually lost 25 pounds off my pre-pregnancy weight. I wasn't trying to lose weight, I was just very diligent about what I ate and followed my doctor's and dietician's instructions strictly. My doctor was not one bit concerned about the fact that I wasn't gaining weight because the babies were still gaining and healthy. Our biggest concern was that I monitor my ketones and not go into ketosis which would have been harmful to the baby. Of course, all of this was monitored extremely closely by my doctor. She actually told me that she wished all her mothers were as diligent as I was about my diet and as successful at keeping my gestational diabetes at bay with diet only. So yes, it is possible to lose weight while pregnant, and do it in a healthy way as long you as you are monitored closely by your doctor. I would never recommend you do it on your own and without consulting your doctor. I wasn't in any way trying to lose weight while pregnant, it was just a side effect of an extremely healthy diet and closely monitoring my blood sugar levels.0
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I have just crossed the threshold from class II to class III obesity, obviously this frightens me. Over the course of my pregnancy I have lost 5lbs and gained 11lbs making a net gain of 6lbs on my pre-pregnancy weight, this pushed me into the next class.
If I lose just 1lb I will be in class II obesity again, but I'd prefer to lose all 6 and make for a 0 weight gain.
Is this something I can do? I keep hearing how it's terrible for a pregnant woman to try and lose weight, but most pregnant women are not 246lbs.
Yesterday I decided to give calorie counting another go, but I set my calories to maintenance on the advice of my husband who's wary of me setting it lower. But maintenance won't include the extra 200kcal for the pregnancy right? So I should still slowly lose weight?
Depending on your weight, not gaining any weight or even losing while pregnant might not only be safe, but actually ideal for both you and the baby to minimise the risk of complications. But this is a discussion you should have with your dr.
Edited to add: I see you already had this discussion, so yes, the obvious thing to do is follow dr's advice and try to at least not gain for the rest of the pregnancy (which will in practice mean losing several lbs of body fat the next months), so possibly even below your maintenance for now. Could your dr refer you to a dietician specialising in pregnant women? The main worry is not if ending up 300 lbs after baby will be a problem for you, the problem is what risk further weight gain will be for the baby.0 -
I'd talk to a doctor, and get a doctor or nutritionist to supervise. When you are that overweight, there's no reason you can't lose weight during, but make sure you do it safely.0
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I won't be seeing the OB again for months, and I don't have an email for her or anything. I have an email for the midwife but she pretty much just suggests the slimming world plan. Also I see a dietician through a weight management program at the hospital that I attended before I got pregnant, but we pretty much agreed that I "know what healthy eating is, it's just a matter of implementing it".0
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You need to seek professional advice from your health care provider. You want to do what is right for both you and your baby. No matter what advice you get from a web site like this, each case is individual and no one here is qualified to advise you on this.
Best of luck to both you and your baby.0 -
I won't be seeing the OB again for months, and I don't have an email for her or anything. I have an email for the midwife but she pretty much just suggests the slimming world plan. Also I see a dietician through a weight management program at the hospital that I attended before I got pregnant, but we pretty much agreed that I "know what healthy eating is, it's just a matter of implementing it".
Why can't you book an appointment sooner?
Or even call and ask?
If you don't have the number surely you can look it up? Or even just stop in the office and speak to the secretary about getting in contact with the doctor regarding a question.
Why not get back in touch with the dietician and tell him/her that while you do know what healthy eating is, it isn't just a matter of implementing it and you need support.0 -
Because there's a schedule for what appointments to have. It seems like it would be a waste of a consultant's time to have a weight freakout at her when I am already in a weight management program and we've already discussed my weight at the first appointment.3dogsrunning wrote: »Why can't you book an appointment sooner?
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Because there's a schedule for what appointments to have. It seems like it would be a waste of a consultant's time to have a weight freakout at her when I am already in a weight management program and we've already discussed my weight at the first appointment.3dogsrunning wrote: »Why can't you book an appointment sooner?
Then shouldn't the people at the weight management program give you a plan that will help you stay on track?0 -
I won't be seeing the OB again for months, and I don't have an email for her or anything. I have an email for the midwife but she pretty much just suggests the slimming world plan. Also I see a dietician through a weight management program at the hospital that I attended before I got pregnant, but we pretty much agreed that I "know what healthy eating is, it's just a matter of implementing it".
Actually you need more specific information than that. An actual caloric number to meet by month of pregnancy ( it typically increases in the last trimester), and even a few meals plans that fit that caloric range. They also will be accounting for micros you need to meet while pregnant. Call your OB and ask for another referral. Specify you want a specific nutritional plan. I saw my OB a lot more often than every few months...at 20 weeks you should be seeing one every month at minimum, no? I was high risk so I had biweekly and then weekly appointments. At that high weight I would think you would be considered high risk as well....0 -
Here is my experience. I started my pregnancy at 270 and by the end I was in low 240s. I started eating more nutritious food, less junk and walked more. I did not count calories. I also had gestational diabetes, so I counted carbs and ate a very specific diet. I was 230 after my son was born. With your doctor's permission, see what kind of exercise you can do. I think that eating maintenance and exercise will help. Good luck and be easy on yourself. You are creating new life.0
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Because there's a schedule for what appointments to have. It seems like it would be a waste of a consultant's time to have a weight freakout at her when I am already in a weight management program and we've already discussed my weight at the first appointment.3dogsrunning wrote: »Why can't you book an appointment sooner?
Then shouldn't the people at the weight management program give you a plan that will help you stay on track?
Its not really based on giving you a plan, they want you to learn how to eat mindfully and normally without overeating, they don't do rigid rules based plans. At least half of the sessions are mostly about dealing with feelings rather than food itself. The dietician gives general advice about food swaps and things, but they don't want you to be stuck following rules because they don't think it's sustainable for the rest of life, they want you to make small changes one at a time until they're second nature.
Like I said - the dietician said I already know what healthy eating is, I just suck at living it out.0 -
Seeing your doctor with concerns should never feel like a waste. If you can't make an appointment, call the office and see if you can speak to a nurse or something about your concerns.0
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I started my pregnancy at 235 lbs and 4 days overdue I was 253 lbs. So 18 lbs gained and most of it in the 3 trimester. I left the hospital at 223 lbs.
My doctor actually wanted me to gain the standard 25 lbs and was worried all during my pregnancy that I was not gaining it. I pretty much ate what I wanted and never thought about calories, although I had terrible morning sickness up till 5 months. I know current recommendations are to gain the 25 lbs even if your overweight or obese. I never got the pretty pregnancy belly but still got a beautiful 7 lb girl in the process.0 -
I saw my OB a lot more often than every few months...at 20 weeks you should be seeing one every month at minimum, no? I was high risk so I had biweekly and then weekly appointments. At that high weight I would think you would be considered high risk as well....
I'm going for a GD test at 28 weeks (I've been finger prick checking at home and I am still getting readings between 4.3 and 5.4 but I heard that GD doesn't usually kick in till 26 weeks generally so my finger pricks probably don't mean anything yet), I have to make a midwife appt in a few weeks (it's in my diary but I don't remember exactly when) and I have another scan on the same day as the GD test, but the consultant appointment isn't till 30something weeks (again, don't remember, it's in my diary).
The only reason I'm seeing the consultant is because of the risk of weight. Most people only see midwives.
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Because there's a schedule for what appointments to have. It seems like it would be a waste of a consultant's time to have a weight freakout at her when I am already in a weight management program and we've already discussed my weight at the first appointment.3dogsrunning wrote: »Why can't you book an appointment sooner?
Then shouldn't the people at the weight management program give you a plan that will help you stay on track?
Its not really based on giving you a plan, they want you to learn how to eat mindfully and normally without overeating, they don't do rigid rules based plans. At least half of the sessions are mostly about dealing with feelings rather than food itself. The dietician gives general advice about food swaps and things, but they don't want you to be stuck following rules because they don't think it's sustainable for the rest of life, they want you to make small changes one at a time until they're second nature.
Like I said - the dietician said I already know what healthy eating is, I just suck at living it out.
Then you need extra support.
I'm confused by who is doing what and what resources you have.
Figure out which one can address you concern best and make an appointment to see them. If they don't, try another resources. Keep going until you get the help you need. It's not a waste of an appointment if you have a genuine health concern, which you do.0 -
Your OB should set you up with a consult to a dietician who specializes in high-risk pregnancy (which, anyone who is in the obese weight range is considered) to lay out a diet plan for you. Definitely ask about this, because that is where your best advice will come from. Best of luck with your pregnancy!0
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3dogsrunning wrote: »Then you need extra support.
I'm confused by who is doing what and what resources you have.
Figure out which one can address you concern best and make an appointment to see them. If they don't, try another resources. Keep going until you get the help you need. It's not a waste of an appointment if you have a genuine health concern, which you do.
I guess part of the issue is I saw them last week. We talked about my weight gain and mindfulness and eating differently. I've not gained since then, but I've overeaten several times.
I am seriously frightened I am going to lose control. They referred me to counselling for anxiety because they think that it's interfering with my life and "draining my batteries" so I have little energy left for resisting temptation. Which might be true - but fixing myself emotionally or whatever is going to take months, well probably *years*. I don't have time for that right now. If I don't want to get even fatter I need to get a handle on my eating *right now*. I am shocked how quickly I put weight on since Christmas. I am scared. I am close to the highest weight I've ever been and I've been basically maintaining (rather than gaining) with the help of the Weight Management people. But if I gain more from this pregnancy and I never figure out how to lose weight sustainably I will be stuck maintaining a much higher weight. My new "normal" will be even fatter than my current highly unsatisfactory normal.
I feel like if I can just get back down to 240 I will feel safer. That's all I can say. Having gained weight who is to say I won't gain more? If I gain more who knows where it will end?
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Because there's a schedule for what appointments to have. It seems like it would be a waste of a consultant's time to have a weight freakout at her when I am already in a weight management program and we've already discussed my weight at the first appointment.3dogsrunning wrote: »Why can't you book an appointment sooner?
Then shouldn't the people at the weight management program give you a plan that will help you stay on track?
Its not really based on giving you a plan, they want you to learn how to eat mindfully and normally without overeating, they don't do rigid rules based plans. At least half of the sessions are mostly about dealing with feelings rather than food itself. The dietician gives general advice about food swaps and things, but they don't want you to be stuck following rules because they don't think it's sustainable for the rest of life, they want you to make small changes one at a time until they're second nature.
Like I said - the dietician said I already know what healthy eating is, I just suck at living it out.
You said you and the dietician agreed, although I suspect you may not have agreed but went along with it. Go back and tell them your issue. They likely think you are ok on your own and may change up the advice if they are aware.0 -
If you are this frightened then you NEED to consult your OB. We are not doctors. We can only offer suggestions and it appears that majority of the suggestions are that you need to request a comprehensive eating plan and talk with your doctor about these concerns you are having. Who cares if you have an appointment already scheduled, schedule another one. Why are you concerned with "wasting" their time. That is their job, to help you and your baby have a healthy pregnancy.0
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