Losing weight during the 2ww?

1fit_mamma

So totally jumping the gun her as not even pregnant, but just wondering about weight loss during the 2ww- is it safe? I guess it has to be otherwise you could never lose weight whilst your TTC right?

VeryKatie

Personally, I think it's relatively safe. Many women lose weight in the first trimester due to morning sickness and are fine. The pea doesn't really need much from you as it's... well... smaller than a pea! And the 2ww... you're only pregnant for max 7 days of those. Often only 4 or 5.

My midwife keeps saying "baby comes first". So let's say for example you're not getting enough calcium. Your baby will simply leach it from you. You may suffer, but baby will try it's darnedest not to suffer!

Interestingly though, I didn't get pregnant until I stopped eating at a deficit. Whether that was related or happenstance, I have no idea. 'Twas just something I noticed.

samlovesthesnow

I've tried to find the answer to this online, but nobody has ever done a study. For me, my BMI is currently over 25 so I figure that trying to lose is better for a potential baby. Once my BMI is under 25 I'll reduce my deficit.

I like the pragmatic attitude @VeryKatie - I think you're right to say it's relatively safe. Only a few days in the context of an entire pregnancy. I hope I conceive when I eat at maintenance - tired of waiting now!

Kirstie155

I plan to lose weight until I can't anymore! My weight is 191.8# at 5'11 I am quite tall, but no woman needs to weigh that much! I have I'd say 40# of fat I can very easily shed and still be quite healthy. If I get pregnant this month (fingers crossed) I will continue to eat to lose. Idon't track calories anymore, but am following hunger cues and eat no carbs. Carbs make me binge, and I have been working on my disorded eating for awhile. Eating this way keeps me from binging and purging (I struggled for a long time) and gaining weight during pregnancy will be difficult for me (triggering?) but I think I can manage the emotions of it.

I trust my body will tell me what it needs. Today I hardly ate.. It just wasn't hungry! And busy lol.

To answer your question it's fine. Baby doenst share a bloodstream with you until you get that plus sign, so no worries. Ask your doctor after you get that positive! I have a lot of fat to lose, but if you are closer to goal, you may have more reason to lose slowly!

VeryKatie

@samlovesthesnow thanks! Actually even my GP said something similar... she said "you don't need to act like you're pregnant until you know that you are" when I was asking her if I could still safely take medications and eat the "off limit" pregnancy foods while I was TTC (before I was pregnant). Eating at a healthy deficit would fall into the same category, in my opinion.

If you were doing a VLCD, obviously my answer would be different. But a healthy, reasonable deficit is still a nutritionally sound diet.

1fit_mamma

Thanks ladies! I suspected as much, but always good to hear it validated. @VeryKatie so true about the baby taking what it needs, so as long as it's not a VLCD as you said there will always be calories available during these two weeks. @Kristie155 I wouldn't assume you will carry the same habits into the pregnancy, I have definitely have similar struggles with binging in the past yet I was the healthiest and fittest I have ever been during my first pregnancy. It was afterwards where it all derailed...the tiredness made me crave carbs/sugar, at least I know for next time.

Kirstie155

@1fit_mamma its actually Kirstie, not Kristie. I don't really care, but you are tagging another user! If you click on the hyperlink you'll see another lovely lady. Just thought I'd point it out Glad to hear you didn't have binging issues while pregnant, that makes me feel better. I do worry about triggers, and don't want to go back to that damaging behavior! I only ever binged on sweets-I wont go into detail in case it is triggering for others-so cutting them out completely seems to be working for me now.

I know my body has plenty of fat on it to feed off of if needed, and not eating much (deficit) isn't going to harm me or baby as long as I'm not literally starving and screwing up my hormones and cycles. Starving yourself will cause you to lose your cycle, I think because you aren't healthy enough to sustain a pregnancy at that point? Not sure. Obviously I think that is wayyyyy extreme and not what anyone here is talking about, so just thinking out loud. At my height/weight/BMI I have enough fat on me to continue to lose in pregnancy or maybe not gain any scale weight while I lose fat. I think that is healthier than being obese in my pregnancy. My current bmi at 191.8# is overweight, and at 179# I will be "normal bmi!" So that is my goal, and if it takes us awhile to get pregnant I'll continue to lose weight beyond that. My ultimate goal is to be under 155, but obviously baby's health comes first

1fit_mamma

Oh gosh I think I've been doing that the whole time...so sorry @Kirstie155! It must happen to you all the time, I can imagine it gets frustrating!! I'm actually slightly dyslexic, I promise it wasn't because I was to lazy to read your name properly

Agree about the weight gain during pregnancy, my OB said at my weight last pregnancy (BMI=29) I should just focus on being healthy and don't worry about eating extra for the baby or try to put on any weight. I ended up only retaining 2kg when I weighed myself a week after she was born, and she was very healthy (she was small but I ended up having some complications towards the end which were nothing to do with diet). I exercised (pilates and pregnancy exercise classes) 3-4x per week and used a fitbit to try and get to 10,00 steps per day, and I rested when I needed to. Honestly I have never felt healthier than during the pregnancy, it's actually been 100x harder trying to keep it up with a toddler hence the unfortunate 8kg gain this year.

Kirstie155

Ha, no worries! I really just wanted to let you know you were tagging another user. It really does happen all the time, and in real life always! My first name, last name-both maiden and married! Im used to it!

marianlyn

For some reason the nerves and what ifs of the 2ww have me craving carbs and sweets and struggling to keep up my weight loss habits. In some ways, this is just another roller coaster aspect of the wait. If I am pregnant, then I'll need to change my eating habits. If not, I'll be bummed and *have* to keep trying to lose weight. And I was doing so good until we started trying!

VeryKatie

@marianlyn that's how I always felt too. I eventually just decided to maintain (and that was the month we conceived).

marianlyn

@VeryKatie Thank you for sharing! I don't feel so crazy now. And I like your approach. I think I'll give myself permission to eat at maintenance during the 2ww (which will also maybe make it suck a little less!). Lord knows I don't need more stress during this time!

VeryKatie

marianlyn wrote: »

@VeryKatie Thank you for sharing! I don't feel so crazy now. And I like your approach. I think I'll give myself permission to eat at maintenance during the 2ww (which will also maybe make it suck a little less!). Lord knows I don't need more stress during this time!

Yes eating maintenance was a nice was for me to reduce my mental stress a bit Whether that helped or not I don't know, but sometimes it's just nice to get rid of a little stress.