Pregnant and Maintain Weight

shoshbarb

Hello - I am currently in my first trimester and would like to maintain my weight until I enter my 2nd and 3rd trimesters. I am a fairly active person (walk about 3mph for ~4-5hrs per day + 90min ballet class 4x per week; sometimes up to 7x). I have no idea how many calories to eat to maintain my weight given my activity level and the additional energy exerted by my body to sustain the pregnancy.

I have read that the body exerts 300 calories per day to sustain a pregnancy, so I am assuming that I should take my maintenance calories 1300 and add 300 to get my maintenance weight? So would 1600 calories be my net goal per day?

Any help would be appreciated - thanks!

neandermagnon

you need to ask your ob gyn or midwife about how much weight you should gain in pregnancy. A certain amount of weight gain is healthy and failure to eat enough during pregnancy can put the pregnancy at risk. No-one on this site really knows enough to say how much you should gain (or not) during pregnancy. They have charts that show how much you should gain at each stage in pregnancy.... really it would be far, far healthier for you and your baby if you stick to what your ob gyn or midwife say about this. Women who are very obese are advised to maintain the same weight through pregnancy - that is because they are too heavy to begin with and obesity increases the risk of complications. Women who are a healthy weight at the start should gain weight - like I said there are charts that tell you how much and your ob gyn or midwife can advise.

I also don't think 1300 cals/day is your maintenance calories, unless you're tiny. If it is then I think it's important that you *do* gain weight during pregnancy. your body is a life support machine for another human being who is entirely dependent on you for survival. Really, a certain amount of weight gain in pregnancy is healthy and desirable. I agree about not gaining too much.... that's why I'm recommending sticking to the recommendation of the ob gyn or midwife.

shoshbarb

Yeah, I'm aware that not eating during pregnancy is bad. I also was not asking anyone how much weight I should gain; this fact I am already aware of as well. I also never said that I didn't intend to gain weight during my pregnancy.

The current recommendations by the American Gynecological and Obstetrics Society is that a woman should strive to maintain her weight during the first trimester and gain in the following trimesters. This is a recommendation that my doctor endorses as well. I was simply asking if anyone were familiar with maintaining weight during the first trimester while also maintaining a rigorous activity load.

einzweidrei

Hello - I am currently in my first trimester and would like to maintain my weight until I enter my 2nd and 3rd trimesters. I am a fairly active person (walk about 3mph for ~4-5hrs per day + 90min ballet class 4x per week; sometimes up to 7x). I have no idea how many calories to eat to maintain my weight given my activity level and the additional energy exerted by my body to sustain the pregnancy.

I have read that the body exerts 300 calories per day to sustain a pregnancy, so I am assuming that I should take my maintenance calories 1300 and add 300 to get my maintenance weight? So would 1600 calories be my net goal per day?

Any help would be appreciated - thanks!

You only eat 1300 calories/day with that activity level? That needs to be upped first. Way too low. Then add on the additional calories for the baby.

TavistockToad

What are your stats? It's VERY unlikely that you maintain on 1300 cals, even if that is net.

Lleldiranne

When I got pregnant, I set MFP to maintain, and ate those calorie plus exercise calories.

You don't need to add the 300 calories until the 2nd trimester. I actually didn't set my goals to gain until almost 20 weeks, but I was generally eating over the maintenance calories anyway.

I do agree that 1300 is very low to maintain. At just under 5'1" and healthy weight, I was maintaining on about 1700 calories plus exercise calories.

(But be aware that it is completely common to have a significant drop in energy in the first trimester, so don't push yourself to exercise as much if you experience that!)

shoshbarb

I was told by my doctor that a woman my size - 5'5" and 110lbs - requires 1300 net cal to maintain weight. So, yes, sorry, I was referring to net calories. I always try to keep my net to 1300 in order to maintain and it works for me.

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kcasey155

This group will help... http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/1903-fit-fabulous-pregnant

Congratulations and good luck!

shoshbarb

When I got pregnant, I set MFP to maintain, and ate those calorie plus exercise calories.

You don't need to add the 300 calories until the 2nd trimester. I actually didn't set my goals to gain until almost 20 weeks, but I was generally eating over the maintenance calories anyway.

I do agree that 1300 is very low to maintain. At just under 5'1" and healthy weight, I was maintaining on about 1700 calories plus exercise calories.

(But be aware that it is completely common to have a significant drop in energy in the first trimester, so don't push yourself to exercise as much if you experience that!)

Thanks! So I guess I won't worry about adding extra yet. This is my first pregnancy tracking calories, so I find it a bit confusing. I did mean 1300 net, which means that I'm actually taking in 1800-2000 calories per day. My other two pregnancies were very different and I have no idea how much I was taking in.

shoshbarb

This group will help... http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/1903-fit-fabulous-pregnant

Congratulations and good luck!

Thanks!

TavistockToad

I was told by my doctor that a woman my size - 5'5" and 110lbs - requires 1300 net cal to maintain weight. So, yes, sorry, I was referring to net calories. I always try to keep my net to 1300 in order to maintain and it works for me.

I feel bad for you maintaining on so little!

shoshbarb

I was told by my doctor that a woman my size - 5'5" and 110lbs - requires 1300 net cal to maintain weight. So, yes, sorry, I was referring to net calories. I always try to keep my net to 1300 in order to maintain and it works for me.

I feel bad for you maintaining on so little!

No need to feel bad for me. It's a suggested calorie count - nothing tragic!

TavistockToad

I was told by my doctor that a woman my size - 5'5" and 110lbs - requires 1300 net cal to maintain weight. So, yes, sorry, I was referring to net calories. I always try to keep my net to 1300 in order to maintain and it works for me.

I feel bad for you maintaining on so little!

No need to feel bad for me. It's a suggested calorie count - nothing tragic!

Only being able to eat 1300 cals would be pretty tragic for me!

HappyHope0123

Get with your OBGYN and a nutritionist. I would say you need more like 2000cal a day for you and growing baby. You don't want to gain fat, just maintain your body and have enough for baby. If you aren't eating enough for you and baby, the growing baby will 'rob' from you what is needed, leaving you with a deficit. I'd eat SUPER nutritious also. Have an extra yogurt, or bigger salad, or more milk.

kelleybean1

At 5'5" and 110lbs you are already underweight with a BMI of 18.3. You are at a significantly increased risk of miscarriage. Please reconsider your plan to maintain instead of gaining for your first and possibly second trimesters. I had a friend who lost a baby because she didn't eat enough--it was heartbreaking. You can always lose the weight after the baby safely arrives.

KlaMorgan

Hi!
I'm 30 weeks and my OB/GYN told me to eat between 1800-2500 calories. Hope that helps.

audrast

Do not use anybody's opinion about diet and exercise regimes during YOUR pregnancy. Not only is every person different, every pregnancy is different. You are not dealing with just your health anymore, there is a developing human in there and if you want to do what is best for yourself and it, follow the advice of your physician during regularly scheduled health and pregnancy medical exams.

Random strangers on the internet should not be giving you diet and exercise advice during one of the most stressful medical conditions in the natural world. Talk to your physician and get his or her opinion based on your personalized medical examinations.

84reasons2run

It sounds like you already know to keep your OB posted and ask his/her professional opinion but that being said even those opinions differ. Prime example is in my first pregnancy. I moved and seen three different providers each one telling me different things. The first said I should maintain my weight the entire pregnancy the second said I should loose 5-20 pounds and the third said to just work out and eat well and it would all work itself out. I ended up not *trying* to loose weight but delivered a healthy 7 pound baby without complications at 38 weeks weighing thirty pounds less then when I first found out I was pregnant. Yes I was overweight at the time. With my most recent delivery I was not overweight and with my Dr's permission continued to run my entire pregnancy, ate nutritious foods for the most part(those ice cream cravings kicked in the last month) and lost weight. Again, I delivered him at 39 weeks and he weighed 7 pounds and not a single complication. Just be healthy, eat healthy, work out and it will work itself out. Good luck!

Lleldiranne

I was told by my doctor that a woman my size - 5'5" and 110lbs - requires 1300 net cal to maintain weight. So, yes, sorry, I was referring to net calories. I always try to keep my net to 1300 in order to maintain and it works for me.

I'm glad you're referring to net calories, at least. So you're at least getting more than that. But like others said, you're already very small for your height, so it may be less advisable to maintain in your first trimester. (As a comparison, I'm 5'1" and was 130 when I got pregnant, so that's why I went with maintenance).

Make sure you're getting sufficient nutrients! The baby needs folic acid, iron, calcium, fat, protein, and many other nutrients to grow well, especially early on. It's hard to do that on such a low calorie amount.

shoshbarb

Yes, that's why I decided to try out the MFP app as I am curious what my usual allotment of calories is going towards int the vitamins and minerals categories. I'm actually less concerned with calories as I am finding there is far too much room for disagreement and much more concerned with content.

I have seen two doctors with this pregnancy and both have stated that that I'm good to maintain until my second trimester .

I was told by my doctor that a woman my size - 5'5" and 110lbs - requires 1300 net cal to maintain weight. So, yes, sorry, I was referring to net calories. I always try to keep my net to 1300 in order to maintain and it works for me.

I'm glad you're referring to net calories, at least. So you're at least getting more than that. But like others said, you're already very small for your height, so it may be less advisable to maintain in your first trimester. (As a comparison, I'm 5'1" and was 130 when I got pregnant, so that's why I went with maintenance).

Make sure you're getting sufficient nutrients! The baby needs folic acid, iron, calcium, fat, protein, and many other nutrients to grow well, especially early on. It's hard to do that on such a low calorie amount.

shoshbarb

I was told by my doctor that a woman my size - 5'5" and 110lbs - requires 1300 net cal to maintain weight. So, yes, sorry, I was referring to net calories. I always try to keep my net to 1300 in order to maintain and it works for me.

I feel bad for you maintaining on so little!

No need to feel bad for me. It's a suggested calorie count - nothing tragic!

Only being able to eat 1300 cals would be pretty tragic for me!

This is a completely voluntary suggestion. It's not a cancer diagnosis!

shoshbarb

Do not use anybody's opinion about diet and exercise regimes during YOUR pregnancy. Not only is every person different, every pregnancy is different. You are not dealing with just your health anymore, there is a developing human in there and if you want to do what is best for yourself and it, follow the advice of your physician during regularly scheduled health and pregnancy medical exams.

Random strangers on the internet should not be giving you diet and exercise advice during one of the most stressful medical conditions in the natural world. Talk to your physician and get his or her opinion based on your personalized medical examinations.

Pregnancy is not a medical condition - much more, it should not be a stressful one, but I appreciate your concern. The message board is simply a sounding board. I hardly believe anyone comes here for medical gospel.

shoshbarb

Hi!
I'm 30 weeks and my OB/GYN told me to eat between 1800-2500 calories. Hope that helps.

Thanks! That sounds about right.

shoshbarb

At 5'5" and 110lbs you are already underweight with a BMI of 18.3. You are at a significantly increased risk of miscarriage. Please reconsider your plan to maintain instead of gaining for your first and possibly second trimesters. I had a friend who lost a baby because she didn't eat enough--it was heartbreaking. You can always lose the weight after the baby safely arrives.

BMI is not reliably calculated from a set of numbers off a page. I have been pregnant twice before and carried both babies to term, in addition to maintaining an active lifestyle. I'd say that my body operates just fine at this weight. I will also continue to follow my doctor's advice to maintain until my second trimester.

devil_in_a_blue_dress

1300 to maintain is very low. Enter you stats here and see what the maintenance number is. I would go with that number.

Galatea_Stone

Whichever doctor told you 1300 for a woman who is 5'5" and 110 pounds is not really good at giving nutritional advice. Maybe if you laid in bed all day and didn't move that would be accurate, but even then, it's pushing it.

Up the calories now to around 1600 -1700, which is closer to your maintenance.

Not all doctors who give nutrition advice know what they're talking about. Still others presume people eat more than they think they eat.

TavistockToad

I was told by my doctor that a woman my size - 5'5" and 110lbs - requires 1300 net cal to maintain weight. So, yes, sorry, I was referring to net calories. I always try to keep my net to 1300 in order to maintain and it works for me.

I feel bad for you maintaining on so little!

No need to feel bad for me. It's a suggested calorie count - nothing tragic!

Only being able to eat 1300 cals would be pretty tragic for me!

This is a completely voluntary suggestion. It's not a cancer diagnosis!

wow, way to not have a sense of humour! hangry?

wordyroo

http://www.freedieting.com/tools/pregnancy_calorie_calculator.htm

This will calculate your TDEE for pregnancy. This already takes into account your activity level, so don't add exercise calories back in. There's also a breastfeeding calculator there for after the baby is born.

BlueBombers

Talk to your doctor

_lyndseybrooke_

I sure hope you're eating back exercise calories and not eating 1300 gross calories per day. Also, you're technically underweight, so you NEED to gain weight during your pregnancy. Think a little less about your weight and a little more about the health of your child.