Miserable about pregnancy weight gain...any advice?

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  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
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    I don't know if I have much advice here but I do want to offer my experience, if it helps. I found myself in the same shoes as you after my second child. I was totally shocked as to how much I had gained and was in a constant state of uncomfortable disbelief for the first while after birth .I literally took the batteries in and out of the scale and re-weighed myself over and over, in tears the whole time.

    I will reassure you that your body did what its designed for. Our bodies are naturally going to nurture the baby, first and foremost.

    Congratulations on your 3rd little blessing :heart:

    I'll bet if you keep doing what youre doing - being accountable, active and honest about what you're eating, your pre-baby body will start showing itself sooner than you think :smile:

    Thank you! I sure hope so...
  • penny0919
    penny0919 Posts: 123 Member
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    ". I knew I'd gained, obviously, although I'm sad about it as I did everything right, yet I was still shocked to find I weigh 202lbs today. How the hell did that happen?"


    You ate too much. So did I, all three times!


    Just looking at yesterday, maybe your exercise calorie burns are off.

    Are you using a food scale?
  • bltrexler
    bltrexler Posts: 180 Member
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    My starting before pregnacy about 155, after 235. I can tell you I did not have an 80lb baby. It took a year but I lost 90lbs. Some months I lost 12lbs and some months I only lost 5lbs. I started with walking everyday, then after about 6months running every other day. I work so I would spend sunday preparing my lunch as well as my daughters for the week and dinners. Having healthy preportioned foods was key. When we played together it would incorporate excercise for me, lunges, planks or general moving. My daughter would think I was hysterical but it would get my heart rate up.

    Be patient. Lets not forget your a Mom and the reality is 99% of the time you are busy!!!
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
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    ". I knew I'd gained, obviously, although I'm sad about it as I did everything right, yet I was still shocked to find I weigh 202lbs today. How the hell did that happen?"


    You ate too much. So did I, all three times!


    Just looking at yesterday, maybe your exercise calorie burns are off.

    Are you using a food scale?

    Yes I do use a food scale. And no, I didn't eat too much. Even if I ate over what I'd logged, I was still eating under what the pregnancy calculator suggested I eat.

    I don't eat back exercise calories anyway, so does it matter if my burns are off? However, I did used to use a HRM (until it broke) so I know that the burns from the machines are pretty accurate.

    Yesterday I did nearly an hour at the gym. I came home and did housework (which I did not log). I walked to the shops with my baby (which I also did not log). Then I walked to my son's school, about 10 mins, which is up a steep slope with lots of steps. We then walked home (another 10 mins). Then he went on his scooter and we walked to my other daughter's nursery, about 20 mins. I walked fast as my son was on his scooter. Then we walked back. So I think my burn was pretty accurate. With 3 kids, I don't often sit still for long!
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
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    P.S lol at middle aged. I'm 36! I might not be in my 20s anymore, but I don't think 36 is middle aged!

    No Dawn, you are not middle aged at all at 36.
    For goodness sake I'm 45 and I still think I'm a wee young thing lol

    some good advice on here and no way do you look 202lbs - I would have guessed 11 1/2 stone.
    Did you have shoes/clothes all on to get weighed in by any chance?
    rocks in your pockets etc? ;)
  • decblessings
    decblessings Posts: 113 Member
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    Are you breastfeeding? I won't give you the whole rundown of my dieting history, but I lost weight really easily after my second child when I was breastfeeding. I tried to maintain that lifestyle during the pregnancy of my third and when I was breastfeeding her. I thought the weight would just drop right off of me, but instead I had an AWFUL time trying to lose. Basically, I think I'd really damaged my metabolism by eating very low calories for far too long.

    I ended up increasing my calories to maintenance for quite a long time, which wasn't ACTUALLY my maintenance given my slow metabolism, so I ended up gaining weight. I lifted weights while doing that, and now I'm cutting again and finally seeing some changes.

    I don't know what it is about that third baby, but they're a game changer for sure!

    Edited to fix a spelling error.
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
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    P.S lol at middle aged. I'm 36! I might not be in my 20s anymore, but I don't think 36 is middle aged!

    No Dawn, you are not middle aged at all at 36.
    For goodness sake I'm 45 and I still think I'm a wee young thing lol

    some good advice on here and no way do you look 202lbs - I would have guessed 11 1/2 stone.
    Did you have shoes/clothes all on to get weighed in by any chance?
    rocks in your pockets etc? ;)

    Lol Ruth I did consider free weights in my pockets for the biggest loser initial weigh in :laugh:

    I was 11 stone in my pre pregnancy photo! I think I look smaller. Maybe I have a really heavy brain!!
  • penny0919
    penny0919 Posts: 123 Member
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    Then you need to see your doctor ASAP.


    To gain weight you are eating at a calorie surplus (i.e., "too much"). Unless there is something medically going on. I know that it is possible to have thyroid issues after pregnancy.

    I am not trying to be snarky. I am not saying you are some glutton or lazy or not working out or anything like that. But you are not 202 lbs from eating 1500 calories a day during pregnancy UNLESS THERE IS SOMETHING MEDICALLY WRONG WITH YOU.
  • Yanicka1
    Yanicka1 Posts: 4,564 Member
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    Did they test your tyroid? It sometime get messed up by pregnancy.
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
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    Then you need to see your doctor ASAP.


    To gain weight you are eating at a calorie surplus (i.e., "too much"). Unless there is something medically going on. I know that it is possible to have thyroid issues after pregnancy.

    I am not trying to be snarky. I am not saying you are some glutton or lazy or not working out or anything like that. But you are not 202 lbs from eating 1500 calories a day during pregnancy UNLESS THERE IS SOMETHING MEDICALLY WRONG WITH YOU.

    I said I ate 1500 calories at the beginning of pregnancy then increased it gradually to 2000 by the end. I already spoke to my GP about weight gain. She told me not to worry, that it would come off, and some women do gain more in pregnancy.
  • penny0919
    penny0919 Posts: 123 Member
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    I apologize I thought you wanted advice.

    Disregard what I said.
  • decblessings
    decblessings Posts: 113 Member
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    I would also suggest the thyroid thing too. My thyroid was checked after every pregnancy because of hair loss. I knew it was just how my body handled things postpartum, but my doctor always freaked and demanded blood to check my thyroid.
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
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    Are you breastfeeding? I won't give you the whole rundown of my dieting history, but I lost weight really easily after my second child when I was breastfeeding. I tried to maintain that lifestyle during the pregnancy of my third and when I was breastfeeding her. I thought the weight would just drop right off of me, but instead I had an AWFUL time trying to lose. Basically, I think I'd really damaged my metabolism by eating very low calories for far too long.

    I ended up increasing my calories to maintenance for quite a long time, which wasn't ACTUALLY my maintenance given my slow metabolism, so I ended up gaining weight. I lifted weights while doing that, and now I'm cutting again and finally seeing some changes.

    I don't know what it is about that third baby, but they're a game changer for sure!

    Edited to fix a spelling error.

    I'm not breastfeeding now. I started off exclusively bf but she lost too much weight (this has happened with all my babies) so I had to supplement so was bf, formula feeding and pumping for a while, but I'm so busy I had to stop pumping and gradually stopped bf.

    I can get into a pair of jeans now that I couldn't do up until my 2nd daughter was about 10 months old, and I weighed less then.
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
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    I apologize I thought you wanted advice.

    Disregard what I said.

    How is implying that I am greedy, lazy and a liar giving me advice? Oh, and claiming something is wrong with me! You misread my initial post. Also, I have said that I am getting smaller now.
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
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    I would also suggest the thyroid thing too. My thyroid was checked after every pregnancy because of hair loss. I knew it was just how my body handled things postpartum, but my doctor always freaked and demanded blood to check my thyroid.

    What was the outcome? I did mention to my doctor that maybe my thyroid was affected, and she said my levels were fine in pregnancy as they check them, although did agree that it could account for my breastfeeding problems.

    I live in England and it takes a lot of pushing for GPs to actually test you for things! A friend of mine does have an under active thyroid (hashimotos) and she had to go to the doctor so many times before they finally did something.
  • Noogynoogs
    Noogynoogs Posts: 1,028 Member
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    Embrace it it's a good time to enjoy your food :-)
  • penny0919
    penny0919 Posts: 123 Member
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    I apologize I thought you wanted advice.

    Disregard what I said.

    How is implying that I am greedy, lazy and a liar giving me advice? Oh, and claiming something is wrong with me! You misread my initial post. Also, I have said that I am getting smaller now.

    I specifically said I wasn't calling you any of those things. If you have a few minutes, read some of the threads on here titled "I cannot lose weight" or something to those effects. The first thing most sensible MFP's will advise is to make sure you are logging accurately (i.e. using a food scale). That doesn't mean anyone is a liar, is greedy, is lazy. It just means that sometimes people think they are logging accurately but aren't.

    Try not to be so sensitive. I truly am sorry you are working so hard and were shocked to weigh 202 lbs. If you are logging accurately then the weight should come off. For all you know, maybe you started at 230 lbs and have already lost a significant amount of weight (I am assuming since you were shocked about your current weight then you hadn't weighed in for awhile).
  • lavender_fairie
    lavender_fairie Posts: 76 Member
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    I don't have any advice- I'm just musing but...u had the little sweetiepie on May 1? That's 4 months ago. In my experience with having my 2, it really does take several months to balance hormones out, etc. Your body may still b adjusting- I know I was losing pregnancy weight for at least 7 months, particularly after my last baby. Then weight went back up with the intro of BC and took a year to start going back down again. Between the hormones adjusting, breastfeeding (which didn't help me shed weight like it does with some ppl), moving our household a couple times, stressing and up-all-nights with baby, it took my body time to get it's groove back.


    I'm just saying, it sounds like u were very responsible with regard to eating and exercise during pregnancy, and u r doing a bang up job now on it too. Some ppl (not me) can go right back down after a baby, and some ppl don't. And some ppl who lost quicker after baby number one or two have a harder time with a subsequent baby. I know it's an old wives tale, but for me the while: "9 months up, 9 months down" adage applied. So I say. B patient with your body- it might still b recovering.

    You look great, Mama!!
  • DawnieB1977
    DawnieB1977 Posts: 4,248 Member
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    I apologize I thought you wanted advice.

    Disregard what I said.

    How is implying that I am greedy, lazy and a liar giving me advice? Oh, and claiming something is wrong with me! You misread my initial post. Also, I have said that I am getting smaller now.

    I specifically said I wasn't calling you any of those things. If you have a few minutes, read some of the threads on here titled "I cannot lose weight" or something to those effects. The first thing most sensible MFP's will advise is to make sure you are logging accurately (i.e. using a food scale). That doesn't mean anyone is a liar, is greedy, is lazy. It just means that sometimes people think they are logging accurately but aren't.

    Try not to be so sensitive. I truly am sorry you are working so hard and were shocked to weigh 202 lbs. If you are logging accurately then the weight should come off. For all you know, maybe you started at 230 lbs and have already lost a significant amount of weight (I am assuming since you were shocked about your current weight then you hadn't weighed in for awhile).

    Yes, today was the first time I've weighed myself (think I already said that?) and yes I do log accurately, I do use a food scale (i may have said this 3 times now!) Feel free to actually look at my food diary.
  • penny0919
    penny0919 Posts: 123 Member
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    Lol that's ok. You know all of the answers so I wouldn't want to offend you any further. (By the way, I was the one who first suggested maybe it's a thyroid issue, even though I am a mean person who only wants to insult you).


    Good luck to you on your weight loss journey!

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