Pregnant and need some advice

AmandaMarie2084

Hi all,

Let me preface this post by saying that I am not interested in hearing that it is not wise to "diet" while pregnant and that I should speak with my OBGYN before making any nutrition/fitness choices. I'm well aware of those things. I am 5'5 and started my pregnancy overweight at 182 pounds (I had steadily been gaining over the last two years from my lowest of 155). I am 11 weeks and 3 days and I've already gained 7 pounds. I had severe nausea and had to eat every hour to keep it at bay. Of course all of my food aversions were foods that would not have caused thisweight gain. I never threw up, so I absorbed EVERY calorie. I would really like to only gain 15-20 pounds through my pregnancy (which my doctor says is a safe and reasonable amount being that I started overweight). I was wondering if anyone would give me advice as to what they did to workout and how they calculated their calories during pregnancy. I am fine with weight gain, but I want it to be healthy. A lot of my friends gained between 40-100 pounds and most never got it all off. Now that my morning sickness has subsided a little bit, I'd like to figure out a plan. I have to have a plan, if I have too much freedom I will gain 100 pounds. I struggle with food, which is why I've been overweight or obese most of my life. Thanks in advance.

La5Vega5Girl

first of all - congratulations!!!!!!

pregnant women only need about an extra 100-300 calories per day depending on the trimester (more at the end to fatten up the baby) if you are carrying one baby.

this equates to a yogurt, banana, maybe an apple as a snack.

you can eat very healthy foods, and make the most of your calories. drinking a lot of water, eating broccoli (very filling) and other veggies, salads with chicken (if you eat meat)

my personal advice is to not look at the scale when you go to the dr. turn your back and let them record it. if they see an issue, they will let you know, but there is not point in upsetting yourself every week/month, etc. at each appt.

the fact is, you WILL gain weight. you have to in order to feed the baby properly. yes, it's difficult when you have a history of being overweight or had issues with food, but keeping it in your mind that every time you eat, you are feeding your baby, that might help.

as for calories, you need to figure out the number of calories you need to maintain your weight (i think MFP has this calculator) then add about 100 - 200 calories to that number. you do NOT want to try to lose while pregnant. your body is basically running a marathon over the next 8 months - you need fuel and so does baby. when you get to the 3rd trimester, you will have to add about 300 calories to that number.

HTH and good luck. hang in there. once you hold the baby, you won't care about your weight! and it WILL COME OFF after you give birth. it might take a little work, but don't let others' failures define you. if someone gained 60 pounds or 100 pounds during their pregnancies, and then they hang on to it for years, that is their problem, not necessarily going to be yours.

kangaroux92

i am also 5'5" and weigh 179 i was 185, and also gained steady over the last 3 years i used to be 155 as well. although i am not pregnant and have no professional advice i have always wondered if i were to become pregnant would it be healthy , just to gain 15 to 20 pounds because thats really all is required to gain during pregnancy, and if dieting is healthy during a pregnancy. i have watched many people close to me through pregnancy some who gained only little and some who gained alot. one example is my friend she was already thin but was diabetic insulin dependent, and because of this she had to drastically change her diet, eating extremely healthy foods and she only gained maybe 20 all belly, and she participated in some yoga. so i think as long as your not looking to loose weight during pregnancy i think its safe to do some low impact exercise and switch to organic healthy eating. also another colleague of mine the same, she still exercised and did not change her diet very much she gained about 15-20 all belly again. she did stop jogging toward mid pregnancy though. i read some ware you only need to increase your calories by about 300- 400 per day to sustain a pregnancy.

La5Vega5Girl

oh and i forgot about the work-out part. feel free to do any form of exercise you did before you were pregnant. you can do aerobics, lift weights, run, jog, walk, treadmill, etc. (be careful of a bicycle because your balance might be off a bit as you get bigger, your center of gravity changes when pregnant, and so does your balance)

if you were a professional ice skater, keep it up. olympic skiier? keep going. if not, stick to things on the ground. LOL

there is no reason to slow-down while pregnant. a healthy mom = a healthy baby

rachelrb85

Congratulations! Don't think of this as a diet. When you are in your first trimester you should be eating at maintenance. Don't worry about calculating your exercise calories. Figure out your TDEE and eat that. Simple. Once you get into your second trimester up your calories by 2-300.

I gained 40 lbs during my pregnancy, higher than I wanted to but I lost most of it over my maternity leave. A year later I was well under my pregnancy weight and the fittest I've ever been. Good luck!

markei1

Congrats to you. When I was pregnant with my first child, I only gained 15lbs. I started at 235 and delivered at 250.1, and he was a healthy 7lbs 8oz. It is possible. While pregnant, I drank plenty of water and focused on veggies/fruit and lean meats (for a while I didn't like chewing meat) and that helped me not gain so much. I also exercised by walking 30 minutes 3-4 times a week. While I did not log, I was very aware of what I was putting into my body. I wanted to give my son the best possible start. So, it is very doable. I continued to eat that way after I had him because I was nursing. Now when I was pregnant with my daughter, it was a completely different ball game, lol. I knew that it was my last pregnancy, I was sick the first trimester, and then ate for the last two, lol. We loved CARBS!!! I'm confident that you can do it because I did.

La5Vega5Girl

(for a while I didn't like chewing meat)

that's so funny - i was the same way in one of my pregnancies. the thought of chewing meat made me gag!! normally, i am a carnivore! ahhh hormones! (and it was when i was pregnant with my daughter, and she doesn't like meat!!!)

AmandaMarie2084

Thanks for the advice ladies! I was already stressed out that I was steadily putting my weight back on and now it's coming back with a vengeance and it's hard to feel good about it. I just don't want to get out of control. It's been really hard the last few days trying to rebound from all that unhealthy eating. I'm trying to think about what's healthy for the baby, but that doesn't make it any easier to turn down that Wendy's junior bacon cheeseburger (BTW I am supposed to be a vegetarian). When I hit the morning sickness stage, meat was one of the few things that would stay down, so I went with it.

La5Vega5Girl

Thanks for the advice ladies! I was already stressed out that I was steadily putting my weight back on and now it's coming back with a vengeance and it's hard to feel good about it. I just don't want to get out of control. It's been really hard the last few days trying to rebound from all that unhealthy eating. I'm trying to think about what's healthy for the baby, but that doesn't make it any easier to turn down that Wendy's junior bacon cheeseburger (BTW I am supposed to be a vegetarian). When I hit the morning sickness stage, meat was one of the few things that would stay down, so I went with it.

when your body is craving something, usually there is something in that food that your body needs. if you were craving that cheeseburger, you might have needed calcium or vitamins from the meat. you can make healthy cheeseburgers, although wendys' sure are good! LOL

hang in there

PokeyBug

I feel like I can intelligently comment on this one. I've been through 2 pregnancies and never gained more than 25 lbs. while pregnant. I was back to my pre-pregnancy weight withing a month or two both times. No, all my weight gain came from stuffing myself with sweets long after my kids were out of diapers. *eyeroll*

The reason I didn't gain weight was that I was very, very concerned about feeding my babies only healthy foods. I stuck to a diet of lean proteins and fresh veggies and walked for exercise. Since you're a vegetarian, you probably know how to get protein from non-animal sources. Talk to your doctor about your nutritional concerns. You want to make sure that you're feeding your child a balanced diet and to nourish yourself properly, too.

One thing you might have to look forward to: I breastfed both my kids for over a year. Both times, I forced myself to eat a healthy diet for about 2 years. That may be a great way of creating the habit of eating right for you. It didn't work out for me that way, but I made stupid decisions after I weaned my kids. If I had just stuck with eating that way, instead of saying to myself, "Woohoo! I can have ice cream now!" I wouldn't be here today, lol.

MelRC117

Thanks for the advice ladies! I was already stressed out that I was steadily putting my weight back on and now it's coming back with a vengeance and it's hard to feel good about it. I just don't want to get out of control. It's been really hard the last few days trying to rebound from all that unhealthy eating. I'm trying to think about what's healthy for the baby, but that doesn't make it any easier to turn down that Wendy's junior bacon cheeseburger (BTW I am supposed to be a vegetarian). When I hit the morning sickness stage, meat was one of the few things that would stay down, so I went with it.

I think its good you have a plan and a plan to stick to it. I wouldn't worry entirely about the numbers on the scale...only if you don't like the numbers and know you ate a whole box of Little Debbies and washed it down with a large milkshake. There is baby and fluids that are part of the weight gain. Now as your nearing second trimester...the nausea will (hopefully!) subside, but it can come back whenever or you could have aversions. You may develop heart burn and acid reflux.

That said, my regret with my pregnancy is that I ate like crap and whatever I wanted. I used "eating for two" as an excuse. I gained...geeze...75 pounds and I still struggle to get my motivation back to lose it again. Im losing weight now to hopefully have another in the the next year or two and my plan is to do what someone else mentioned....eating the healthiest and nutrient dense foods and a minimal amount of fast food, candy bars, etc. It's all about moderation. Don't deprive yourself, but don't binge either. Have the Wendy's Cheeseburger...just not 10 of them Which is easier said than done, but keep in mind your goal...healthy mom and baby!

sparacka

I'm pregnant with #3 and am also seeking to avoid excessive weight gain this time around...
I'm 5'7" and my starting weight for my first pregnancy was 160. I gained 38 pounds over the course of that pregnancy, eating whatever I wanted (though I tried to make good, healthy choices, I did not track my foods or count calories).
My starting weight for #2 was 165 lbs. My midwife suggested that I not gain ANY weight. I ended up gaining 13 pounds, and I accomplished this by tracking EVERYTHING that I ate (in those days, I was using babyfit.com) as well as continuing to focus on nutrient-dense foods.
This time around, my starting weight was 157 (that was my weight the day of my LMP, but my M/W has my starting weight - at 8 weeks - as 150). I am hoping to again only gain ~15 pounds, though I'm not sure what the M/Ws are going to think of that plan.

My advice: weigh and track EVERYTHING that passes your lips. Yes, it is okay to eat pizza or donuts now and then, but knowing that just one Entenmann's donut has 200 calories, 25 g of carbs, 12 g of fat and only 2 g of protein helped me to decide to eat just ONE and not the 4 that I really REALLY wanted to put in my mouth. With my first pregnancy, I "craved" Rice Krispie Treats. I honestly do not think that there is anything in them that would have benefited my baby nutritionally. And yet there was a week (during my first pregnancy) when I made three batches and ate them ALL. (Maybe my husband helped out a little bit!) The second time around, I did not allow myself to be such a glutton. Tracking what I ate forced me to be more realistic about the choices I was making. It has certainly helped me to lose 40 lbs over the last 4 months. I think it can also work for you and help you stay within your weight-gain goals for this pregnancy.
Good luck to you!

RunningOnWontons

I am obese and pregnant, and hope you find my experience on here helpful. Sorry in advance for the novel I am about to write, LOL.

First: I think if you've been overweight all your life, you can and should use pregnancy as a time to make a positive and permanent change for the better, in terms of your diet and exercise choices. Your future health, as well as that of your little one, depends on it. I agree that the "advice" to not diet or watch your weight during pregnancy is worthless. A "diet" is simply a nutritional plan, no more and no less...and I, for one, have found MFP's food logging tracker extremely helpful in terms of keeping track of the nutritional quality of the foods I have been taking in during my current pregnancy...not to mention that it has helped motivate me to exercise on a regular basis during times in this pregnancy when I otherwise wanted to lay on the couch and stuff myself with Cheetos. LOL

What I did: Up through the first two trimesters, I set my weight loss goal at (if I recall correctly) 1 pound a week. I did not stress if I went over my calorie allotment by a bit, and I certainly did not starve myself. However, given that I was 203 pounds (at only 5'1" tall) when I conceived (and I certainly didn't get that way through healthy eating and fitness), this modest change in my eating habits and increase in my daily activity (I walked or jogged 3 miles on average at least 4 days a week) resulted in weight loss, even as my baby developed right on course. I felt healthier than I had in years, and the midwives and doctors at the obstetric group practice I go to were delighted with me. I have had to make some changes in this final trimester, since joint pain has limited my exercise options, and I am no longer tracking calories, opting instead to listen to my body when it is hungry. I have to eat frequent small meals to keep heartburn away at this late stage in my pregnancy, so I'm not going to be bothered with logging much of anything at the moment on my meal tracker.

How has all this worked out for me? I am currently in my 8th month of pregnancy, and weigh in the low 190s, around ten pounds less than I was the day I conceived. My blood pressure has been perfect at each checkup, my blood glucose tolerance (which they will test you for, to detect gestational diabetes) was absolutely fine, and I personally feel great. Most important to me, I've reduced my risk for all of the serious pregnancy complications by watching my weight. Because I had suffered a previous miscarriage when I was at an even higher weight than what I began this pregnancy at, I saw getting responsible about my health in this current pregnancy absolutely vital to ensuring both my own and my baby's health.

I can look forward to about a pound a week of weight gain from this point until I deliver, thanks to the growing baby. Even so, I figure I'll give birth right around or slightly below the weight I started at. It will be interesting to see how much weight I lose after the baby is born, and I am so excited about moving forward with my fitness and weight loss goals after this time, as well. (BTW: set some postpartum fitness goals for yourself! I am counting on hopefully an hour or so of workout time daily to myself once baby comes, which I hope will help keep me sane as a new mom, and as soon as I can I'll resume training for the spring half marathon I missed out on when I got pregnant earlier this year).

Thanks for reading, and I wish you the best of luck!
Claire

7elizamae

I gained about 7-10 pounds in the first trimesters of each of my pregnancies. I then went on to gain only about 25 total each time.

So, don't let the 7 pound gain discourage you! :flowerforyou:

Ninkyou

I'm currently 24 weeks with #2 and I've gained 9 lbs so far. I'm aiming for about 25 lbs total.

I weigh and log all food into my diary (except restaurant/fast food doesn't get weighed).

I'd recommend using this calculator for your calorie needs:

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


As for exercise... you can keep any activity you currently do/feel comfortable with. I ran my first 5k 2 days after I got my positive test, but I had to stop running shortly as well as stop Zumba because they were just too jarring and made my stomach hurt. I try to go for low impact stuff now. Walking is always fantastic. Swimming is also another great option. I take an aquatic prenatal class and then do a deep water (more cardio) class right after 3x a week.

Also, for all you mommy-to--be's there's a pregnancy group here on MFP you can join to address any concerns or chat or whatever...
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/1920-fit-fabulous-pregnant-

wellisawstars

Just waned to add that water weight can really add to your total towards the end of pregnancy. They say you won't swell as much if you're due in the winter, but that was a complete lie for me. My legs and feet were HUGE by the time I had my son.

Emz1604

Hi, just wanted to let you know I've been through two pregnancies of excessive weight gain 30+ lbs. even though I continued to exercise as usual ( I carried really well, I'm tall and I could still see my feet easily at full term.. It just sat right in between my hips) this time I have talked throughly to my obstetric doctors (my main doc has been be a obstetrician for over thirty years) and I trust them completely (third baby in three years) they told me while excessive weight loss probably isn't the way to go, as long as your eating well, cutting all the junk carbs (I do low carb anyway which they are aware of) and are feeling ok then it's fine to carry on losing while pregnant if that's the way I've been going. I started losing a pound or two a month from twenty weeks, I gained a lot in the first twenty, and I feel great. Exercise is still up at 30min cardio and thirty min weight training 5-7 days and I run around after a one year old all day. Keep to low carb and don't worry about calories. Everyone's different, but for me this has been the best I've felt during pregnany. Bubs is growing fine, I'm actually measuring larger by cms then the last two at this time, Now 28 weeks. Trust yourself, you know what's best and what feels best. Congrats :-)

JenAndSome

I gained a lot during each of my 3 pregnancies. I can understand your concern with the weight gain but the main thing you should focus on is having a healthy baby. With my last one I gained 85 pounds mostly because I lived on McDonalds french fries, and it took some work but I was able to lose all of the baby weight. Just because others you know had a hard time losing the baby weight doesn't mean its impossible. I wish you the best of luck and a happy, healthy pregnancy.

FaylinaMeir

Let me start by saying I'm NOT a doctor but seeing as how my goal for weight loss ironically is pregnancy I have done research.

If you are obese (30+ pounds overweight when you become pregnant) you can safely only gain 15-20lbs while pregnant. The "trick" I read is to calculate your TDEE. Use this link http://thefastdiet.co.uk/how-many-calories-on-a-non-fast-day/ and select light activity. That way even if you're a bum all day you're eating a little extra. NEVER under eating calories while pregnant, you ALWAYS have to eat atleast your BMR.

If you neglect doing this your baby could not get enough nutrients and that causes birth defects or miscarriage. And of course my obligatory talk to your doctor comment needs to be said.