Calorie counting while pregnant and obese...

kittyinaz

Ok, sooo... I just found out I'm pregnant (only a month along) and the only part that disappoints me is that I can't jog and I can't eat only 1200 calories. I upped my goal to 1750. That's still well below my maintenence since I'm so overweight (which is one reason why I'm not happy about this -- I was hoping to weigh a bit less).

I was wondering what other women did while pregnant -- how many calories did you consume? I want to be healthy and I've read numerous studies that obese women will still have healthy babies without gaining weight, and in fact, losing weight.

I just don't want to run risk to the baby. I have been eating between 1200-1500 per day and they say you need to up it 300 cals, so I figure upping it to 1700 seemed like a healthy amount.

sweetnshy

bump, not preggo, but trying and anything can happen!

lnosgood

Since I am no dr or health professional I would say to talk to your dr. I know when i was prego with my daughter I was pretty overweight to begin with. The 1st 2-3 months I lost weight and the Dr told me everything was still normal because i was so overweight. But as for how many calories you should be eating you really need to discuss that with your OB or your family physician. But make sure that if you are going to diet while you are pregnant you MUST take your prenatal's diligently EVERY day. That way it will still help fuel the baby even if you aren't eating tons.

admmommy

I would not calorie count. I would concentrate on eating as healthy as possible and drink plenty of water. When you exercise you should not be doing anything strenuous and i would ask your doctor if you can run. Good luck and congratulations!

kittyinaz

Since I am no dr or health professional I would say to talk to your dr. I know when i was prego with my daughter I was pretty overweight to begin with. The 1st 2-3 months I lost weight and the Dr told me everything was still normal because i was so overweight. But as for how many calories you should be eating you really need to discuss that with your OB or your family physician. But make sure that if you are going to diet while you are pregnant you MUST take your prenatal's diligently EVERY day. That way it will still help fuel the baby even if you aren't eating tons.

Unfortunately right now I don't have insurance, when my other one dropped no one will take me on because I'm obese. And I "make too much" for state assistance. Unfortunately for the first while, Planned Parenthood may need to be my OB. And I've been taking vitamins -- I have regular ones, but I take one more of the recommended in order to equal what the prenatal has. (Gummy vitamins)

calliope_music

i would definitely talk with your doctor about this! also, see if you can go see a dietician or nutritionist maybe? they will also know what to do while pregnant. good luck, and congrats!

TS65

If it were me, I'd set my calories to maintenance. WHAT?!? Really. Here's why.

1. Now is not the time to be concerned with weight loss, it's the time to focus on healthy nutrition for your new little guy/girl.

2. When I was pregnant, I read that "building a baby" burns the same amount of calories as mountain climbing. Don't know how true that was, but it would explain why I was so tired all the time. As such, you'll be burning more calories than before so you could still lose a few lbs. just by being on maintenance

3. Your baby NEEDS nutrients to grow. If he/she doesn't get it from nutrition, he/she will take it from your body (and not necessarily fat, it can come from your muscles and organs).

4. Personally, I would cut out unhealthy foods (processed foods, sugar, "white" stuff) and focus on a good healthy diet. If you're eating good and healthy, you shouldn't have to worry about calories too much. What I mean by good & healthy - fruit, veggies, protein, whole grains. Also make sure to supplement with your pre-natal vitamins.

*jmo, I'm not a doctor. Perhaps your doctor can refer you to a nutritionist that specializes in pregnancy??

kittyinaz

If it were me, I'd set my calories to maintenance. WHAT?!? Really. Here's why.

1. Now is not the time to be concerned with weight loss, it's the time to focus on healthy nutrition for your new little guy/girl.

2. When I was pregnant, I read that "building a baby" burns the same amount of calories as mountain climbing. Don't know how true that was, but it would explain why I was so tired all the time. As such, you'll be burning more calories than before so you could still lose a few lbs. just by being on maintenance

3. Your baby NEEDS nutrients to grow. If he/she doesn't get it from nutrition, he/she will take it from your body (and not necessarily fat, it can come from your muscles and organs).

4. Personally, I would cut out unhealthy foods (processed foods, sugar, "white" stuff) and focus on a good healthy diet. If you're eating good and healthy, you shouldn't have to worry about calories too much. What I mean by good & healthy - fruit, veggies, protein, whole grains. Also make sure to supplement with your pre-natal vitamins.

*jmo, I'm not a doctor. Perhaps your doctor can refer you to a nutritionist that specializes in pregnancy??

Unfortunately I have no doctor except Planned Parenthood. Thank you for all that information!!

debbieishappy21

When you're not pregnant you need to eat about 1,200-1,600 calories a day.
When pregnant you need only about 300 extra calories and thats in the second and third trimesters.
Eating more smaller meal is great because it increases your metabolism.

Here is a great link about exercising while pregnant.
http://www.webmd.com/baby/guide/exercise-during-pregnancy

My OB said to watch my heart rate but other than than i could do what i felt i was capable of.
oh and however many calories you burn off you should eat half of them back.

One more note be sure you are taking 800mcg's of Folic Acid

chiliflea

Huge congrats! I was obese with both my pregnancies and actually lost weight with both of them - wasn't calories counting or on any diet - ate pretty healthy though... I think morning sickness probably helped lol...

Like previous posters has said - eating a healthy diet is key - listen to your body and it will tell you what you need... You know what you should and shouldn't be eating in excess and walking and swimming are really good exercises in pregnancy.. Maybe there's an aqua-natal class near you that you could join? Then you'd be exercising and meeting other mums too!

Enjoy your pregnancy - it's a wonderful thing!

kristie778

Congrats on your pregnancy!

According to the IOM (Institute of Medicine), the 2009 guidelines, the recommended weight gain for each category of prepregnancy BMI is as follows:

• Overweight (25.0 - 29.9 kg/m2); total weight gain range: 15 to 25 pounds

• Obese (≥ 30.0 kg/m2); total weight gain range: 11 to 20 pounds

If you go above the recommended amount, you increase your risk for preeclampsia, large-for-gestational-age, risk for c-section, and probably most importantly, your baby's future risk for obesity! Babies who are born to moms who gain more weight than recommended are more likely to be overweight/obese at age 7, according to one study that I saw (sorry, don't remember which journal this was in)

I also found an article, http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/01/100106093640.htm, entitled "Obese pregnant women should gain less weight than currently recommended, researcher suggests" in which an obstetrician who researches pregnancy weight gain, stated that he "recommended obese women eat a nutrient-rich diet of between 2,000 and 2,500 calories a day, which would cause them to cap their weight gain at 10 pounds, and in some cases, lose weight."

Hope this helps. Remember to focus on getting a nutrient-dense diet with a variety of whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and sources of adequate high quality lean protein.

kristie778

Just noticed that you said your only doctor is Planned Parenthood. Have you been given a referral to WIC (Womens, Infants, Children)? Don't know if you qualify, but you can get vouchers for healthy(ish) foods, and also they have dietitians on staff who I believe offer nutrition advice as well, so that may be a resource as far as getting nutrition advice is concerned. But check with the doctor you see at PP as well for advice on weight gain, etc.

Spayrroe

That sucks about the insurance issue. This is why I'm a supporter of standardized health care, though the current administration is mucking it up and doing it wrong...

Anywho... when I was pregnant with my youngest, my husband was deployed for military training. I found out two weeks after he left that I was pregnant, and she was born six weeks before he got home. One of the things that helped me pack on the weight to begin with was being pregnant with our older daughter, and him being overly indulgent to make up for the cutting and at times overly critical comments from other people in my life. With him gone though, after I gave birth I was down 12lbs from when I got pregnant.

1. You can buy prenatal vitamins at Target (the store brand was like $10 for a bottle of 100), and they are super important.

2. My husband is one of those "Don't lift heavy things! That's what I'm here for!" kind of guys, so with him gone I had to lug the groceries up, lug the trash down (we live in a second floor apartment), and haul the 3 year old everywhere. So the extra activity helped A LOT. Also, walking helps prep your body for labor, so try to fit in lots of walking where you can (even just picking a parking spot farther out in the lot from where you work/shop helps).

3. I had terrible kidney infections while pregnant with our older daughter (doc's think it was all the stress I was dealing with at the time), and not having a husband here to run me to the ER at 2am when the pain was terrible and I couldn't drive gave me even more incentive (as if avoiding horrible pain wasn't enough, lol) to make sure it didn't happen again, so I drank TONS of water. Probably about 60 oz per day. This is important for healthy weight loss and a healthy baby to stay hydrated.

4. I wasn't really watching my cals, but I was a lot more conscious of the kinds of things I was eating. I tried for less processed foods, whole grains, etc, all the stuff they tell you to add more of when you're trying to lose weight.

Now, for the first month, I didn't gain any weight, and I asked if this was a problem. They said no (I am as well in the 'obese' BMI range). Then at my appointment around week 12, I'd actually lost 3lbs. I kinda freaked out until the doc shrugged it off and said they were fine with it. Baby gets first of whatever you take in, so since everything says you need to add about 300 cals per day to sustain weight and support the baby while pregnant, that means you should be taking in no less than about 1500 cals per day. I would say if you're sticking around 1700 per day, you should be good. That would be like eating 1400 cals per day if not pregnant, which is enough to not put your health at risk, but also low enough to create a weight losing deficit.

Above all else though, if you're feeling fatigued, disoriented, dizzy, or anything like that, get some quick burning carbs in. Fruit, veggies, breads, anything like that. Listen to your body, it will tell you if it's not getting enough of what it needs because the baby is zapping all of your resources first and you're not giving yourself enough for the rest of your body to function.

Congratulations on the baby, and I hope I was helpful

baisleac

Talk to your doctor.


edit to add... I also had no insurance when I got pregnant. It's not an excuse for no medical supervision if you're planning to carry to term.

Many doctors/midwives will work out a payment plan and there are sliding scale clinics.

amandarae123

"Unfortunately I have no doctor except Planned Parenthood. Thank you for all that information!! "

It may not seem like it sometimes, but the people at PP actually ARE doctors, they are there to help!

concordancia

"Unfortunately I have no doctor except Planned Parenthood. Thank you for all that information!! "

It may not seem like it sometimes, but the people at PP actually ARE doctors, they are there to help!

Yes, you really need to talk to them. For example, who told you you couldn't jog? Exercise is an important part of a healthy pregnancy! I do not know whether you, personally, should jog or not, but you should consult with a professional, not rely on urban myths and old wives tales.

kittyinaz

Talk to your doctor.


edit to add... I also had no insurance when I got pregnant. It's not an excuse for no medical supervision if you're planning to carry to term.

Many doctors/midwives will work out a payment plan and there are sliding scale clinics.

I was not trying to make up an excuse to not go. I will eventually figure out how to get a permanent doctor but just for now I only have the PPH doctors.

baisleac

Talk to your doctor.


edit to add... I also had no insurance when I got pregnant. It's not an excuse for no medical supervision if you're planning to carry to term.

Many doctors/midwives will work out a payment plan and there are sliding scale clinics.

I was not trying to make up an excuse to not go. I will eventually figure out how to get a permanent doctor but just for now I only have the PPH doctors.

Who, as others have also mentioned, are doctors.