Do I even bother losing weight before baby #2??

We don't have baby#1 yet, but are considering trying in the next year and ultimately want 2 or 3 kids. Because of increased risk of pregnancy complications when overweight, I'm trying to get closer to the middle of a healthy weight now. I've also upped my exercise now so that I can continue exercising regularly while pregnant (there are a lot of prenatal fitness dvds out there). While pregnant, my plan is to track calories/nutrition with MFP to avoid gaining too much if possible (my mom gained 50 pounds when pregnant with me), which will help in getting back to pre-pregnancy weight faster. I intend to get back to at least the upper bounds of healthy before baby #2 (easier said than done, I know ). I have had high cholesterol and have some risk factors for insulin resistance/diabetes (I have PCOS and a cousin who developed diabetes while pregnant), so trying to be as healthy as I can be pre/during/post-pregnancy is very important to me.

It does really depress me that I am intentionally going to have to lose weight all over again multiple times in the future even if I do absolutely everything right. I'm at a healthier weight than my husband is right now, but I'm really jealous that he can just lose weight once and then try to maintain. Still, I like the new, healthier me (it is awesome fitting back into high school pants and having more endurance while working out), and don't regret any of the calorie tracking and exercise I've done so far (if anything, I'm mad at myself for not starting to exercise earlier). It might be frustrating to have to lose weight again in the future, but I want eating (mostly) healthy and exercising regularly to be a permanent part of my life - not just a short phase when I weigh more than I'd like to.

Long story short - I encourage you to start an exercise routine now and try to get as healthy as possible before conceiving. Most doctors recommend coming in for a pre-conception visit just to see if there are any health issues that should be resolved or monitored. Yeah, the process of losing weight can be frustrating, especially during a plateau, but isn't something that most people tend to regret.

Dieting is going to be safer before you are pregnant. It seems to also be true that the longer the weight is there, the harder to get it off. I still had 7 pounds to lose to get back to pre-preg weight between baby 1 and 2 and here I am 14 months after baby 2 with...you guessed it, 7 pounds left to lose. They are difficult to get off. It should also help you to have an easier and healthier pregnancy if you are a more healthy weight. It will be better to maintain healthy eating and exercise habits during pregnancy rather than try to start them once you are already pregnant. It is much harder to exercise with pregnancy #2 because you have a toddler to entertain.