Yes I am with you. I walk 3 miles at least 5 days a week, do Jillian Michaels DVDs (with modifications) and Tracy Anderson PP DVDs at least 4 times a week. Averaging between 1800-1900 net cals a week, which are mostly clean healthy cals except for my nightly ice cream splurge....and I have gained about 25 pounds at 23 weeks, so frustrating! But, I don't know what else to do, I am listening to my body and eating when I am hungry. I am of course gaining in my belly, but my butt and legs have definitely grown....I can no longer fit in any of my pants and I had to buy new underwear yesterday!

You can control some, but your body is going to do what it is going to do. I wasn't careful during my first pregnancy and gained a lot (around 65 lbs). I lost it all and then a fair amount in the first year, and at 19 months got pregnant again. I wasn't awesome, and I had to stop working out due to a friable cervix and leg/hip pain issues, but I was much better about my eating this time. I gained about 70 lbs! I mean, maybe if I'd been super awesome about eating and working out, that wouldn't have happened, but I can't believe I gained more this time.

I'm now 5.5 weeks postpartum and have a long way to go (again). It sucks, but it's just the way it is. There are a couple of other women in my friends list who had a similar experience. I'm not saying you'll gain 70 lbs like I did, but my point is that sometimes you just have to accept it. If you're really being "good," my guess is that you'll have a higher than average initial postpartum weight loss. I've seen women lose 40 lbs in those first two weeks. For me, it was 25 the first time and 20 this time.

Part of it is also coming to terms with the scale. I had to stop reading the "How Much Have You Gained?" thread after a while because it bugged me to see women at a similar point in pregnancy complaining about gaining 15 lbs, whereas I'd already gained 35. They had every right to complain (in other words, the problem was mine), and it wasn't worth my energy to feel like a jerk, so I just ignored that thread.

Best wishes!

I was gaining a LOT during the beginning of my second tri, but not it's tapered off quite a bit. I realized i was eating too many sugary items ( ie: JUICE every single day..) and cut out a lot of foods that were unhealthy and I didn't need. I'm 29 weeks and standing steadily at about 28 pounds gained.

I would say not to worry, you can do everything you're supposed to, eat the way you should and workout, and you're going to gain anyways. It's part of being pregnant! Those ladies out there who look thin all over and have a belly and go back to a size 0 as soon as it's over are very rare and we shouldn't put that idea on a pedestal. I lost 45 pounds before i got pregnant and even had a 4 pack. I feel like a cow most days, but at the same time, i LOVE my pregnant body and I'm so thankful that my little boy is almost here, and then I know i'm going to do it all over again! I'm looking forward to getting back into shape. Just look at this as an opportunity to kick some *kitten* when it's all over!

I totally had to stop reading the how much have you gained thread too!

I agree with Rubyann, although this is my first so I have nothing to compare to. I know that no matter how much I am gaining, remaining as active and as in shape as possible can only help during labor and afterwards with getting back to it once the doc allows. I keep thinking I am training for some big competition like a marathon when I am working out....only this competition is labor :laugh:

Yes! I am prepping for an unmedicated VBAC and remind myself of that every day when I hit the gym. It is like preparing for the biggest marathon EVER. I think it keeps me focused and I have to think of it that way because it is very much a mental challenge to get up at 5am, workout and log your calories everyday just to get bigger and bigger every week...even if you are supposed to!

I'm eating 2200-3000kcal and not gaining. Pregnant bodies are weird!

And this is exactly why I helped myself to a little extra home made peanut butter pie the other night!

I'm eating 2200-3000kcal and not gaining. Pregnant bodies are weird!

And this is exactly why I helped myself to a little extra home made peanut butter pie the other night!

Sadly gestational diabetes has put an end to random cake

Oh no!!! I know you don't have much longer, but have you tried xylitol? I bake with it all the time and it is very diabetic friendly, all natural and even has a lot of health benefits. I especially like cheesecakes made with it. yum!

I was gaining a LOT during the beginning of my second tri, but not it's tapered off quite a bit. I realized i was eating too many sugary items ( ie: JUICE every single day..) and cut out a lot of foods that were unhealthy and I didn't need. I'm 29 weeks and standing steadily at about 28 pounds gained.

I would say not to worry, you can do everything you're supposed to, eat the way you should and workout, and you're going to gain anyways. It's part of being pregnant! Those ladies out there who look thin all over and have a belly and go back to a size 0 as soon as it's over are very rare and we shouldn't put that idea on a pedestal. I lost 45 pounds before i got pregnant and even had a 4 pack. I feel like a cow most days, but at the same time, i LOVE my pregnant body and I'm so thankful that my little boy is almost here, and then I know i'm going to do it all over again! I'm looking forward to getting back into shape. Just look at this as an opportunity to kick some *kitten* when it's all over!

Agreed, I know two women who were *obsessive* about not gaining weight and who, as a result, overdid workouts and never did rest days. Both delivered early, one at 30 weeks, the other at 34 (after being on bedrest for three weeks). Even after having signs of early labor while working out, the second one kept going even though I pleaded with her to call her doctor and slow down on the workouts. Another woman I know just never ate enough. I don't think she was trying not to gain but was just busy and isn't a big eater in the first place, and she wasn't making sure she ate enough. She also delivered at 34 weeks after spending literally a month in the hospital.

Thankfully all of their kiddos are fine, but premature birth is not a good thing. Sadly one of them continued to be obsessive about her postpartum loss and then had major bleeding issues that required medical attention because she kept working out hard immediately postpartum when her body needed to rest.

It's not natural to stay skinny while pregnant for most women. Our bodies basically force us to put on weight for good reason! I'd much rather have gained my crazy weight gains and then fight to lose while taking care of two healthy, happy boys who were delivered at term than be skinny right now with a baby in the NICU.

I know the OP isn't freaking out to that degree, but my point is that gaining a little too much (whatever that means) is better than the alternative.

For me the weight gained during pregnancy is hard too, I worked really hard to loose weight and reached 3lb away from goal weight when I found out I was pregnant. I have not gained an excessive amount (19lb at 37 weeks), I'm really trying to limit it to 20-25 lb this time because when I gained 23lb I had a 9lb 6oz baby and I am very sure he would have been even bigger if I had gained more. My body is crazy. That was such a hard birth and I just wanted to keep the baby a normal size. At my 36 week ultrasound they said this one is 6lb1oz which means he might be around 8lb for delivery time so that seems more manageable

For me the hard part is when I am breastfeeding, with all three of my previous kids this is the time when I gained weight instead of loosing like I'm supposed to. This time I am planning on resuming to work out once I have the ok from my dr. and hopefully I won't gain this time once I've had the baby

I also anticipate that breastfeeding will be harder to control weight wise than pregnancy. I had a very hard time losing and even gained some myself during that first year. Granted, I was not montitoring my food and was stuffing my face with the worst things, but it was HARD. The hunger I felt was relentless and I was unprepared for it. It did not get better until she was close to 18 months. This time I have to make sure I have healthy items on hand and will plan for that hunger rather than letting it overtake me like last time!

I also find it sad to see people dieting when pregnant. It can be so detrimental and I really just cannot wrap my head around it. Emotionally, I couldn't imagine dealing with that right now. I agree that there is a way to monitor healthy intake while pregnant, but restricting calories is so unnecessary, even dangerous.