Losing weight before trying to get pregnant!

Thank you for sharing your story Jeanniebee625. Your an inspiration!!

I think a lot of women think they need to eat for two adults when they get pregnant, which creates a real weight problem after they have the baby. Many develop a eating pattern of way to many calories long after. And we see women, including on this board, who blame their obesity on their children--LOL.

The fact is, you can still count calories while your pregnant, and yes you can still exercise while you're pregnant.

So I am a little confused as to why women are just now wanting to lose weight, because they want to have a baby. Did your doctor tell you to get out of the obese category before having children? If so, why?

Obesity, regardless if you're wanting to have a baby or not, is now the number one health crisis in the nation today, with type 2 diabetes skyrocketing. So even more importantly you want to make certain, that your baby is born into this world with a very healthy active mom to raise him/her. IOW I hope your reasons for losing weight are for the long term, and not just so you can give birth.

Because most women don't put themselves first. I personally put my dogs first, my boyfriend, my family and then myself. Because if it was just me and I died who cares. if it was just me and I was healthy and lived to be 100, it would be a super lonely 100 years. I have a new found purpose in life and I want to have kids now, I want to make an animal sanctuary. I want to live longer and be healthy now because I have a reason. So tenfold if you are wanting a child! We want to be healthy during the pregnancy because WE WANT OUR CHILDREN TO HAVE THEIR BEST CHANCE. If it's losing weight, stop smoking, stop drinking, putting a dollar away a day for their college, no matter what little or big thing it is it's something that mothers and future mothers do. I personally think it's a better reason to lose weight than say, looking good in a bathing suit, or even a wedding dress. and also, weight can have effects on a baby, just as smoking and drinking do. for example, I am 243 pounds right now. I'm 5'9" and my body fat is 46%. Not long ago was I 180 pounds with a 28% BF. and when I was 180, I didn't get sick as much, I wasn't so tired all the time, My body didn't hurt near the end of the day and I could manage stress better because I wasn't in so much pain. and ALL those things have effects on a baby's health and appearance. Did you know when you are conceived your face is perfectly symmetrical with the other side? But mother's illness and stress slowly starts deforming just your appearance. And why even bother to be on community support boards if you don't want to support someone. Go troll somewhere else.

Nobody get mad - I just want to lovingly offer - please please please do not start a healthy lifestyle 'until you get pregnant.' There is a difference between being overweight and eating a lot of calories to maintain it just because you're pregnant and don't think you should 'diet' anymore, and being overweight and eating what a person of a healthy BMI or body fat % at your height would eat. Eating a appropriate amount is not dieting to me, it's eating what you should be eating and the weight loss comes along with it until you are where you should be. I prefer to see things as eating what you should and exercising vs. overindulging and under-exercising. Don't like the word 'diet.'

My doctors told me I didn't need to add any calories just because I was pregnant. I was a about 10 pounds heavier than I should have been when I got pregnant with #1 and gained less than 30 pounds with my first pregnancy, and was 16 pounds heavier than I should have been when I got pregnant immediately with my second and only gained back to the exact weight I was when I delivered my first. I was not limiting calories or eating super healthy or anything in particular, but I wasn't making pregnancy an excuse to NOT keep a healthy lifestyle because it might hurt the baby to eat a reasonable amount vs. overindulging.

Also, someone told me this and it helped: remember that a pregnancy craving is something unusual, not wanting an extra large Blizzard from DQ - MOST people want to down one of those. So on the days when you're like 'I'm pregnant, I'm going to pig out because I have a craving' remember you're really just pigging out on something you've always wanted to pig out on and now you think you have an excuse. Be accountable.

Good luck to all of you lovely ladies - take care of yourselves, enjoy pregnancy and then love those babies up!!

I totally agree, I've seen people start running more than usual or even start working out during a pregnancy because they don't want to gain any weight or want their pregnancy to look a certain way!! I don't know THAT much about being pregnant because I am not even close to trying, but I know it is okay to go jogging and light weights IF you already do so. and shhhhhh I am totally going to use the "oh I'm pregnant I need some corned beef hash" hahaha

I am not bashing the concerned people on the thread but no one has said they're planning to lose weight just to get pregnant, then binge throughout the pregnancy and eat all the things forever and be fat mothers. It's not really fair to young overweight women who dream of becoming mothers to assume that overweight women are like that. I was 198lbs and only gained 15lbs throughout my pregnancy, compared to a petite, slim woman I knew who gained 60lbs (and developed GD) with her first son and had already gained 15lbs during the first trimester when I knew her.

I'm not saying that obesity = awesome and naturally slim = bad, but this is a fitness website. The overweight people here are bound to be more mindful and focused on goals than the general population who are getting pregnant and using it as an excuse to overeat. The fact that people are posting here months/years in advance of baby-making should be evidence enough of that!

And my Dr's don't say a THING about my weight, even though I always expect them to. My genetic counselor did say that eating well and exercise/activity is important for everyone - but especially for people like me who have blood clotting disorders. Also that I should get up and walk around every hour on long drives/flights.

Last year in June, I probably could have written this myself. I was Obese. I was 5'2 and 211 lbs. I had finally reached my breaking point. I was sick and tired of being fat and I made the decision I needed to lose weight. First for myself, because I needed to work on myself and make myself healthy. I couldn't hike a small incline for 10 minutes without everything hurting and being out of breath. Second, because my weight was getting in the way of my plans for my family. I wanted another child, my daughter was 5 and the age gap was only getting bigger. I wasn't even getting my periods because of my weight, so I couldn't even try to conceive even if my husband had agreed it was time.

So I first focused on myself. I started losing weight steadily. My husband proposed to me the challenge that if I reached 155 lbs (which is overweight for my height, but definitely not obese) then we could start trying for a baby. So I held on to that thread and I never let go. 10 months later, Easter weekend, I reached my TTC goal and weighed in at 155 lbs. It was beyond thrilling. I weighed less than I did in high school, I had energy up the wazoo, I was healthy, I had gotten my periods back and we started TTCing. One month of trying and it happened. I'm now 22 weeks pregnant with my 2nd little girl.

It's definitely helpful to have a goal in mind when losing weight, just don't put a time limit on it. It'll happen when you get there. I also think it's important to focus on YOU. Do it for yourself first, and let the babymaking be the bonus/prize at the end. Once you reach whatever goal you set, it's also important to keep up with the eating habits. I still count calories, but I make sure I get those extra couple hundred calories on top of my maintenance for baby and get some exercise, even if it's lighter exercise than before. I've gained 6 lbs so far for this pregnancy and my doctor is thrilled with my progress.

Good luck on your goals, ladies!

Im trying to lose weight for baby too! I feel like im running out of time being age 31.

I was overweight before I got pregnant and had the same thing. Ended up loosing in the first trimester because I was so sick. I didn't really gain until the last trimester and it was all baby and water retention. ( I gained 15 pounds)

Im trying to lose weight for baby too! I feel like im running out of time being age 31.

I had my son at 35 and most of my friends are having their kids in the mid-30's! Do what feels right to you, obviously, but don't let the age thing stress you out!