Any Mom's out there? I'm prego and need advice!

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Determinedchica
Determinedchica Posts: 17 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
So, I'm prego and I don't want to gain a ton of weight luckily I lost about 12 pounds during the first trimester and now, at 14 1/2 wks I'm getting my appetite back. I've already gained back about 5 pounds so that puts me at 175lbs and I'm about 5'6''.
Any Moms have any advice?? I kind of want to get down to 170 but, the doc said to just maintain and watch what I eat. The thought of being 200 lbs (gaining 25lbs) is absolutely horrifying about 11 years ago I used to weight 256 lbs and I vowed I would never let myself get that way again no matter what. The worse part is that I'm due early November and in the Midwest with the cold and snow... I'm a little like a bear I tend to hibernate and eat comfort food! I'm not really sure how many calories I should be eating technically. The doctor said that I should only eat about 300 more. but, I was on a 1200 calorie diet. It seems lately, if I only eat 1500 and I exercise I'm starving!!! What do I do?

Replies

  • LauraLLee
    LauraLLee Posts: 210
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    I have to say to do the best for you and your unborn child is listen to your doctor. But what you can do is mind your calories, and eat healthy. Do everything in moderation and exercise. These are all the things I should have done...and did not do and 11 years later I am fighting to lose that weight and more.
  • MissAnjy
    MissAnjy Posts: 2,480 Member
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    what is your BMR? eat 300 on top of that.
    You don't want to eat only 300 above the 1200 because the 1200 has a built in deficit. Honestly, don't worry so much about calories. Worry about the FOODS that you're getting calories from. Don't count calories. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, drink lots of water. Stay away from junk, etc & you won't gain weight (other than baby weight). But don't be too concerned with the number. Be more concerned about your health and that babies health. Weight gain in pregnancy is deceiving. I gained almost 100lbs and I lost it all within 1 week of giving birth. I held on to a lot of water (obviously) but i ate nothing but fruits, veggies, soups, sandwiches, etc. I ate right and did just fine.
  • jamie1888
    jamie1888 Posts: 1,704 Member
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    Don't eat at a deficit while prego! Just try to stay active and eat FILLING/HEALTHY meals.... load up on fiberous veggies, lean protein, drink lots of water.
  • bobbie228
    bobbie228 Posts: 53
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    Put your info in your setting and select maintain weight as your goal. THis new caloric intake is what you need to maitain unprego. add 300 to that! I would just stay active active active the whoe;l pregnancy and eat healthy don't binge on junk just to binge on junk! I only gained 16lbs with my son and daughter each! I lost all that weight easy! It was my fat issues after that led me to the highest I ever was! Congrats on baby!
  • WildcatMom82
    WildcatMom82 Posts: 564 Member
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    Set your profile to maintain and add an extra 300 a day. Trying to lose ANY weight while pregnant is dangerous to you and your baby. I gained 40 lbs with my daughter while eating good foods and jogging (until 30 weeks) and was never told that I should have gained less or was unhealthy (though I believe average weight gain is 20-30 lbs). I doubt 1500 calories is enough.
  • aippolito1
    aippolito1 Posts: 4,894 Member
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    Eating 1200 calories would be to lose weight. You should be set at maintainance, eat THOSE calories plus 300 calories. You should be okay if you exercise and eat half or more of those calories back. Or just eat small portions and healthfully whenever you get hungry.
  • cjwolfjen
    cjwolfjen Posts: 323 Member
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    Eat healthier foods so even if you do go over on calories you're still better off. Drink plenty of water, it also helps with water retention so you won't gain as much swelling or water weight. Eat smaller meals more often. If you're hungry and pregnant, you need to listen to your body, and EAT. Don't deprive yourself. Your baby will take anything it needs from you, and you will be left feeling very bad if you don't re-nourish your body. I would buy healthy snacks, low calorie snacks, and keep them near you. Also eat less at meal times and just eat more often throughout the day. Don't "pig out" on one meal. Just keep doing what you've been doing, and even if you do gain the weight, its obvious that you have the ability to lose it all again. Plus so much of it is water weight and baby, you lose quite a bit after you deliver. I suggest breast feeding for at least a little while as well. That helps the weight come off faster. Just keep making good choices, but don't "diet". It really isn't good for your baby. I would stop counting calories, or at least up your daily allowance a few days a week, so you can get all the nutrients to the baby.
  • Kirstie_C26
    Kirstie_C26 Posts: 490 Member
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    y dont u just set ur goals to maintain? its under tools :) x
  • tannaleigh
    tannaleigh Posts: 188 Member
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    EAT! Girl, its such a short period of time. Eat your BMR calories. and all of your exercise calories... I gained LOTS with my son..now with his breastfeeding he is helping the pounds melt off me! I I eat 1500-1700 calories now and am losing 2-3 lbs a week!

    Oh ya... congratulations! My youngest is 3 months and its going sooo fast!
  • natskedat
    natskedat Posts: 570 Member
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    I agree with all those who suggest not losing weight. If you can maintain your weight and feed yourself whole foods (as few packages as possible), any weight you gain will be pure baby weight.

    I gained 33 in my first and 17 in my second. Both times the weight came off fairly easily. Keep exercising and eating really healthfully. The thing about making babies is that nature prefers the new life, so your baby will be fed off of your body. If you're not getting enough, you'll be doing double damage to yourself by not getting the nutrients you need, and then the baby will be pulling from your stores. Set your weight to "maintain" and add 300 calories. 300 calories isn't that much. It's an apple and a carton of yogurt.

    Be safe and healthy.
  • sue26
    sue26 Posts: 412
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    eat your exercise calories back in addition to the extra 300cals recommended by your doctor. Have a happy pregnancy:smile:
  • cjwolfjen
    cjwolfjen Posts: 323 Member
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    Set your profile to maintain and add an extra 300 a day. Trying to lose ANY weight while pregnant is dangerous to you and your baby. I gained 40 lbs with my daughter while eating good foods and jogging (until 30 weeks) and was never told that I should have gained less or was unhealthy (though I believe average weight gain is 20-30 lbs). I doubt 1500 calories is enough.

    I agree with this person as well. You are going to gain weight that is inevitable. If you keep your calories that low, your body will know it needs more for the baby (and you) but you won't be giving your body what it needs and you could go into starvation mode which will make you gain even more weight. Just relax, enjoy your pregnancy and eat good foods when you are hungry. Every pregnancy is different. I gained 20 with my son, and 40 with my daughter. It really all depends. The good thing is, it always comes back off, you wont be pregnant forever, EAT while you are!!
  • abyt42
    abyt42 Posts: 1,358 Member
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    If you have "What to Expect When You're Expecting" there's a best odds (of not gaining a ton of weight) diet outlined in the back. It's pretty straight-forward (and easy to follow, and created less of an obsession about calories for me). I lost the baby weight plus 20 fairly easily (8 years ago.)
  • adougherty10
    adougherty10 Posts: 50
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    Start your diet after your baby is born! Eat healthy - plenty of fruits & veggies, take your multivitamin, go for long walks & then start counting calories when the baby is born.
  • ivyjbres
    ivyjbres Posts: 612 Member
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    Ignore calories.

    I know you don't want to gain too much weight, and really, you're right, if you do, you run the risk of gestational diabetes. But trust me, ignore calories. Just focus on eating food that's good for you.

    Whole grains, fruits and veggies, moderate amount of good fats, stuff like that. Only eat when you're hungry, and stop eating when you aren't hungry anymore. Talk to your doctor about how much you're allowed to work out. Unless he thinks you're high risk, you can probably keep doing everything you've already been doing.

    Remember, you can expect 6-10 pounds of your weight gain to be baby, 2-4 to be boobies, and you'll probably loose at least five during labor. So 20 over the next 25 weeks, don't worry about that. When you start picking up 5 a week, make your doc run tests; that's not good.

    I topped out at 199 the week before I delivered, and checked into the hospital at 194 (its pretty common to loose weight the last week or so of pregnancy), I checked out at 176. All the weight I need to loose now, I gained after I was pregnant cause I went back to work at Waffle House (mmm, free waffles!).

    Its totally possible to gain a healthy amount of weight, and loose most of it in the hospital.
  • Yocum1219
    Yocum1219 Posts: 400 Member
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    If you're hungry, eat. Just make healthy choices. Don't be so afraid to consume calories that you're unintentionally not eating enough to keep you going! Right now, a growing baby can need anywhere from 300-500, depending on the baby. Also depending on how much exercise you're getting! Are you eating back the calories you burn? Lots of smaller meals make a HUGE difference!! You need to not worry about a deficit anyway...you need to maintain!! You can worry about losing the weight after the baby comes! Make sure that baby is healthy first!!

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