Pregnant!

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symplestytches
symplestytches Posts: 16 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hey all, it's been a while since i've been on, been kinda hectic with life!

Just found out on Mother's Day that I'm pregnant! woot woot! problem is, I haven't quite reached my goal weight and am still a bit over. how many calories extra should one be eating (in general) when preggo? I currently weigh 155, and want to be down at 140. I know now that it's probably impossible to get down there during the pregnancy, but is there a way to make this baby burn some of my excess for me ;) ?

Since I have high-blood pressure, with an unknown cause (dr's have tested just about everything), I was wanting to make sure that I was in the healthiest way that I could be before a baby came along, turns out going off the pill after 7 years doesn't necessarily mean it will take a long time to conceive!


I'm seeing my Dr for confirmation and such next Tuesday, but am an impatient worry-wort.

Replies

  • forgtmenot
    forgtmenot Posts: 860 Member
    edited May 2015
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    You aren't supposed to lose while pregnant unless it is by doctors orders, and generally doctors won't tell you to lose weight while pregnant unless you are significantly obese. You need to be at maintenance or slightly over while pregnant (towards the second half of the pregnancy I believe is when you start increasing). The health of your baby should be your #1 concern now, not weight.
  • usernameMAMA
    usernameMAMA Posts: 681 Member
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    I think during the first trimester you're only supposed to eat 100 or more calories per day. It never really gets any higher than an additional 300 per day and that's in the 3rd trimester. Congrats to you btw! :)
  • Stacyandsilas
    Stacyandsilas Posts: 14 Member
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    You definitely shouldn't be dieting or restricting calories while pregnant. That being said, you really don't have to eat a ton more or binge eat either. Just eat healthy, balanced meals and continue to do light workouts if that's what your body is used to.
  • TiffanyR71
    TiffanyR71 Posts: 217 Member
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    usernameMAMA wrote: »
    I think during the first trimester you're only supposed to eat 100 or more calories per day. It never really gets any higher than an additional 300 per day and that's in the 3rd trimester. Congrats to you btw! :)

    I think that's additional calories over maintenance level, not over what you were eating to lose...
  • symplestytches
    symplestytches Posts: 16 Member
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    darn darn darn.... oh well... baby comes first!

    so eat healthy, eat at maintenance, and keep exercising. I think I can do this! maybe.
  • helenlovesruby
    helenlovesruby Posts: 39 Member
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    It's time to maintain. But breastfeeding uses 500 calories a day.
  • unhgoose
    unhgoose Posts: 122 Member
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    Congratulations! What you eat may kind of take care of itself. Both of my pregnancies came with a lot of morning (anytime) sickness. So I lost weight in the 1st trimester of both because the list of foods that appealed to me was pretty small.

    I know later in the pregnancy they say you need only an extra 300 calories a day, so you really don't need to eat that much more. And like everyone else says don't try to restrict while pregnant unless your doctor tells you to.

    My first pregnancy was right after I'd lost 35 lbs and watching the scale climb back up was a head trip, but most of it is baby and if you lost it once you can again, so try to enjoy it. :)
  • Queenmunchy
    Queenmunchy Posts: 3,380 Member
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    I think you need to eat at maintenance, and if I remember correctly, you don't need to add any calories until the third trimester and that's 200-300/day. I'd definitely talk to your OB/GYN.
  • Holly_Roman_Empire
    Holly_Roman_Empire Posts: 4,440 Member
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    I'm at 34 weeks pregnant right now, started out at a healthy weight. I kept my calories between 2000-2300 and have gained a total of 30 pounds so far.
  • sherbear702
    sherbear702 Posts: 649 Member
    edited May 2015
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    usernameMAMA wrote: »
    I think during the first trimester you're only supposed to eat 100 or more calories per day. It never really gets any higher than an additional 300 per day and that's in the 3rd trimester. Congrats to you btw! :)

    What she said, as far as calorie consumption is concerned. From personal experience, the biggest thing you should focus on is eating right, getting enough nutrients and exercising. A lot of women use pregnancy as an excuse to eat poorly and not exercise. You're pregnant for cripes sakes, not handicapped.

    I walked just about ever single day while I was pregnant. I did a 4 mile walk the day before I went into labor and I attribute my reasonable weight gain and speedy labor (3 hours) with my regular exercise. Look up online, what a healthy weight gain is for someone your size and try to stick to that.

    Let me tell you, it's easy to pack on the weight when you're pregnant, but it's a lot of work to get it off after words.

    Also, don't forget to take your prenatal vitamins every day! 2 Costco bottles will last you an entire pregnancy.
  • Skinny_Kitty
    Skinny_Kitty Posts: 136 Member
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    I am currently 36 weeks pregnant. I was struggling with my weight before I got pregnant and was so afraid that I was going to become a whale while I was preggers.
    In the first trimester, I was sick to my stomach all the time. I ended up losing 7 pounds without trying... but I was misrable! Now at 36 weeks, I am up 25 lbs. total. Even though I was concidered "obese" by the BMI scale, my doctor has told me that I'm doing good.
    I am still counting everything I eat (I eat about 2300 calories a day); not to lose weight, but to make sure I dont go overboard as that is very easy to do when pregnant. I didn't do the whole "eating for two" thing as thats just an excuse to eat a lot. I'm trying to eat healthy, balanced meals.... but I dont restrict myself. This whole pregnancy, I have been obsessed with Blizzards and soft serve ice cream. If I'm craving it... I get it! I just get a small or medium if I have been really good that day or more active.
    I'm also noticing that the bigger my baby got, the less hungry I was as he is putting lots of pressure on my stomach. I have been eating about 6 small meals a day and that keeps me satisfied and keeps the heartburn away. I'm also avoiding all caffinated products as the caffeine is not good for my little man... so this cuts out all the wasted calories on things like soda and fun coffee drinks from Starbucks.
    I'm pretty sure once I give birth in a few weeks, that the weight will come off pretty easily as I never went overboard. Plus, exclusively breastfeeding burns ~500 calories a day! So thats an awesome perk!
    Good luck on your journey mama! ;)
  • sherbear702
    sherbear702 Posts: 649 Member
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    helenlovesruby wrote: »
    It's time to maintain. But breastfeeding uses 500 calories a day.

    That's true, but you also have to eat enough to maintain a supply...so it probably cancels it out end the end.
  • NobodyPutsAmyInTheCorner
    NobodyPutsAmyInTheCorner Posts: 1,018 Member
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    I was sick as a dog all the way through my pregnancy. So I weighed less full term than before I was pregnant ha ha. So I'd be no help.

    Congrats!
  • symplestytches
    symplestytches Posts: 16 Member
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    thanks ladies! this is exactly what i needed to hear. since I just found out, and am not due until jan 16th, i was worried about this whole thing. this will be my first ever, so I want to make sure that we both make it out alive and happy at the other end!
  • zoeysasha37
    zoeysasha37 Posts: 7,089 Member
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    Definitely talk toyour doctor. This is too important to take random people's advice. But if I where you, I would eat at maintenance until you see a doctor.

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