Pregnant and trying not to gain a lot of weight!

actually even patients who are obese should gain at least 10-15lbs through out the pregnancy.

You need to speak to your ob about this....if you consider not gaining weight you could be putting the baby at risk.

I'm currently 34 weeks pregnant, and have gained 30 pounds so far. At first I was gaining weight too fast, so I started calorie counting again. I stick to about 2000-2300 calories a day and try to get 8000-10000 steps in on my fitbit a day. Doing that seemed to work pretty well for me.

PS--I started out at a healthy weight.

Yes I have had a healthy pregnancy and lost 10lbs during first trimester and gained only 13 during the rest of my pregnancy, I exercised and logged my food regularly. Currently pregnant and not as successfully as last gained 11lbs so far at 6 months. Sorry some keys on my keyboard are not functioning making typing difficult. It is completly possible to gain minimaly but you must put in the effort required, some pregnancies are easier to do that then other last I had no cravings current Cheesecake!!!!! or other sugary things.

Pregnancy is not the time to worry about a number on the scale. (Trust me, I know - I've given birth to 5 awesome little men!) Instead of focusing on weight, focus on nutrition. Set some healthy goals - drinking enough water, getting more vegetables and fruits, making sure that you get protein, etc. For me, my cravings for sweets went through the roof when I was pregnant, so I had to set limits on that so I wouldn't over indulge. Remember that the "eating for 2" is a myth. You only need to increase your calories by about 300/day, and that is only in the 2nd half of your pregnancy. At this point, you don't want to lose weight. But it's more important than ever to be healthy. And if you develop healthy habits now, then after you deliver (and recover a bit), the easier it will be to continue to be healthy and you can worry about losing weight then.

And, just as an additional note, the more active I was during my pregnancies, the faster I recovered. I was no athlete while pregnant, but walking and swimming were my friends! The one pregnancy where I was on bedrest was the one where it took months to feel close to normal after I delivered.

Congratulations on your baby and best wishes!

Your doctor would give you the best advice on weight gain. Each person is different, so his/her medical advice will be customized to you.

In my particular case, my doctor did not want me to gain weight with either of my pregnancies, because of my weight at the time I got pregnant.

I gained 0 pounds with the first pregnancy, and I gained 5 pounds with the second. I also followed my nutritionist's diet guidelines to the tee. Both babies were healthy.

I don't think you get to pick the feedback you receive. I would agree with Chris, focus on the pregnancy, don't worry about weight until your baby is born, and then get to work!!

My doctor was of the opinion that I should gain a little with both my babies but keep it under 20 lbs since I was fat already. I just tried to enjoy being pregnant (which I hated). Without any intervention on my part I gained right around 20lbs with each baby. My 1st was 7lbs 10oz and the second was 9 lbs 6oz. My current weight is actually 10lbs less than when I got pregnant with son #1. Don't stress yourself out while pregnant. My doc told me that you can still do any kind of exercise you like provided that you can still carry on a conversation while doing it. He said after month 3 he wanted me to limit any heavy lifting but that walking, planks, etc were all great.

Oh, and I edited this because I forgot to say CONGRATULATIONS!

Seriously, you are growing a person. That is hard work. Just remember to be easy with yourself.

I would definitely log your food throughout. The current guidelines say that women only need 300 calories extra/day to sustain a healthy pregnancy. I also second hollydubs85's ideas with walking and eating healthy snacks.

I gained more than I would have liked when I was pregnant and plan to be more vigilant with eating/exercise when/if I get pregnant again. Good luck!

Ok, for those saying don't worry about the scale, keep in mind that OP is obese. There are a lot of possible complications of pregnancy just from that, and there is definitely a point (I'm not sure exactly where it is) where OBs will say it's okay to not gain, because the body has enough fat stores to support the growing baby as it is. So OP, if your doctor is on board with you, I think that's an okay option.

Like @Ninkyou I used MFP to log during 2 pregnancies. The first of those I was about 20 pounds overweight at the start. I set MFP to maintain (and later to gain .5 pound per week), stayed active with walking and swimming, and tried to eat back the exercise calories. The second time around, I was only about 5 pounds over my ideal, and started with "maintain" then went up to the gain .5 pound. But I was much sicker that time, and couldn't be active much at all (even standing up hurt, let alone a trip to the grocery store!) and ended up being much looser with my food tracking and so I gained 35 pounds. It's all good, I had healthy babies both times and am working on losing the baby weight now.

So, OP, you can set MFP to your weight goals, or even custom set your calories. Be as active as you can (again, with doctor approval) and do your best to eat well. Focusing on lots of fruit and vegetables and lean protein will be good for you and baby, but allow some wiggle room for cravings, etc. And if you end up gaining more than you had hoped, try to roll with it, and keep your focus on having a healthy baby. You're making the best effort for a healthy pregnancy, so you're on the right track!

And congratulations!!

I'm 21 weeks currently. I was at the upper end of healthy for me when I got pregnant (about 10 pounds over ideal weight), so I'm hoping to gain closer to 25 pounds in total rather than 35 (the max recommended if you start at a healthy weight). Maintaining was easy for me during the first trimester (nausea helped!), but my weight has gone up about 8 pounds in the last 3 weeks. I didn't think I was eating significantly more, but I'm trying to be better about logging just to be sure. Logging also helps me keep better track of my nutrition.

Best of luck to you and all the other pregnant MFP-ers! Please feel free to add me.

mbcieslak87 wrote: »

If your doctor says it's ok (which you obviously stated and all these peeps can't seem to read) then good for you! I know my mom said she was actually thinner after both of her pregnancies than she was when she started, just because she wasn't hungry. She too was considered overweight or obese. Everyone is different. I say listen to your doctor and do what feels right for you and your baby!
Congratulations to you and your sweet baby - I hope you have a wonderful pregnancy!

Exactly - 75% of the people responding didn't even read all of the OP. Congrats on your pregnancy! Just be faithful to your logging and remember that you might be eating for two, but one of those two is very very tiny!

Congrats!
I was in your boat once upon a time. I was obese when I became pregnant with my daughter. Doc told me she would prefer if I didn't gain weight. I cut back on caffeine and junk food. I upped my protein and veggies. I lost twelve pounds in the first 3 months due to morning sickness and then gained ten back. At the end of the pregnancy I was two pounds lighter then when I started. I had a perfectly healthy baby girl.

It can be done and it can be healthy for you and baby.

Only down side for me was no one knew I was pregnant unless I told them and I didn't have the baby belly which I think is fun and cute.

Yes, major caffeine withdraws but my doc was absolute about cutting that out. I was a 3-4 a day diet coke girl. The headaches were awful but they stop in a couple weeks and lots of water helped. I drank fizzy flavored water. I really cut out chocolate and sweets too. I guess I was "clean eating" before I knew what it meant.

I am 21 weeks and haven't gained any weight so far. I have difficulty eating a lot of things when pregnant and am annoyingly picky but I'm not starving (I haven't lost any weight either). I am not overweight and am right in the middle of a normal BMI . I am sure I will gain about 20lbs from this point on ( that's how it has been in my previous pregnancies ). I don't really exercise either apart from walking. Good luck with your pregnancy!