Losing fat during pregnancy
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nrrp1995
Posts: 2 Member
I'm seriously having a difficult time getting advice on losing fat during my pregnancy, I'm exactly 5 months along and eat all my nutritional requirements through foods and workout at least everyday to every other day but obviously I'm not running 5k a day like I use to it's only through a 30 min walk/jog or elliptical workout. I tend to gain fat when I'm pregnant like every woman but last pregnancy I started at 145 and jumped to 220 and In 6 months went down to 126 and I slowly regained through laziness of strict diet back to 140 again. I guess I'm asking how to control my weight and maybe how many calories I should be eating and safe workouts I can do?
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Replies
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I would check with the doctor regarding how many calories you should be eating each day. next, fill those calories with nutritionally sound foods and you should accomplish your goal.2
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You're having a hard time finding anything because you're not suppose to start a workout or diet while pregnant. Wait until the Pregnancy is over, you may have not gained as much as you think you did, you can hold a lot of water weight while pregnant, that with the size of the baby and the weight of the placenta, plus added blood volume you might not really weigh as much as you think.
With my first 2 pregnancy's I gained 30+ pounds and lost it all within 4 weeks after pregnancy because it was baby, extra blood, placenta, and water weight.6 -
You need to ask your doctor. Generally speaking you shouldn't lose weight while pregnant.1
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Sorry love, you're not at a size that losing fat during pregnancy would be recommended. The nurse midwife at our clinic has only ever advised losing weight during pregnancy to one woman, and she was over 400 pounds.
Do what you're doing to manage your gain, and worry about losing it after pregnancy. You're growing a human. Give yourself some love and credit.9 -
You don't say how tall you are, but at 5 months pregnant and 140 lbs (or even a starting weight of 140) you should not be losing fat during your pregnancy. Your body needs fat stores not only during the pregnancy but also to help support lactation. Your baby also needs to be gaining fat, especially in the last trimester.
Most women should be eating a minimum of 2000 calories during the last half of pregnancy, unless they are quite overweight. With 30 minutes or cardio every other day (which is good, keep it up!) you should be at least at the 2000 calories.
Focus on nutritionally dense foods, especially making sure to get enough calcium and iron as well as protein, as the above poster said. And any exercise you were doing before pregnancy and feel well enough to do now should be fine (with a few exceptions, generally higher risk things like skiing or horseback riding ). Ask your doctor if you have any questions about exercise.
If you keep these habits through the end of your pregnancy and post-partum period, you should be in a good position to get back into the shape you want after.4 -
First trimester should be at maintenance
Second trimester should be 200-300 calories more
Third trimester should be 400-500 calories more a day.2 -
Talk to your doctor. But pregnancy isn't the time to try to lose fat. But that doesn't mean you doomed to over-gain during your pregnancy. Focus on good nutrition, staying within the calories recommended by your doctor, and you'll be in a great place at the end of your pregnancy. Then you can work on losing if you still want to.1
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I weighed 200 at the start of my last pregnancy. I also had gestational diabetes so I had to carefully measure my food and stick to a strict diet. Even then my doctor didn't advocate for me restricting calories.
I think the general rule I was reading was maintenance plus 300 calories is what your body needs during pregnancy. If you're making healthy choices and staying active, I don't think you have anything to worry about.0 -
ashliefisch wrote: »Sorry love, you're not at a size that losing fat during pregnancy would be recommended. The nurse midwife at our clinic has only ever advised losing weight during pregnancy to one woman, and she was over 400 pounds.
Do what you're doing to manage your gain, and worry about losing it after pregnancy. You're growing a human. Give yourself some love and credit.
I agree
The only time I've ever saw it recommended for one to lose during pregnancy is when the patient is morbidly obese. This is not the case of the op.
Op - worry about growing a heathy baby for now and make good food choices. You can worry about losing fat after you give birth0 -
Even when I was morbidly obese, my OBs did not push me to lose weight. I would say, OP, to check with your doc on this.0
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I did slimming world while pregnant, but I was 4 stone overweight and my midwife encouraged it. My leader told me to have an extra healthy xtra a for calcium, I basically ate very well just not takeaways and cakes all day like I did in my other 2-pregnancies. I didnt weigh in, but the day after I gave birth I was 10lbs lighter than I was pre pregnancy. It wasent really about losing weight, more about controlling my weight in pregnancy. I reccomend it to any pregnant woman who is worried about gaininng too much....if u need to though.1
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My midwife said to eat 2000 cal. If you know what cals you can eat then focus on lots of fruit and veg you won't get to big. It's tough-I've had four and the weight gain always sends my brain into a tailspin.
Here's some stats for you:
1.5 pounds the placenta
7 pounds maternal stores of fat, protein, and other nutrients
7.5 pounds your average full-term baby
2 pounds breast tissue
4 pounds increased fluid volume
4 pounds increased blood volume
2 pounds the uterus
2 pounds amniotic fluid
Total = 30
You can do this. You're gonna have a beautiful baby. Be smart and your body will help you. And afterwards, you can lose it again. You've done it before. I wish I could give you a big hug right now...3 -
I can't reasonably comment on how many calories should be consumed, not knowing what the scientific evidence says (and I imagine any evidence wouldn't be high-quality because it's pretty unethical to calorie-restrict pregnant women for research purposes). But one thing my O&G lecturers emphasised again and again is that babies are parasites - in a good way. They will take what they need regardless of what's happening to you. So while I'm definitely not advocating any extreme dieting by any means, if you want to try something out to keep your weight stable, your baby will be okay. You'll feel any warning signs/negative effects way before he or she does.5
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I forgot to add in that I was 5'5 and at 20 weeks along I'm about at a 25 pound weight gain so far leaving me at 172 pounds, my doctor is concerned for my excessive weight gain being that I do have a smaller frame, my baby is weighing in only at 12 ounces, not even a pound, I just wanted to know how to safely maintain weight and turn my existing fat into muscle to be more specific during the remainder of my pregnancy, I was given the green light on exercise because I was very active before hand, I'm just clueless about what is okay for the baby being so I can't lay on my back.0
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I forgot to add in that I was 5'5 and at 20 weeks along I'm about at a 25 pound weight gain so far leaving me at 172 pounds, my doctor is concerned for my excessive weight gain being that I do have a smaller frame, my baby is weighing in only at 12 ounces, not even a pound, I just wanted to know how to safely maintain weight and turn my existing fat into muscle to be more specific during the remainder of my pregnancy, I was given the green light on exercise because I was very active before hand, I'm just clueless about what is okay for the baby being so I can't lay on my back.
you cant turn fat into muscle it doesnt work that way(you either have fat or you have muscle,you can lose the fat over the muscle but that usually takes a deficit and I dont recommended it in this case). to gain muscle you need a surplus and again you will have to ask a dr if its ok to lift weights,or do bodyweight exercises.its hard to build muscle and lose fat and the same time. it can be done but Im told its not easy to do. but most people go through bulking and cutting phases and arent pregnant (well most arent anyway).just focus on exercise to be healthy even if its just a lot of walking or whatever and worry about the fat later.1 -
It will be difficult to say the least to attempt a recomp now. I would seriously buckle down on fruit and veg. Low calorie, high nutrient density, filling and so helpful. Stay away from processed foods. My SIL maintained her wait by starting the gestational diabetes diet at about 24 weeks. That would be an option as that has been viewed as safe.0
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Eat at maintenance. That is more or less what I am doing now. Keep on exercising. You shouldn't pick up too much weight if you eat at maintenance. Your baby will, as @PleasantDisarray suggested, take what she needs from you. Whether you like it or not0
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Given that fat stores environmental toxins?
The last thing you want to do during pregnancy is try to drop fat. You'll drop all those stored toxins into the bloodstream and raise levels just as the baby is developing.
(Note: I'm not talking woo-woo "toxins' that need "detoxing." I"m talking:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3569688/
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I forgot to add in that I was 5'5 and at 20 weeks along I'm about at a 25 pound weight gain so far leaving me at 172 pounds, my doctor is concerned for my excessive weight gain being that I do have a smaller frame, my baby is weighing in only at 12 ounces, not even a pound, I just wanted to know how to safely maintain weight and turn my existing fat into muscle to be more specific during the remainder of my pregnancy, I was given the green light on exercise because I was very active before hand, I'm just clueless about what is okay for the baby being so I can't lay on my back.
To grow a baby you need about 300 extra calories per day. So you need to calculate out your maintenance calories(using your current weight) including exercise, then add 300. This should slow your gain and be healthy for both you and babe. When you think about it, that works out to a bowl of oatmeal or an apple with pb or an extra half serving of protein and veg or a smoothie. So basically, eat at a level to maintain your weight and add a snack. Also, the ultrasounds for size can be very off. My overdue baby measured at 10lbs and that is what the doc used to force me into induction. He was born weighing 8lbs 3oz with no signs of over term. I had similar experiences with all three of my pregnancies, either they told me baby was small or big but all three times they were off by 2lbs or more.Given that fat stores environmental toxins?
The last thing you want to do during pregnancy is try to drop fat. You'll drop all those stored toxins into the bloodstream and raise levels just as the baby is developing.
(Note: I'm not talking woo-woo "toxins' that need "detoxing." I"m talking:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3569688/
And this! This is also why you may be told not to lose weight too quickly after birth if you are breastfeeding. My doc, health nurse and later the midwives all told me to take it very slow. No point in exposing that new little one to any more contamination than they will already encounter.
Good luck with your pregnancy!1 -
I forgot to add in that I was 5'5 and at 20 weeks along I'm about at a 25 pound weight gain so far leaving me at 172 pounds, my doctor is concerned for my excessive weight gain being that I do have a smaller frame, my baby is weighing in only at 12 ounces, not even a pound, I just wanted to know how to safely maintain weight and turn my existing fat into muscle to be more specific during the remainder of my pregnancy, I was given the green light on exercise because I was very active before hand, I'm just clueless about what is okay for the baby being so I can't lay on my back.
If your OB was concerned about the weight gain this early on, they need to be referring you to a dietician who specializes in maternal and prenatal nutrition. You should not be seeking weight loss advice while pregnant on the internet.5
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