Weight Loss and Pregnancy

PanteraGirl
PanteraGirl Posts: 566 Member
edited September 29 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi Everyone,

Hoping for some help. I'm 5'5 and at 163 pounds. My goal weight is to get down to 135. But at the same time I am also trying to get pregnant, therefore I probably won't reach my goal before then.

Is dieting a bad thing when you are pregnant?

Is there a healthy way to continue losing weight when you are pregnant? I know you gain baby pounds....but I don't want to gain excessively by falling into the "craving" traps, etc. I've seen friend blow up, and I've seen friends look like they haven't gained a pound anywhere but the belly, and some that look like they lost weight everywhere but the belly.

Im sorry, having trouble explaining what I mean. If anyone understand what I'm trying to say, I would really really appreciate the help.

Replies

  • Thriceshy
    Thriceshy Posts: 708 Member
    Hi Everyone,

    Hoping for some help. I'm 5'5 and at 163 pounds. My goal weight is to get down to 135. But at the same time I am also trying to get pregnant, therefore I probably won't reach my goal before then.

    Is dieting a bad thing when you are pregnant?

    Is there a healthy way to continue losing weight when you are pregnant? I know you gain baby pounds....but I don't want to gain excessively by falling into the "craving" traps, etc. I've seen friend blow up, and I've seen friends look like they haven't gained a pound anywhere but the belly, and some that look like they lost weight everywhere but the belly.

    Im sorry, having trouble explaining what I mean. If anyone understand what I'm trying to say, I would really really appreciate the help.

    I think the best advice anyone could give you is "discuss it with your doctor." While I wouldn't advise trying to lose weight while pregnant, your doctor can give you good advice about weight that is tailor-made for you. I'm sure that, between the two of you, you can come up with a healthy plan that minimizes gain while keeping you and your baby well-nourished. And once you start nursing, you'll likely see weight come off pretty quickly.

    Good luck!

    Kris
  • strohst
    strohst Posts: 146 Member
    Staying in good shape is always a good thing when it comes to being pregnant, however you don't really want to lose weight when being pregnant but working out is totally fine it helps a lot when you go to deliver!! I wouldn't stress out to much now if you know you want to become pregnant....
  • bmmadden
    bmmadden Posts: 499 Member
    If youre doing activity before you get pregnant theres usually no reason why you shouldnt be able to continue while you are pregnant make sure its okay with doc to continue whatever exercise you are doing and eat real healthy but I wouldnt say diet because you do have to eat more calories while pregnant just make sure they are all healthy calories
  • VICKY_83
    VICKY_83 Posts: 51 Member
    I think I get what you mean hun.. I would just eat healthy and when you do fall pregnant don't give in to the cravings as that makes you gain weight like no 2morrow as you think its ok to eat as much as you like because people say "well you are eating for 2" thats totally wrong....
  • OliveJuice821
    OliveJuice821 Posts: 34
    Healthy eating like normal. Have lots of fruits, veggies, lean meats, whole grains, and low fat dairies. You don't want to lose weight, so, when you do get pregnant, change your goals to "maintain your weight" rather than losing any. I advise getting to your goal before pregnancy, and getting in shape to prepare for the birth. It's a workout, and you wanna get those pelvic muscles toned up lol!

    While you don't want to lose weight during the pregnancy, and you're going to gain, you don't want to gain much more than 20 pounds or so throughout the pregnancy. Healthy eating and light exercise will keep you and baby healthy and in shape :D Which is always a good thing.
  • chardgrove
    chardgrove Posts: 1
    Hello-

    I am going to try and help answer your post. First, maintaining a healthy diet is an important part of a healthy pregnancy. You body demands more calories when you are pregnant for a growing fetus so if you do get pregnant you want to keep this in mind. Many women find pregnancy is a good time to restructure their eating habits as they have a new person to think about- lean proteins, fruits and veggies, low fat milk, and water are very important. However, cutting out carbs, watching portions, and excersizing are important. Another important thing to remember is that your body will store all extra fat and calories if you do not eat regularly or eat too little to meet the growing baby's demands. My best advice is to keep a food journal and just be conscious of what goes into your body. Dont go crazy with dieting when you are pregnant rather just make healthier choices. My OBGYN told me that women who are conscientous about the food they are eating rather than just the reading on the scale have healthier pregnancies and an easier time losing post preganancy weight.
  • RachelT14
    RachelT14 Posts: 266 Member
    Like the other person said i would talk to your doctor if you have any concerns. I ate very healthily during my first pregnancy , spent my lunch hour walking around in the fresh air and gained nearly 3stone during the pregnancy, baby was 9lb 13oz and i was told i have a larger amount of amniotic fluid than normal. I breast fed my son and was actually back to a pre pregnancy weight within 7-10 days, although i was still overweight at this point.

    When i had my daughter i was sicker during the pregnancy esecially during the day and tended not to eat until later and then quite carb heavy meals. I put on about 2 1/2 stone with her, she was 9lb 8oz at birth, again i breast fed and was back to pre pregnancy weight within about 10 days.

    I would just try to stick to a really healthy diet, plenty of fruit and veg, fibre etc. Try not to give into cravings unless they are really healthy things, i didnt get them at all the first time but craved mushy peas the second time, when i was a bit anaemic.

    Good luck
  • kerriknox
    kerriknox Posts: 276 Member
    Yes - dieting is BAD when you are pregnant. However - that doesn't mean you can't limit the weight you gain ( A little bit). Focus more on eating healthy. With everything you choose to eat try to think beforehand what it is offering your baby in nutrients and with that in mind you'll eat healthier.

    Saying that however there are a few things to keep in mind......

    1) when you are pregnant the amount of weight you gain can sometimes have NOTHING to do with what you eat. I gained almost 60 lbs with each pregnancy and lost it all shortly after (well the second one was a bit harder to lose but still down to pre pregnancy weight by 6 months post partum). I had very big babies though so that meant they added a lot to my weight as well as all the extra Amniotic fluid. My sister on the other hand only gained 30 with her first pregnancy but then 70 with her second, then back to 30 with her third. Nothing different in eating styles, levels of exercise etc. (She runs marathons and has continued to run through all her pregnancies). I think your body just naturally does what it needs to.

    2) Pregnancy cravings are POWERFUL! They are very hard to resist and you will make yourself miserable if you do. So give in - just a little bit each time. The one thing my husband didn't understand is when you have a craving when you are pregnant you can't forget about it. In everyday life you crave something and if you can't have it (ie it is not around anywhere) you can shrug it off. When you are pregnant you find yourself constantly thinking about how you can possibly get it. I was lucky with my second pregnancy and didn't have any cravings at all but in my first pregnancy I could not stop thinking about Egg Nogg - In OCTOBER! It was so bad that my husband finally found a safeway in the next city that was carrying it that early and started buying it for me there. He won huge brownie points for that one!!!

    So - sorry - this has become an essay! Basically -*I believe* lose all you like before you get pregnant but then when you do just try to give your baby the best nutrients every day and do what you can to enjoy your pregnancy. It'll only happen a few times in your lifetime. :-)
  • justsummie
    justsummie Posts: 320 Member
    5'5 and 163 lbs isn't all that bad to begin with. I would talk to your doctor if you are truly concerned but I think that just making healthy food choices and keeping a fitness routine would be your best bet.

    I'm kind of in the same boat except I weigh quite a bit more than you. Though there have been studies that suggest obese women CAN safely lose weight during pregnancy it is still highly controversial and I believe you would have a hard time finding a doctor who gives you a thumbs up on the idea. I was pretty big when I got pregnant for my daughter and I ate absolute junk 24/7 and actually gained less weight than my baby weighed. I'm hoping this next time around since I'm eating well and working out that I will have a similar or possibly even better weight-experience during pregnancy. I'm not going to TRY to lose weight when I'm pregnant but if I continue to make healthy choices and it happens on it's own I won't be upset by it.
  • allison_joan
    allison_joan Posts: 115
    I wouldn't worry about dieting once you get pregnant. It's not about how you look but giving your baby enough nutrition while he/she is inside you growing. I'd consult a doctor before even thinking about dieting while pregnant. Having said that, you should still eat healthy while pregnant to give yourself and growing baby proper nutrition to stay strong healthy. Also, go on long walks to stay in shape and being active while pregnant also usually allows you to have an easier pregnancy.
  • PanteraGirl
    PanteraGirl Posts: 566 Member
    Thanks for all the input.....you could tell I'm new at all of this! I will continue to eat healthy and exercise. I appreciate everyone's thoughts! I do have a lot to learn about healthy living and pregnancy!
  • sarah0403
    sarah0403 Posts: 1
    I am practicing prenatal yoga workout for my healthy pregnancy. I have been educated by my yoga instructor that yoga and pregnancy are inter-related and is quite helpful during pregnancy.
    Exercises for pregnancy are very easy to do.
    http://bit.ly/pVxxeV
  • newmetasha
    newmetasha Posts: 22
    Just eat healthy plenty of fruit & Veg & keep active Youl l be gettin plenty of vitamins to the baby when your pregnant & in the last trimester u have an extra 200 cals a day for baby as they suck your energy you shouldnt put excess weight on x
  • evesacks
    evesacks Posts: 94 Member
    Go for clean eating - ie no white flour or sugar and nothing processed. And no aspartame or other sweetners.

    Make all carbs wholegrains. Lots of lean protein, fruit and veg.

    This is the best diet during pregnancy as well.

    This diet will increase fertility AND help you loose weight.

    Continue to exercise as well, I worked out right through each of my pregnancies.
  • CARNAT22
    CARNAT22 Posts: 764 Member
    As you are not pregnant yet then you should continue to follow your healthy eating plan.

    I would be very mindful to keep an eye on dates though (and as soon as you have a positive result you should speak to your Dr for advice)

    Nest of luck!
  • bluey1980
    bluey1980 Posts: 9 Member
    There are plenty of midwives around who will help you with your diet once you are pregnant. Basically if you eat a well balanced diet and do some exercise you'll be fine. When I was doing Slimming World we had people who were pregnant doing it too, they just had to follow instructions from their midwife. Bare in mind youonly need extra calories in the last trimester and even then it's only another 300 a day.

    I'm also TTC, I had a MMC in March and I actually lost 7lbs in those 12 weeks because I was so sick and I could only 'stomach' potatoes :o)
  • Amo_Angelus
    Amo_Angelus Posts: 604 Member
    Not sure if thi will help but...I was listening to radio 2 and the talk show was discussing weight gain during pregnancy (you won't be able to get the podcast as it wa a while ago) and they, as always, had professionals in from opposing sides. One saying you're eating for two and one saying that's a myth. Now depending on which ide you believe they had very different opinions and the phone calls tended to be one way or another, but this is what I got out of it:

    Your baby is small and as such needs very little nutrients. This in't to ay that you don't eat more, because you do, it's hard work having a baby, but you don't need to double your intake or anything like that. You are actually encouraged to eat healthy while having a baby (New research suggets that you can govern your babies tastes once they're born by what they "eat" in the womb which is why my aunt who always ate her veg produced three girl who scarily like broccoli at only three! but that' aside the point) because, like you, babies need all the goodness in healthy foods. You should talk to a doctor about just how much extra your baby needs, but you should, in theory, be able to have a baby and gain most of the weight on your stomach and breasts.
  • PanteraGirl
    PanteraGirl Posts: 566 Member
    Geez....I'm getting freaked out cuz I feel like I don't know enough.....As I was reading more posts.....I was chowing down on Ice Breakers which have aspartame in them.....Oh gosh...and I have been drinking coffee at work? That must not be good...and although I am eating relatively healthy I rarely ever eat fruit and am in need of more veg!

    And what about milk? I know I have to start drinking it...but what kind...someone told me Homo milk only.

    There are so many things I haven't been taking into consideration. I booked a doctors appointment to get me the right multivitamins and to get a crash course on all the changes I need to make.

    Is this freaking out feeling normal???
  • _angua_
    _angua_ Posts: 35
    Geez....I'm getting freaked out cuz I feel like I don't know enough.....As I was reading more posts.....I was chowing down on Ice Breakers which have aspartame in them.....Oh gosh...and I have been drinking coffee at work? That must not be good...and although I am eating relatively healthy I rarely ever eat fruit and am in need of more veg!

    And what about milk? I know I have to start drinking it...but what kind...someone told me Homo milk only.

    There are so many things I haven't been taking into consideration. I booked a doctors appointment to get me the right multivitamins and to get a crash course on all the changes I need to make.

    Is this freaking out feeling normal???

    Stress makes it harder to get pregnant so I would just relax. I just had two babies in the last couple of years and my advice is don't stress. Eat healthy and exercise but coffee isn't going to kill the baby, fish isn't going to kill the baby. Everything in moderation.
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