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pregnancy & weight loss

splosh
splosh Posts: 1
edited October 2024 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm 5 weeks pregnant. Unfortunately I weigh about 250lbs :sad:
Kicking myself for not losing weight properly before I got pregnant, this is my 3rd baby & pretty sure I was around 235lbs when I got pregnant last time.

Thing is, I know you're not supposed to diet whilst pregnant, so how many calories shoudl I be eating?

At the moment I'm still on 1345 from when I was trying to lose weight. Do you think it's safe to stay on that amount of calories in my 1st trimester (& hopefully lose weight) & then switch to whatever calories maintenance is for 2nd & 3rd trimester??

Anyone else here done that? I'm thinking it's probably o.k to lose a bit initially because I am so overweight anyway!?!

Replies

  • witchy_wife
    witchy_wife Posts: 792 Member
    From my own experience I didn't diet when pregnant. I just made sure I had at least 5 portions of fruit / vegetables every day. I drank at least a pint of skimmed milk, ate lots of fish and chicken and tried to stay away from junk food like take aways. I did have the odd biscuit when I fancied it, but would limit it to one or two.... not the whole packet like before!

    The day before my last baby arrived I had only gained 17lbs. My little man weighed 10lb 8oz and the day after I got home from hospital I got weighed and I was 15lbs LESS than my pre-pregnancy weight.

    So you can lose weight when pregnant, but you need to do it sensibly. Try talking to your doctor or midwife. And remember that as well as the baby weight you have a whole lot of fluid, bloat, increased blood volume, swollen boobs etc that weighs a lot. So even if showing a fair sized gain at the end of your pregnancy a LOT of that will dissapear as soon as your little one is here.

    Oh and congratulations! x
  • mimi10453
    mimi10453 Posts: 89 Member
    Congrats on the pregnancy! I've been in the same boat. I just gave birth to my second child within 1 year. I woudn't advise you dieting while prego. You should do moderate exercise such as walking or even prenatal yoga and watch what you eat. Try to fill up on fruits and veggies. Good luck!!
  • jmgcummins
    jmgcummins Posts: 93 Member
    Try talking to your doctor or midwife.

    This. Lol. Talk with whoever is providing your prenatal care, if you have a lot to lose they will probably be ok with you losing weight as long as the baby is still growing. One week late during my pregnancy they thought I hadn't gained any weight, and they were very concerned, luckily they had just read the scale wrong. Ask them how many calories you should be eating, and do not go below that. They might have you see a nutritionist as well.

    Also, congrats!!
  • stephm112
    stephm112 Posts: 297 Member
    first of all congratulations :flowerforyou: i would talk to your midwife as she should be able to sort you out with a dietitian or something if you want it. I wouldnt diet per say, but you know whats healthy and whats not. i was 230lbs when i got pregnant, and pregnancy actually gave me a sweet tooth! i ate so much cake and went up to well over 270lbs. i managed to get to about 240 before i joined mfp. i wouldnt worry too much as you will be able to lose it after you have bubba.

    good luck with the rest of your pregnancy chick x
  • momma3sweetgirls
    momma3sweetgirls Posts: 743 Member
    I don't think you should even try to lose any weight now. What you can do is try to not gain much or any. When you are overweight, it is recommended to not gain more than 15-20 pounds when pregnant. Also, at this point, your diet should be focussed on quality rather than quantity. A healthy, balanced diet with minimal sweets and fatty foods, and there's a good chance you won't gain much at all.

    I'm not a doctor. You should really ask yours about it.
  • DixieDarlin1987
    DixieDarlin1987 Posts: 553 Member
    Congrats! Probably not a good idea to to diet while your prego but your doctor should have solid advice for you on that. Probably okay to go to maintenance calories, you really don't need extra calories in the first trimester. The second and third trimester, you only need 300 more (that's just an extra delish snack :smile: ). Just stick to lean meats, lots of fruits and veggies, and calcium rich foods. Good luck!!!
  • bluestarlight19
    bluestarlight19 Posts: 419 Member
    I wouldn't diet either, besides morning sickness might kick in soon and solve that problem for you :) Just eat healthier, think of the little life in you and try to eat clean and healthy so your little one will start off with the very best. And do the exercising like walking and such, keep it easy. It will help you to keep you from feeling weak and tired.

    I may be pregnant myself, but I have to wait another couple of weeks to test, we has some "oops's" this month. I didn't have too much trouble with gaining weight with my first because I had severe morning sickness until about 20 weeks, I actually lost 25lbs from it and the doctors were concerned because I wasn't getting the right nutrients to my baby since I couldn't physically eat much, or keep it down. I felt like such crap that I slept a lot, and I lost muscle mass because of it.

    So this time around, I hope its not so bad :) and I will keep more on top of just doing walking to stay physical.
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