how to loose weight when pregnant....

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I know what you may think....don't try looseing weight when pregnant, just eat healthy....please don't. I am 5 foot 5 and 236lbs!!!! Just found myself pregnant and I am afraid of gestational diabeties!! I could walk more and swim more. will be eating far healthier with the odd treat/take away....will this be enough?
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Replies

  • alapointe
    alapointe Posts: 369 Member
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    You will probably lose weight in the beginning, but not through the whole pregnancy. With my first I lost almost 20 pounds in the beginning, but ended up gaining that back plus 10 pounds by the end of the pregnancy. Once I had her though I lost 15 pounds almost immediately. Don't lose too much though because that means you are not getting the nutrients the baby needs to grow and your Dr. will watch you way more carefully and may end up putting you in the hospital if you lose too much.

    Talk to your Dr. You want to do what is right for you and the baby.
  • lovelyrose11
    lovelyrose11 Posts: 609 Member
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    I was 217 when I got pregnant..I was sick most of the pregnancy..but I only gained 1 lb and ended up being 12 lbs lighter after delivery...
  • PrincessLou71186
    PrincessLou71186 Posts: 747 Member
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    You need to go the doctor. The only way you should lose weight when pregnant is under their observations.
  • skylark94
    skylark94 Posts: 2,036 Member
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    You really need to be talking to your OB about this.
  • catcrazy
    catcrazy Posts: 1,740 Member
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    This really is one to ask your obstetrician. Some will recommend losing weight when pregnant but none should ever advise it without the guidance of a nutritionist/dietician and one who has experience and training in advising pregnant ladies how to do it properly.
  • Mom0fTwo
    Mom0fTwo Posts: 326 Member
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    You need to go the doctor. The only way you should lose weight when pregnant is under their observations.

    this^^
  • sayfay
    sayfay Posts: 90 Member
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    You are growing another human being. You are going to gain weight. It doesn't have to be a ton of weight, but even for overweight women, no doctor is going to recommend losing weight. You aren't that heavy to begin with. Just eat smart, eat when hungry, and don't play into the whole "eating for two" myth. The recommendation for overweight women is to gain 15-25 pounds.
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
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    PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE talk to your obstetrician before intentionally setting out to loose weight while pregnant. Same goes for exercise - ASK YOUR DOCTOR FIRST. They'll probably have good guidelines about HR limits and things to avoid.

    It is very difficult to get all the necessary nutrients while on a calorie deficit. Vitamins help, but your priority needs to be getting your baby everything it needs right now.

    Also, keep in mind that we are exposed to dangerous chemicals throughout our lives. Many of the most dangerous things we are exposed to are fat soluble. If you are using your body fat as your fuel source, more of these chemicals get back into your bloodstream where they can potentially affect fetal development. http://www.chemicalbodyburden.org/whatisbb.htm
  • manderson27
    manderson27 Posts: 3,510 Member
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    You need to discuss this with your doctor/obstetrician. They will know your medical history and will be monitoring your pregnancy so can give you the best advice on how to minimise your weight gain without compromising your nutrition.

    Congratualtions :flowerforyou:
  • ChristineS_51
    ChristineS_51 Posts: 872 Member
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    The girl I work with was always overweight, ate lots of rubbish, drank soft drinks and so on. When she found out she was pregnant she stopped eating & drinking junk and started eating very healthily, fruit vegies etc - she hasn't actually gained very much weight, but baby is sure growing - has a lovely big tummy of baby :smile: so it seems like the weight is coming off her and onto baby if you know what I mean. She just went to the Drs for a fasting glucose test tho as baby is big for dates and they are concerned about gestational diabetes.

    I would talk to your doctor about it, but just make sure you eat healthily, maintain appropriate exercise - walking / swimming etc. The baby is a parasite (in the nicest possibly way) and the baby will take all the nutrients needed to grow, so you just need to make sure what you take in is good nutritional food.

    Congratualtions on the pregnancy - it's a wonderful thing :flowerforyou:
  • Aerohead21
    Aerohead21 Posts: 333 Member
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    I was your weight when I found out I was pregnant. I really wanted to lose weight and it seemed a lot of medical journals suggested that not gaining weight was the best option (as opposed to weight loss - not recommended by ANYONE). I saw my OBGYN and she really pushed me hard about making sure I gained at least 15-20 pounds and no more than that. She understood my concern (as I understand yours) but the way she put it, to lose weight you'll be cutting back and exercising hard. In essence, you'll be taking away from what your baby needs to grow.

    My suggestion: before you do anything, consult your doctor. He/she may be able to help you determine the best course of action. You may not lose weight. You may even gain some. But your baby's development is at stake here and I don't think you want to mess with that.

    Ultimately, healthy eating and approved exercises may be the best thing for you at this point :) bug don't worry about the weight loss. It isn't and shouldn't be your top priority right now.
  • victoria4321
    victoria4321 Posts: 1,719 Member
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    I know what you may think....don't try looseing weight when pregnant, just eat healthy....please don't. I am 5 foot 5 and 236lbs!!!! Just found myself pregnant and I am afraid of gestational diabeties!! I could walk more and swim more. will be eating far healthier with the odd treat/take away....will this be enough?

    You won't have to worry about gestational diabetes if you're eating natural and wholesome food. I wouldn't try to go the diet and low cal route if you're pregnant though. It's pretty selfish to choose this specific time to be trying to lose weight when the baby needs to be healthy too. Aside from just needing food the baby also needs vitamins, minerals, etc etc.
  • LilRedRooster
    LilRedRooster Posts: 1,421 Member
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    You don't want to focus on losing weight while pregnant. You can focus on gaining minimally, like only aiming for 10-15lbs total gain, but you really don't want to focus on losing anything, because you'll likely miss out on nutrients vital to development.
  • bexblonde
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    I actually did develop gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with my second baby, and I am not hugely overweight anyway. The dietician I spoke to basically told me to avoid sugar, but eat plenty of starchy carbs e.g. wholewheat bread, pasta etc, and avoid foods high in fat. It's just basic healthy eating - try to avoid sugary, fatty foods and eat sensible portions (no need to eat for two!). I actually lost a bit of weight eating so healthily as I'd cut 99% of the bad food out of my diet. My baby was 7lb 2oz when he was born so he was a nice healthy weight.
  • ttrue1102
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    Congratulations!!! I am 26 weeks pregnant, and still carrying extra weight from my first pregnancy - my other "baby" is 13 months. I've done quite a bit of research on "dieting" while pregnant and have learned a lot. First - I agree with everyone who said to talk to your OB. Additionally, every doctor will tell you that you should not be "eating for two." Rather, you should increase a healthy caloric intake by 300 to supplement for the baby. Usually this means that you should be eating between 1900-2500 calories per day. If you eat a HEALTHY 1900-2500 calories/day, exercise in moderation (water aerobics, walking, pre-natal yoga/aerobics), and drink lots of water, you will find that you will drop weight during your pregnancy, and that you won't gain as much as you would if you just "ate for two." Your blood volume, the fetus, placenta, all those things actually add weight - and that is okay, so don't get down on yourself!! Don't DIET, but put yourself on a healthy regimen of eating well and exercising - just be sure to keep your heart rate under control so the baby isn't at risk. The healthier your pregnancy, the easier it will be to lose the weight after the baby comes - and... breastfeeding will help you shed the weight easier! GOOD LUCK!! And hang in there!!!!! :D
  • Heatherbelle_87
    Heatherbelle_87 Posts: 1,078 Member
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    Please talk to your OBGYN! This will be an excellent topic to make sure you are fully compatible with your Dr! I work for an OBGYN and have an uncle who is one. I DO NOT HAVE ALL OF THEIR KNOWLEDGE! But I make sure to learn from what happens/goes on with our patients.

    Guidelines have changed in the last 2 years regarding weight gain during pregnancy for obese patients. That being said we have had two super obese patients deliver recently. One of which didn't gain a single pound during her pregnancy, meaning she actually lost weight as baby grew, so she will walk out of the hospital lighter (we actually had this conversation at work the other day)

    You can get gestational diabetes when starting at a perfectly healthy weight! And eating mostly the "right" things! So if that is your concern please note your weight puts you at an increased risk but does not mean you will get gestational diabetes. I was borderline diabetic in HS (controlled by weight loss) so gestational diabetes was a very high concern, to the point that I was 1 hr glucose tested in my first trimester and at the standard 25-28 weeks, both tested normal.

    Your OBGYN can refer you to a nutritionist while pregnant, it usually entails you being referred to a clinic for high risk pregnancies but your care will still be managed by your OBGYN. You can even have a simple consult where they evaluate your risk, give you a caloric intake guideline (with carb, fat, and protein percentages) as well as excercise guidelines for your pregnancy.

    Excercise during pregnancy is encouraged more and more every year. I did 3 hour walks 3x a week until I was put on pelvic rest (car accident then placenta previa) I did not gain weight at all until I was placed on the pelvic rest. Most OBGYNs will not discourage you from light to moderate excercise, and this can also be addressed during a prenatal nutritionist consult.

    Most of all focus on healthy, clean eating, getting your vitamins, and light excercise and you should do fine!
  • heavenlyhazel
    heavenlyhazel Posts: 89 Member
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    I was 211 pounds and 5'5" tall when I got pregnant with my first. I ate healthier than I had been and drank TONS of water. I gave up everything I wasn't supposed to eat - lunchmeat, raw sushi, caffeine, etc. I ended up being the same weight as I started out - 211 pounds - the day I gave birth. So, though you may not TRY to lose weight, you may avoid gaining weight just by eating healthy. My doctor wasn't concerned about my lack of gain as I showed her my food log for a couple weeks and having been overweight (obese) to start, she said the baby got what she needed. My daughter was 6 pounds 14 ounces at birth which is average for my family and the same weight as two of her siblings...the other having been a preemie.
  • leahbhollifield
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    I'll echo what everyone else has said....talk to your OB. He or she has the same goal as you....the healthiest pregnancy possible for you and your little one.

    I weighed 224lbs when I got pregnant in October 2008 (my all-time highest weight at the time), and I'm only 5'3" tall on a good day. I had the "how much weight do I need to gain" conversation with my OB at my 10 week appointment, and he told me then that he'd be perfectly happy if I didn't gain ANY weight. So I took the challenge of growing a new life as an opportunity to focus on good nutrition instead of the processed crap I'd spent the previous 25 years of my life eating, and I did my best to listen to my body and eat a balanced diet. And like a previous poster said, I never, ever used my pregnancy as a reason to "eat for two", especially when most of the current research suggests you only need to eat about an extra 300 calories per day to support a healthy pregnancy. Yes, I allowed myself the occasional splurge, and I probably drank WAY too much chocolate milk during my third trimester, but it all worked out (including passing my fasting glucose test).

    I weighed 226 on the day I delivered my perfectly healthy son at 40 weeks and 3 days, and he measured in the 50th percentile for both height and weight. At my six week post-partum checkup, I weighed 207, so while the scale didn't really move during my pregnancy, I really was losing weight.
  • suziecue66
    suziecue66 Posts: 1,312 Member
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    "Just found myself pregnant and I am afraid of gestational diabeties!! I could walk more and swim more. will be eating far healthier with the odd treat/take away....will this be enough?"

    That is definitely enough. If you gain very minimal amounts whilst pregnant that will be a bonus for you as you are overweight now. Once baby is born you can start losing weight in a healthy way that will not affect your milk supply if you choose to breastfeed.
  • melvac
    melvac Posts: 333 Member
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    I totally agree with the above, you gotta stay healthy and eat healthy and if any weight loss is involved be under close observation of you OB doctor