Is it healthy to continue to lose excess fat when pregnant?

charlie18091980
charlie18091980 Posts: 23
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there,

I am 6 and a half weeks pregnant (not planned but very happy about it). I am wondering if it is okay and healthy for my baby to continue on my weightloss journey. Obviously, as the baby grows, I will put on baby weight, but I am about 20 pounds overweight already.

Any help would be appreciated - this is my first topic post.

Thanks
Charlie x

Replies

  • farm_mamaX9
    farm_mamaX9 Posts: 67
    My OB says it is okay if you don't gain any weight and even if you lose some. Some, not a lot. He was mainly telling me that because with one of my girls, I only gained 8 pounds and that was at the very end. You have to be very careful that you don't go into ketosis though. The problem with losing weight while pregnant is that your body will also be getting rid of toxins and those toxins can get into your bloodstream which could possibly cross the placenta. At this point though, your baby is getting his/her nutrition from the yolk sac, and the placenta won't be fully functioning until the end of the first trimester. So, there is some protection in that. (Which, personally, I find amazing and wonderful, that the Lord would create us in such a way that our unborn can be protected from our mistakes before we even know they are growing inside of us.)

    A lot of people will say it isn't safe. I think for the morbidly obese, it is far safer to continue to lose than not. But for someone who is only 20 lbs over, that really isn't much, so if that person works on maintaining rather than losing or gaining, then it is going to be okay. Baby will always take what baby needs first, so be sure you are on a good pre-natal vitamin. If you have trouble getting it down, buy a children's chewable and then add in a small folic acid vitamin. Folic Acid is a must!

    The very best advice will be from your own personal OB who knows you. Give them a call and get an appointment set up.
  • suziecue66
    suziecue66 Posts: 1,312 Member
    Talk to your doctor. Try and get all required vitamins and minerals and don't skimp on healthy fats.
  • charlie18091980
    charlie18091980 Posts: 23
    Thank you so much for your response and so insightful too. I am taking 400mg of folic acid daily, which my doc advised me to do as soon as I found out, but they haven't mentioned a prenatal vitamin as well. I will ask them about that at my next appointment.

    I think you're right and I will concentrate on maintaining whilst eating healthily. If that means taht a little weight dros off in the first trimester, than its all good but not essential. I am on the 1200 calories at the minute - should that be upped?

    Thanks again :flowerforyou:
  • suziecue66
    suziecue66 Posts: 1,312 Member
    Thank you so much for your response and so insightful too. I am taking 400mg of folic acid daily, which my doc advised me to do as soon as I found out, but they haven't mentioned a prenatal vitamin as well. I will ask them about that at my next appointment.

    I think you're right and I will concentrate on maintaining whilst eating healthily. If that means taht a little weight dros off in the first trimester, than its all good but not essential. I am on the 1200 calories at the minute - should that be upped?

    Thanks again :flowerforyou:

    yeh up the 1200 calories and don't forget the fats for babies brain development.
  • cramernh
    cramernh Posts: 3,335 Member
    You definitely need to talk with your OBGYN about your individual situation.. This is not a website that has a medical team on board...
  • sarafil
    sarafil Posts: 506 Member
    I know others said it, but talk to your doctor. In reality, your body doesn't need a lot of extra calories when you are pregnant (especially at this point), but I don't know if 1200 is the best idea....I would focus on eating healthy foods and exercising, and not so much on your calorie intake during pregnancy. Congratulations!
  • farm_mamaX9
    farm_mamaX9 Posts: 67
    I think 1200 sounds too low. Baby needs 500 calories for him/her self. And suzieq is absolutely right that you need to be consuming healthy fats for baby's brain development. You can also get a prenatal vitamin that contains omegas, but you should definitely be eating some as well.
  • jiggs31
    jiggs31 Posts: 117
    Congratulations!!!

    I am very interested in seeing the answers on here as I will be trying as of the end of this month
  • Meggles63
    Meggles63 Posts: 916 Member
    Talk to your OBGYN - 1200 is barely enough for non-pregnant women...I certainly think you would need to talk to Dr. about proper calorie intake!
  • LPS1986
    LPS1986 Posts: 104
    Hi there,

    I am 6 and a half weeks pregnant (not planned but very happy about it). I am wondering if it is okay and healthy for my baby to continue on my weightloss journey. Obviously, as the baby grows, I will put on baby weight, but I am about 20 pounds overweight already.

    Any help would be appreciated - this is my first topic post.

    Thanks
    Charlie x

    I heard somewhere that you only need to increase your usual intake by 300 calories when pregnant. You should really ask a doctor.
  • superstankazz
    superstankazz Posts: 193
    CONGRATS to you!:flowerforyou:
    When I was pregnant my doctor actually told me NOT to gain any weight (I was 40 pounds overweight when I conceived)! I didn't gain any weight until my 6th month and I only gained 20 pounds by the end of the pregnancy (mostly just water weight). STAY away from sugar, salt, and foods high in sodium! Sodium is a pregnant woman's worst enemy!
  • swilk627
    swilk627 Posts: 245 Member
    You definitely need to talk with your OBGYN about your individual situation.. This is not a website that has a medical team on board...

    This. Call your doctor.
  • suziecue66
    suziecue66 Posts: 1,312 Member
    You definitely need to talk with your OBGYN about your individual situation.. This is not a website that has a medical team on board...

    This. Call your doctor.

    Others, above including me also suggested talking to doc/OBGYN.
  • catcrazy
    catcrazy Posts: 1,740 Member
    Dear Posters,

    Please be aware that requesting medical advice or diagnosis in our forums is not a safe alternative to consulting with your physician or emergency care provider.

    In many countries, including the US, it is actually considered an ethics violation for medical professionals to respond to such posts. The likelihood of your receiving valid medical advice pertinent to your exact situation is therefore extremely low.

    This is why every page of the forum is followed by the text: "Posts by members, moderators and admins should not be considered medical advice and no guarantee is made against accuracy"

    As a result, this thread is being locked, and may be deleted at some point in the future.

    CatCrazy
    MyFitnessPal Forum Moderator
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