Safely losing weight while pregnant

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Breastfeed or pump... Wife did it for 22 months and is down to pre pregnant weight and body.

Wow, thanks for the great advice based on your sample size of "Wife!"

Many women actually hang on to weight when breastfeeding or pumping.

[Anonymous]

I was obese at the start of one pregnancy and lost almost 50 lbs weight due to morning sickness. I don’t advise it. Just try to gain no more than 10 lbs. then, if you can, breastfeed exclusively for six months.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP. Just be healthy and "don't eat for three." I would say if you have unhealthy eating habits now, I'd change that. I had GD for both pregnancies (slightly overweight, not 40 pounds. Being overweight is not a guarantee of GD). For my second it was diagnosed at 14 weeks and I went on a strict low-carb "diet" and by diet I mean just cut out a ton of carbs but ate high protein/fat so that I wasn't cutting calories. Until I figured out the high protein/fat part, I actually ended up losing weight for a few weeks. Then I gained a little, maintained the same weight most of my pregnancy, then gained a little more in the third tri. In all I gained 11 pounds. I wouldn't worry that much and eat low carb unless you get diagnosed with GD, like me. But I would make sure I was eating healthy and exercising (if you've been exercising!).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hi OP. Just be healthy and "don't eat for three." I would say if you have unhealthy eating habits now, I'd change that. I had GD for both pregnancies (slightly overweight, not 40 pounds. Being overweight is not a guarantee of GD). For my second it was diagnosed at 14 weeks and I went on a strict low-carb "diet" and by diet I mean just cut out a ton of carbs but ate high protein/fat so that I wasn't cutting calories. Until I figured out the high protein/fat part, I actually ended up losing weight for a few weeks. Then I gained a little, maintained the same weight most of my pregnancy, then gained a little more in the third tri. In all I gained 11 pounds. I wouldn't worry that much and eat low carb unless you get diagnosed with GD, like me. But I would make sure I was eating healthy and exercising (if you've been exercising!).

By eating for 3 I mean eating for 2. Sorry, I have since had that baby and am sleep deprived javascript:void(0);

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The health of your baby is #1. So much more important than vanity. Sorry to be snarky but want to emphasis what's important. If you're focusing your mind on weight loss, you're focused on the wrong thing. You will stop drinking. You will, likely, eat better. You will likely eat a more healthy diet. All this because, hopefully, you have your head in the right place.

OP here - totally agree. But this isn't just for vanity - I'm a bit nervous that the extra weight may potentially cause issues for the baby (higher blood pressure, GD, etc). I wanted to know if through diet and low impact exercises others have had any success in reducing body fat while pregnant? And if so, what did they do to be successful? TIA

OP ask your doctor. Only very obese women are advised to lose weight during pregnancy. Even at 40 lbs overweight (and I wonder how you're measuring that?) you should still gain some weight. Do not diet without talking to your doctor. Exercise is fine.

Reference: https://www.acog.org/Clinical-Guidance-and-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Obstetric-Practice/Weight-Gain-During-Pregnancy

+1000

And please, don't stress about the weight you do gain. Focus on a healthy pregnancy and not on weight loss. TALK to your doctor and listen to what they say.

I mean the thing about overweight people is that we’re always on a diet in the sense that I have to work really hard to eat only the correct amount of healthy foods. “Eating healthy” vs being on “a diet” is just shades of gray.

But OP I think you should focus less on calorie restriction and more on eating a variety of healthy foods with a good balance of carbs/protein/fat and no bingeing. I bet that’s still a “diet” though. It is for me. Mainly because I’m working harder never to rely on takeout and never to “indulge” in ice cream or whatever. I just know I can’t handle it and I’m terrified about getting gestational diabetes and ruining the baby. I’m honestly shocked it’s going okay so far since I am both old and fat. If some skinny, better women knocked on the door and told me they were taking the baby I would be like, yeah, I figured.

Oh pp I feel you and my heart hurts for you - I know the feelings of shame and fear that you’re experiencing so well. I would like to gently suggest exploring the ideas of intuitive eating because while I kind of hate when people say something changed their life, it has been such a game changer for me in terms of no longer feeling the way you are right now (on a diet 24/7 but still hate myself). It’s a really crappy way to live and it really can be better. So just throwing that into the internet in case you feel open to it at any point. This was my nutritionist and she is awesome and some of her blogs give some understanding of things https://emilyfonnesbeck.com/

What really motivated me to this was actually after my sons birth and realizing I would undoubtedly pass these feelings of shame onto my son. Reading Secrets to feeding a healthy family by Ellyn satter also spurred things and gave me the inspiration to get off the hamster wheel. Anyway, I’m sending good thoughts and vibes your way as you navigate this - it is tough because the world screams loud at us that we are not ok just being who we are. It is painful.

Like I said above, you are the perfect mom for this baby. YOU.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Breastfeed or pump... Wife did it for 22 months and is down to pre pregnant weight and body.

thanks for the irrelevant mansplaining.

Np. Don't you love it when men come on to explain something they will never experience? Let's give advice to the pp on his man problems lol

NP. He's right. Aim to lose weight after the baby is out (although maybe after breastfeeding, not during). Not during pregnancy.

But OP specifically asked about losing weight for the *baby's* health. And yeah, miss me with the mens recommending TWO YEARS of breastfeeding for the purpose of losing babyweight

[Anonymous]

Focus on not gaining weight. Eat nutritionally dense foods when possible. Lose weight after the baby’s born.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Op please follow this advice and do not try to lose weight during pregnancy. You need to nourish your body during pregnancy, truly nourish it - your baby depends on all of those nutrients that you need to take in to flourish and grow. Truly depends on it. It will be much more impactful to your baby to not eat enough in general and not enough nutrients that it impacts their growth (low weight babies are at much higher risk of issues than larger babies for example, look up the risks of low birth weight babies if you want some motivation to feed yourself well) then the small risk of the other issues you mentioned that the needle will likely not be moved on by anything you do around weight during pregnancy.

You will gain weight during pregnancy, that is normal. Nourish yourself and your baby. Try to reframe how you’re thinking about this and caring for your baby because you clearly care so much. Limiting what you eat will go against that. I knew a woman that mostly ate lean cuisine during pregnant and her baby was failure to thrive at birth. Focus on feeding your body at regular intervals, as much nutrient dense food as you can. Think of your food in terms of nutrients - when you eat a bunch of different foods think oh man I just gave my baby carbs for energy, healthy fats from that avocado to grow their brain, etc etc. to try to change your mindset a little. I struggle with my weight too so I relate to the mindset you’re in.

You’ve got to flip it on it’s head to give your baby the best start. You are strong and your body is ready to grow this baby, it can handle the extra fat and there are many, many healthy pregnancies while not at an ideal weight. Your job is to nourish yourself and this baby during this time. There are many people that get gestational diabetes despite being at what is considered an ideal weight.

You got this mama, take care of yourself, your body and your baby and know you are the perfect mom for this baby - 40 lbs and all. Seriously.

This was a really thoughtful message!

[Anonymous]

I lost weight while pregnant, OP, but was still 40 pounds overweight when I gave birth. I had ZERO complications. No GD and no high blood pressure. I had an easy vaginal labor.

I ate whatever I wanted, including ice cream and french fries when I felt like it. But I also ate lots of fresh fruit and veggies. I focused on getting my baby nutrients and it all fell into place.

[Anonymous]

OP, when I got pregnant with my first baby, I was about 40 pounds heavier than I wanted to be: not obese, but definitely overweight. In my case, it was a sedentary lifestyle combined with unhealthy food choices that built up over a long period of time.

When I got pregnant, a lot of that changed. I started getting a bit more exercise - mostly just going for more walks and going to a weekly yoga class where I'd been walking to the bus but that was about it. Not drinking alcohol or other calories was also a big deal for me. I think I probably cut about 500 calories per day just by not drinking alcohol or soft drinks anymore. I switched to water pretty much exclusively, with a cup of black coffee a couple times a day so I would not go into caffeine withdrawal. I also changed the way that I ate and began focusing more on vegetables and proteins and less on carbs. For me, it wasn't that I was eating dramatically different things, but if I made a pasta primavera dish for dinner, I reduced the amount of pasta in it and increased the amount of vegetables. I don't really enjoy salads, but I do enjoy vegetables as a snack, so I just started making snack vegetable salads for lunch and dipping them in hummus or yogurt dip or something.

I also had pretty severe morning sickness during the first 13 weeks, and actually lost close to 10 pounds during that period. My doctor was not particularly concerned because I was maximizing the nutrition of what I was able to eat, and it resolved after 13 weeks.

Overall, I was 170 pounds when I got pregnant, dropped to 160 by second trimester, and was 185 pounds the day I gave birth. I was able to get back to 160 by the time DD was 6 months old through a combination of breastfeeding, maintaining the healthy eating I was doing during pregnancy, and going for long walks while on maternity leave.

[Anonymous]

OP, I would encourage you to just focus on making each meal as healthy as possible rather than losing weight. Ie for breakfast instead of cereal have oatmeal with fruit and nuts, scrambled eggs with avocado and sliced tomato and a small piece of 100 percent whole wheat toast. For lunch instead of a sandwich have a big salad with lots of veggies, lean protein, nuts, and oil and vinegar. For snacks, have fruit, veggies, and/protein. Like cottage cheese and berries, string cheese and an apple, almonds and a clementine, carrots and hummus, etc. For dinners make sure you have a complex carb (ie sweet potato, quinoa), protein, and that half your plate is veggies. Cut out sugary drinks, refined carbs, etc. Swap out white pasta for whole wheat or better yet, zucchini noodles. Swap white rice for cauli rice, etc. Focus on eating as well for the baby as you can, and staying hydrated. Small changes to your diet (like swapping out refined carbs for complex, or adding more protein and veggies) can really add up. That should be your focus, not weight loss. Also, walking is a great exercise program. Getting a fitness tracker and aiming for 10,000 steps a day is a great place to start. Focus on just being healthy and eating healthy in your pregnancy. Don’t worry about the scale!

[Anonymous]

So I was about 40 pounds overweight and lost 30 pounds before we started to try to conceive. We conceived immediately and then I miscarried. We were pretty devastated and in the process of the hormones and what not I gained back 10 pounds. I got pregnant immediately after the miscarriage so no chance to lose that.

I tried hard to eat right but I've gained about 25 pounds in 25 weeks. My OB isn't stressed about it at all, I'm healthy with respect to blood pressure and my sugar levels.

Losing weight during breastfeeding definitely did not happen for me I was ravenously hungry and couldn't work out because everytime I did I got a clogged duct. So sometimes you just have to be patient until your baby starts to get older and you get your body back. Definitely loose weight before another pregnancy though because it can compound.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The health of your baby is #1. So much more important than vanity. Sorry to be snarky but want to emphasis what's important. If you're focusing your mind on weight loss, you're focused on the wrong thing. You will stop drinking. You will, likely, eat better. You will likely eat a more healthy diet. All this because, hopefully, you have your head in the right place.

OP here - totally agree. But this isn't just for vanity - I'm a bit nervous that the extra weight may potentially cause issues for the baby (higher blood pressure, GD, etc). I wanted to know if through diet and low impact exercises others have had any success in reducing body fat while pregnant? And if so, what did they do to be successful? TIA

OP ask your doctor. Only very obese women are advised to lose weight during pregnancy. Even at 40 lbs overweight (and I wonder how you're measuring that?) you should still gain some weight. Do not diet without talking to your doctor. Exercise is fine.

Reference: https://www.acog.org/Clinical-Guidance-and-Publications/Committee-Opinions/Committee-on-Obstetric-Practice/Weight-Gain-During-Pregnancy

40 lbs overweight means 40 lbs from the top of the normal BMI range for your height. Otherwise its your "goal weight," which can be significantly different.

[Anonymous]

I started this pregnancy about 20 lbs over. Haven’t gained much yet but already showing at 12 weeks due to stomach not being flat in the first place. My goal is to try and make healthy choices and avoiding post dinner snacking. I’m making my Weight Watchers plan after the birth.

[Anonymous]

I started pregnancy overweight and actually got told all the time during my first trimester that I looked like i was loosing weight. I think instead of gaining weight, my weight shifted toward the baby.
In the end, I did gain 14lbs during the pregnancy but it melted off once the baby came.