Slowing down weight gain

[Anonymous]

Any suggestions? I am 23 weeks along and have gained 4 pounds more than I should have at this point. Might not sound like a lot but a) I don't want it to become exponential over the next 16 weeks and b) I was still up 8 pounds from DC1.

TIA!

[Anonymous]

I gained about 8 lbs from weeks 23-27! Yes -- 8lbs in 2 weeks! BUT -- with really no changes (ok, so I tried not to eat ice cream EVERY night and I tried not to eat too late) I only gained not quite 3 lbs in the next two weeks -- week 27-29. So, for some it may just naturally slow down. My doc has not been worried at all.... good luck!

[Anonymous]

I tried to stick to the principles of the South Beach Diet phase 3, which worked for me.

[Anonymous]

I had a ferocious appetite in the second trimester and gained about 20 pounds in 3 months. I was afraid I was on the path to 60-70 pounds.
Now, in the third tri here, I find I'm not all that hungry and have to make myself eat.

I think you should eat when you're hungry - eat well, of course - and your weight will even out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Any suggestions? I am 23 weeks along and have gained 4 pounds more than I should have at this point. Might not sound like a lot but a) I don't want it to become exponential over the next 16 weeks and b) I was still up 8 pounds from DC1.

TIA!

All I can say is I empathize with you. Am still up 8-9 from #1 too. Sigh. Would like to keep the weight gain in check, which I was able to do earlier on in my pregnant, but now that I've hit the rapid growth phase, I am hungry hungry hungry. I guess just exercise and eat low cal snacks? So much easier said than done.

[Anonymous]

I feel your pain. I'm just over 23 weeks as well and have gained 20 pounds (this is my first). It surprised me since I don't feel hungry or am eating as much as I did in my first trimester. I voiced my concern with my doctor but she just told me I was fine and to keep doing what I was doing.

[Anonymous]

13:04 - Was your doc ok with that? Atkins has been the only way I can control my weight, but I assumed it would be unhealthy for the baby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:13:04 - Was your doc ok with that? Atkins has been the only way I can control my weight, but I assumed it would be unhealthy for the baby.

Atkins is VERY different than South Beach phase 3. I would never consider Atkins while pregnant. I really just cut out things with a high glycemic index. Those things tend to bring on hypoglycemia (for me, not everyone of course) after a few hours anyway (the "crash"). For example, I absolutely can not eat white bread. Did I get this approved by my doctor? No, but it didn't even occur to me since it is just a healthy way of eating. Obviously everyone is different and needs to do what is right for them.

[Anonymous]

i count calories using dietpower.com. it has a pregnancy tracker on it (and also one for breastfeeding). it also scores your nutrition and tells you if you are eating healthy or not. its not free, but its only $29.99 (and there's a free trial you can download). it adjusts for your personal metabolism too.

is it a little bit of a pain to have to track everything you eat everyday? yes. is it more of a pain to gain a zillion pounds...i think so.

[Anonymous]

I suspected that I had developed GD and went on the GD diet, and it reversed my weight gain and then slowed it down when it picked up again (after a month in which I lost weight). Basically, it is a low-carb diet with absolutely no white flour products and very little bread, pasta or rice of any kind. Lots of veggies, meat, cheese, eggs, some fruit, other dairy. It was not the way I normally eat and was not fun, but it damn sure kept me from gaining the 40+ lbs I would have gained and has kept my total weight gain to 25 lbs (I'm 37 weeks now). I should note that I am positive that I have GD and have been monitoring my blood sugar while on the diet, however, my midwife says that the way I'm eating is a great way to eat during pregnancy for anyone. I probably wouldn't have done it had I not had GD, though -- I love carbs too much. But I'm glad in retrospect that I won't have as much work to do after the birth to take off extra weight.

[Anonymous]

PP here: I should add that I have never restricted calories or even counted them while eating low carb, and have eaten a ton of cheese and never skimped on salad dressing, etc. That's the secret of the low-carb thing, I guess -- when you all but eliminate an entire food group, it's far easier to control your total calorie consumption without feeling deprived (except of the food group you aren't eating).

[Anonymous]

Exercising will slow down the weight gain and also prepare you for labor. You don't need to do a lot of exercising, you could just go for a 15 minute walk every day, immediately after a meal is the best time to do it.

[Anonymous]

BOY did I learn a hard lesson from #1. My doctor too said my weight gain was "just fine". At the end of the pregnancy I had put on 50lbs (though a LOT was water weight). However, I ate whatever my heart desired. I was left with a mess. Now going into #2, I'm still 10lbs overweight, but I am doing things TOTALLY different this time.

Luckily I've made it 20 weeks with no weight gain. Here is what I'm doing:

-Walking on the treadmill or outside daily for 30-45min.
-Avoiding just about all sugar filled sweets.
-Eating protien for breakfast
-Avoiding ALL fast food
-Stopping eating when I'm near full
-Completely avoiding the before the bed hunger.
-Eating low GI foods, such as using Agave as a sweetner.

I think the suggestion for phase 3 of South Beach is a wonderful one, I suppose that is pretty much like eating for Gestational Diabetes.

I know very well that at this point in time I could easily pack on 40lbs, but hopefully by doing things completely differently, I'd be thrilled to only put on 25. I have a friend who ate so well during pregnancy that a few weeks after giving birth, she was BELOW her pre-pregnancy weight. She had never had healthy eating habits and was actually eating less while pregnant than not pregnant.