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Just found out I'm pregnant and would like to lose some weight before I start really gaining.
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Anonymous
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Hi - I literally just found out I'm pregnant with my first (just did the test last week, have calculated I'm in my 6th week). I'm 5'4 and 143lbs. I had been wanting to lose about 8 lbs before I found out and now feel a bit panicked! I've always struggled with my weight, have been much higher than this at times, and am nervous about how much weight I could gain over 9 months! Is it terrible to try to lose weight during the first trimester? I'm not planning anything radical, but definitely would like to make an effort. You don't really need to start gaining weight for the baby for quite a while, right?
Would really appreciate some input, thanks! |
Anonymous
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This could have been me writing this a few months ago. Same height/weight, etc... Now is not the time to lose weight. It IS the time to eat as healthfully as you can, and engage in healthy exercise. Talk to your OB, but if you're already carrying a few extra pounds, then you may not need to increase your caloric intake as a result of the baby but you shouldn't be depriving you or your child of needed fuel.
Congratulations and best of luck for a healthy pregnancy. |
Anonymous
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How were you planning on losing weight?
Cutting out empty calories for more nutrious food? - go ahead and do it! Going for daily walks? - that is great! Everyone's weight gain during pregnancy is different. And for some people there really is nothing they can do to control it - others who let pregnancy be an excuse for a 2nd serving of ice cream. Congratulations! |
Anonymous
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I was about 30lbs overweight when I got pregnant. I am now 23 weeks and I have gained no weight...in fact, I am about 3lbs below where I was when first weighed at the dr's office around 9 weeks. And my doctors have been very pleased.
Basically, just eating way healthier food combined with the necessity of eating smaller meals now that my stomach is being squeezed has done this work for me. While technically now my weight is still considered too high for my height...many women have already gained 10-15 lbs by now...so my doctors view this as me losing 10-15 lbs of bad weight, while providing a healthier environment for my now rapidly growing baby. So like a PP said, I wouldn't worry too much about losing a specific amount of weight. I would focus on making better food choices since it's good for the baby, and seeing how things go. |
Anonymous
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I'm about 11 weeks now and this was my reaction when I found out I was pregnant. As PPs have said, focus on eating healthy and exercising.
What I'm trying to do is stay in cardiovascular shape and stay physically strong for as long as I can during this pregnancy, then once I have the baby I'll be that much ahead of the game. Instead of focusing on the numbers, I want to focus on strength and stamina, so that when I really can get back into shape, it's not such an ordeal. At least, this is my hope. |
Anonymous
| I was in the same boat but my doctor said not to diet during pregnancy. The best you can do is limit your intake of sugary foods and get some excercise. No matter what, you're going to gain some more weight. Just try not to gain too much and plan on losing it after. And Congratulations! |
Anonymous
| This is definitely not the time to "diet" and restrict yourself and fetus of necessary nutrients--do you really want to jeopardize the health and development of the baby now? that being said, it doesn't mean you have to gain a lot of weight or that you can't lose it once you have the baby or that you need to eat many more calories now that you're pregnant (esp in first trimester). Eat healthily--but take in the required amounts of calcium, protein, vitamins,--and stay active. You can control how healthily you eat, and how active you are, but remember you may not be able to fully control weight gain, and frankly it's not the end of the world. And everyone is different--some women lose weight the first trimester from sickness (which is not to say that if you're not sick you should diet). I |
Anonymous
OP I was exactly 143 and 5'4 when i found out i was pregnant. my "normal" weight was around 135, so i too was a little over where i wanted to start (especially bc i really wanted to be 125!!!). however, 143 for our height is still within a healthy weight limit. i wouldn't focus on losing weight. i would focus on not gaining until you hit around 14-16 weeks and then let yourself start gaining at a healthy pace. don't cut calories, but cut out junk. eat healthy foods and you can do whatever exercise you already were doing or just walk or swim if you weren't doing anything before. and just plan on kicking it up a notch when you deliver! |
Anonymous
| Agree with the PPs - I would not actively try to lose weight. Depending on your current diet though, if you try to focus now on eating healthier foods and cutting out junk -- which is good for the baby -- you might find yourself losing a little weight anyway in your first trimester without trying. |
Anonymous
| I dont mean this to be snarky at all: You might want to hold on to your nine pounds. If you have really bad morning sickness, like I did, you may lose weight during the 1st (and even 2nd trimester). Every pregnancy is different. Just do the best you can to be healthy and it will be fine! |
Anonymous
| 14:43 is spot on! Know that in the first trimester, you don't really need additional calories. And only 300 extra/day in the second and third trimesters. And a great 500 extra/day allowance while nursing! |
Anonymous
I have had rather bad morning sickness, too, and have lost weight so far (9 weeks in). Which is a problem, since I was underweight to begin with... Don't eat fat/sugar and exercice gently. |
Anonymous
This is sound advice. OP I too had the same reaction, I'm on baby #2 and learned the hard way that good diet and exercise are key to keeping the the weight only baby weight! I myself the second I found out I was pregnant, started doing lots of walking and watched everything that entered my mouth. I try to eat healthy, keep away from sugar, and limit bad fats. It has really paid off. I'm now 32 weeks pregnant and have gained only 13lbs. Even if I gain a pound a week until my due date, that will put me at a very reasonable 21lbs weight gain total. Considering 13 of that will be baby and gear, a lot will be fluid, that will leave me with just a few pound of actual weight gain. I do not consider myself on a "diet" I am just eating and exercising as I should have been doing all along. Just do yourself a huge favor and do not rationalize your cravings and excessive eating to the baby "needing" it. I did that and gained 50lbs, this time I'm going to only gain half of that. |
Anonymous
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Another, "I could have written this post"- started the pregnancy at 140 lbs (I'm 5'4), would have loved to be 135, and felt my best 2 years ago when I was 125- before Depo caused havoc for my weight! I'm now 11.5 weeks, and have gained 1 pound. I'm sure this will pick up, as I am starting to expand (2nd pregnancy), but my goal was to keep the first tri weight gain under control, which I have... although that will be harder now that the nausea is subsiding! Plus, I'm starting to exercise now (impossible before now, with the nausea and fatigue!), which has me feeling good...
Good luck! Congratulations!!! |
Anonymous
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I'm a similar size. And I agree that you should not lose any weight -- just aim to stay your current weight for as long as possible without depriving your baby of nutrients.
Above all else, my advice is NEVER to buy into the idea that you can/should eat more than usual because your pregnant. Sure, the extra 300 calories a day seems enticing, but (a) 300 calories is NOTHING -- you'll blow past that in a heartbeat; and (b) the 300 calorie addition is for skinny girls, not those of us who already have a bit extra on board.  Seriously though, many a friend of mine has gained 40 lbs + by telling herself she's "eating for two" and therefore it's ok to have more dessert!
So . . . re-focus your attention on vitamin content. Eliminate non-nutritious calories (junk) and add extra calcium and lean protein wherever possible. For me, this meant LOTS of skim milk and non-fat yogurt (fat-free smoothies!), tons of chicken and beans/lentils, and lots of vegetable soup. In terms of resources, I pretty much hated What to Expect When You're Expecting, but something about the "best odds" diet really made an impression on me, even though the tone was condescending. My takeaway was to look more closely at the nutritional value of everything I eat. Good practice, pregnant or not. Finally, consider breastfeeding once your baby is born. I found that it was a GREAT way to lose all the weight. I got below my pre-preg weight with absolutely no dieting or effort. Unfortunately for me, I wasn't able to keep it off after I weaned, but that's because I didn't ramp down my eating. I promise myself I'll do better on that the second time around . . . . Good luck to you!
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