Losing weight whilst pregnant?

fawd1

Hi there, I'm new to this thread as I only discovered I was pregnant a week or so ago. Now my question is, and please don't think me a bad person for asking but, can i safely lose weight whilst pregnant? Only I've been dieting for the last couple of months and doing really well, and don't want to stop now. I've not been crash dieting, just healthy eating, more exercise etc, but I really don't want to put on loads of weight. I actually want to continue losing weight whilst obviously making sure that the baby is healthy. Does anyone know of a safe way to do this? A lot of people say you shouldn't diet at all whilst pregnant, but surely if you have over a couple of stone to lose, like I do, then you have the energy reserves in your body anyway? just to clarify, i'm not suggesting that I want to starve myself, or even close, just want to keep on slimming for as long as possible

Emms

When I fell pregnant I was about half a stone over weight and I spoke to the doctor at 5 weeks and asked if it was ok to try to lose it and he said it was perfectly fine. Unfortunatley until about 12 weeks the only thing that made me not feel sick was eating so the half a stone had probably turned into much more but im too scared to weigh myself lol.

Im sure if your eating sensibly and taking regular exercise then you should be fine.

Emma

onlyroz

According to my book on pregnancy, you only actually need to increase your calorie intake during the third trimester, because your metabolism becomes more efficient during pregnancy.

Don't diet - just make sure that you eat healthily and get some exercise. You're bound to put on weight, but staying fit and healthy will do yourself and the baby good. Speak to your GP or midwife for advice.

Jollygiantswife

I agree, but you should seek advice from your GP or midwife. I can't see what harm it would do to continue with a healthy diet and gentle exercise, but do check it all out with a professional to be sure.

Good luck and congratulations!

miserly_mum

I'd be more inclined to keep my weight stable than to try to lose more.

Remember that a growing baby,extra fluid, increasing breast size etc will all make you weigh heavier on the scales without you actually putting on any body fat.

Personally I just wouldn't diet while pregnant. But speaking as someone who puts on weight just looking at a cream bun, i've NEVER put on any excess weight in 6 pregnancies and in 3 of them actually weighed less after delivery than before I got pregnant.

Maybe because I never "ate for two". I can't honestly understand how people can put 4 or 5 stone on while pregnant. You'd have to be eating 12 hours a day with no exercise to do that. A lot of my friends who were constantly on diets to keep slim just used to use being pregnant as an excuse to pig out. Thats what puts weight on .....not being pregnant.

pebbles88

hi,

dont have much more to offer but if you do want to see about losing weight safely whilst pregnant, Slimming world is the only class (i have been told WW dont) that will still allow you to attend whilst pregnant, and also breastfeeding, apparently you get more healthy extras to eat but i dont know how many. (i am only going on what class leaders have told so apologies if it has changed or is wrong)

HTH

jackomdj

When I was pregnant my midwife told me she did not mind if I lost weight, put it on or stayed the same - so long as I was eating a healthy balanced diet that had the correct balance of vitamins, minerals & nutrients for the baby - ie what we should be having anyway.

Good luck with your preganacy
Nicky

Staciep88

W/W do let you join if pregnant

galvanizersbaby

miserly_mum wrote: »

I'd be more inclined to keep my weight stable than to try to lose more.

Remember that a growing baby,extra fluid, increasing breast size etc will all make you weigh heavier on the scales without you actually putting on any body fat.

Personally I just wouldn't diet while pregnant. But speaking as someone who puts on weight just looking at a cream bun, i've NEVER put on any excess weight in 6 pregnancies and in 3 of them actually weighed less after delivery than before I got pregnant.

Maybe because I never "ate for two". I can't honestly understand how people can put 4 or 5 stone on while pregnant. You'd have to be eating 12 hours a day with no exercise to do that. A lot of my friends who were constantly on diets to keep slim just used to use being pregnant as an excuse to pig out. Thats what puts weight on .....not being pregnant.

I thought that the weight gained in pregnancy was due to a number of different factors - i.e. baby fluid, etc... but part of the weight you were supposed to gain is a certain amount of maternal body fat for milk production? but I think the amount gained between individuals/ different pregnancies varies enormously.
Pre pregnancy I was very slim and always very much in to healthy eating and found it easy to lose weight - I can honesty say that I didn't eat for two but in both my pregnancies I ended up afterwards with a lot more weight than I hoped for which was difficult to shift much to my dismay.It didn't appear to be food related despite efforts to avoid all fattening foods with my 2nd pregnancy!
I have to admit the thought of gaining large amounts of weight again in pregnancy does fill me with dread!
OP I would think as you say you have the energy reserves to start off with so it would be safe to just continue with the healthy eating/exercise plan - after all that's really what they advise during pregnancy isn't it? Good luck x

fawd1

Thanks guys,

I thought as much to be honest. You do just occasionally come across people who say that you must absolutely never ever diet whilst pregnant, as though you have just suggested running a marathon every day whilst stopping off every once in a while to take some class A drugs. I think I will just stick to my healthy eating, exercise plan, and if I ever feel hungry then I will eat some fruit or something. XX

becky_sleaf

miserly_mum wrote: »

I'd be more inclined to keep my weight stable than to try to lose more.

Remember that a growing baby,extra fluid, increasing breast size etc will all make you weigh heavier on the scales without you actually putting on any body fat.

Personally I just wouldn't diet while pregnant. But speaking as someone who puts on weight just looking at a cream bun, i've NEVER put on any excess weight in 6 pregnancies and in 3 of them actually weighed less after delivery than before I got pregnant.

Maybe because I never "ate for two". I can't honestly understand how people can put 4 or 5 stone on while pregnant. You'd have to be eating 12 hours a day with no exercise to do that. A lot of my friends who were constantly on diets to keep slim just used to use being pregnant as an excuse to pig out. Thats what puts weight on .....not being pregnant.

Ooh I was exactly the same! After I gave birth to my little girl I weighed less than before I'd even got pregnant!

In all honesty though the first three months were horrid as I didn't want anything other than Tropicana Orange Juice & gallons of it. Of course I did eat but I went off just about everything! :eek:

I had only put on 15lbs at 9 months pregnant & that vanished along with another 15lbs very quickly.

My sister weighs about 8 stone at the most usually but she put 3 stone on with both of her girls but was back in a size 8 skinny jeans the day she left the hospital...Doesn't it make you sick!

Anyway...What I was going to say is just carry on eating healthily & you hopefully won't put on to much weight. But then you just don't know what to expect!

Good luck!