Anyone else who needs support with weight control during pregnancy??

[misty]

Just wondering if there were other members who need support to either limit, maintain or even loose weight whilst pregnant - on medical advice.

My hospital (which I REALLY want to attend) has tight restrictions around BMI and weight gain during pregnancy. They have been monitoring my weight throughout this pregnancy and have made very clear to me from the begining that they didn't want me to gain much weight, and indeed if I chose to I could even look at loosing a little whilst pregnant. If I go over a certain point I will no longer get to be a patient there, but will be transferred directly to another hospital. So far I have managed to limit my weight gain to less then 6kgs. I am only 'allowed' to gain an absolute maximum of 4.8kg more before the hospital will no longer take me. Traditionally, I tend to gain the majority of my weight in the last trimester - so I am a little concerned at how I can do this.

I have been reasonably good watching my food intake up until now - but I am really starting to struggle to remain in control and not go off the rails. Unfortunately food intake is the only thing I am able to watch, because of my SPD I am unable to exercise in any kind of consistant manner. Sometimes I think it is easier when I am actively trying to loose weight, then now when I am trying to maintain / limit it.

So does anyone else here need some friendly support with their weight during pregnancy????

[beansbeans!]

Im with you, I need to stay within my range otherwise my nearest hospital that will take me is about an hr away. And there is no way I am going there. I have about 6kgs that Im allowed to gain before I am over the BMI for the local hospital, which is so scary thinking that Im only starting my 2nd tri!
At the moment Im limiting my food intake, and trying my hardest to get as active as I can, but the weather hasnt been too nice outside of late, and Im getting some rather nasty dizzy spells that leave me staying still for a lot of the time.

I am determined to either maintain or lose a bit of weight this time round. Im being smart with my food and trying not to let the evil pregnant 'eating for two' thoughts in.

[misty]

It's nice to know I am not the only one in this boat.

[Cranky Kitten]

Count me in as well - my Ob doesn't want me to gain any, in fact he's quite happy I've lost about 4kg since I fell pregnant. Less an issue of them not taking me but more to do with just trying to reduce the chances of complications etc.

I am trying to watch what I'm eating, my cravings for green veggies seem to be helping in that regard at least and trying to stay active - I find swimming/walking in water helps with this a fair bit.

[misty]

So how are we all trying to control our weight? Do you have a plan of attack? or are ou just going to wing it and try and avoid the not so healthy foods??

I have been following the weight watchers program more or less to try and minimise my weight gain up until now. Now I have decided to get a bit more serious about it and even possibly try and loose one or two kgs over the next couple of weeks (although I will still be happy if all I do is maintain). If I can loose one or two kgs, it will give me a bit more leyway to gain closer to my EDD. This means actually sticking to the program - not just 'loosely' following it. I am tracking everything I eat and drink.

I feel like I should be doing more on the exercise front (particularly as I am currently doing nothing), but I am not sure what exercise I can actually do that won't agravate my hips and pelvis - and that I can fit in with three little kids around.

CK - I found it easier in the first half of the prgenancy as I was only craving fresh fruit and vege. I hope your healthy cravings stick around for you. unfortunately I am back to craving sugary high fat foods again.

It is good to have some people in the same boat. Because the idea of actively trying to control weight during pregnancy seems to be a taboo subject. Everyone always just harps on about how "pregnancy isn't the time to be worrying about these things" - despite the fact the health professionals may have actually said otherwise.

[peanutter]

pick me, pick me!

I didn't gain much weight last pg (about 10kgs all up) and I lost all of it plus a bit by 10 days after meeting DS.

But after everything that happened with my "birth" and having to go back into hospital and then the further injuries and bad treatment and surgery and upset and now the complaints process with the hosptial, I have gained lots (and I mean lots - about 30kg) of weight.

I started to address it, and was doing well (4.5kg in 14 days ) when I found out I was UTD.

So I am not dieting but am focussing heavily on healthy eating, from both a psychological and physical health benefit perspective.

Support with this would be lovely.

[Cranky Kitten]

I'm hoping they stick around too! So far it's been green veg and plenty of protein, plus lots of milk. Trying not to go overboard with the milk though, sticking to one glass a day. I am trying to increase my red meat intake a bit as I've gone right off it lately and having more chicken, but that's probably not so great for my iron levels.

I am thinking about a physio led aquanatal class to try and get some more exercise happening, but not really sure how that'd go with SPD?

[misty]

CK - I think gentle swimming of aqua areobics should be alright with my SPD, but the problem is getting there - I cann't make any of the classes that are available, because I don't have anywhere to dump the kids when they are on. I have thought about just going to the pool myself and doing gental exercises - but haven't been able to fit it in with DH working late hours and he is dissapearing for 3 weeks at the end of this week. Walking has always been my exercise of choice. Pre-pregnancy it wasn't unusual for me to walk about 15kms each day. But I definitely cann't match even close to that at the moment.

Peanutter - the more the merrier. It is so hard to find support sometimes - I definitely need some people I can be completely honest with about how I am going and how I am feeling about my weight. So much of my weight issues are due to emotional eating, and when I am pregnant I am definitely more emotional then normal.

[toomanyshoes]

Misty - how about upper body stuff? Doing some arm exercises with some light weights maybe? I know it wouldn't be much but keeps you moving at least.

[LionsandBears]

I had a similar problem before it all went wrong. Overweight with SPD. The thing about eating is to have the nutrients for 2 not the volume. So that meant no junk food, reducing refined sugar and wheat foods and increasing things like brown rice, quinoa (high protein & calcium), fresh vegies etc. I used the Brewer diet for tips on what to eat as well. Good nutrition is essential for placenta health as well and the Brewer diet is good for that. There are some great 'superfoods' like chia and quinoa that can be added to porridge etc. A good book on pregnancy nutrition is Feeding the Bump.

Wrt exercise, sitting on a fitball using hand weights, clinical pilates & aqua mums classes, all adjusted for having SPD. At the end of my pregnancy with DS1 they only thing I could cope with was gentle hydro sessions. I gained a total of 8kg for that whole pregnancy.

[~mamaspice~]

Hi Misty,

Just wanted to let you know that with my second pregnancy I managed to weigh exactly the same at full term as what I did when I fell pregnant and it was wholy attributed to the fact that I got gestational diabetes and had to follow a low GI diet. I had 5 small low GI meals per day. So maybe it's worth sticking to a Low GI diet. Your hospy should be able to give you a booklet about low GI eating (the ones they give to the GDM mums).

Best of luck with it all!

[peanutter]

is quinoa low gi, carb, whatever too?

[megs]

Could I join this thread, I haven't medically been told I have to not gain weight but I was heavier at conception with this baby than I was with the other 3, I would get getting close to the upper end of the BMI, for the first 18 weeks I managed to not gain a thing but in the last couple of weeks I have got lazy, food cravings etc and have put on 3kg. In total I was really hoping to not gain more than 5 in total, and I also tend to gain my most weight in the last trimester, with the previous 3 I have gained on aver 10kg.

I just need to find the motivation to manage my eating I think, no cravings for chocolate etc. I find lunches hard whilst trying to avoid your deli meats etc makes a good old sandwich less appealling.

ANy tips would be greatfully taken

[Megan]

I lost 2kg during my last pg due to gestational diabetes and having to follow a low gi diet. I alsoended up on insulin so was quite strict with myself.

I am going to be following the same diet this time and hopefully keep my bmi under 35.

My diet basically consisted of
Cereal, cup of tea for breakfast
Sandwich on low gi grainy bread for lunch
Meat and veg/ stir fries for dinner.
Apples were the main fruit I ate as everything else sent my levels up.
My one treat I allowed myself maybe twice a week was a spoonful of Milo in a glass if milk and that's it.
As for exercise, I walked 2-3 times per day for 10 minutes until 3rd Tri when my spd was really giving me grief.

I was diagnosed with gd at 17 weeks, so it was a long hard road but I reached my goal and didn't put on any extra weight.

[LionsandBears]

is quinoa low gi, carb, whatever too?

It's a complex carbohydrate, so lower GI than say, white rice.

I found a good website/blog but not sure I can post the link. If you google "low carb is easy" you'll find a site that explains things there.

[peanutter]

super, thanks!

[misty]

Hello everyone.

Quinoa is low GI (I think it has about the same rating as basmati rice??), and it is very filling and very versatile.

Well I am very proud of my efforts yesterday. Nearly every single food I ate yesterday was what weight watchers call a 'filling and healthy' food, the only treat I had was for desert - A skinny cow ice-cream cookie. I didn't go hungry at all, I just chose healthy options when I did eat / snack. And I remained within my allowance for food for the day. Although, I probably did eat too much fruit (about 6 serves) - I only ate it went I was actually hungry and it is much better then snacking on other processed junky foods.

I weighed in yesterday morning and will weigh in again next monday morning to see how I am going. I am not looking beyond this one week at this point - because if I look too far ahead it looks impossible and doubt starts to creep in. I also found a website (an american one) which specifically deals with nutrition during pregnancy, which has a good menu plan (which I won't follow) and advice and tools for tracking food intake and exercise. It is free. So I am trialling it to see if I like it or not.

The best bit is that because I ate well yesterday, I feel in control and motivated to do the same today.

Personally I find organisation is my biggest downfall with maintaining healthy food habits. It is hard to eat healthy when you have no food in the house. I really need to do a grocery shop - although at least there is no junk food in the house either. But when I plan out what I am going to eat throughout the day it is easy (easier).

[~mamaspice~]

Thats awesome Misty! I just wanted to mention too that custard is Low GI and so I had it as my little treat. I used to just buy the tubs of 6 (for portion control ) and they are a great little snack to have if you feel like something sweet after dinner.