Anyone else out there wanting to loose weight and get fit before TTC???

Hey Girls,

I thought I might start a thread so those of us who want to get fit, healthy and lose a few Kilo's before trying to conceive can encourage either other on our mission :D

To give you a rundown:
When I fell pregnant with DD, I was 12 kilo's heavier then when I got married 2 years earlier. I put on 13 kilo's with the pregnancy and 2 weeks after the birth I was down to my pre preg weight. Yippee! - so I thought. But then when breastfeeding failed I promptly put on 2 kilo's then since I've been on medication for PND I've wacked back on another 3 kilo's :(

I'm wanting to start TTC # 2 in September but I desperately want to lose weight and get fit to help avoid getting PE again and to increase my chances of having a healthy pregnancy and a successful VBAC.

I want to lose about 20 kilo's all up but at least have lost 15 kilo's before we start TTC.

I have just joined Curves and I plan to start counting calories ( allowing myself about 1500 per day).

Is there anyone else out there???

Hi Charli'smumma. I'm in the same boat as you. I have PCOS so any extra weight can make our journey more difficult so I am on a campaign to drop a few kgs before TTC in June. I know i'm going to reach my goal of 9kg before then but anything I can lose will help us.
I too am counting calories, exercising daily and drinking heaps of water. I have a great website that can help you count your calories if you are interested.
There was a thread for weight loss support I think we need to find it to give us some extra support.

LET'S GO TEAM WEIGHT LOSS!!!!!

Ok so I'm not technically wanting to lose weight before TTC but we are going to a wedding in Thailand in June and will start the TTC thing then. However, to look remotely presentable in my frock and also in my bathers I probably need to drop another 4kg before we go in 6 weeks so I will joing you girls as well.

I have lost 1.5kg in the last 2 weeks so am on the way. :D

Hey Nurse Dan & Nai,

Good to hear from you both :D

Nurse Dan, that website wouldn't be calorieking by any chance? It's a great site isn't it!

I have heard that it's tough to lose weight when you have PCOS. I've actually got Graves disease so you would think I'd be thin (and I did lose heaps of weight in the beginning, but lost a lot of muscle too unfortunately) but once I was put on meds I gained weight faster than ever and it's been a struggle ever since.

Nai, the wedding in Thailand sounds great.

Will let you guys know how week one goes for me!

It sure is Calorie King, LOL! After a discussion with DH tonight we have decided to start TTC when Af arrives so I had better get a huge wiggle on with my weight loss. Will let you know how I'm going when I weigh in in the morning.
I've been tossing up doing one of those shakes diets for a few weeks to get a kick start but am so unsure whether to or not. What are your thoughts?

Personally I don't like anything that encourages you to eat "meal replacement" as once you stop them you tend to put the weight back on plus more. You don't really know what is in these shake things either especially if you are TTC you want to putting the least amount of rubbish, preservatives etc into your body as possible.

I would go with a more whole food approach that you can stick to throughout your pregnancy. Try to eat foods as close to their natural state as possible eg. lots of fuit and veg etc.

Thanks for your thoughts Nai. I decided against them for basically the reasons you mentioned.
Well I weighed in this morning and so far I have lost 2.5kg. I am going to kick into gear with my exercise hopefully in the next few days when I shake this cold. Just don't have the energy at the moment.
How's everyone else travelling?

Well I had a shocking weekend as far as eating and drinking goes :lol: so back on the wagon now. I need to pick up on my exercise this week as last week was a bit of a wipeout with illness etc. I only weigh myself once a week on Fridays otherwise I tend to get a bit obsessed....

Hi Guys!

Nurse Dan, how exciting that you are going to TTC soon :dance:

I've been tossing up about doing optifast for a few weeks just to get a head start too. But as Nai said, if you are going to start TTC soon, it's probably best to avoid the meal replacements anyway. I know that with Optifast you are not mean't to take it if you think you may fall pregnant.

Nai, I had a shocking weekend too. We had a belated birthday dinner for me and so I ate yummy Thai, had mudcake and I was also given a box of chocolates.

I'm setting myself a 15 week challenge - 15 kilo's in 15 weeks. I can't wait to start TTC (I so loved beiing pregnant) but I've really got to get this weight off!

Dan, out or curiosity, what type of nurse are you?

Charli'smumma - I'm a midwife. Just finished my qualifications, YAY!! Before that I was a surgical nurse which I was doing when I joined BB. Good luck on your 15 week challenge. I know you can do it!!!

Nai - Monday is my weigh in day. I get to disheartened so I'm only allowed to stand on the scales on Monday's. DH is very strict. But Friday is great idea. Weigh in before the weekend and you have a few days to correct it if you have a naughty weekend. I might need to swap weigh in days, LOL!!

Thanks Dan, I hope so!
Sorry to get a little off the weight loss track here, but congrats on being a midwife! That is my ambition! I was at a couple of births when I was 18 & 20 and thought it was amazing but I got sidetracked, and 12 years later the dream has been re-kindled since having had Charli last year and I was a follow-through for a student mid. I got into the Bachelor of Midwifery through ACU but have decide to do the nursing first then do the post-grad in mid. I'm starting nursing part time next semester. Can't wait!

Hey ladies I read an interesting article in the Slimming mag.

It said that women with a BMI of more that 40 had a 46% less change of falling pregnant.

The article then went on to say that every BMI point above 29 decreased your chances of falling pregnant by 4% for each point. Pretty Scary hey.

I have lost about 30kg and have 20 to go until I am under that magical 29.

Good luck everyone

:cheer: on the 30kg Kylie. That is an absolutely amazing weight loss. Well done!! I've heard about BMI affect your fertility which is why I'm trying to drop a few kilos. Do you know how to work out your BMI?

Charli'smumma - Good luck starting nursing studies next year :cheer:. It is a great idea to do nursing first so you can learn about the human body before you learn the effects of pg on the body.

Hi guys, just wanted to wish you luck on your weight loss journeys!!!!! Just thought I would share my story... I was a little bit (just a smidge) chubby when fell preggers with DS - and gained about 22 kgs with him - which took me up to 96. After got home from the hospital I was about 89 - and then by the time he was 6 weeks old, was back up to 92. I devised my own diet plan - including menu plan (which included a bit of chocolate every day) and went down to 68.5 in about 5 months.
Of course I'm back up to the late 80's now, but got an excuse - pregnancy weight ;)
So if anyone is interested in having a look at my menu plan, I'd be more than happy to share. Its based on a diet of 1200 cals a day, and I think I exercised for the first three weeks, and the weight kept dropping off!!!!! (I'm not one that loses weight easily either). As soon as this bub is out, I'll be going back onto the diet because its really easy to follow.
Sorry to crash your thread - but just wanted to share my story, and if I can help at all, just let me know!!!
Good luck to all of you!!!! :D

Hi Mel,
Never apologise for sharing such a fantastic story of weight loss. That is amazing that you lost all that weight. It's fantastic. If you don't mind I would love to have a look at your meal plan. It is my diet that I am struggling with. I really struggle with knowing what to eat and what not to and how much.
What kind of exercise did you do and how often?
TIA,
Dan

First of all Kyliekd, that is awesome, well done! And keep up the good work.

:cheer:

Mel, that is absolutely fantastic too! I would love to look at your meal plan. Thanks for sharing! I was a little similar to you. I was about 77 kilo's when I got married (still a bit chub but I was really fit and a comfortable size 12-14 which I was pretty happy with) but I got slack stopped excersizing and 2 years later I was up to about 90 which was what I weighed when I fell pregnant with Charli. I put on 13 kilo's during the preg and 2 weeks after having Charli I was back down to 90 but since i stopped b/feeding and started taking meds for PND I'm back up to 95. I really should get down to about 68 too but if i can at least get to 80 and also be fit again (just started exercising again) I'll be happy to start TTC then.

Dan, to work out your BMi, it's your weight in kilo's divided by (your height in meters squared)

EG: mine is 95kg divided by (1.67m x 1.67m)
therefore it's 95/2.7889 = a BMI of 34 :doh:
And if i can get down to 80 kilo's it will put me down to a BMI of 28.5

Anyone who wants a copy of it is welcome to PM me their email addy and I'll forward the plan on to you. Its in Word format, so everyone should be able to open it :-)
No viruses I promise :D

Well done Mel & Kylie on your weight losses - it's great to hear positive stories :)

Dan, I found that Fridays worked best for that very reason, if you have a bit of a slack weekend you can make up for it during the week.

Just checking in that you guys (Dan and Tam) got your emails from me? I sent it last night.
Cheers!! :D

Thanks Mel I got the emails. I've had a quick squizz and hope to sit down and go over it properly tomorrow before work. Looks great though. Thanks so much for your help.

Hi all, Just thought I'd drop in.
I had a friend who put me on to the Symply too good to be true cook books by Annette Symms(think it's spelt that way). You can buy them on line or at most news agencies.
I managed to lose 25kg, I have POS and have found it really hard to lose weight for some reason these books seemed to work. I gained 45kg's in 6 months doctors put it down to hormonal, my diet didn't change at all during this time, I was quickly diagnosed with POS. I put myself onto low GI diets and smaller meals with out success. Two years later a girlfriend lent me one of her books and that was it. Although I'm sitting just below 90 kilos, I'm hoping to lose more weight after bub's number three enters the world.
Hopefully they might help you in your weight loss challenge.
Best of Luck to you all,
Kelly

Hi Mel, I'm just on BB quickly while I'm at work (naughty naughty). Thankyou so much for the meal plan etc. I'm definately going to follow it! Just one quick question, what are the approx calorie limits that you have allocated for each meal?

Snoopea, those books sound really good. I'll have to check them out.

Tam - each day is based on a daily allowance of 1200 cals. :D

Can I please have a copy of your diet plan too? We are thinking of trying for a second baby at the end of the year but I really need to lose some weight first to give myself the best chance of a gestational diabetes free pregnancy. I was 76kg when I fell pregnant last time and am now 74kg, my target is 62kg.

Hi girls, I thought I would join this thread as I am on a mission to lose 13kgs before TTC. I am currently 68kgs with a goal weight of 55kgs. I am quite short so this weight would put me back in the "healthy" BMI category (currently just in the overweight category). My mum is undergoing lap band surgery next week and in preparation for the op she has to go on a liquid diet. She has been on Optifast for 2 weeks and has already dropped a staggaring 6kgs! She has a shake for breakfast and lunch and then has a plate of steamed vegies for dinner.

I am going to go on Optifast for 2 weeks and then will resume my normal diet (less the sugary and fatty foods). My normal diet usually consists of low GI foods that are high in protein and fibre. Natural and organic foods are the best. I try to stick to 1500 calories a day and the CalorieKing book is a must have in my handbag!! The great thing about Mum's current diet (which is a requirement before her surgery) is that even though in the beginning she was VERY hungry, she gradually got used to it and no longer has such a large appetite. I think sometimes you just need to show your tummy that it really doesn't need that much food!!

I also train with a personal trainer once per week and I walk every morning.

Artechim - pm me your email and I will forward the same plan as I did for Dan and Tamara

Good luck!!

:welcome: to our thread Arte & Amy!

Arte, you'll like Mels meal plan. It's great. I think it's just what I needed as I seem to come unstuck easily when I don't properly plan my meals for the day in advance.

Amy, yes the optifast can be really effective. And because of the high protein content it helps your body to preserve muscle even though you are on a very low calorie diet. So it can be a really good kicstart if you can stick with it. All the best for your mum and her lap band surgery.

I've got to say that I just love Curves! I've only been 3 times as I joined last thursday. It's great because its a cardio and resistance training workout all in one. Oh, and I made sure that it's safe to do while pregnant. I'd forgotten how good it feels to exercise.

How is everyone going?

Tamara

Ahhh i weighed myself this morning and I am 69.8kgs - I WILL NOT tip over into the 70's!!! Optifast started as of this morning. Drinking chocolate chalk for breakfast and lunch is not going to be fun.... but I will persevere!! Mel I would love to take a look at your diet plan also!!

PS - Thanks for the warm welcome!!

Amy, good on you! The optifast dessert tastes quite nice actually. How are you handling not being able to snack between meals?
I work 3 days a week and we have a chocolate box about 2 meters away form me. It's a charity type thing with all sorts of chocolate bars for $2. I am a chocoholic so I find this very difficult to resist! Any suggestions???

Oh I am ashamed to say that I caved (it's only day 1) and I ate 2 chocolate Montie's hehehehehe - I will be good tomorrow lol

I am so so so hungry - maybe I'll buy some fruit for tomorrow!

I find that snacking on nuts is a good way to fill your tummy. I chew gum throughout the day too. Also, carrot/celery sticks are good as well for a light snack.

Oh and a suggestion for your chocolate problem is 1. don't keep change in your wallet when you are going to work and 2. don't deny yourself chocolate ALL the time - give yourself a treat once a week!

Aricyns mum, I just had a thought (few and far between these days lol) - I am BF - should I go on a calorie restricted diet?

can you go on optifast when you're breastfeeding? i'm getting fat!!
got weighed at the gym today and i've put on more weight....

Artechim - I'm not a dietician - but I think you can have around 1500 cals a day when breastfeeding?? If you are wanting to lose weight, but I dont generally think its recommended.. Even if you had 1800cals a day and did some exercise, you should still lose weight :-)

Hi ladies, can i jump on the weightloss wagon?
DDis nearly 7 months, i put a whopping 30kg's when UTD. I have lost 23, 7 to go and it has stopped falling off.
Would like to TTC#2 in a few months but not before shedding the last of my pregnancy weight.
I have to fit into SOME of my clothes!
Looking for all the tips and advice i can get. :D

Hi Gracie - I don't think Optifast is recommended for pregnant/breastfeeding mums as it is a very low calorie diet.

You'll be surprised by what a little excersise can do for weight loss. Eating a moderated diet as well as excersising for 30 minutes EVERY day will help. The trick when excersising is to start your half hour when your heart rate is high (usually 10 minutes into a fast walk or jog) and maintain that heart rate for the entire 30 minutes.

Welcome Gracie & Ange :D

Gracie, Optifast is definately a no no for pregnant and breastfeeding mums. Not only becasue its a very low calorie diet but if taken 2 or 3 times a day it increase the levels of something in your blood which can be toxic to bub.

Ange, looks like a lot of us here are thinking that calorie counting is a good option.

Arte, I just looked in my calorie counter book and it says to add an additional 500 calories per day for breastfeeding mums. Also the daily calorie alowance for weightloss is 1200-1500 calories so you could have 1700 - 2000 calories per day and still lose weight!

Amy, I'm soo the same. I was mean't to start my diet on Monday, but I've caved pretty much every day. I HAVE to get on the wagon today! And yes, I've decided that I am going to allow myself some chocolate once per week only. And any other time I have a craving it's a cup of jarrah Chocolatte' for me.

I'm still BF'ing too, so i'm going to aim at 1700 Cals a day. I need a calorie counter book thingi!
I find if a skip meals my milk is really effected, so from today it is healthy nutritional meals only.
Every Thursday i walk with some mums and bubs, we do about 5km's, problem is we go to the bakery afterwards! Will have a salad sanga today, no treats.

Charlismumma- jarrah chocolatte sounds yummo, are they allowed? I've been on the aktavite to help my milk, well that might just be a good excuse because i love it! Might have to switch. (BTW my little girl was born on the 28/9 :D)

Hi Ange, you can buy a calorie counter book from the newsagents. They are really handy to have! You could still have someting a little yummy from the bakery as long as you count it in your calories. EG a scone with butter and jam is 180 calories. An iced cupcake is abot 140 calories and a friand is about 170.
Don't give up on your actavite as it probably is good for your milk supply. Just have it with low fat milk. Oh, and if you're anything like I am with milo, don't go overboard with how much you put in. :)

The Jarrah's are good. Only about 60 calories each but they aren't very nutricious.

Welcome to all our new ladies. Well I've been good and I didn't even have any of the Roses chocolates that one of the patients gave us yesterday. YAY there is a first time for everything!!! I really do struggle on what to have for lunches but now with Mel's meal plan I'm getting my lunches under control too and I'm even feeling better so I actually have some energy to do some exercise. I can't believe I've been on this healthy eating for three weeks now and I've only had a handful of chicken chips. This is the best I've ever gone. I think I just needed the right motivation and what better motivation than TTC.
Charli'smumma - I too have replaced my hot milk milo's with Jarrah hot chocolate which is actually quite yummy. What day is your weigh in?
Ange - Keeping your milk supply adequate is your main priority so definitely don't skip any meals and that what help your weight loss either. Like the other girls have said add more calories and exercise and you should lose weight without affecting your milk.
I can't go back any further, silly computer so hi to all the other ladies.

LOL Charli'smumma - I stand guilty as charged with the milo comment - I am a previous offender of filling a third of the glass with milo and the rest with milk!! I have been off the milo since Monday and I am being really good in that respect. Milk is my weakness - even though I only drink light milk I drink SOO much of it!!

I don't think anyone needs to go drastic when it comes to diets (such as my mum who is on Optifast ONLY for 3 weeks - which is in preparation for lap band surgery). I think if everyone maintains a healthy diet (meat, chicken, fruit, vegies) and plenty of water as well as 30 minutes of cardio EVERY day you will notice some great changes. It's also important not to skip meals (especially for you b/f mums!) and if you can, break your 3 meals up into 6 smaller meals eaten at even intervals throughout the day - this will help speed up your metabolism.