Weight Loss during pregnancy

Hi

I am 17 weeks I was very very lucky I didn't loose lots of weight during the first trimester due to morning sickness, I felt sick ALL the time but was only actually sick once.

I have found the ONLY way to make myself feel better even now is to eat every couple of hours, this is not great for not piling on heaps of weight.

Before falling pregnant I had just been on the optifast diet and lost 15kg, I had not yet gotten into the maintenance phase (I still wanted to loose another 5kg) so honestly was not sure what was normal to eat and what I was eating because of cravings etc.

Between weeks 5/6 to now I have put on 9kg, it seems between losing the weight and weeks 5/6 I had put on 3kg so I am now looking at the scales saying I am only 3 or so kg away from my pre weightloss weight and in my mind that means I have failed big time.

I keep telling myself healthy baby is better than yummy Mummy and my hubby loves me the way I am and keeps telling me I look pregnant and not fat (he even says I am a MILF - the cheeky phrase from american pie) this helps... but the reason I had kinda started losing the weight in the first place so people knew the difference between fat me and pregnant me this is just not fair.

I have made my "big" meals smaller and I have changed the things I am snacking on to much healthier alternatives to the beginning AND trying to get exercise happening too, I start pregnancy yoga in about 2 weeks and I have 3 dogs that are going to get a walk every couple of nights minimum especially as more daylight happens....

Does anyone know any SAFE weightLOSS secrets for when you are pregnant? I think I have figured out how to stay basically the same weight or only put on .5kg a week but the temptation to get the optifast out is there and that scares me becuase i know it only just had enough nutrients for one let alone for one and baby and baby support system....
:confused:
Sorry such a long post.

I totally understand the whole body image thing during pregnancy, but it's really not the time to worry. i Know it's much easier said than done. It sounds like you're doing the right things, smaller meals more often, healthy snacks. Just have loads of healthy things on standby to grab. Nuts and seeds and fruit are great. Also if you're craving carbs like I did, I always cooked up some bruschetta (toast some sourdough and cook some tomato, basil and onion up and put on the toast). Things like that are great.
i wouldn't be doing any type of weightloss, you never know what is in weightloss products, but it wouldn't be good for bubs.
Also pregnancy yoga is great and lots of walks and lots of water.
And after the birth you can concentrate on weightloss then. If you breastfeed that will help weightloss, and I find just getting up and down to bubs helped!! Enjoy they one time in your life that you have to be big!!! xoxo

I want to enjoy it so bad but feel silly as the shape of my preweightloss belly is the same as most of the girls on this site beautiful 33week bellys! So i feel silly wearing anything that shows off my belly now as it is similar to my preweightloss belly so i look 3 months further along that is in only if I look pregnant and not fat as people are used to me looking that way.... (i kind of hid while losing weight as it was hard to stick to diet and go out so people didn't really see me "skinny")

That brusecetta thing sounds similar to something i've been having for breakfast somedays. The only thing I know I AM doing right is having a bit of all the food groups! (trust me ALL the food groups)

It seems weight watchers may do some pregnancy thing or it may be a wait til the baby is born thing too, I am going to look into that but maybe use it as a guide.

It probably doesnt help that very very skinny sister in law is due 10 days before me and her belly is all baby :( Hubby's family are among those who didnt notice I lost 15kg...

ps - totally unrelated - Meg your baby has the MOST beautiful eyes. (my hubby has those kind of amazing eyes so I am hoping for bub to inherit those)

pps - also completly unrelated - has everyone checked out how cute the baby of the month is this month! wonder who he belongs to.

Hi Kelly,
I can sympthise with you honey... but, I wouldn't worry about trying to lose weight while pregnant... Just focus on maintaining a healthy weight gain range, that way, you won't have too much post pregnancy to lose.
I am a much bigger girl (check out my blog for pics) and I don't care what other people think about my pre or post baby weight... all I care about is growing a healthy, happy bubba.
I also read somewhere that weight loss during pregnancy can be attributed to problems with the child later in life, such as ADHD.
Just relax and know that this is a time where big is definitely beautiful :hug:
Lisa

Thanks Smylie!! And yes, I agree bub of month is soooo cute!! Don't know who is the mumma xoxo

Perhaps look into eating low GI foods....they make your stomach work harder to break them down adn hence keep you feeling fuller for longer. I eat real (not instant) porridge with a banana chopped up into it each morning and that keeps me going for around 3 hours....
It's always good to remind yourself that breastfeeding (can usually) make the weight fall right off you - my friend put on 25 kilos during her pregnancy and lost 15 in the first two weeks of breastfeeding, no dieting involved!

I sympathise with you too, though I'm with everyone else in saying don't worry about the weight for now... now is not the time to starve! eat what you need and when and grow a healthy baby! oh the tyranny of thinness... when did being really thin become the only way that women are considered beautiful?!! bah humbug to it, I say..

Catherine..

Hi, I also don't think it's a good idea to do any weight loss during pregnancy but I know it can get scary when you have to eat all the time but it may not be like that for you all the time. When I finally got over morning sickness (around week 13), I had to eat at least every hour to keep from feeling sick. Around 19 weeks that started to slow down considerably and now at 20 weeks, I can eat every 4 or 5 hours which is where I was pre-pregnancy.

Another quick tip: clothes that fit you properly look the best no matter what size you are. I have a belly and my husband always gets excited thinking I've grown when I wear a baggy shirt. Other people make comments too about how far I'm coming along. When I wear a form-fitting top, I get comments like "You're not showing much yet."

Hope this helps :)

Smylie, I promise you, the secret is eating healthily, honestly. Look at your food and pick healthy options, but your fist priority should be HEALTH for you and the little one you are growing.

Like you, I lost a lot of weight before I got pg with Olivia, and not enough people saw me slim, becase I was living interstate. But I just continued to eat healthily. And I didn't stack on too much weight in the pregnancy, and after I had given birth I realised I HAD lost weight, it was amazing!!

Then I BF'd, and the weight continued to drop off me........I ended up at way below my pre-pregancy weight!

Then I got pg with Charlie, same thing, continued to just eat heathily, then I BF'd agaian, and ended up less weight again.

I am now pg again......and am lighter again this go round.....I will BF again, and I know I will be lighter and fitter than I have been in for ever!

Just enjoy being a MILF, and your baby will grow strong.......worry about weight loss later, I promise.

(BTW, I don't have a snap of my belly in pregnancy, but I always lose weight on my bum and off my legs and thighs.....so forget about your belly as an indicator......)

HTH........

I so know where you are right now, Smylie, even though I wasn't big before I got pregnant, I struggle with the idea of putting on weight because I've always been careful about getting bigger (I come from a family where weight has always been an issue - my siblings and parents all struggle with their weight). I just keep reminding myself that what I'm eating is healthy (sounds like your diet is too) and that it will come off when I breastfeed.

And the exercise is good for you and baby even if it doesn't change your weight! Great that your DH loves the way you look, it is important you get the support from home as well!

Hi Smylie.

I lost about 10 kgs before I fell pregnant this time, and weigh less now than I did when I was 18! Yippee! However, both of my sister in laws are tiny too and one is days away from giving birth. I am sure she will pop right back into shape, and I will feel like a huge walrus! Especially as I will be heavily pregnant over summer. Noone in my partners family is big, and they all love the pool, so summer is spent in bathers (my partners mum in a bikini!). I am the smallest in my family though, so they all think I look fabulous! That's always nice.

I am trying to eat healthily, however, being sick and craving carbs and peanut butter makes that a little tricky, but on the whole, I have only gained a kilo so far as I have been doing yoga and walking 3 times a week. I really struggled to lose weight after my first, and I am determined to keep it healthy this time.

Good luck, and you are doing fine. Keep in mind that there are not too many times in your life that you get to enjoy being pregnant, so live it up and just enjoy the fact that there is a baby in your belly and try not to worry too much about what YOU think others think of you! You know, they probably don't think anything at all, and if they do, that is about them, and not a reflection on you!

Jo
xx

Thanks heaps.
You are all so right how often do you get to be pregnant and have a reason to be fat!

I feel heaps better about things today because 2 people actually said I look pregnant (although one asked if it was twins - not really what I wanted to hear) and ONE OF THEM DIDN'T KNOW I WAS PREGNANT!!! note to self - wear that shirt again!!!

That was my prob I thought I looked fat and not pregnant and have been waiting for the baby to out grow the fat, It is finally happening and I am starting to get excited again.

You are all right as long as I keep the weight in check but dont obsess over it I should be fine.... also hearing how fast it comes off with breast feeding made me feel a little better too

FYI - Weight watchers does NOT have a weight loss plan for pregnant or breast feeding mums have to wait until at least 6 weeks after the baby is born to go onto weight watchers.

......you dont win friends with salad........ ......you dont win friends with salad........
(that's one for the simpson fans)

Smylie,

I know how you feel. I lots 10-15kgs before being pregnant as my GP and fertility specialist recommende this to me for more success to concieve. I have only put on 2kgs during this pregnancy so want to show you that you can achieve this!!! This actually means after I give birth I will have lost wait. My OB said she cant wait to see what I weigh at my 6 week checkup! The doctors thought I would get Gestional Diabetes as my insulin was an issue (close to being type 2 diabetic due to my weight) but I showed them! I ate a low GI diet and excercised 20mins a night with DH just walking around the block until I was about 26 weeks then I stopped work and walked around the shops nearly every day for 1-2hrs hehehe stopping when I needed to...The Low GI diet is great and gives me much more energy. As one of the other girls said if you love bread sourdough is the best Low GI bread, the best rice is basmati rice and I had to limit my portions to smaller size, eg for lunch or dinner I would have 1/2 cup uncooked rice and mixed veges and a protein of some kind and snacks inbetween breakfast lunch and dinner such as fruit and nuts and yogurt.

Goodluck with everything..If you are interested in Low GI the best book is the New Glucose Revolution by Prof Jennie Brand-Miller & Kate Foster-Powell (Australian)

Bel
xxx

Belle, that is fantastic! WELL DONE! I'll bet you cannot WAIT to see how much you have lost once you have given birth! 2 amazing excitements to come soon! GOOD LUCK!

Belle - that's the same book I used to try and conceive! Though I ended up on clomid, the low gi diet and regular excercise got my period back to normal (amazing!!) and yeah, I lost some weight too.
Check it out ladies!

I was on clomid too Choclatecatty!!! :) and concieved using clomid and metformin!!

Thanks Lucy!!

Bel
xxx

I think I am definately going to look into this low GI thing, I had a friend a couple of years ago who went on a low GI diet when it first became popular, and well things she said made it sound silly, I dont think she did it properly, she said that if you put lemon on fish (i dont think is mattered how the fish was cooked in her mind) then it would make it low GI... hence I lost a little faith in the low GI world.

I will have a look on the net for some hints and see what happens

Thanks heaps.

Smylie, the CSIRO book The CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet by Dr Peter Clifton & Dr Manny Noakes is all low GI.......very comprehensive and sensible........you can get it at KMART or BigW or have a Google.....there is a lot of online info too.........I wouldn't recommend you follow the "diet" whilst pg, but if you understand the principles, the low GI is perfect for pregnancy.........it is what we follow in this house.........from an energy perspective if nothing else, it makes you feell good.............

Hey Smylie,
Its easy to say dont worry about puitting ont the weight and a healthy baby - but I bet it was damned hard to lose that weight in the first place!
KNow that just by eating moderately healthily, and maintaining reasonable amounts of exercise you will stay healthy, and make it easiertoshed the kgs afterwards.
I didn't worry too much about losing weight after bubs #1 as I knew I was going to get pregnant again fairly quickly - and it seemed silly to try and diet when all the hard workwould be wasted! To my surprise this time around I haven't put on the weight that I thought I would have, in fact I've lost some, and then put it on again, so actually even though I have a jolly belly, I'm only 2kg heavier than I was at the start.
Its my goal now not to get above 90kg (I'm currently about 79kg??) so I have to try and limit my intake of junkfood over the next few months.
The way I see it - I'll have a punnet of blueberries, and hopefully that will take the craving away from the chocolate bar!

Its so important to look after yourself during this time, and the little one within, and dont worry about what your belly looks like, and whether people notice you are pregnant or not. Its you that gets to feel the kicks and the rolls, and whether they think you are preggers or not is irrelevant. People say the silliest things anyway.

Keep your chin up, stay healthy and worry about losing the weight again after thebubs comes.

Smylie

The low GI diet thing looks good. I have been looking into it today. I find that I am needing to eat every couple of hours over the last few days. I am finally feeling better too now, the nausea has subsided the past 2 days and I can eat again! I have been having brown rice with some tuna and veges, snacks like dried fruit and nuts, and trying to stay away from the peanut butter!

Good luck to you, you sound like you are going great!

Jo
xx

I found a woolworths diet club site that had a Low GI meal plan on it. I am not going to follow the diet as such but I am going to get meal ideas from it, and snack ideas.
Baby making it easy as everything makes me feel sick so anything I eat is not going to make a lot of difference.
The low GI thing is going to work I think as it makes good sense, If I eat food that makes my tummy work longer and makes me less hungry I dont eat as much (ie reducing possible excess weight gain) and when I am not hungry I dont feel AS sick as when i accidently let myself get hungry!

THANKS HEAPS GIRLS!

hay smylie im from brisbane too...... where are you having bub?

I was 52kg and 22 (Years of age) in 2000, when i fell with my DS. And i put on 32kgs with him and i ate pretty healthy back then. he was 9 pounds. Being a hairdresser i really didnt want to put on to much weight as i went from this energetic person to this full on big girl. i was luck i lost it pretty quick. But im 17 weeks pregnant with my 2nd and its 6 yaers later, i am on the low GI diet and it has been great. My OB recomended it to me at my first OB app as i really dont want to put on 32kgs again. this pregnancy i have started at 59/60kg so i would go for the low Gi diet its working for me, one of my clients said to me the other day how good i look and that i really only have a bump out the front and i havnt put much weight on else where so give it a go...........if you want to chat let me know your email address. take care and good luck.

hay fletch,

low GI diets are like fruit, veges, wholegrain products, not white.
you can actually get books on the low GI diet so have a look out for them. i just watch everything. If we go to maccas i get a salad, or subway. basmati rice is great i make a fried rice with veges with it. you can still have yogurts and milk ect. My Ob just recommended it, sweet pot instead of normal potatoe. and lots of water, my skin is great and i havnt put on much weight this time...so far. have a look around for some books on it. hope this helps.

luv TG

Fletch.......

:

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the CSIRO book The CSIRO Total Wellbeing Diet by Dr Peter Clifton & Dr Manny Noakes is all low GI.......very comprehensive and sensible........you can get it at KMART or BigW or have a Google.....there is a lot of online info too.........I wouldn't recommend you follow the "diet" whilst pg, but if you understand the principles, the low GI is perfect for pregnancy

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I have pm'd you.............

Hey Fletch
GI stands for Gluclomic index (i know that is spelt wrong) and from what i have been able to work out it makes you feel fuller for longer eating good foods therefore you dont find the need to eat as much and there are things you can snack on that also help to
stop the blood sugars from falling. i followed a link on Gypsie Design site and sent you the link to where i found that meal plan... but as Lucy said there really isn't a recommended "Diet" when pregnant. (she is always right)(thanks Lucy)

So far (this is kinda day three) it has really worked I'm not starving to the point of going to kill someone and i am eating good things during the day, mixed nuts, dried fruits today i had an awesome tuna salad for lunch, friday's ham and salad sandwich (on grainy bread) was nice too and i lasted hours before NEEDING to eat again whereas previously i have been able to think of nothing but food and eating not so great when i did.... i also am loving the lowfat yogurt side of things as it gives me an excuse to go to those great greek yogurt places.

Hi Tommygirl, having the baby at the Private Mater Mothers in Feb. when are you due? (email me benjiandkel@optusnet.com.au)

mater mother private feb 23rd planned c section........we might bump into each other. i will email you in next few days. hugs TG

>>Another quick tip: clothes that fit you properly look the best no matter what size you are. I have a belly and my husband always gets excited thinking I've grown when I wear a baggy shirt. Other people make comments too about how far I'm coming along. When I wear a form-fitting top, I get comments like "You're not showing much yet."<<

- I've found the exactly the same thing, and it's the stretchy black tops in smaller sizes that prompt the comments that I'm not showing much. When I started buying maternity clothes I overestimated the size that i thought i'd need, so some of those tops are really baggy and make me look much bigger, and that's when people comment on the large size of my belly. So if I'm going out or expecting to see tactless people- it's the stretchy black!

BTW I ate a low GI diet before pregnancy- I get tired easily, and it helps to sustain energy for longer. It's the type of food often recommended for type-2 diabetics because it releases energy slowly.

Fletch sweets, that reminds me.......did you get the book?