Safe Ways To Lose Weight While pregnancy

Lose Weight While pregnancy

Putting on weight during pregnancy? Well, that is pretty normal and healthy too. Your body keeps on growing and undergoes changes to accommodate the growing baby. For this, a normal weight woman needs an extra 300 calories a day than what she required before pregnancy.

In a perfect world, you had planned for your pregnancy in every way possible. This included getting down to your ideal weight beforehand. But for many women, this isn’t realistic. Pregnancy, while an exciting time, can turn into a weight dilemma for women who are already overweight. This is because of the inevitable weight gain associated with having a baby

Losing weight, on the other hand, isn’t appropriate for pregnant women who were at a healthy weight before pregnancy. If you believe you can benefit from weight loss during pregnancy, talk to your doctor about how to do so safely without affecting your baby.

Pregnancy Weight Gain Chart

Pre-pregnancy BMI	Category	Recommended weight gain
18.5 – 24.9	Normal	25-25lb (11-16kg)
< 18.5	Underweight	28-40lb (13-18kg)
25-29.9	Overweight	15-25lb (7-11kg)
> 30	Obese	11-20lb (5-9kg)

In the case of twin babies or multiples, the ideal weight gain should be 37 to 54lb or 16.5 to 24.5kg.

The above table helps you know your target weight gain and aim to reach the desired weight levels.

But does the weight that you gain constitute only fat? Also when your baby weighs only a few pounds during birth, it can leave you wondering where the remaining pounds went.

Distribution Of Weight During Pregnancy:

The weight that you gain during pregnancy falls under various categories. The average distribution could be as follows:

• Baby’s weight – 7½lb
• Placenta – 1½lb
• Amniotic fluid – 2lb
• Uterus – 2lb
• Large breasts – 2lb
• Body fluids – 4lb
• Blood – 4lb
• Fats and other nutrients – 7lb

You require weight in all of these areas to have a healthy baby and to prepare your body for nursing.

Side Effects Of Overweight During Pregnancy:

If you are overweight or obese during pregnancy, you are likely to have the following complications.

1. Gestational diabetes:

Obese women are about four times more likely to develop gestational diabetes than normal women. Therefore, they need a C-section delivery and are likely to give birth to large babies who are at a higher risk of developing congenital disabilities or need a C-section delivery.

2. Preeclampsia:

Women with an extremely high BMI are at a risk of preeclampsia or high BP. It can increase the chances of premature birth, blood clots or stroke.

3. Infection:

Overweight women are at an increased risk of infections during pregnancy and also after giving birth.

4. Obstructive sleep apnea:

Obesity commonly causes sleep apnea in people. Pregnancy aggravates this problem in obese women.

5. Labor problems:

Obese women are more likely to need induction to kickstart labor. It can also interfere with an epidural block, making the whole labor process a nightmare.

6. Pregnancy loss:

Chances of miscarriage go up in obese women. So are the risks of stillbirths.

7. Higher chances of cesarean:

Overweight women usually have less muscle tone in the midsection, and therefore they possess less strength which is not sufficient to push out the babies. Also, the extra fats deposited within the birth canal make the push more stressful for the baby to slip out.

8. Greater risk of birth defects:

Babies born to overweight and obese women have a higher risk of having spina bifida than those born to normal weight women. Also, the risk of hydrocephalus in the babies is 60% higher, heart defect is 30% higher and cleft lip is 20% higher.

9. Inability to detect birth defects:

Though ultrasound is the best tool to detect defects in the babies in the womb, the distance the sound waves travel is limited. Obese women carry three or more inches of fat on the abdominal wall, which will limit the waves to pass inside; therefore limiting the defects to be identified.

10. Pregnancy symptoms:

Some of the common pregnancy problems, such as back pain, headaches, pelvic pressure, heartburn and carpal tunnel syndrome, occur more often in overweight mothers.

How To Lose And Manage Weight When Pregnant?

Many women lose weight while pregnant in the first and last trimester. This is especially common with obese women. But if you start losing weight drastically, talk to your doctor. Most of this weight loss happens because of morning sickness and digestion problems. So, while you may celebrate losing a few pounds, the way you lose it is the main issue.

If you want to manage your weight while pregnant, we have some easy tips on how to lose weight during pregnancy if overweight. If you follow these tips, you will prevent extra weight gain, and maybe lose a few pounds too. And all this without harming your pregnancy! Here’s what you need to do to manage your weight during pregnancy:

1. Understand your calorie needs:

As mentioned earlier, all pregnant women don’t need to gain an equal amount of weight. So, you need to know how many calories you need. Talk to your doctor to understand your specific needs.

Don’t follow low-carb diets like the Atkins diet. Remember, Kim has an army of doctors to keep her safe and healthy, and we, unfortunately, don’t.

2. Eat frequent but small meals:

This is true when you want to manage your weight, pregnant or not. Eating frequent but small meals help you manage your portion size. This is especially useful when you are pregnant and eating a full meal can make you sick.

3. Take prenatal vitamins:

This is something your doctor will prescribe anyway. But if you needed an additional reason to take your prenatal vitamins regularly, then you should talk with your doctor right away! As you know, your body needs extra nutrition during pregnancy. If you want to manage your weight and take in the nutrients without loading yourself with calories, take your vitamins! But this does not mean that you forego your usual meals and rely on supplements.

4. Eat healthy food:

Now that you know you need to follow a proper diet, let’s see what is healthy for you.

• Fresh fruits and vegetables

• Cereals and bread made with whole grains

• Low-fat milk and dairy products

• Foods rich in folates such as strawberries, spinach, and beans
• Unsaturated “good” fats like olive oil, canola oil, and peanut oil

There is a long list of foods you should avoid to manage your weight during pregnancy. Here they are:

• Food laced with artificial sweeteners

• Food and drinks that contain sugar or corn syrup

• Junk food like chips, candy, cake, cookies, and ice cream. It’s okay to cheat once in a while, just don’t make it a habit

• Salt causes water retention in the body. So, avoid adding salt to the foods you cook at home
• Unhealthy fats like margarine, butter, gravy, sauces, mayonnaise, and salad dressings

5. 30 minutes daily Exercise

Some women are afraid to exercise out of fear of it harming their babies. But this definitely isn’t true. While some exercises, such as situps, can possibly be harmful, exercise overall is extremely beneficial.

It can help you maintain your weight, reduce birth defects, and even ease some of the aches and pains you experience during pregnancy.

The current recommendation isn’t different from nonpregnant women: 30 minutes of activity per day. If this is too much for you to start, consider breaking up the 30 minutes into shorter blocks of time throughout the day.

Some of the best exercises for pregnant women are:

• swimming
• walking
• gardening
• prenatal yoga
• jogging

On the flip side, you should avoid any activities that:

• rely on balance, such as bike riding or skiing
• are performed in the heat
• cause pain
• make you dizzy
• are done on your back (after 12 weeks of pregnancy)

6. Eating for two:

Pregnancy does not mean you have to eat for two. 20 grams of extra protein and 300Kcal of extra energy is all you need to manage a healthy weight gain. Besides calories and proteins, the body also needs essential nutrients such as folic acid, vitamin B12, and calcium.

Nuts provide protein while milk and cereals supply the extra calories. Eggs and yogurt are a great source of protein, calcium, and vitamin D. Spinach is high in folic acid and should be included in your everyday diet. Red meat provides iron.

Women who end up eating too much during pregnancy become obese and can develop problems like high blood pressure and gestational diabetes in the third trimester.

7. Make a conscious choice:

A healthy lifestyle is all about making a conscious choice when eating. The cheese burst pizza topped with fat oozing bacon and other toppings is drool-worthy but does nothing to help your baby or your body. Every time we opt for healthy food, we make a conscious decision to respect our body.

8. 8. Accept the changes:

Respecting your body also means accepting what it is. Gaining weight is normal during pregnancy and, in fact, is essential for your baby’s health. Shed those extra pounds after your baby is born.

But don’t stress yourself about losing the added weight immediately after delivery. Your priority is your child.

Is It Safe To Lose Weight While Pregnancy?

If you are already overweight at the time of conceiving, your doctor may ask you to lose some weight. However, you should try to lose weight only under the supervision of a doctor. In most of the cases, women are not allowed to diet or lose weight during pregnancy.

The fact is losing or gaining weight takes its natural course during pregnancy. You may lose weight during the first trimester due to nausea or morning sickness. Then you may add pounds in the next two trimesters and make for the initial weight loss. And this is a healthy way of losing and gaining pregnancy weight.

Most asked Question

Is it important to cut calories to lose weight during pregnancy if you’re overweight or obese?

Answer

Yes, it’s important to adopt healthier lifestyle habits during pregnancy, especially if you’re overweight or obese. Being very overweight or obese can increase the chance of complications for mom and baby during pregnancy. If you are obese, cutting down gradually and safely on calories, while starting a light exercise routine, can help you get to a better weight. While you may inevitably still gain weight because of the pregnancy, it’s important to manage how much you gain by watching what you eat and do.