Overweight and TTC

LADY324

Hi ladies this is my first post in a really long time!  We are about to start trying with #2 in Sept.  I gained about 80 lbs with my first and lost 70 of it over a 2 year period.  Over the past year I have put 30 lbs back on.  I am 34 and we want to start trying in Sept.  I am very nervous to get pregnant being up 30 lbs from my normal weight however I don't want to keep putting off TTC since I am 34 and my 1st just turned 3 years old.  Looking for any advice from other plus sized ladies TTC.  I am a size 14/16 and normally wear a 12.  I have been jogging a little bit but I plan on upping my miles and changing my diet.  I am really hoping to keep my weight gain in check this time.  Please post any advice you may have.  I am contemplating waiting until October to try so I can rage it with working out and eating healthy for all of Sept but then part of me just wants to start trying next cycle.  Is it worth it to wait the 1 extra month to get my diet and exercise in check?  Ah I am so undecided!!

[Deleted User]

I think if you are 34 and are ready to have another child you should just start - and as you start you can begin making changes to your lifestyle.

I think it's wonderful that you want to get healthier!  For exercise I really encourage you to do whatever seems FUN.  I personally hate running, and basically all other "alone" style work out routines.  I need a class and I need other people there.  So if running is your jam then embrace it, but if you're doing it just because you feel like you need to, maybe find something else.

As great as exercise is, the food we eat is really the BIGGEST factor in our health.  I would really encourage you to begin slowly and maybe start cutting out things that have a lot of sugar in them and not a lot of beneficial nutrition.  Something I think most people over do is liquids.  Try cutting out pop/soda, energy drinks, sugary coffees, etc.  Sugary drinks like those add a ton of calories and a ton of sugar to your diet and don't fill you up or provide any beneficial nutrients.  (ETA: replace those drinks with things like green tea, kombucha, other herbal teas, sparkling water, etc)

All the best luck to you!!

Dilynne

We're TTC #1 and I am wayyyy bigger than you.  When we started TTC, we agreed we would start cutting out unnecessary sugars, eat at home more and no more late night snacks. It's helping! If I waited til I was "normal" size to TTC, I probably would never because that's not a realistic goal for me.  

I talked to my doctor about it and she said that yes, having the extra weight isn't helping, but making the positive changes as we go will help in the long run. 

saralee797-2

All of the above is good advice plus I think you will find you are not alone in this. There is a weekly fitness check in thread in our group and I am sure they would welcome you with open arms! Check it out! 

LADY324

Thanks for the tips!!  My liquids are actually really good I pretty much only drink water and 1 cup of coffee everymorning I do put 2 sugar packets in it but I can probably do just milk.  I am the type of person who needs my morning cup of coffee to function!!  I really do love kickboxing I was doing CKO for a while but I wasn't able to make enough of the classes to make the $ spent worth it.  I was paying $100 bucks a month for it.  Life with a toddler makes it difficult sometimes.  My work does have a gym so I think I need to really use my lunch hour to my advantage then it's no excuses!!

[Deleted User]

LADY324 said:

Thanks for the tips!!  My liquids are actually really good I pretty much only drink water and 1 cup of coffee everymorning I do put 2 sugar packets in it but I can probably do just milk.  I am the type of person who needs my morning cup of coffee to function!!  I really do love kickboxing I was doing CKO for a while but I wasn't able to make enough of the classes to make the $ spent worth it.  I was paying $100 bucks a month for it.  Life with a toddler makes it difficult sometimes.  My work does have a gym so I think I need to really use my lunch hour to my advantage then it's no excuses!!

That's great that your liquids aren't a problem (although skipping on that two packets of sugar every day is going to really help! 730 packs a year is a lot)!  You're ahead of the majority of people already  Find something in your diet that has the most sugars - start reading nutrition labels.  See if you can cut out something and replace it with a healthier option.

If you love kickboxing but don't have tons of time to attend classes or want to spend money at a studio, then maybe look into online fitness programs.  That way you have a timed workout by a professional and you can put it on during nap time/bed time, etc.

LADY324

Awh good luck to you!! 

swimsister

I would use some of @antoto's advice above and try to focus on losing about 1-2lb per week. You can do this and start TTC at the same time if you're truly ready. If you're lucky enough to get KU on your first cycle you'll be starting out 4-8lbs down from where you are today. Keep in mind that crash dieting and under eating can mess with your cycle so steady, healthy weight loss is the way to go. 

I hope you'll join us on some of our regular threads! There's some great goal tracking happening in the Weekly Weigh In/Fitness thread.

RVAmom315

@LADY324 I am in the exact same boat as you - although I didn't gain a ton with DS (3 1/2 yo) I gained steadily over the last few years because of other stressors. I'm 36, going on 37 in November and although we are TTA in order for me to get control of my health, I feel like there's no reason to not work on TTC because as we all know it can take awhile.

I have the most success with gradual changes, if I do it all at once forget it.  More protein, less carbs, more water, less processed foods and moving my booty are what my focus is at the moment.

Good luck to you!

LADY324

Thank you!!  I will def check out the other threads I am just starting to browse again now that we will be trying again soon!

LADY324

Thanks!!

eggplantface

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the concern about weight more related to delayed/absent ovulation? At least, in the TTC phase? Whenever I read about how weight affects conception from my RE's practice it's about how extra weight can inhibit ovulation, just like being underweight. So if you're ovulating normally then your weight isn't as big a factor as you think. I'm a size 14 and my doctor never suggested I lose weight for TTC and I ovulate regularly. She's suggested it otherwise....but whatever...



And yay I found Google! This is from my RE's practice: https://www.shadygrovefertility.com/blog/fertility-health/effect-weight-fertility/

But any effort to be more healthy is to be applauded, especially because after conception it's healthier for the fetus and there's less risk of complications. Good luck to you!

LADY324

My personal concern is getting pregnant at my current weight since I was 30 lbs lighter when I got pregnant with my son.  I can't gain 75 lbs again like I did with him.  So I am personally just looking to change my over health for myself not just for trying to conceive.

thatcma

I have been lurking but wanted to throw out some nutritional advice the that physician I work with gives MANY of her patients that are trying to lose weight. I also agree with PP that your goal should be at most 1-2 pounds per week as to make steady, consistent life change not just a "diet":

Try to eat mostly protein (meat, fish, nuts, eggs, tofu) and many different colored vegetables.  They will help you feel full and help your body be healthy.  

Imagine putting all of your food for the whole day on one very big plate. Now cut that plate into four pieces. One piece should be filled with protein.  The other three pieces should be filled with vegetables.

 

Fresh, frozen and dried vegetables are all good choices.  Eating some fruit is fine, too, but vegetables are the best.

 

Try not to eat pasta, rice, bread, cereal, or food with potatoes with your meals.  These "white foods" are not healthy for your body.  Foods that are white make your sugars go up. White foods are mostly made of sugar. Even the whole wheat foods have little value for your body, so try to stick with veggies and protein.

 

Drink only water. This is what will keep your body working well!   

[Deleted User]

EEL0824 said:

I have been lurking but wanted to throw out some nutritional advice the that physician I work with gives MANY of her patients that are trying to lose weight. I also agree with PP that your goal should be at most 1-2 pounds per week as to make steady, consistent life change not just a "diet":

Try to eat mostly protein (meat, fish, nuts, eggs, tofu) and many different colored vegetables.  They will help you feel full and help your body be healthy.  

Imagine putting all of your food for the whole day on one very big plate. Now cut that plate into four pieces. One piece should be filled with protein.  The other three pieces should be filled with vegetables.

 

Fresh, frozen and dried vegetables are all good choices.  Eating some fruit is fine, too, but vegetables are the best.

 

Try not to eat pasta, rice, bread, cereal, or food with potatoes with your meals.  These "white foods" are not healthy for your body.  Foods that are white make your sugars go up. White foods are mostly made of sugar. Even the whole wheat foods have little value for your body, so try to stick with veggies and protein.

 

Drink only water. This is what will keep your body working well!   

See I totally agree with all this - I'm personally grain and dairy free.  I also jumped into it cold turkey.  For some people though, I know it doesn't work like that.  This may eventually be a long term goal.  The most important thing is how you said this needs to be a complete lifestyle change, not just a temporary diet to hit some arbitrary number on a scale.  Some people can change their lifestyle all at once, but for others to make sure they do it effectively they have to take it slow.

Maybe one change a week, or every other week.  It's better to do that and KEEP those changes than to suddenly jump into a completely different way of life, freak out, binge on al fredo, and give the whole thing up as too hard.

lund

Jumping in late here.

I think it's great that you're looking to improve your health before/during TTC!

I think it'll be easier to adopt some healthy habits now and keep them through pregnancy/birth than it would be to make changes during pregnancy. I'm currently TTC #1, and personally I know that I'm a special snowflake, and would likely have a hard time adopting new healthy habits once I'm KU. Big life changes are hard for me, and I generally don't deal with them by eating any less/better or exercising more LOL. At this time my diet is pretty much on point, and I'm committed to a reasonable exercise routine.... once I'm KU I'm simply going to try to keep it up!

I love all the advice from @antoto (high-five grain and dairy free buddy!) and @EEL0824!

mrsdaddario

I have no words of encouragement since I love me some food, but I just wanted to say

@eggplantface hahaha that gif though 

Sh8knKnotSterd

I am in the same boat as you. I am 32 and we plan to start TTC once my Mirena is removed on September 19th. I am currently about 90lbs from my ultimate goal. I lost 45lbs a few years ago, but gained it all back. smh. But if I was to lose 40-50 pounds before we got our bfp, I would be thrilled. Starting tomorrow, I plan on upping my water intake, and cutting down on carbs. Carb cutting helped me a ton when I lost the weight the first time so I'm sticking with what I know. 

lovesclimbing

Mostly lurker here. We considered waiting to TTC to get healthy. But, I'm glad we didn't because, three months later, I'm still not pregnant and I haven't gotten that much healthier. Not saying you couldn't. 

You can still improve your diet and work out while pregnant. Disclaimer: this is something to talk to your doctor about, but I have a friend who didn't gain a pound her first two trimesters. She maybe still hasn't, I don't know. She is in the military, so she was at a relatively healthy weight but still had some she could healthfully lose. She was high risk, gestational diabetes, so when she found that out, she had to start eating super healthy, track her blood sugar and be very careful with her diet. As a result of all the clean eating (she was also working out regularly, but no more than she had been prior to pregnancy), she was "losing" weight but putting on baby weight and the two balanced each other out. 

Her doctor was observing and keeping track and all that good stuff and making sure she and her baby were ok the whole time.

The point is, you can still healthfully "lose" weight while pregnant. Obviously, talk to your doctor about it when you find out your pregnant, but if you are eating bad right now (like me), and decide to clean up your eating habits, there's a good chance you'll lose weight whether you're trying to or not. 

achays11

I applaud your choice to start living a healthier lifestyle now! It will be great for you and baby #2, and LO #1 now. 

Personally, I started Weight Watchers about 5 weeks ago and I've lost 12.2 lbs. I'm not one of those people that can follow a strict or even mild diet, and I hate the gym. This program allows you to eat what you want, you just have to stick to your daily points. It makes you really rethink what your eating by having you ask the question, "is that snack/meal really worth all of those points?" By thinking this way, you make healthier choices by still eating delicious food. Message me if you would like more details. 

As far as your liquids, you are doing well. I would say to try substituting your two packs of sugar and milk for a sugar free creamer and see how you like it. I can't go without my coffee either and the creamer has just enough of a sweet taste for me. 

Also, I tend to get tired of just plain water and I'm trying to stop soda altogether La Croix sparkling waters are the best! 

Good of luck on both your journeys!