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Health & Exercise
nikki04vb
member
BFP#1: 7/23/10, EDD 4/1/11, MC/DNC 9/29/10(14wks)
BFP#2: 1/12/11 CP (6 Weeks)
BFP#3: 6/26/11, EDD 3/4/12, Natural MC 8/5/11 (10wks)
Weight Gain
nikki04vb
member
I completely understand the anxiety that comes with weight gain. I've already gained 10 lbs. and I'm not happy about it. I want to workout and try to stay within the healthy range, but I think that's easier said than done. Most of us know how to either lose weight or gain a lot of weight. Gaining a little bit of weight gradually over several months is tricky. I think that's why a lot of women end up gaining too little or too much- they either overdo it or give up completely.
If you landed within the 25-35 range with their your last pregnancy while working out- how did you do it? Did you monitor your calorie intake? Did you weigh yourself every day? Did you eat healthy, exercise, and just let it happen? Do you have tips for some of us going through this for the first time?
BFP#1: 7/23/10, EDD 4/1/11, MC/DNC 9/29/10(14wks)
BFP#2: 1/12/11 CP (6 Weeks)
BFP#3: 6/26/11, EDD 3/4/12, Natural MC 8/5/11 (10wks)
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Weight Gain
I'm a first timer too, also struggling with the fact that I HAVE to gain weight and its ok. I want my baby to be healthy and I am certainly not watching what I eat. Just know that you aren't alone in feeling like it sucks and it wll be ok!
The 25-35lb suggestion is based on starting with a normal BMI also.... so if you were underweight, you will need to gain a bit more. GL
It's really hard to see the scale move up up up. Especially when there's nothing you can do about it. I struggled with that big time since I normally keep a VERY tight reign on the scale.
Personally, I gained 36lbs with 34w twins and have lost most of it 10 weeks later. (I'm keeping about 5lbs while I nurse since my normal weight is probably too low to maintain my supply.) My fat jeans fit at 2 weeks pp, and most of my regular pants fit now too.
My point is that it CAN be done.
) I ran until 33 weeks and ate fairly healthy throughout. For me, my only strategy was to do the best I could every day. I ran as much as I felt up to and I ate as healthy as possible while staying sane. (I didn't turn down pizza when the urge struck. And it struck!)
Anything I gained, I just accepted. I knew I couldn't work out more or eat better, so whatever happened happend.
Good luck to you! I will say that seeing your baby more on u/s helps too. Getting fat has a "purpose" then.
I gained 30-33 lbs with each pg. I didn't worry about weight too much, I just kept doing like I was doing. I think my meal sizes were the same pre-preg but occasionally I'd have snacks when I was *starving* which was mostly in the 1st trimester. I exercised swimming, spinning, running, elliptical up to the day or two before I gave birth both pg's. I didn't try to change my lifestyle at all I just went with how my body felt.
With pg #1 the weight came off pretty easily afterwards, I remember being in my pre-preg work clothes when I went back to work at 13 weeks. So I had lost the weight before then.
Pg #2 took a little longer to lose the weight even though I did a half marathon 13 weeks after DS was born. But it too came off with regular exercise.
I worked out everyday until my last 2 months then I only went for hour walks everyday. I watched what I ate and I did not weigh myself. I only did it when I went to the Dr. Good luck!
Forgot to mention I snacked on lots of carrots.
Just remember that pregnancy is not a 9month free pass to break your normal healthy habits. Eat healthy & exercise & your body will do what it needs to do.
I worked out until the day my water broke, gained 27lbs, and lost it all within 6 weeks.
This. I am 11 days away from my due date and have gained 25 pounds. I have not indulged every craving and have remained dedicated to eating healthy meals (with the occasional treat, like I would normally). Remember, 300 extra calories a day is not very much and try to stay active (walking, stationary biking, swimming, yoga). Also, like PP said, your body, despite all your efforts will, at the end of the day, gain what it needs to. I know it's tough to let that control go, give it over to your body, but you'll be fine as long as you try your best! Enjoy your pregnancy and try to not get too caught up in the weight gain-it's going to happen
GL!
I am not done yet, but I feel good about my weight gain. I've gained 15 lbs at 33 weeks, and expect to gain just about 25 lbs by the end. I started out at a normal BMI.
I agree with the PP - the first thing to keep in mind is that your body does not need that many extra calories during pregnancy, especially early on. It's really easy to blow 300 calories without even thinking about it.
To me, accountability is key. I weighed myself two-three times a week and tracked my weight via BabyFit.com, which has a good graph that shows you were you should be on the low end and high end of weight gain. I also track my food intake there periodically when I see a big scale jump, just to make sure it's not a result of too many calories. I also focus on making sure each meal and snack contains a significant amount of protein, and tried to avoid a lot of sugary carbs (easier said than done!).
Other than that, just work on keeping your motivation to exercise intact (I think that regular exercise is much more important than the duration/exertion of the exercise itself.) Pace yourself so you're not burnt out by 20 weeks. I felt like I got the most benefit from working out from about weeks 25 - 30, where my weight gain was more rapid.
Good Luck!
The first 2 trimesters I did fine last time, but I ended up having a small placenta and DD wasn't getting enough nutrients, so I had to be on modified bed rest the last tri. I still ended up being within the 25-35 lbs and was induced 8 days early. I was on the low end of weight gain before DD was diagnosed with IUGR, but it wouldn't have mattered.
Tips I am doing again, but obviously modifying it because I am hoping to not go on modified bed rest again.
I am working out as much as I can, but not over doing it at all. If I need to rest, then I rest. I am a runner so this time around I am keeping my miles to 15 mpw (20-25 miles before being pg). I do also weight myself almost everyday. But most importantly, I did not (and will not this time around) let myself eat everything in sight that is bad for me and use being pg as an excuse. I eat wholesome foods.
I was last time as well as this time at a healthy weight before getting pg. If you are gaining a lot of weight early, are you underweight? Your body might be storing the fat for the baby. Good luck and try not to stress about it. It will come off (mine did within 3 months).
I gained somewhere from 35-40, but I started out a little underweight, so that's pretty much on track. I would really warn against trying to "control" the numbers on the scale day-to-day. For one thing, weight can fluctuate A LOT day-to-day. Plus, if you eat nutritious foods, stay away from empty calories for the most part, exercise moderately and drink lots of water, there's a good chance your body will do the "gradual weight gain" thing for you. Remember that a whole person is growing inside of you. You don't have to actually "try" to gain weight gradually. You just have to try to provide as healthy an environment as possible for your baby. A few tips I've picked up along the way:
-Women with kind of bad (but not like terrible bad) morning sickness tend to gain more weight than others in the 2st tri due to carb snacking (white bread, crackers...), but they also tend to even out that weight gain once the morning sickness is gone.
-PG weight gain often happens in spurts, so don't worry much if you gain nothing for two weeks and then suddenly gain 5 lbs in a week. It's normal. And get used to that stuff b/c your baby will do the same thing later.
[ETA: At one point I gained I think 8-10 lbs in 2 weeks. The nurse made a joke about it, but no one was really concerned. And I wound up with healthy weight gain, a wonderful med-free delivery & a very healthy, normal-sized baby. I think I just ate a lot of pasta before that appointment, plus was a little constipated.]
-Limit your sodium intake. Some women gain tons of water weight, and salty foods play a big part. My SIL, for example, tends to eat deli meat every day & I really think that contributes to how swollen she gets when pg. Exercise and drinking lots of water can seriously fight the swelling too.
....but to honestly answer your other Q I did actually weight myself almost every day. I was kind of obsessive. But I wouldn't recommend it. I didn't do it b/c I was actually ever really worried about my weight gain. I think I'm just very Type A & liked comparing myself to the charts. Next time I think I'll put the scale away and just be as healthy as I can.
i gained about 32 pounds total. i exercised regulalry (1 mile jogs up until the day before being induced at 37 weeks) but i wasn't super careful with my calorie intake. i made sure to eat healthy foods and really avoided sugar, but i ate as much as i wanted in terms of quantity. i also had some complications with the pregnancy, so i really couldn't fool around in terms of making sure the baby got enough nutrients.
i'm almost 8 weeks post partum now, my period has just returned, and i've lost about 23 pounds. i had an easy delivery and was able to start working out 1 week post partum. also, my blood pressure stayed 90/60 through the entire pregnancy.
it's too bad i'm not one of those women who lost ALL the weight right away, but i'm still comfortable with my progress. i had set a 3 month goal for myself to lose it all, and i think, with 9 pounds to go, i'm on my way.
I gained 23 pounds total (which my OB was very happy with), starting at a 20 BMI. I was a pretty healthy eater to begin with, and all I changed starting in the 2nd tri was to add a yogurt to my brown bag lunch (150 calories), and up my serving sizes at dinner or add some cheese to a meal that I normally wouldn't have. I walked and did strength training throughout, as well (had gotten out of the running habit before getting pregnant). I definitely gave in to a few cravings but tried to stick to pretty healthy foods for the baby.
Unfortunately, it's been harder to take off than I would have thought for such minimal weight gain! 6 months out and still 5 pounds up, sigh... This has really just been due to lack of time and energy to exercise, so I'm on this board now for motivation. Good luck!
I'm not done yet but I THINK I will stay between 25-30 pounds. I have gained about 15 pounds at 26 weeks and I have paid pretty close attention to what I eat and have been exercising, although at a lower intensity than I used to. I make a point to plan my food for the day out ahead of time and to have three meals, 2 snacks (one in the morning and one in the afternoon) and usually a little dessert, too, like a 1/4-1/3 cup of ice cream. I make a big quiche every two weeks or so with more egg whites than eggs, and lots of veggies, then cut it up and freeze the pieces for easy to reheat, protein filled breakfasts (although I do make decaf lattes/mochas to go with it, with skim milk and a little bit of sugar or mocha powder.) My snacks are usually a piece of fruit and a string cheese or some carrots with a little ranch dressing. My dinners are usually a lean protein like grilled chicken, a carb like brown rice, quinoa, bulger wheat, etc, and green veggies, and my lunches are leftovers.
For me, I focus on getting enough healthy protein and eating every few hours so I don't get hungry and pig out. I have been lucky that I haven't had too many cravings, though.
I weigh myself daily but that's what I prefer. It helps me notice as soon as my weight starts to take off so I can cut back on treats. I will say, though, that I, too had a crazy weight gain month between week 21-25 when I gained like 7 pounds and it seemed to not matter what I ate or didn't eat. Pregnancy is wierd like that.
Good luck!
That was my philosophy, and I gained 27 lbs as well.
That was my philosophy, and I gained 27 lbs as well.