dieting / trying to lose weight while TTC

warontv · January 2011

I'm currently doing weight watchers but having very little success. I adored my OB/GYN (in Arizona), she was running tests to see why I was not losing weight, (she thought it was hormonal, as do I) & why we weren't conceiving. I've been to two doctors (in Houston) who flat out tell me to drop the weight before even thinking of TTC. My husband & I are yearning for children & I feel up against a wall, and feeling like I'm not allowed to have children because I'm overweight. Has anyone here been overweight TTC &/ gotten pregnant? Do doctors also tell you to give up? Any recs for doctors who don't pull the "weight" card, but actually wonder if there is a problem with conceiving. TIA!

Suzi-G- · January 2011

Have you had your thyroid checked? Being hypothyroid can make it hard to lose weight and hard to get pregnant.

erica_kaspar · January 2011

What area of town are you in? I have a wonderful OB who helped me in conjunction with a RE but they are both in Katy.

I was overweight but I worked out every single day when I was TTC. I had a doctor tell me my issues were nothing and then another one tell me it was my weight. I had a personal trainer and everything. In fact my personal trainer was the same trainer my OB now used so he knew I worked out and it had nothing to do with my weight for me. Ditto what Suzi said. Definitely get your thyroid checked.

Anyways if you would like their information let me know.

warontv · January 2011

No I have not, my (arizona) doctor mentioned getting it tested, if hormones come back okay. I have not even thought of anymore testing, because hormone tests are $3000!

erica_kaspar · January 2011

warontv:
No I have not, my (arizona) doctor mentioned getting it tested, if hormones come back okay. I have not even thought of anymore testing, because hormone tests are $3000!

You can get the hormone testing at a regular doctor (Primary Care Physican) It doesnt need to be at a RE or OB's office.

Don't know if you have regular insurance but it should be covered. I had mine checked before TTC at a regular PP

warontv · January 2011

erica_kaspar:
What area of town are you in? I have a wonderful OB who helped me in conjunction with a RE but they are both in Katy.
I was overweight but I worked out every single day when I was TTC. I had a doctor tell me my issues were nothing and then another one tell me it was my weight. I had a personal trainer and everything. In fact my personal trainer was the same trainer my OB now used so he knew I worked out and it had nothing to do with my weight for me. Ditto what Suzi said. Definitely get your thyroid checked.
Anyways if you would like their information let me know.

I'm on that Houston / Katy borderline. I would love their information, especially the personal trainer! Did you do WW while TTC?

warontv · January 2011

erica_kaspar:
warontv:
No I have not, my (arizona) doctor mentioned getting it tested, if hormones come back okay. I have not even thought of anymore testing, because hormone tests are $3000!
You can get the hormone testing at a regular doctor (Primary Care Physican) It doesnt need to be at a RE or OB's office.
Don't know if you have regular insurance but it should be covered. I had mine checked before TTC at a regular PP

That is my next step! I just want to find a doctor that won't blame everything on weight, because that's not always the problem (with infertility). Especially if you are unable to lose the weight. I also got better insurance that includes basic infertility testing, and maternity coverage. So once I find a doctor I will do testing. I hope its a lot cheaper then my previous quote!

TexasPaige · January 2011

I have a friend whose RE told her to lose weight before doing any more infertility treatments. They put on the brakes for a few months so she could concentrate on that, and she got pregnant on her own after losing some of the weight (before she even went back). I don't know if this is the norm.

I'm sure you are so frustrated at your situation, and I don't blame you. I'm sure many people get pregnant without losing weight. My friend was paying out-of-pocket, so she really had to watch the cost of the treatments. Best of luck to you!

Quizzle · January 2011

I was a good 60 pounds over my ideal weight when I got pregnant - never once did I have a doctor tell me I needed to lose weight. In fact, my OB when I first started trying just blew off my concerns about my weight. He'd checked my thyroid when I had a m/c and it was fine.

We had to go to an RE and do IVF, but we didn't do IVF just because of my issues. My RE never had any concerns about my weight either, FWIW, and didn't EVER weigh me like I hear of some of them doing.

Temp38995750004016 · January 2011

Just wanted to offer some encouragement and let you know that it is totally 100% safe to lose weight, exercise and diet while TTC. I worked out hardcore and followed a healthy eating plan (My Fit Foods) while TTC, I was at my lowest weight and lowest bodyfat percentage when I got pregnant this time and I didn't have any issues.

Once I found out I was pregnant I stopped working out (per doctor's orders, but I'm finally getting back into it) but kept the healthy eating until morning sickness kicked in and made me eat absolutely nothing. = )

Good luck and ditto the thyroid testing, I have had a couple of girlfriends who had trouble TTC, bot that straightened out and now have 2 and 3 kids, with no fertility treatments.

warontv · January 2011

Thank you everyone!

erica_kaspar · January 2011

warontv:
erica_kaspar:
What area of town are you in? I have a wonderful OB who helped me in conjunction with a RE but they are both in Katy.
I was overweight but I worked out every single day when I was TTC. I had a doctor tell me my issues were nothing and then another one tell me it was my weight. I had a personal trainer and everything. In fact my personal trainer was the same trainer my OB now used so he knew I worked out and it had nothing to do with my weight for me. Ditto what Suzi said. Definitely get your thyroid checked.
Anyways if you would like their information let me know.
I'm on that Houston / Katy borderline. I would love their information, especially the personal trainer! Did you do WW while TTC?

My OB is here . He helped me get pregnant in conjunction with this RE. They are both friends and are amazing doctors. Dr. Jenkins saw me every single day working out at the gym so he knew I was trying really hard at losing weight but also knew it was something else causing issues.He even commented once how we had the same trainer so he knew I was getting my @ss kicked. Haha!

His staff is wonderful as well as Dr. Hadaad's staff.

Unfortunately my trainer has moved back to Ireland I miss her alot but I found her through Lifetime Fitness.

Good luck! If you do see Dr. J. Tell him Erica says, Hi!

genmalone · January 2011

I've had my hormones tested and it was less than $200. Its definitely cheaper at an OB than it would be at an RE. Everything seems to be more at the RE's office.

I'm in a similar situation. I need to lose 25 lbs and although my Dr never said weightloss was my only option she did encourage it. I'm now taking a break from treatment to focus on weightloss because you get to a point where it gets really expensive. Clomid is cheap but after that comes injectibles. They run anywhere from $2500-$5000 per cycle! That includes all the testing, monitoring and meds.

Its really a decision you have to make. I would certainly have the initial testing done to see if there are any issues and then make decisions from there. My RE is Dr McKenzie at Houston IVF. They are located at I-10 & Gessner. They have a great reputation and their statistics are some of the best in the city.

Feel free to ask me any questions you may have. Good luck!

warontv · January 2011

My doctor in Arizona wanted me to go to a lab to do the testing and I called them directly and that was the price. $3000. Did your OB take and test blood in office? If so I will totally look into that. I don't know if I'm quite to the infertility testing part, more focused on why I can't lose weight, and if the two are related. If my hormones and thyroid are not the problem, I will kick weightloss into high gear. I was just amazed that these two doctors(granted they weren't OB) said "wait to TTC, and lose weight, otherwise it won't happen" versus my doctor in Arizona that asked the question "is there an underlying issue, to why you can't lose weight and conceive?"I just don't think weight is a true reason for infertility, because many overweight people are able to get pregnant. Sry if this is a small rant.

Nanner · January 2011

I also suggest getting tested for PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). It often goes hand in hand with hypothyroidism, and their symptoms are very similar. Both can make weight loss difficult, and both can cause fertility issues.

kat.in.the.hat · January 2011

another thing, just on the topic of feeling like you can't lose weight, I think it's really important to work out with a personal trainer who takes your body measurements and can give you a body fat percentage. I worked out for with a personal trainer for about a year (while I was trying to get pregnant and through my second trimester) and at the beginning, saw almost no weight loss, but dropped 10% of my body fat. I would have been ridiculously discouraged if I had just been looking at the scale. Sometimes dieting alone isn't what your body responds to, sometimes it needs to go hand in hand with cardio and weight training to really get your body on the weight loss track.

aprilprincess · January 2011

I would get checked for PCOS. I did great on WW for a while then had some trauma in my life and gained 30lbs. I coudln't lose it no matter what. I did WW the same as before, hired a trainer, hit the gym hardcore and nada. (of course then I'd eat in frustration so that didn't help). Anyway I had a dr put me on metformin thinking it was pcos and other then getting sick from the side effects not much changed. However, I then found a dr who is a pro at PCOS. She kept me on the metformin but had me start an IR diet (insulin resistance). That changed everything! I've lost weight and lots of inches. I feel so much better and will stick with it. Plenty of people do that and get pg while getting healthy. I haven't been that lucky yet but now we move onto treatment after knowing I'm getting the weight thing worked out. It might be something to research and bring up with whatever dr you chose.

warontv · January 2011

aprilprincess:
I would get checked for PCOS. I did great on WW for a while then had some trauma in my life and gained 30lbs. I coudln't lose it no matter what. I did WW the same as before, hired a trainer, hit the gym hardcore and nada. (of course then I'd eat in frustration so that didn't help). Anyway I had a dr put me on metformin thinking it was pcos and other then getting sick from the side effects not much changed. However, I then found a dr who is a pro at PCOS. She kept me on the metformin but had me start an IR diet (insulin resistance). That changed everything! I've lost weight and lots of inches. I feel so much better and will stick with it. Plenty of people do that and get pg while getting healthy. I haven't been that lucky yet but now we move onto treatment after knowing I'm getting the weight thing worked out. It might be something to research and bring up with whatever dr you chose.

Thank you for sharing your story, glad you found something that works! I will keep this in mind and discuss with a doctor. Thank you!

genmalone · January 2011

I had my testing done at my OB office through Labcorp. I looked it up on the Aetna website and they billed my insurance $430 for the testing. I only paid the negotiated rate of $175. I had my test done on cycle day 3 which is the best time to get baseline numbers.

You should really have the tests done. They found that I have PCOS and that makes losing weight very difficult. There are certain foods (sugars/carbs) that should be avoided when trying to lose weight with PCOS. Just knowing your status could help you lose weight.

Good luck!

SigmundsGirl · January 2011

Nanner:
I also suggest getting tested for PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome). It often goes hand in hand with hypothyroidism, and their symptoms are very similar. Both can make weight loss difficult, and both can cause fertility issues.

Ditto. I had my thyroid checked and it was fine. Turns out I have PCOS. I wouldn't have found this out if it wasn't for my RE.

angelkisses4me · February 2011

https://community.babycenter.com/post/a3876085/i_hope_that_i_dont_step_on_any_toes...

Check this out

I would say thyroid that's my issue. The need to check your TSH, T3, T4 and Antibodies. Also check you Vitamin D. I have been trying to for 6 months and we just found out vit d is low and TSH is high but I already knew I have Thyroiditus. I can't lose weight either and I am frustrated. I have to be under a certain weight for the military too.

JollySalisbury · March 2011

I adore my doctor! Dr. Irwin with Obstetrical and Gynecological Associates They are in The Womans Hospital of Texas off of Fannin, The Womans Place of Kingwood and The Womans Place-Willowbrook. I see him in Kingwood by have a friend that sees him at the Womans Hospital. He is wonderful. I have PCOS and can not seem to lose weight and the stress of the infertility journey I've even put on some. He asked me to watch what I eat but never made me feel like weight was my problem. He is always very postitive and that is refreshing to me as I've been to 3 different doctors in the last year.

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