worried about too much weight gain

cedge05 · January 2014

I know that some people say not to worry about this and to just listen to your body but I am worried. I was on WW before I got pregnant and had lost weight. Of course I stopped as soon as I found out I was pregnant. At my first appt my midwife looked at my BMI and because it was too high I had to have an early gestational diabetes test done (also my mom's side of the family has a lot of diabetes), will have to have extra ultrasounds later on and need to do the non-stress test every week starting at 34 weeks. Last night after our ultrasound we came home and I had a snack before we went out to dinner. My DH was trying to be very sweet and told me he was worried about me. With everything the doctor said I should be careful and try not to gain too much weight (last time I gained 50 lbs). What steps do you take to keep your weight gain in check? I'm just so afraid of going overboard again.

sunflowermama42212 · January 2014

I just honestly don't buy junk food and I limit how much take out I eat. It really all comes down to smart choices and will power.

cedge05 · January 2014

Will power is something I lack...hence why I was overweight to begin with and needed the structure WW gave me. Figuring out points, tracking, weigh ins and going to meetings kept me in check. Ever since I stopped that I feel like I'm in a free fall. I just hope I figure it out sooner rather than later.

rae_dylanzmom · January 2014

Sorry to hear about your situation. It sounds like a lot of stress to pile onto you.

I don't have specific advice about controlling your weight gain. Does the thought of working with a nutritionist sound like something that would alleviate your stress? Or make it worse? (I could totally see it going either way.) Just thinking that they might help you find a good routine, more healthy snacks, etc.

DoubleUp8 · January 2014

I'm lurking from TTGP. I wanted to share with you a free site called My Fitness Pal (myfitnesspal.com). They let you track calories for losing weight, but you can also set the program to calculate gaining weight. If you really feel the routine of tracking and a group environment could help, I would talk to your doctor/midwife/nutritionist about the right amount of calories to eat each week to help you gain the appropriate amount of weight. You could always just enter a weeks worth of info to see if you are on the right track and go from there. Just an idea. Good luck!

edit: words are hard

cedge05 · January 2014

A nutritionist may be a good idea. I just remembered Baby Fit as well. I am used to tracking what I eat so that may help me. At least that way when I meet with my midwife I can show her what I have been eating if there is any issue.

TiffaniMay · January 2014

Being on WW you proibably have a good idea of what is relatively low in points and high in points. Basically anything high fat/calorie/carb is higher in point values. While you don't have to count points everyday, just try to eat a lot of healthy foods you know are moderate in points and eat when you are hungry. Keep hydrated and keep the sugary snacks to a minimum and as a special treat.

I'm about 30 lbs overweight before getting pregnant (obviously I never stuck with WW! lol) and so far haven't gained anything sticking to what I described above. Don't fall into the trap of "I'm pregnant, I get to eat whatever I want because I have an excuse now!"

beccalee721 · January 2014

I know some OBs work with nutritionists, was that brought up? Will power is difficult for me too so since I do the grocery shopping I make sure I don't buy anything I would devour if I got a craving. If I buy something sweet, it's something I kind of like but don't LOVE. Other than that I'd suggest taking a walk everyday. We do ours in the evening right after dinner, just 15 or 20 min. Granted, if you live somewhere cold (we're in south GA) then this will be more difficult right now.

katie0919 · January 2014

::lurking::

I kept my weight in check the first time around by still counting calories like I previously, but adding on the recommended cals per each trimester....in the first trimester you only need 300 extra calories a day, which isn't much.

Portion control is key, but don't keep junk in the house. About as "junky" as I get are a bag of pop chips, or some Annie's cheddar bunnies. But if I choose to eat them, I count out a portion and put them away.

Drink lots of water, sometimes you may think you're "hungry" but really you just need to water! Also, avoid empty calories (juice, soda, sweets, etc.)....these type of things do nothing for your nutritional needs and will pack on the pounds, quick!

Best of luck! Does your doctor have a nutritionist available that you can speak to about healhty eating/recipes/tips?

cedge05 · January 2014

These are all great ideas. Gives me a lot to think about. I will work on continuing to make good choices. And I need to walk. I used to love walking but I have gotten lazy the last 2 weeks. It's time to get back on track. Thanks ladies!!!!

MkL1526 · January 2014

You will be ok! Just realizing weight gain is an issue for you is a good thing. It's already on your mind, so you can try to make those healthy decisions more often than not. I don't think weight gain is easy for any of us, but just remember, if you're making healthy choices and getting those walks in, you're good!

rlyttle · January 2014

What works for me is just not buying junk. Then you don't even have it in your house to temp you. Have healthy snacks around like fruit, veggies, cheese, protein bars, ect. Plus walking a lot helped me.

AccioKittyCat · January 2014

OP, I am in EXACTLY the same situation as you. I wish I knew how many calories to aim for. I've been on one diet or another for ten years, so I have no idea how many calories I need to maintain/be pregnant.

FrodaBaggins · January 2014

I don't have any advice other than that counting calories never worked for me. The only thing that did was changing my diet according to a few basic principles and sticking to it as well as I could. I absolutely categorically struck a few things off the list - no fast food, no french fries, no pizza, no baked goods, no breakfast cereal or breakfast goodies like bagels, no Starbucks frapps or flavored lattes, etc. I limited my carbs and sugar and made sure that the majority of what I was eating was vegetables, fruit, lean protein, eggs, and whole grains. I'm not a TOTAL party pooper - I'll still have a slice of cake at coworker's birthday party and I am not back to eating burgers on lettuce wraps just yet

But I found these changes helped immensely.

argonne · January 2014

Honestly, the biggest things you can do is workout and make sure you don't eat too much. You don't get carte blanche on food just because you're pregnant. You only need about 300 extra calories a day. Also, make sure you are eating good, wholesome food, not processed crap.

Nootbar · January 2014

WW won't endorse it, but honestly you could still count points since that was working for you, just to keep things under control. Since you shouldn't be purposely losing, find out what your maintenance points would be and after first tri add 6 more points or so for the extra calories baby will need.

veetveet · January 2014

Don't eat junk food and be reasonable withyour portions. Pregnancy is not an excuse to go off the rails. There is nothing wrong with the occasional indulgence. Be reasonable.

SaranJonathan · January 2014

I would speak to your doctor about meeting with a dietitian. She can give you ideas for low carb and/or low calorie snacks. With my DD I gained about 45 lbs. I wasn't happy but I ate when I was hungry. I also certainly had water weight as I had PIH at the end. If she's concerned about diabetes now you need a meal plan, goal carbs etc. I wouldn't do this on your own, pregnancy is no time to diet.

laurakaz13 · January 2014

I gained 34 lbs and lost it pretty quickly after giving birth. I ate normally and did not add any extra calories at all. I avoided junk food, fried food, etc. I did my best to continue working out. When I became unable to run, I walked as long as I possibly could each day. Usually up to an hour.

Ditto a nutritionist being a good idea.

missmiss307 · January 2014

I'm not sure what your BMI has to do with any of that. I'm in a very high BMI range, and my doctor does not require those things. Is it because of specific issues with your last pregnancy? Seems like your doctor has an issue, not you, IMO.

Kateysomething · January 2014

I am overweight, and was with all previous pregnancies. I had recently been losing weight (my fitness pal), so I understand missing the structure. I still use it to log my food, but I am not restricting, just using it to keep myself aware of what I am consuming.

I am on a 3rd OB, having switched practices after each birth. None ever made issue of my BMI, gave extra ultrasounds, or gave me a hard time in general. I do plan on asking if she can give me a calorie goal to keep in mind, because that helps me personally, and if she thinks a nutritionist is smart, I'm cool with that.

mileswithmyles · January 2014

I am in a similar boat as you. I lost about 30 pounds 3 years ago. I am still tracking my food on My Fitness Pal to make sure I am getting all my nutrients, eating a balanced diet, and eating enough calories.

I would suggest keeping up the healthy eating habits you had on WW, just eating more!

tartansweet · January 2014

I lost 70 lbs jan-Sept 2013 and what made it easy was to add protein to each meal & snack and avoid carb loading every time I eat. WW points assign higher values to carbs but what really happens is bread/pasta/crackers/potato/noodles spike your blood sugar and insulin and then tank both in an hour or so producing hunger and ms sensations. If you use more veg as your carbs and add protein to every snack & meal it keeps you satiated longer while avoiding that spike in blood sugar and insulin. A typical day for me: fruit/spinach smoothy with 1scoop unflavoured whey protein powder (it should be 50%veg not complete fruit-that would be waaay too much sugar) 7am, cottage cheese 1/2 cup & a fruit 10:30am, salad & chicken lunch, 1/3 cup nuts or a Liberte 0% yoghurt snack 2:30pm, stir fry with veg & meat in the evening, dark chocolate, cheese, roasted nuts, or a high protein snack evening. If you eat yoghurt the protein content should always be more than the carb otherwise it's a sugar treat instead of something that's meant to be healthy. I find a lot of the fruit-added yoghurt never meet the criteria for being a healthy snack. Get a good high protein yoghurt and add your own berries if you want. If you understand what contributes to fat storage and diabetes it makes it easier to pick healthy foods. Carby foods are considered pure energy, they get broken into sugars, spike insulin and stored as fat (contribute to weight gain) = bread/pasta/potato/rice/noodle/crackers. When I go out to eat, my rule is to eat my protein first, then veg/fruit and finally if you're still hungry then your rice/carb on the plate (if you must clean your plate). Protein is what helps repair your muscles, tissues and build (baby). Your body burns it more efficiently and it rarely contributes to insulin spikes as carby food does. I'm at 9weeks+4 and have gained 3 lbs including my Christmas overeating weight. I find if I don’t carb load at every meal I can 'cheat' now and then without gaining. Ie we went to the pub yesterday and I shared some nachos guilt-free. I hope you find something that works for you!

rae_dylanzmom · January 2014

AccioKittyCat said:

OP, I am in EXACTLY the same situation as you. I wish I knew how many calories to aim for. I've been on one diet or another for ten years, so I have no idea how many calories I need to maintain/be pregnant.

You wish you knew? If you google "calories pregnant" you will get an entire page full of pregnancy calculators. The general rule is 300 extra calories.

cMichelle0423 · January 2014

I think as long as your eating healthy and getting the right amount of calories a day, you should be fine. And of course keep away from the junk food. You can always talk to your MW or even see a nutritionalist for advice.

AccioKittyCat · January 2014

rae_dylanzmom said:

AccioKittyCat said:

OP, I am in EXACTLY the same situation as you. I wish I knew how many calories to aim for. I've been on one diet or another for ten years, so I have no idea how many calories I need to maintain/be pregnant.

You wish you knew? If you google "calories pregnant" you will get an entire page full of pregnancy calculators. The general rule is 300 extra calories.

Sure, I get that. What I meant was that I don't know how many calories I, personally, need per day to maintain rather than lose weight. If I knew that number, I could add 300 and be all set.

blushingbride_08 · January 2014

Meal planning helps me. Also include some cheat meals so you don't feel deprived. I also track what I eat so I can see if I'm missing any nutrients. I'm really off during the 1st tri but will be back to my routine for the 2nd. Gl!

Kateysomething · January 2014

@acciokittycat , I feel you, and that is exactly why I plan on asking my OB for a number to shoot for, or to refer me to a nutritionist who can. Knowledge is power and all.

rae_dylanzmom · January 2014

AccioKittyCat said:

AccioKittyCat said:

OP, I am in EXACTLY the same situation as you. I wish I knew how many calories to aim for. I've been on one diet or another for ten years, so I have no idea how many calories I need to maintain/be pregnant.

You wish you knew? If you google "calories pregnant" you will get an entire page full of pregnancy calculators. The general rule is 300 extra calories.
Sure, I get that. What I meant was that I don't know how many calories I, personally, need per day to maintain rather than lose weight. If I knew that number, I could add 300 and be all set.

IMO, if you're not already a calorie counter, I wouldn't try to start now. Totally get it that it makes sense for someone already on WW or already counting calories to continue the practice.... but it just seems terribly cumbersome to me.

That said, here is a site that seemed useful (and there are many others): https://www.freedieting.com/tools/pregnancy_calorie_calculator.htm. It factors in age, height/weight, and exercise level. Probably not as accurate as a nutritionist, but I suspect if you checked out a few of the sites, you could get a good estimate. And from the Health board here on TB, it looks like Babyfit is a popular choice for calorie counting while pregnant.

GL!

blushingbride_08 · January 2014

rae_dylanzmom said:

AccioKittyCat said:

AccioKittyCat said:

OP, I am in EXACTLY the same situation as you. I wish I knew how many calories to aim for. I've been on one diet or another for ten years, so I have no idea how many calories I need to maintain/be pregnant.

You wish you knew? If you google "calories pregnant" you will get an entire page full of pregnancy calculators. The general rule is 300 extra calories.
Sure, I get that. What I meant was that I don't know how many calories I, personally, need per day to maintain rather than lose weight. If I knew that number, I could add 300 and be all set.

IMO, if you're not already a calorie counter, I wouldn't try to start now. Totally get it that it makes sense for someone already on WW or already counting calories to continue the practice.... but it just seems terribly cumbersome to me.

That said, here is a site that seemed useful (and there are many others): https://www.freedieting.com/tools/pregnancy_calorie_calculator.htm. It factors in age, height/weight, and exercise level. Probably not as accurate as a nutritionist, but I suspect if you checked out a few of the sites, you could get a good estimate. And from the Health board here on TB, it looks like Babyfit is a popular choice for calorie counting while pregnant.

GL!

I recommend the freedieting site too. It was very accurate in determining how many calories I needed each trimester.

AccioKittyCat · January 2014

I am a calorie counter, so having no specific goal is throwing me for a loop. That being said, I'm just trying to make the best choice available each time I eat something. It helps to know that other people struggle without a diet framework as well.

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