I know I shouldn't try to lose fat, but...

TaylorKang · October 2015

Hi ladies! I need some advice here.

I was heavily exercising before I got pregnant. Of course, my habits started to decline since getting pregnant due to symptoms and now I am at the point where I have lost a good portion of the muscle mass that I had previously worked SO HARD to achieve. I haven't been able to eat "work-out-healthy" for at least a month due to nausea and food aversions. I'm seeing some more fat pop up where it wasn't before. I'm a very light girl to begin with, so it's not a huge deal. But mentally I can't get over it. I worked so hard for months, and now I feel like I've just blown everything during this first Trimester.

Does anyone have experience with actually gaining muscle mass while pregnant? Is it okay to do? I will definitely try to go to the gym when possible (probably more once this 1st Tri hell is over)...but is it safe for me to gain muscle and potentially lose some fat? I suppose I should just embrace the extra layer because baby will need it...but...I just feel mad at myself that I couldn't maintain!!!

Help~~~

TheThornBird · October 2015

I don't have an answer for you, but holy cow I feel your pain. I feel so awful about my body right now. I'm hoping once I can eat healthy again I'll magically lose some fat safely.

TaylorKang · October 2015

It's really hard

And I know that I'll be able to get back once I have baby, but I'm a somewhat self-conscious person...so this is driving me mad! I really enjoy working out, but these days, I'll start to work out and usually feel pretty sick by the end of it

Here's to hoping!

saladflambe · October 2015

It's hard... I lost 115 pounds before getting pregnant and have gained 5 plus had to stop riding, which was my primary exercise. It took me a while, but I'm at a point now where it's just whatever... my body's about to change majorly for forever. There are more important things to worry about than being poofy.

BuzzBee614 · October 2015

I understand it's hard to get used to the changes in your body and moderate exercise is still okay. Even with that, however, your body is going to be putting on some fat.

I ate healthy and walked my entire first pregnancy and still put on 60lbs. Yes, 60. Within a year I lost almost all the weight and was within a few pounds of my pre-pregnancy weight when I got pregnant again.

My advice is to focus on being healthy and Exercising as your doctor recommends. That part is in your control. What your body does, though, is not because I feel every pregnancy is different and your body may react differently. I know women who have seriously eaten for 2 and only gained 40lbs and women who watched what they ate and gained 40-50.

Don't be mad at yourself! Pregnancy is hard yo.

sunflower92 · October 2015

right there with ya. well not the "light" person part but the not eating healthy food. training for a half on november 7th. feeling pretty squishy and fluffy. no fun. especially when the only foods that sound good are carbohydrates. ugh.

sillyfox · October 2015

I think working out and eating healthy are still completely fine while pregnant. If you are doing anything extreme (cross fit, unhealthy extreme dieting) you might talk to your doctor. But I have had friends do modified cross fit and stay very healthy during pregnancy. Me? Not so much. I'm counting on breastfeeding again to help burn calories after and I'll try to start working out here and there once I'm past first tri and DH is done with Grad School to help with DD1. It's all I can do to chase my toddler and find anything to eat that sounds good right now.

TaylorKang · October 2015

I WISH I could eat healthy right now. Most of the things that sound good to eat are super carby and super sugary

Before I was pretty strict, but I'd rather be eating like that than not eating at all. *sigh* Oh well, it's for a good cause~

saladflambe · October 2015

TaylorKang said:

I WISH I could eat healthy right now. Most of the things that sound good to eat are super carby and super sugary Before I was pretty strict, but I'd rather be eating like that than not eating at all. *sigh* Oh well, it's for a good cause~

You might be surprised how well your body copes with it.

Just do what you need to to get through. It'll be ok. Sucks, sure, but it'll be ok.

TaylorKang · October 2015

Yeah, I know I just have to hang in there...I just wish I could fight through the sick feelings! I hate feeling like I had to give up. But I know it's not quite like that, so I will just try to stay positive!

saladflambe · October 2015

I think it's harder when you're in that stage where you don't really look pregnant yet...

I take every opportunity to ensure the people in line with me at the store know I'm knocked up.

"Why yes, I am buying waffles, donuts, potatoes, mac and cheese, and this box of crackers... I'm planning on giving birth to a loaf of bread. There is literally a bun in this oven."

Bluejay3030 · October 2015

This isn't exactly what you're asking, but I'd just like to throw this out there. Image-wise, 1st trimester can be really rough. A lot of us feel unhappy with how we look, whether it's from bloat or extra pounds. As you start to develop a bump, it's easier to remember that there's a purpose for the extra weight, and the extra fat stops being the focal point.

Also, I think some ladies do stay very lean throughout pregnancy, but like others have said, everyone's body handles pregnancy differently, so try not to stress too much about it.

And to get back to your actual question, I would ask your doctor about what limits to set for gaining muscle mass.

TaylorKang · October 2015

Exactly! I think I'll feel better once I actually start "showing" and not expanding due to this darn bloat.

I hate seeing this poof whenever I wear dresses!! But all I want to wear are loose, flowing clothes.

Oh, if only I could wear sweats to work...

And don't get me started on the carbs. Cereal, cheez-its...., bagels, pasta, sandwiches....I wasn't eating any of this stuff when I was on my strict diet. I honestly would not be that surprised if I did get birth to a loaf of bread, like you said. With the amount of carbs I'm taking in I just would not be surprised...

LadySamLady · October 2015

It is nice to know I'm not alone with the body image struggle. Since getting pregnant I've come to realize that too much of my identity and sense of self was wrapped up in my appearance and my feelings about my appearance. It is so hard not to worry about weight gain and the many ways in which my body will change, and wondering if I will ever 'get it back.' Amazingly though, pregnancy has given me a huge dose of perspective I could never have had otherwise. So my waist line is expanding and I feel huge, so I feel a bit clumsy and different in my new and growing body - I'm MAKING AN EFFING HUMAN BEING in there. When I find myself going down the well-trodden mental road of body shaming, I take a minute and remember what my body is up to right now and I can't help but surge with pride despite myself. How can I be so judgmental of my body when it is doing something so amazing? And it just knows how and what to do without my meddlesome brain telling it, which is really amazing and something to celebrate.

kbrands7 · October 2015

I really struggled with this when I was pregnant with my son. It didn't help that I was voracious during the first trimester--in addition to be nauseous. So, I ate whatever I could keep down for a while, then ate more sensibly later. I gained a lot of weight-- despite exercising daily throughout pregnancy (I incline walked 1-2 miles at a pretty quick clip and did some weights). I was worried about getting my body back afterwards and felt completely disfigured for a few months after I ended up with a c-section.

Ironically, after I came to terms with my abs not recovering how I had hoped (I have a scar-shelf) I am actually more body confident now than I was before getting pregnant. I regained my core strength eventually, my arms and legs are actually stronger than they were pre-baby, and I did lose the weight I gained. Things lay differently now, but that's okay. I still rocked a bikini at the beach this summer, scar and all, and I'm having too much fun chasing my toddler around to worry about if my hips look too big in something. My husband actually finds me more attractive now.

Some women recover afterwards and look exactly as they did before; others don't and that's okay too. Try to make healthy choices when it's in your control, but know that your body is changing for a wonderful reason.

TaylorKang · October 2015

Thank you!

It feels good to know that there is hope~~ Also, I must be crazy, because I have proof right in front of me : my mother. She exercises a ton, but she has no stretch marks and is ripped. You would never know that she carried a baby in that body.

I guess it just feels good to hear it from people other than her, because she spends more time than most working out.

It's great to hear that you feel more confident too!! What a win-win!!

saladflambe · October 2015

Most of the ladies I know who are naturally thin remained naturally slim post-baby.

I am not naturally thin, I am more forced thin, so I am not really counting on that happening for me lol.

lalala2004 · October 2015

I was dieting and had lost over 15 lbs before getting KU. I think that's why I gained 5lbs almost immediately. It was just from stopping the diet. I'm still counting calories and I haven't gained much more since the first few weeks. I will probably try to count calories for most of the pregnancy, adding a few in the next trimester and a few more in the 3rd. It helps me to know what I'm eating, or I'll pig out and have no concept of what I'm actually putting in my body. It also helps me make better choices.

vinerie · October 2015

lalala2004 said:

I was dieting and had lost over 15 lbs before getting KU. I think that's why I gained 5lbs almost immediately. It was just from stopping the diet. I'm still counting calories and I haven't gained much more since the first few weeks. I will probably try to count calories for most of the pregnancy, adding a few in the next trimester and a few more in the 3rd. It helps me to know what I'm eating, or I'll pig out and have no concept of what I'm actually putting in my body. It also helps me make better choices.

I had lost about 20 in the year before getting KU. I'm still trying to count calories/log my food. For me, that's the only way I can be accountable. But some days I just decide not to log what I eat and basically play the role of an ostrich, putting my head in the sand about food and calories and such.

chottomotto · October 2015

I would keep eating as healthy as you can manage and do light weights and exercises that you feel comfortable doing. My running girls use heart rate monitors during pregnancy because they still want to run 5+ miles every morning. While I'm not at that level, I have to maintain my strength with some running and lifting just to handle my toddler. He's fast and he's heavy.

mrsjlopez12 · October 2015

I feel your pain. I used to workout 5-6 times a week running and lifting. I had a good amount of muscle definition before get KU. I have been trying to go as much as possible. My exhaustion kills me!

There is a thing called muscle memory. Especially if you have been training for over a year it shouldn't be hard to get some definition back. Today my DH said I look thinner in the gym. I know it's from loss of muscle. I don't look as full.

When I workout I am not trying to gain muscle but keep the muscle I have. So I'm not trying to hit a PR or Max out. I know when I am almost out of this first trimester so I'm hoping to gain some energy and get back to training 5 times a week! Good luck and start out slow and allow lots of rest time and water breaks. @TaylorKang

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