Losing weight?

TheThornBird · October 2015

I normally eat very, very healthy but due to this godawful nausea all I have been able to stomach is foods full of wheat, sugar, and/or saturated fat. Anything remotely healthy makes me vom. Of course, I've put on a few pounds of fat because of this. Once the nausea subsides and I go back to healthy eating, should I be worried if I lose body fat? My OB says losing weight can be bad, but I'm not purposely trying to drop a few pounds, and I'll keep my calories at a reasonable level. I'm just so tired of eating 10,000 calories of ice cream and French fries every day and I don't want to eat this crap for 6 more months.

JessicaB0627 · October 2015

I think it would be healthier for you to eat healthy the rest of your pregnancy and lose a few pounds than eat bad food the whole time.

kbrands7 · October 2015

I agree with @jessicaB0627 try to eat healthy foods throughout your pregnancy, and just be sure to add some extra healthy calories through the second and third trimesters. Most doctors are more concerned about women trying to diet to maintain their weight, or to lose weight, not accidental weight shifts that happen due to changes in eating habits.

Eta missing word.

mrstmoose · October 2015

I haven't been eating very well either. My diet has primarily consisted of tacos, cereal, chicken nuggets and peanut butter and jelly. At my first OB appointment I weighed 161 and at the one I went to on Monday (around 2 weeks later) I weighed 158. It ebbs and flows, I'm not trying to lose weight and Lord knows I'm not eating healthy. I'm chalking it up to I wasn't as bloated. But I think I've heard/read that you're only supposed to gain 1-5 pounds in the first trimester. I wouldn't worry about it unless your doctor says something.

FYI: Thinking about French Fries makes me want to puke. Funny how that works!

proudparent2b · October 2015

I think it also depends on your starting and current weights. If you started out fifty pounds overweight, it isn't as big a deal to lose 1-3 pounds as it is if you are in the healthy or underweight range.

jessiedee13 · October 2015

I eat alot healthier when I'm pregnant than normal and it always results in weight loss followed by minimal weight gain once the nausea subsides. Eating healthy will do that. The doctor will just ask and make sure you're eating and not deciding a fun diet is a good idea right now. Just keep your calories where they should be and everything should be fine.

sillyfox · October 2015

I guess it depends on when you lose the weight. First trimester, it isn't a big deal, between morning sickness and baby being the size of a grape, you shouldn't gain much anyway so losing a little bit shouldn't be terrible for baby as long as you are taking prenatals and getting some protein/calcium etc in your diet. Second trimester, if you get through the whole trimester and you've lost weight, it would be a big deal if you're underweight to start with but if you're overweight, it might be ok. Totally depends. I would consult with your doctor there. But if you get through your third trimester and you're losing weight, that might be an issue. That's when you're supposed to be gaining quicker, because baby is much bigger and growing rapidly and there is amniotic fluid and placenta to sustain the baby, all are exponentially larger than they are now.

Eating healthy is a good practice and should help you gain at a slower pace and theoretically help you lose it quicker after baby is born. But I wouldn't try to lose weight unless specifically recommended by your doctor while you're pregnant.

BlueJuice · October 2015

My rule of thumb is that I don't try to gain weight during the first trimester - I try to eat as nutritionally dense as possible, but also just try to get food into my body. Right now nothing sounds good and it's easy to fall into a food vortex where I fail to eat for long periods, so I've been trying to eat something small every two hours, which helps keep me from getting so hungry I can't function. One of the things the HCG in your bloodstream does is help release stored energy in your body to help fuel your burgeoning pregnancy - this is why people sometimes supplement with HCG as a weight-loss regimen. So you can feel confident that your baby is getting the calories needed during this period, even if you're struggling to eat or throwing up constantly.

Once you're feeling a little better and can eat more healthily again, I wouldn't worry too much about minor weight shifts, but you might want to keep track just to make sure you're getting an adequate calorie total every day through the second and third trimesters.

lest12 · October 2015

I wouldn't "try" or even expect to lose weight in the 2nd or 3rd trimester, even if your eating habits change.

Just focus on eating healthy and exercising within your comfort levels and see what happens.

laurenmdrn16 · October 2015

My best advice has already been said, but it bears repeating. Eat nutrient rich calories, not empty calories. There is a huge difference between 100 calories of vitamin rich greens, protein, and veggies vs 100 calories of fries, ice cream, and sugar. I agree with PP that I eat so much healthier when I am pregnant and this LO in particular is making me crave spinach and salad. I eat until I am satisfied, but make sure most of my meals are nutrient dense and fill me up with calcium, folate, protein, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. I like to choose whole foods over processed (when I can!) and find that it isn't a specific "diet" per se, but I end up feeling healthier and maybe losing a pound or two. Staying active is another piece of the puzzle and non-weight bearing activities like swimming can be really helpful as the bump grows and the joints get taxed.

Just be smart, strive to be healthy, and don't do any crazy cleanses or fad diets. Now is not the time to worry about a little extra padding! You and your baby need real food with lots of nutrients and your body might naturally store a bit as fat. That is perfectly normal and as long as you are getting some activity in and eating well, you should be fine.

Anolt03 · October 2015

I have lost 6 pounds so far and my Doc was slightly concerned as I am a very healthy weight / have no weight to lose. I have not been eating well. I eat what sounds good which is usually not the most nutritious (which is not like me). I feel guilty about it, but I'm hoping this changes as I'm soon in the second trimester.

yogahh · October 2015

My doctor wasn't too concerned about what I am eating so much at the beginning, as much as making sure I was eating as I mentioned to her I was having food aversion.

I have moments of being good- cheese and grapes as a snack, homemade minestrone soup for dinner last night. Then there are the days that I have an Italian hoagie and a bag of doritos for lunch. I am sure some of what everyone thinks is a bump is added weight, and I am fine with that. I mean, the 1st thing I do EVERY SINGLE MORNING is have 2 waffles. I am not going to stay skinny on that diet. But its better than not eating anything as nothing else sounds great to me- eggs? YUCK! Bagel- YUCK!

I figure I lost 15 pounds for my wedding, I can do it again after baby is born.

I am still working out on the weekends so that I can try to maintain some muscle tone.

jenbrinson07 · October 2015

I lost 12 pounds I'm so sick. They told me they don't care what you eat or drink, as long as you are, until you feel better. Than I would focus on healthier options. I've sustained my weight for 2 weeks now that I'm on a Zofran iv. Everyone is different.

missnc77 · October 2015

LOL - I love the posts that are saying to eat nutritionally dense food and avoid the junk food like it's easy. Before pregnancy I loved salads and fruit. I'd eat almost an entire costco size bag of broccoli with dinner because I loved it. But at my peak of morning sickness, I couldn't do any of it. The only things I could eat were salty carbs and red meat - baked potatoes, french fries, meat loaf, you name it. Green vegetables? Vomit. I can't do fruit without throwing up or feeling like someone is blowing a balloon up inside my stomach. And it makes me so sad, because I truly love and miss fruit. If I could eat it, I would in a heartbeat. I'm very big on eating healthy, and normally am one of those people preaching. But now when I read that I just think to myself, it must be nice to be able to crave things like fruit and veggies. Consider yourselves lucky.

My saving grace is I can manage a healthy breakfast (egg, whole-wheat english muffin, and fage greek yogurt), and I'm still working out 4-5 days a week. I was already in a habit of working out before work, and my morning sickness doesn't get bad until after lunch. I'm so thankful for that one win at the moment. My other love-hate food aversion is sweets. I hate that I am food averse to them right now, but I love that I'm not craving them on top of all the salty carbs. I try to challenge myself each week now that I'm past the 11 week point of ignoring the food aversion and adding things back in slowly. I forced myself to eat some broccoli, and I was surprised when it actually tasted good. I've been forcing myself to get some of my favorite salads while out, and while they make me feel crappy, I at least feel like I did something good and force myself to keep it down.

Try and test healthy things. Take a walk, try and eat some veggies. Think about the foods you're craving and try and find a similar taste/texture. If you're craving ice cream, what's something cold and creamy you can eat instead that's not as bad? A yoplait yogurt maybe? French fries - can you keep a bag of sweet potato fries in the freezer and bake them when you have a craving? Another trick I did was since I wasn't digging veggies but loving cheese, I bought the microwavable cheesy broccoli which worked. Basically, I tried to hide my healthy food with something I was craving.

lest12 · October 2015

@missnc77 - I am with you. I can't stomach a salad right now to save my life. I just try to be healthy when I can but a lot of the time it is whatever I can look at without gagging, and that isn't always good for you.

I do try to walk for 45 minutes mostly every day and eat veggies and fruit at least once, even if it is a small portion. Not that it's east though

kbrands7 · October 2015

missnc77 said:

Try and test healthy things. Take a walk, try and eat some veggies. Think about the foods you're craving and try and find a similar taste/texture. If you're craving ice cream, what's something cold and creamy you can eat instead that's not as bad? A yoplait yogurt maybe? French fries - can you keep a bag of sweet potato fries in the freezer and bake them when you have a craving? Another trick I did was since I wasn't digging veggies but loving cheese, I bought the microwavable cheesy broccoli which worked. Basically, I tried to hide my healthy food with something I was craving.

I agree that it's not always easy and that sometimes cravings or aversions can be very strong. @missnc77 great advice here to try to keep eating habits reasonable even through cravings. There are some times too that I just don't give in to a craving and it passes-- like wanting cheesecake, or jalapeno potato chips. Conversely, there were things I'd have an aversion to one week, then I'd try it later and it went down fine.

Trying to eat healthy things is a marathon, not a sprint. If you eat whole grains, veggies, lean proteins, etc., but then have a cheeseburger every now and then, fine. The overall trend and habits of a person's eating is generally more important than any single meal. I really like eating trackers like myfitnesspal to keep track of nutrient balance and caloric intake throughout the day.

As a side note though, sometimes craving that healthy things isn't all it's cracked up to be. I had intense cravings for fruit last pregnancy and indulged it because it was fruit. I exercised daily and ate healthy, well-balanced meals otherwise...and still gained nearly 50 pounds and had a lot of water-retention by the end. : /

Scottwswife · November 2015

With baby 1 I had terrible nausea and what helped was eating healthy, high protein and carb foods every 2 hours. It was cereal and milk for breakfast, yogurt with fruit and granola for lunch, grilled chicken on salad for second lunch, etc. None of that is working this time. I'm living on egg mc muffins and hash browns and donuts. It will pass. I ended up losing 5 pounds with baby 1 overall, but I started out 60 pounds overweight, so doc wasn't all that worried. I had just started gaining when he arrived at 34 weeks. So far this time I'm staying even, weight wise. I'm not trying to lose, but I'm eating less overall than I was before this pregnancy. This time I'm only 45 pounds overweight at the start, so yay me! Edit to add: This was just my experience as an example of how different pregnancies can be, even for the same person, your experience is your own. Make the best choices you can, especially while you are still batting serious nausea.

TheThornBird · November 2015

Thanks for the replies everyone! And @missnc77- PREACH! Normally there is nothing in this world I crave more than a giant salad or a bowl of delicious fruit, but the past few weeks I haven't been able to even look at them. Awesome idea on "hiding" healthy things- I tried smoothies with yogurt, fruit, and greens/carrots, which worked great.

So looks like I don't need to freak out if I end up losing a couple pounds once I go back to normal eating habits- whew!

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