How to deal with weight gain?

hmarie101 · January 2016

How do a lot of women deal with weight gain with their pregnancy? I was 115 before I got pregnant and now at 170 and it gets me down everyday.

flowerpower5838 · January 2016

I'd start with keeping a food journal to really track what you're eating and if you're making good choices. Try and get up and moving a few times a day and if you're feeling up to it, at least try and go for a 30 minute walk everyday.

LIly436 · January 2016

Stop eating a lot of unhealthy foods or just a lot and be more active. It sounds harsh, forgive me, but later you will be grateful. A lot of women think that they are eating for a baby and their appetite regulates the amount baby needs. No, you only need a little more a day, like 200-300kkal more. The quality of food is more important.
You should not starve though

LoA · January 2016

This is something that got me down too, especially since prior to pregnancy I am a very active person. My first pregnancy I gained lots of weight (like 65lbs), the 2nd one I gained 25lbs and stressed over the scale, and this one I'm up about up about 15lbs and the best thing ever was my scale breaking! Lol.

All that being said, the difference in the pregnancies for what I was doing on my part is:
1.) Stay active. Like PP said, walk at least 30 min. I shoot for an hour, but break it up into 20-30 min increments
2.) I do give into some cravings, but truly make a conscious effort to make healthy choices. I try to fill up on the healthy food first and then have something small that is a treat. Majority of my meals are made at home.
3.) Don't put yourself in the mindset that the "damage is done" so might as well wait till after baby to "try". After the baby, I think it's even harder to implement these habits of exercise and making healthy food choices. It's better in my opinion, to start now.

I noticed with this pregnancy I gained a bunch of weight in the middle (during holidays) but once I got a handle on it and simply chose better and got back into walking, I kind of just evened out! I expected to keep gaining the same each week, but some weeks I gained nothing. Not that I am trying to diet! I just make choices that are packed with nutrition instead of what sounds good. I've been meal prepping for the week so I don't have to think about what I'll eat and walking as exercise. Good luck, and don't beat yourself up!

kyraaD · January 2016

flowerpower5838 said:
I'd start with keeping a food journal to really track what you're eating and if you're making good choices. Try and get up and moving a few times a day and if you're feeling up to it, at least try and go for a 30 minute walk everyday.

i agree with this 100%.
also, keep in mind that a majority of the weight will fall right off once baby is born. not all of it, but most of it. you might have to work to get the rest of it off. but reminding myself of this helps me a lot.

FutureMrsCaesar · January 2016

First of all just remember that whatever you put your body through- it's so totally worth it! Try to remember that it's means to an end.
Second, start making healthier choices now, like others have suggested. It's not too late to turn your eating and exercise habits around. Only eat when you're hungry and try to make everything you eat healthy (think protien, fruits, veggies, whole grains, etc.) and try to get no calories from drinks, except maybe some milk.
Third, I have very thin friends who gain 50-60lbs with all their pregnancies and go on to lose it after the baby. So it is totally possible, don't beat yourself up about it, just try to do some damage control from here on out to make your life a little easier after you have the baby.

kitteh81 · January 2016

kyraaD said:

flowerpower5838 said:
I'd start with keeping a food journal to really track what you're eating and if you're making good choices. Try and get up and moving a few times a day and if you're feeling up to it, at least try and go for a 30 minute walk everyday.
i agree with this 100%.
also, keep in mind that a majority of the weight will fall right off once baby is born. not all of it, but most of it. you might have to work to get the rest of it off. but reminding myself of this helps me a lot.

Not to be a negative nancy, but that's not always the case, unfortunately. After my last baby, who was 9 lbs 10 oz, I weighed myself a few days later and had only dropped 10 lbs. I was like, "Did somebody shove a bunch of stuff back up in there when I wasn't looking?! Because this math just isn't adding up!"

But with my first I dropped 25 lbs immediately. So hopefully we go that route this time.

FutureMrsCaesar · January 2016

Lol after my 2nd I weighed myself when I got home and I was only down 8lbs and he was 8lbs....I was so annoyed! And I wasn't even in labor long enough to get tons of fluids or anything. I did ultimately end up losing more in the next couple weeks but those baby lbs ended up being stubbourn compared to the others for some reason.

LIly436 · January 2016

I had a slim friend, who gained like a 100lbs when she was pregnant. She lost all the extra weight, but all her body was covered by stretch marks

hebamaryam · January 2016

What about having a big baby

irenewslee · January 2016

I gained over 50lb with my last pregnancy and lost most of it by the time DD turned 1 (breastfeeding and pumping helped). I had a lot of swelling to the point where I couldn't wear any shoes (flip flops only) during my third trimester. Do you feel like you are swelling or this is really putting on a lot of weight? Also, if your OB or midwife isn't worried about it, I would say just watch what you eat (PPs already gave a lot of good suggestions) and move around every few hours. Personally, I try to eat a bigger breakfast, normal lunch and a lighter dinner with snacks like fruits, cheese and crackers in between meals. That seems to help a little but I admit that I do wake up hungry in the middle of the night sometimes and would go drink a glass of milk or get some string cheese.

ecwk · January 2016

hebamaryam said:
What about having a big baby

What about it indeed.

meg_2006 · January 2016

As long as you're eating healthy and getting regular exercise there's not much you can do. With my first pregnancy I didn't change any of my habits before being pregnant (which were already healthy) and gained over 60 lbs. And only 20 of that is directly baby related...the extra is fat stores, whether you need them or not haha. I was able to lose it, but it took a whole year. I couldn't shed a single pound until 6 mos post-partum! Hormones suck.

This time,again I'm eating the same as before and am on track to hit 40 or 45. Not "ideal" but I'll take it! There's nothing different I can do without eating like a rabbit. My doctor said there's a lot of factors they don't understand about weight gain during pregnancy (as in why some pig out and only gain 15, while others eat carefully and still pack it on) and some people just metabolize different than others.

It's a struggle every day to not get down on myself for it. It's a struggle I fail at, really. It sucks knowing you're going to have to work hard to lose it after baby, and impossible not to compare yourself to others. But it's more miserable to worry about it with every bite. Just try to look forward to buying some new, cute transitional clothes after baby comes! The good news is it will be spring and summer, so there's lots of flowy tops to choose from!

MamaRoni · January 2016

I was so obsessed the first time... I literally shuffled to the scale like 15 minutes after having baby (they had him in nursery doing vitals... long story).... he was 7#9 and I had gained weight from when I checked in! I wanted to kick the dern thing! Like wait... WHAT?!?!?!

BrooksMommy33 · January 2016

My biggest advice other than what PP's have already suggested, would be to STOP looking at the scale! I had my SO hide it from me and at every check up I either cover my eyes or look away. I was the only one worried about my weight gain so I just took away the numbers. I can only speculate how much I've gained based on how much I knew I had already gained and what my body feels like, but other than that it's really liberating to not know. I no longer obsess about what I'm putting into my mouth and I focus more on what I think I need, if I'm hungry and how much to eat of it. If I have a bad day (eating a lot) I focus on trying to eat healthier and more reasonably the next day.

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