Who else is panicking about weight?/Dr. Approving weight loss?

june2016baby · January 2016

Has anyone's doctor approved dieting while pregnant? I am going to talk to my doctor about concerns about my weight.

Just to give more info, I'm 20 weeks along and 34 years old. I have no history of eating disorders, other than I've been known to binge occasionally (specifically at buffets, parties, or when out to eat.)

I have for the most part been a "normal" weight during childhood, teenage years, and during my 20's. However, the past few years, my weight has crept up. I was overweight (not that far from the official obese mark) when I accidentally got pregnant with my fourth baby in the fall. (My husband is thrilled about having a fourth, and I am trying to be too.) Despite being overweight, I hadn't been concerned about it until pregnant. I was actually pretty embarrassed to have gotten pregnant while overweight. I weighed the exact figure on the scale this time when I got pregnant, as I did when I went to the hospital to delivery second child. So I'm a good 30 pounds more than I used to be.

Anyway, I got referred to maternal fetal medine. I asked the doctor there if I was referred there because of my age, and he looked at my chart and said that also because of obesity. I asked why they calculated my BMI from my weight status as a 20 week along pregant lady. (Wouldn't it make much more sense to place more value in my BMI before I got pregnant?) I know I was overweight when I got pregnant, but I guess I'd rather hear that than obese.

Anyway, I was up 13-14 pounds 2 weeks ago. But since then, I felt sodisgusted with myself, that I've been having trouble eating. I weighed myself this morning, and I'm now up only 7 pounds.

My cousin, who is heavier than me, had a baby last week. She only gained 8-10 pounds the entire pregnancy. She was dieting when she got pregnant, and continue to do so (or at least watch her weight gain) with doctor support during pregnancy. (She was told that an ideal gain for her because of obesity, was 11-14 lbs.)

Anyway, my mother keeps making comments about how I'm as big now as I was full term durning my other pregnancies. I actually got out the photo album to show her that she is wrong, but she didn't say much. If she comments again, I'm going to tell her now is not the time to make comments about my weight. I have no history of eating disorders. So I guess she may not realize that these comments are not helping.

Anyway..... Any thoughts? Has anyone's doctor supported weight loss or trying to gain a very minimum?

alysemci · January 2016

It's definitely good to have your doctors support since they know you best. I would never calorie restrict or cut out food groups while pregnant but I totally support making healthy choices pregnant or not. Naturally you will eat less calories and not gain as much in a healthy way if you eat fresh veggies in place of prepackaged snacks, or water in place or juice and soda. I'd just do my best to ask myself if there are better alternatives to each meal I eat. Make sure your dinner plate is half veggies and only a quarter starch and a quarter meat. Try to eat 5 small meals a day. Have a protein packed breakfast to hold you over and if you need carbs, try and eat them in the afternoon instead of at dinner. I feel like there is so much you an do without a particular diet and they are healthy for you and your baby. The best part is, it's easier to stick with than something restrictive so your more likely to stick with it for life and you won't be on a roller coaster with weight

Lyette1206 · January 2016

I know that the recommended weight gain varies based on where you are - smaller women should gain more, larger women should gain less. I don't think many doctors would advise trying to lose weight while pregnant, as it can be harmful to the baby. But, many would be supportive of you trying to be careful about how much you gain.
I like what you said at the end of your post - this isn't the time to be commenting/worrying about your weight. I try to be careful with the snacks I have - have mostly healthy ones throughout the day. But, I try not to focus on it too much, and just eat when I'm hungry. You can focus on losing weight after baby is born.

CourtJack · January 2016

Sorry to hear you're going through this. To me, you seem to be excessively hard on yourself. It doesn't sound like you're extremely over weight - but this is just based on your description.

Calorie restriction during pregnancy is a no-no - however, depending on what your caloric intake was pre-pregnancy - eating in a more healthy range now still might mean eating less than you were before (ie/ less calories) - and in my unprofessional opinion - that is perfectly fine. I think paying more attention to what you're consuming while ensuring you're getting enough calories to support a healthy pregnancy is what you should be focused on. Do you track what you eat?

I'd suggest speaking with a nutritionist about it, though. It sounds like this is becoming a mental health issue for you. So maybe a nutrition plan would help you over come some of this stress.

june2016baby · January 2016

CourtJack said:
Sorry to hear you're going through this. To me, you seem to be excessively hard on yourself. It doesn't sound like you're extremely over weight - but this is just based on your description.
Calorie restriction during pregnancy is a no-no - however, depending on what your caloric intake was pre-pregnancy - eating in a more healthy range now still might mean eating less than you were before (ie/ less calories) - and in my unprofessional opinion - that is perfectly fine. I think paying more attention to what you're consuming while ensuring you're getting enough calories to support a healthy pregnancy is what you should be focused on. Do you track what you eat?
I'd suggest speaking with a nutritionist about it, though. It sounds like this is becoming a mental health issue for you. So maybe a nutrition plan would help you over come some of this stress.

I don't write down what I eat. And I don't eat healthy, probably more "normal" than anything. Example/what I ate yesterday: breakfast- eggs and toast with butter, lunch- 1/2 a chicken salad wrap with lettuce and tomato, dinner- scoop of a casserole (chicken/mushroom/broccoli/cheese). I hardly ever snack. I'm not sure of my calorie intake.

CourtJack · January 2016

june2016baby said:

Sorry to hear you're going through this. To me, you seem to be excessively hard on yourself. It doesn't sound like you're extremely over weight - but this is just based on your description.
Calorie restriction during pregnancy is a no-no - however, depending on what your caloric intake was pre-pregnancy - eating in a more healthy range now still might mean eating less than you were before (ie/ less calories) - and in my unprofessional opinion - that is perfectly fine. I think paying more attention to what you're consuming while ensuring you're getting enough calories to support a healthy pregnancy is what you should be focused on. Do you track what you eat?
I'd suggest speaking with a nutritionist about it, though. It sounds like this is becoming a mental health issue for you. So maybe a nutrition plan would help you over come some of this stress.

I don't write down what I eat. And I don't eat healthy, probably more "normal" than anything. Example/what I ate yesterday: breakfast- eggs and toast with butter, lunch- 1/2 a chicken salad wrap with lettuce and tomato, dinner- scoop of a casserole (chicken/mushroom/broccoli/cheese). I hardly ever snack. I'm not sure of my calorie intake.

If that was your entire daily intake - that's definitely not enough food.

NicknShan · January 2016

I would also add on this suggestion: if it didn't have a mother or come from the ground, don't eat it. If it did, eat all you want of it.

lm45678 · January 2016

CourtJack said:

june2016baby said:

CourtJack said:
Sorry to hear you're going through this. To me, you seem to be excessively hard on yourself. It doesn't sound like you're extremely over weight - but this is just based on your description.
Calorie restriction during pregnancy is a no-no - however, depending on what your caloric intake was pre-pregnancy - eating in a more healthy range now still might mean eating less than you were before (ie/ less calories) - and in my unprofessional opinion - that is perfectly fine. I think paying more attention to what you're consuming while ensuring you're getting enough calories to support a healthy pregnancy is what you should be focused on. Do you track what you eat?
I'd suggest speaking with a nutritionist about it, though. It sounds like this is becoming a mental health issue for you. So maybe a nutrition plan would help you over come some of this stress.

I don't write down what I eat. And I don't eat healthy, probably more "normal" than anything. Example/what I ate yesterday: breakfast- eggs and toast with butter, lunch- 1/2 a chicken salad wrap with lettuce and tomato, dinner- scoop of a casserole (chicken/mushroom/broccoli/cheese). I hardly ever snack. I'm not sure of my calorie intake.

If that was your entire daily intake - that's definitely not enough food.

**QBF**
I have to agree!

I'm overweight and my doctor only want me to gain 15lbs this pregnancy. When I talked to her about calorie tracking to keep my weight under control she looked skeptical. She told me to make sure that I ate 1800 calories per day or else it's not enough and I wouldn't feel good.

CourtJack · January 2016

laurenm2123 said:

june2016baby said:

Sorry to hear you're going through this. To me, you seem to be excessively hard on yourself. It doesn't sound like you're extremely over weight - but this is just based on your description.
Calorie restriction during pregnancy is a no-no - however, depending on what your caloric intake was pre-pregnancy - eating in a more healthy range now still might mean eating less than you were before (ie/ less calories) - and in my unprofessional opinion - that is perfectly fine. I think paying more attention to what you're consuming while ensuring you're getting enough calories to support a healthy pregnancy is what you should be focused on. Do you track what you eat?
I'd suggest speaking with a nutritionist about it, though. It sounds like this is becoming a mental health issue for you. So maybe a nutrition plan would help you over come some of this stress.

I don't write down what I eat. And I don't eat healthy, probably more "normal" than anything. Example/what I ate yesterday: breakfast- eggs and toast with butter, lunch- 1/2 a chicken salad wrap with lettuce and tomato, dinner- scoop of a casserole (chicken/mushroom/broccoli/cheese). I hardly ever snack. I'm not sure of my calorie intake.

If that was your entire daily intake - that's definitely not enough food.
**QBF** I have to agree! I'm overweight and my doctor only want me to gain 15lbs this pregnancy. When I talked to her about calorie tracking to keep my weight under control she looked skeptical. She told me to make sure that I ate 1800 calories per day or else it's not enough and I wouldn't feel good.

I'm overweight also. My midwife doesn't discuss weight unless you want her to, so we don't talk about it, but by all the info I've read, I should only gain about 20lbs max. And I don't track every bite of food I eat but I know that anything under 17-1900 cals just isn't enough. I'm up about 8lbs at this point and can attest that there are days I go over 1800 and days I don't hit 1800 but generally my cal intake is fairly consistent. I also find I get full a lot faster than usual which has helped me keep my weight under control. Listen to your body and try to keep a basic log of how much you eat a day and you'll feel better

peregrinefalconx · January 2016

I think your food choices are healthy--at least judging by the one day. I think if you threw in some fruit--an apple, a banana, a citrus, some veggies, and some milk and yogurt, you're doing fairly well. Yes, to speaking with a doc and nutritionist, but I wouldn't beat myself up over what you actually are eating.

noelietrex · January 2016

A lot of times insurance will cover a nutritionist if your doctor recommends one. I'd talk to your OB about coming up with a healthy pregnancy meal and weight management plan. Maybe you can come up with a plan together, and if not possibly you could work with a nutritionist who has experience in prenatal nutrition. Also keeping a food/ sleep/ exercise diary is always helpful. Good luck! And try to be gentle with yourself. You're growing a person- your body is amazing! Doing that in a way that's optimal for your health is a great goal, but don't let the scale beat you up.

HBamama2B · January 2016

I'm sorry you're struggling. 100% see a nutritionist they are experts and will help you be comfortable and confident with your food intake and decisions. And snack. Snacking is good for you, especially if you are struggling to get enough food at meals. Fruits and nuts will not add to the issue.

MistKeeper · January 2016

I am fifteen pounds into the "obese" category. I am 17w 6d, and I have only gained 3 pounds. My doctor is okay with the small gain because the baby is growing at the right rate, but she hasn't lectured about keeping the weight down either. Always talk to a professional, but I do find that using MyFitnessPal and creating a calorie goal of 2000 a day has kept me from seriously gaining. The App also lets you see the nutrient info of what your putting in, which I like. If you are new to calorie counting though, I would recommend actually using measuring devices to measure your food. A lot of people overestimate or underestimate portion sizes, and you don't want to accidentally deprive your baby of nutrients. Also remember that exercising increases both your caloric and water need for the day. I definitely wouldn't recommend trying to LOSE weight, though, or further restrict calories beyond 2000 without doctor approval.

KayDray15 · January 2016

This is such a hard topic. Those BMI charts are so outdated! I am only 4'11. According to those charts I should only weigh 115- 120 max. HA! Not since I was in Jr High! I used to be a dancer, and at my absolute healthiest, my high school toned self still weighed over 140. It was solid "kill you with my rock hard thighs" muscle. It is important for you to consider other things too, not just what the scale says. How is your blood pressure? Have they done a urine analysis and found any sugar or protein in your urine? How do you feel. Really listen to your body and see how you feel. Talk to your doctor and see if there is a real, legitimate reason to be concerned about your weight. Not getting enough good nutrition in order to chase a number on a scale can do so much more harm than good. The baby will take what it needs from you, whether you have enough to share or not. Not eating enough, or eating poorly can cause a whole world of issues for you. Thinning hair, dental problems, kidney problems, etc.

BlueJuice · January 2016

I wanted to add (on top of a lot of good advice you're getting here) that it sounds like your mother in particular is being really unhelpful, and I'm sorry. For better or worse, all of us who are growing babies should expect to gain some weight - it's not healthy not to. You are definitely not the only one who was at a higher weight when you conceived than you would have liked - but for now, focus on eating well, nourishing the baby you are growing, and building good habits that will make it easier for those pounds to come off again on the other side of pregnancy.

If you can, track down one of those charts that break down the average components of the 'average' 20-25 lb weight gain, because it always makes me feel better. Obviously a chunk of that weight is baby, but also you gain weight from increased blood supply, increased breast size and volume, enlarged uterus, the placenta, and a bunch of other things. Only a percentage of the total weight gain is actually additional fat stores for your body.

heathersaysso · January 2016

I will confess before I get into the meat of this that I have a history of battling an eating disorder. I've been successful in managing it and being healthy (under doctor supervision) for ten years (I'm 31) but pregnancy has definitely been a test. I was a healthy weight (5'9, 150 lbs) until about a year ago when I had to have an ovary removed because of a massive cyst. The removal was done with a full abdominal opening, I basically look like I had a C-Section. I was given a lot of limits about diet and exercise and as a result I gained about 15-20 pounds. I was JUST cleared to start running again to work on losing that weight when we (intentionally) got pregnant. My OB/GYN is extremely aware of my issues because I don't want to do anything that might put my baby at risk. She was very cool, I was given a prescription for mild anxiety medication (100% baby safe) and cleared to do mild cardio and light weights (no squats with weights, obviously no crunches or heavy abdominal work). I was also given permission to track calories as long as I was consuming a minimum of 2300 a day (which to me feels like I'm having to eat nonstop all day every day). So far I'm 19 weeks and have gained 4 pounds, my baby is super healthy, and I'm okay too. Talk to your doctor, be very clear about how you feel and what your goals are. The healthier and more in shape you are, the easier your delivery and healthier your baby.

kseale1218 · January 2016

I lost 35lbs before I got pregnant by doing weights watchers, and my doctor approved me following the plan during my pregnancy. I totally feel you though with the stress of weight gain. I gained soooo much with my first pregnancy and the nurses always had something slick to say after they would weigh me.

june2016baby · January 2016

Thanks for the support. I tried eating a bit more the past few days, and felt physically better overall. I think more calories helps me sleep better. (Waking up starting around 3:00with hunger pangs isn't the best way to be adequately rested.)

However, from eating more, the scale went up a pound. I guess I just need to accept this. I had it in my mind that I'd be like my cousin and only gain 10 pounds, ending up weighing less than I before pregnancy. I suppose I need to let that idea go.

It's just pretty odd, that I've never been big into dieting or watching my weight, (even when my weight crept up since hitting 30,) but that as soon as I got pregnant this time, I got upset about being heavy. I'm trying not to think about it. But it's on my mind most of the day.

PBear93 · January 2016

For what it's worth, weight can change your as much as 5 pounds from one day to the next. According to my OB I gained 10 pounds in a month, but now 2 days later I'm down 4 of those pounds. Weight is a fickle thing.

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