Planning to ttc in next 12-18 months, need to loose two stone

[practisingpatience]

As I sit, wine in one hand, smattering of kettle crisps falling over the iPad in another.

I'm just wondering, are there any decent books/blogs/websites out there on preparing your body for trying to become pregnant?

Dp and I plan to marry next year and hopefully fall pg shortly after (yes I love stress!), but currently our lifestyles are extremely indulgent. I'm not particularly big (UK size 14), but I am extremely unfit and worried about the mounding fat rolls around my middle.... I.e. I bet you're supposed to see your toes in the shower before you actually declare yourself "with child".

Any advice gratefully received as I'm currently taking my empty womb out on vino and cake on a regular basis, knowing full well that when I'm actually hoping to try and become a mother, I will be very unhealthy.

[FutureGadgetsLab]

Perhaps this is ignorant but why bother when you're going to put weight on while pregnant and have to lose it? If you were morbidly obese I'd see the point as that can hinder fertility but instead of focusing on weight loss would you not be better to just focus on healthy eating and then work on weight loss after you've had the baby?

[LidikaLikes]

What's your BMI? Are you technically overweight?

I found the My Fitness Pal app & site to be great help losing weight, helping how I thought about food & encouraging me to exercise.

[gunting]

I did what future suggests.

I didn't lose weight but ate much better food. When I got pregnant I was a size 14 but was classed as obese. I had to do a gestational diabetes test because I was 'obese'. I didn't have it though I did end up with a 10lb baby.

Folic acid is a must though. It takes 3 months to build up the stores I think so if you start before you ttc that would be good. I had to take high dose folic acid tablets because of being overweight.

[doleritedinosaur]

If you don't take any vitamins I'd start now, multi-vitamins & iton they usually contain folic which they recommend you take anyway.

My fitness pal is really useful. Write down everything you're eating, that really helps & cuts down the snacking.

My friends do slimming world & it really helps them with goals.

My doctor said any weight loss is good before pregnancy or in general really.

Have you thought about exercising? That helps me with keeping the weight off.

[andadietcoke]

I'm currently 8 stone lighter than the day I gave birth. Being nearly 5 stone overweight didn't affect my fertility, unless you count being apparently hyper fertile and conceiving DTs. I was worried about it too, and had started SW before TTC, and then got pg and had a mc, and the weight came back on as I comfort ate my way to obesity again. I'm sure it's much healthier to have a lower BMI before getting pg but it didn't affect me at all, and I've clearly lost a lot of weight since.

[Spam88]

I think getting as fit and healthy as you can before you get pregnant is a great idea, might as will give your body the best chance you can :)

Seeing as you don't particularly need to lose a lot of weight, I'd agree that My Fitness Pal is a good starting point. It really helps just to track calories - it makes you a lot more aware of what you're eating (so hopefully stopping any absent-minded snacking on biscuits and what not) and may make you realise particular foods you're eating that are a lot higher in calories than you thought. It also means that if you've got enough calories left in a day then you can have that glass of wine and cake, but if not...

In terms of exercise, you just need to find what works for you. The thought of exercising in public absolutely mortifies me, so I'm all about the DVDs. Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred is probably my favourite - 20 minutes of absolute hell, but it's over quick enough and you really see the difference quickly.