is it safe to diet?

[rubyr0se]

I feel so selfish posting this but I feel desperate. I'm not good with food and have put on about 2 stone over the last 2 years. Normally when this happens I eventually reach tipping point and join weight watchers (or other) and get my brain in gear to lose weight and feel calm, confident and under control once more.

So now I'm 17 weeks pregnant and starting to panic. Everything I read says I should not diet and should just aim to eat healthily. The problem is that is not how my brain works with food. If I'm not on a diet then I am eating and despite trying to be healthy I have put on at least half a stone already and I can't cope. I really can't be 5 stone heavier once baby comes out.

Hubby tells me not to worry but the fact that I'm not allowed to take control of the situation is really getting me down and I'm starting to get depressed.

To make matters worse I'm also not working at the moment and so have all day available to fill my face as I try to cheer myself up!

Please please can anyone tell me whether it is really so bad to try and lose some of my blubber? To get this into perspective I would follow the ww plan which means I'll be eating loads of fruit and veg, not starving myself, just generally taking control over my diet. I have not intention to get skinny - I normally sit at the upper end of a healthy BMI and am very happy with that. I just can't bear to see my double chins, enormous bingo wings, thunder thighs etc and not be able to fix it!

Is it ok to lose some weight as long as I'm sensible?

Slimming World is approved by the Royal College of Midwives as safe to follow in pregnancy but you will need signed permission from your GP or MW :)

*is the ONLY plan approved that should say

I am a ww gold member and put on 4stone when I was pregnant and ended up the heaviest I have ever been. Been back on it since January, and have lost a stone, but am still bfing dd so am looking at it slightly differently than before.

I am not necessarily counting points, just not eating high point food (cakes, biscuits) making sure I get my 5 a day, not drinking, snacking on fruit etc.

What I'm saying is, there is nothing wrong with considering the ww approach, if it helps you eat sensibly, without actually pointing. Also the tracking etc might help you consider what you eat and when.

If I remember correctly, 17 weeks is about the borderline between having a podgey tummy (which auto corrected to "lodger" -quite fitting!) and having a proper bump. You might find you feel differently once you are a few weeks down the line and just neeed thirds seconds of everything

It is perfectly safe to lose weight in pregnancy. I am 29 weeks pg and have lost 1 stone so far. I have just started to gain a pound here and there now I'm in the last trimester but over all I am pretty certain I am going to have lost weight over all once the baby arrives.

I am under consultant led care as well and my consultant has advised that there is no problem losing weight when pg. As long as you make sure you eat enough healthy food and take a little exercise, the baby will take everything it needs first and then what is left is for you.

Good luck

thanks for the advice and reassurance. Got a midwife appt tomorrow so might mention it there. Feels good to know I can start to take control and feel more positive about myself.

I got registartion and 12 weeks free for slimming world from my midwife. Result! Ask her about the vouchers tomorrow when you see her.

Wish I had this luxury! Lost half a stone in first 12 weeks of pregnancy thanks to morning sickness. Good luck OP, my DS went to SW during her second pregnancy to make sure she didn't put on too much, all was okay.