Gained a lot of fat in first trimester - anything I can do about it before birth?

[badguider]

I am a musclular and stocky build but was VERY sporty pre-pregnancy. In my first ten weeks (am 14wks now) I ate too many simple carbs (buttered toast) and couldnt' stomach fruit or leafy raw veg. It was also Christmas around the time I conceived so I was eating/drinking that week. I felt absolutely horrendous in terms of tiredness and nausea but didn't actually throw up and I put on about 6kg before my booking in appointment which was mostly fat. My bum and thighs are noticably larger than before, as are my upper arms and I have fat folds on my back.

I KNOW that I will be able to shift this after the birth when I can get back to the sports I love (and I will do them for the love of the sports not for vanity reasons).

BUT... I am worried about going through this entire summer with my new hugh things and arms rubbing and just generally being very big and uncomfortable and unmobile - as well as the bump which I will be carrying around.

I have not itention of starving myself and my baby but is there ANYTHING I can do to get control of my fat stores over the next couple of months? Did anybody else manage to lose a bit of fat in 2nd trimester ready for carrying the additional bump weight??

Has anybody got a good diet plan? (my apetite is not a good guide now as I'm always hungry) Or any good exercise dvds? I'm doing as much walking as possible, a bit of gentle off-road cycling and preg yoga but feel I need more (can't swim as nose is irritated by chlorine).

Why have you stopped the sports you were doing before you were pg?

Nothing wrong with not over-eating during pregnancy. You don't need any extra calories in 1st and 2nd trimester, so what about some calorie counting app, like Myfitnesspal? Also, Slimming World has a program suitable for pregnant women, which is not exactly weight loss, but should keep the weight gain within recommended limits.

As for exercise, so far I've managed to more or less keep up my normal fitness classes - if you are normally very sporty, then there's no reason (unless your doctor tells you otherwise, of course) to restrict yourself to pregnancy yoga only.

YY,I didn't do pregnancy yoga and swimming until I was too HUGE to do too much else . And I was pretty big by 42 weeks LOL.

I was starving in the 1st trimester and ate loads, 2nd I was back to normal and now I'm in 3rd I can hardly eat a meal-think I'm running out of belly space so it's all evened itself out for me,

Sports I was doing before preg were all either contact or relatively dangerous - martial arts and downhill mountain biking.
I also ran... and am hoping to start again but in 1st trimester I just couldn't manage more than the gentlest jog/walk.

I'd rather not join a gym for financial reasons which was why I was asking for dvd recommendations - any ideas???
Will check out my fitness pal for calorie counting. thanks. should i use my currnet weight do you think? or pre-preg? and assuming i set to 'maintenance'?

Advice here about running in 2nd and 3rd trimesters

forums.runnersworld.com/forums/runner-communities/women/running-pregnant-3

It could be that it's not fat, but water.
A normal, nothing to worry about pregnancy symptom.

Have they checked your blood pressure? Sometimes it's a sign of high blood pressure.
You can have it checked out by your GP, midwife or I think even the local chemist.

I'm 11 weeks pregnant and I have had some problems with low blood pressure.
I've brought one of these home blood pressure measure machines for around 10 pound. It's nice to be able to check it yourself.

Off course it also can be fat.
Your body is going to want to hold fat for to take care of your baby and later to be able to give it breast milk.

There are many ways to diet.
Especially now the number one rule is:

NEVER BE HUNGRY!!!!

Because that's a sign from the body telling you that you need food. You don't want to ignore that feeling/sign.

But there is no need to eat unhealthy food, but bare in mind that you do need fat every day!!!
Fat is something that our body needs. You don't want to have to much of it or to little.

If you haven't had any or too little fat in your food today. Then take a table spoon of mayonnaise sauce (or less depending on how much you've had that day)

If your body wants something then listen to it.
When you're pregnant and you feel a craving for something it usually means that your body hasn't got enough of something that's in that type of food.

There are ladies who start to get a craving for sand.
Usually it's a sign of the body that it hasn't got enough iron.

This example shows clearly that what you crave for is not always what you must eat.
Better ask yourself the question:
Why do I want this? What does my body need from this?

Try to eat healthy most of the time.
If you really feel that you must have something unhealthy like a chocolate bar.

Take a little one, instead of a king size chocolate bar.

Or eat unhealthy once a week.
(that's what I do)

exercise in pregnancy:
How to burn fat:
Your body will start to burn fat after about 20 min of exercise.
You don't need to run your behind of.

Do every day a 30 min low intensity training.
This could be:
walking
swimming
cleaning
home trainers

You don't need to do the same thing every day. Also you don't need to view it as a sport. It can be part of a normal daily activity.

For example:
walking: going to the shops/shopping. going for a walk in the park or local gardens.
swimming: having a swim with your partner or alone.
cleaning: take about 30 min a day to clean your house.
home trainers: there are lot's of them. from cheap to really expensive. from big to small easy and quick to hide under the table machines.

Take care,

Sylvia

I put a lot of weight on in first tri, mainly due to our wedding and two weeks all inclusive! Then there was Christmas. I think I levelled out towards the end of the second trimester by being careful with what I ate but without dieting. I'm sure you'll be fine and try not to worry xx

Try not to worry. I put on a lot of weight over the past year (after numerous mcs) and was feeling very body conscious. Now I have my bump its all kind of evened out. I'm going to aqua natal once a week which I recommend and there is lots of pregnancy yoga/Pilates out there if you want a pregnancy exercise class.
I spent my first trimester pretty much lying down but much more active now and lots of walking too.
Enjoy your pregnancy and congratulations!

I would try and keep active! Don't diet if you get hungry then the baby is. I've been active this pg but having to slow it down now at nearly 32 weeks but as another poster said at my stage if gets harder to eat very much as the baby takes up so much more room. hazel lucky you - how are you managing to keep up normal classes? I'm finding everything really uncomfortable now?

Career well I'm only 25 weeks. At the moment I'm fine, I just hold back a little in the more intensive ones (like Tae Bo or Bodcombat) and don't jump as high, modify some expercises if needed. I expect it to get more difficult soon though. Hopefully can manage with some classes for a bit longer (bodypump should be ok) as I'm really not the pregnancy yoga type..

It's good advice to continue with some exercise because your metabolism is higher when pregnant so you'll probably gently lose the weight anyway plus it gives you much more energy and really helps with keeping ms at bay.

I disagree with the poster upthread who suggested taking a tablespoon of mayonaise for fat. There are plenty of healthier options such as a small handful of nuts or cheese on an outcake, olives, etc.

Badguider - I agree with the advice to keep active! You're used to exercising so its what your body can do. Focus on a healthy diet and as for pregnancy exercise, if you're not using a gym but do run, try a run/walk programme. The Erin O'Brien prenatal dvd is ok and uses the home environment - I use it at home sometimes. I think Davina has a pre and post natal one too but dont use it. The pregnancy pilates 10 min solutions dvd is good (and helps avoid backache). There are also plenty of pregnancy in exercise books you can get - check out Amazon then your local library to see if you can borrow them to see which you like. Dont cut back on your food - just eat normally and drink lots and lots of fluids. I find I feel sick in pregnancy if I dont eat every few hours during the day - so I make sure I break up my breakfast and lunch into smaller meals (combining protein and carbs plus fruit and veg) and seems to keep the sickness at bay.

I used to do martial arts before having DS1. When I found out I was pregnant (around 8 weks), I stopped the kickboxing as was contact but moved to training with a trainer and bodycombat (which i was doing before for cardio) as well as carrying on my gym, cardio (running then run walk, cycling), pilates and yoga practice (though couldnt do yoga till after 14 weeks). I exercised through that pregnancy, just reducing the intensity as I got bigger and always listening to my body, as well as my pregnancy with DS2 - and am doing so in this pregnancy with DC3 too. I put on 3 and a half stone in both my first and second pregnancies - and lost it each time over time and ended up fitter after the pregnancy than before. This time round I reckon I'm going to end up putting on around 3 and a half stone too...

Hazlenut - I'm a similar stage to you. A good pregnancy yoga class will explain more to you about changes to your body, exercises to help with pregnancy ailments, breathing (good to know for birth) as well as strengthening your muscles and creating room for you to breathe as the baby gets bigger. Am doing 4 classes a week (one bodycombat, 2 pilates, one general conditioning), boxing training with a PT (but only padwork rather than skipping and some weights rather than intervals now) and pregnancy yoga once a week and find them all really complementary. If my pregnancy continues as it is doing at present, as I get past 30 weeks will drop the bodycombat (as I have a huge bump already which is starting to hamper the knee movements) and move to treadmill and bike work for cadio but keep up with the other classes (though my boxing will get slower and slower) for as long as my body and the laws of physics will allow.

I have to admit, I exercise as much for stress relief (as have a super stressful job) as for fitness but really enjoy it. Just remember to take it slow, dont go for the burn, work at a maximum output rate of 7 out of 10 and listen to your body - if you need to stop, stop. If you need water, have water. If you're feelign tired and not up for a cardio work out, do something gentler like a walk or pilates or yoga.

Wishing you a happy and healthy pregnancy.

Hi hazel I was running till 27 weeks, but I think baby was pressing on my bladder - managed 5k but havent' tried it since. I've not done body pump (got trainer to give me a light weights workout which I still manage). Pregnancy yoga is boring! I did manage to go on the spin bike, but not a class.
Expat mayo not as bad as some fats, when I had morning sickness it was one of the few things that slipped down. But yes she should be trying to eat nuts and olives.
Keeping active can be hard later on though, as I am finding.

Thanks everyone. I've ordered two DVDs - the Erin o'brien one and one called something like 'properly fit in pregnancy' by addenbrokes doctors and physios
I've got some running in preg info but struggling as I have a cold this week and Liz yelling's stuff says do not run with a cold when pregnant as its all too much for your system. The problem with running up to now has been that getting up, working all day and crawling back into bed us all I've been able to manage! (The blizzard today isn't helping)

So far my BP is good (has always been low) so fx.

Career, your hardcore version of active is not quite the same as mine. I consider a 30 min/ 1 hr brisk walk good enough . Did you just take the mayo neat as it were? I'd have had to add some chicken lettuce and bread to it which makes it a tad calorific.

Oh and I'm going to use myfitnesspal today. Just to see what the damage us and how much I'm eating really (it feels like loads)

badguider unless you have a high risk pregnancy or were not an exerciser before, there's no reason to stop now. Also, i found i gained a bit more than average in the first trimester both times because of sickness and not being able to tolerate fruit and veg (so stuffing myself with white carbs and not much else!) - but the gain slowed down in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. Continuing to workout helped that, but don't do it if you don't feel up to it and it's important to have rest days and do gentler stuff like walking as much as you can.

I ran through pregnancy number one until it got too uncomfortable at around 26 weeks (bump pressing on my bladder so i felt like peeing even though i didn't need to), and did lots of resistance work (bodypump and free weights). When running was too much, I did cardio machines in the gym, throwing in some intervals here and there.

Same with pregnancy number 2, but i also started working out at home. Checkout www.mutusystem.com and www.fithealthymoms.com. I did MuTu System after number 2 was born but I believe some of it is suitable in pregnancy - not sure which bits though. I also did one of the fithealthymoms programmes after number 2 (the supermum programme is for mums who are over a year past giving birth and i did that one just to mix up the workouts and get some new workouts to follow along with) and I think she recently launched a pre-natal exercise programme.

If you don't want to buy or download any of their stuff they both have LOADS of great free vids. The fithealthymoms lady had a baby 5 months ago and some of her free workout vids were filmed during her pregnancy.

dinky do you go to normal pilates or pregnancy one?

As for bodypump, I actually teach it (and some other classes) and it's an excellent class when pregnant (although as with most exercise, I wouldn't recommend to start with it only after getting pregnant). Doing my regular weights without any problems and I have friends who have successfully kept it up until a couple for weeks before due date.

bad, I had some days like you describe in early pregnancy and found that exercise really helped with the tiredness. If I managed to get to the gym anyway, I was significantly less tired afterwards. Of course you should take it easy with the cold!

I go to normal pilates lessons and love it. Brilliant for your pelvic floor and makes you feel strong - no backache etc. The teacher has just started modifying some of the lessons for me.

I am amazed that people can continue to exercise in the first trimester. If I move too fast I throw up . I want pregnancies like yours.....that don't include SPD at 20 weeks either.

OP I gained about 3.5kgs in the first trimester and then nothing until week 24. It all just balanced itself out once my appetite went back to normal. I'm pregnant again and the same thing has happened in the first trimester (which is just ending) and I'm hoping the same thing will happen in the second! I was back in my jeans 10 days after I had DD and I'd a belt on them after three weeks. Just because you've gained up to now doesn't mean you will throughout the pregnancy.

Hazle - I go to normal pilates, but do replacement exercises/modified exercises for those which are contraindicated in pregnancy. Humphrey - am so sorry you had SPD and having terrible morning sickness. I think its a case of listening to your body - if its saying exercise is a bad thing, then dont do it. I havent suffered from morning sickness in any of my pregnancies so could keep up the exercise.

countryhouse I KNOW there's no reason not to exercise, I was so sure I was going to keep running... but then even staying awake for the 8hrs I am at work became almost impossible :(
I know I should stay active and believe me, I so, so, so want to, I don't want to be a big immobile lump, but nobody told me how TOUGH it would be. And with a cold as well as pregnancy I can hardly move.

The only thing that is good is that i'm still cycling everywhere for transport - but today there are about 3 inches of snow on the ground so i'd better give that a miss ;)