Feeling very fat :(

[edwfaith]

Hi, I'm 12 weeks + 1 pregnant and I've put on a total of 4kg (nearly 9lbs) since becoming pregnant. I now weigh 76kg (168lbs) and have a BMI of 28.7 and I feel so so so bloated and feel like I've put on so much weight on every part of my body. Is there anything that I can do to make myself feel better physically? How many calories should I be eating? How much exercise can I start doing and what kind of exercises are safe? Is it normal to feel like this?

Any tips/own experiences would be appreciated.
Thank you!!

Ive lost weight in pregnancy but still felt fat. At 12 weeks all you have is a bigger tummy, trust me when it takes rounded shape you will feel much much better about body. This isn't the time to be doing new exercising or dieting. Just try to eat healthily as poss.

^^ spot on.

Just enjoy. Relax. It's all about embracing the fatness.

At that stage you should be eating the same number of calories as you usually do, just make sure that what you're eating is good stuff. You only need 2-300 extra calories a day later on in pregnancy. You're at that weird stage where you don't really look pregnant - as contractor says, once you get a proper bump it really does look better! I actually feel better about my body now than I did pre pregnancy!

There's not much you can do about it other than eat healthily and excercise moderately (be careful with it being so hot though, heatstroke is very very dangerous if you're pregnant, I'd sit this hot spell out with cold drinks and ice lollies...)

Don't forget it's bloody hot at the moment and that plus pregnancy = puffiness. Keep well hydrated and cool and don't over exert yourself, especially in the heat!

Hi, I'm not very good on the diet and exercise advice (beyond the usual obvious, balanced diet, walking, etc). However, my BMI also shot up in the first trimester, from 25 to 28 in 8 weeks . I honestly don't know where it came from, I think my whole body was just generally sluggish, I retained most of what I ate, was very lucky in no actual sickness so didn't lose anything there either. It was until about 13-14 weeks I suddenly had a burst of energy, was walking more without thinking, started drinking lots of water and generally felt better in myself. Now, I haven't lost a lot of weight as such, but I don't think I've put any on either - it's just "balanced out". A friend of mine, on the other hand, had a lovely time until her second trimester, where she pretty much put weight on overnight. So, just look after yourself as you usually would, try and avoid caffine and sugar, drink water and don't worry too much!

Sorry, I should have mentioned I'm nearly 27 weeks now, and feel my weight has balanced out.

Hello!

I also had a 'I'm so fat' meltdown at about this stage. All the clothes I had (bought when I had a waist) all of a sudden made me look like a proper porker. My jeans were tighter, things were uncomfortable (for reference I popped out at the end of 14 weeks). The single best thing I did was go and buy some maternity/more forgiving clothing - made me feel instantly better about myself.

If you can afford to do it then DO IT! Honestly it made me feel about 1000% better. 12 weeks is a bit of a crap time where you are just belly and bloat, but it will almost certainly change soon so hang on in there. As others have said, just eat healthily and if you were doing exercise pre-pregnancy try getting back on them. I've run throughout pregnancy (miserably in the first trimester) and its not alway fun but it does stop me from losing my shit - but then I was doing that regularly pre-pregnancy. If you haven't been doing anything then maybe just go for a 30 minute walk in the nice sunshine we are having? Even this will make you feel better probably.

good luck - can remember this feeling and it sucks!

I'm usually slim and I felt horribly fat around 12weeks and was pretty miserable about my body. Now at 27 weeks I feel like me again, just with a bump.
I used to exercise a lot as I enjoyed it but now I just walk to work and even that is a bit much some days. I just eat healthily and try not to beat myself up when baby demands chocolate!

I'm 37 weeks. My toddler informed me this morning that I look like Daddy Pig.

Your body is more prone to excess weight gain during pregnancy (the same as when women gain weight on the pill, it's the same hormones) Some women are more sensitive to this than others due to genetics. I gained too much with my daughter, despite eating exactly how I ate when I wasn't pregnant. This time I am gaining quickly also. It does make me feel depressed when I see other pregnant women who don't have this issue. I was chubby prior to getting pregnant at 5'3 and 10st 7lbs. It doesn't help that I just keep gaining and gaining. I was a size 14 and 11st 4lbs for months after having my daughter and trust me for my height that is big. It was truly miserable.

Of course it is possible to be eating too much. Pregnancy is not a reason to eat for 2. I am eating the same amount of food I ate when I wasn't pregnant. At the start of my pregnancy I actually ate less due to severe morning sickness and I still gained weight during that time!

I see other pregnant women in public who are slim everywhere but their bump and I feel incredibly inadequate. I get upset and my partner gets annoyed with me and tells me to change the subject. He is very insensitive and says 'it's my moaning about pointless subjects that annoys him not my size'.

I wish there was something I could do about it.

Swimming is bliss when you're pregnant. Worth doing not for keeping weight of but for feeling your body unravel and lengthen. Heaven. Swimming, mind, not pantsy pointless aqua-bloody-aerobics.

What exercise were you doing before, OP? The best thing is not to do anything new, but to carry on doing what your body is used to.
I'm running 4/5x a week, doing circuits and yoga, plus walking home from work each day. But then this is what I was doing before, just less intensity and less mileage now.
Also, don't overeat! I know it's hard, especially in the first trimester when you're hungry all the time, but your body doesn't need additional calories yet.
Be kind to yourself though - you can lose the weight afterwards, after all.