Help on controlling my weight while pregnant

[maybebabybee]

I am nearly 5 weeks pregnant and very happy about it after a MC last month.

However I am in the 'just' overweight category at 5ft 3 and weighing 10st 4. I have big boobs on a relatively small frame which doesn't help but am also a big eater. I eat healthily - lots of fruit, lots of wholegrain foods, veggies etc, but my portion sizes are probably too big. I carry most of my weight around my middle so it's my tummy I'm most worried about.

I am really worried I am going to pile on the weight while pregnant. Has anyone got any tips on avoiding this at all?

I am not a major exerciser...I go to the gym maybe 2/3 times a week (about 30 minutes of treadmill/crosstrainer) and do a fair amount of walking. I don't want to take up a rigorous exercise programme now as am so terrified of another MC.

Any tips???

I'm have a high bmi and weigh alot more than you but I'm the same, good foods just big portions, and I managed not to gain anything with my first baby.
I just ate normally , and walked my midwife said about 20mins a day.
I find a lot of people use pregnancy as an excuse to stuff themselves, it's the old eating for 2 myth but I was determined not to gain to much as I had spent the last 6 months losing almost 3 stone and didn't want to ruin all my hard work. Having said that every pregnancy is different, in currently 34weeks with dd2 and have eaten better than last time and have gained about 8kg needless to say it's stressing me out!

I started about a stone overweight with good intentions of not going crazy with the food. And I know how to eat sensibly since I lost over a stone before I got pregnant. But it just wasn't so easy in the first trimester. I went off nearly all vegetables! Couldn't bring myself to eat them. Morning sickness without ever actually puking. Super noodles and fish fingers went down a treat though!

All I can advise is if you are feeling rough and struggling, just try to minimise the damage. If I wanted bread/pasta, I had wholegrain. If I hadn't managed any fruit/veg, I made a whole fruit smoothie for dessert. Exercise when you can but don't stress about it (I swim about twice a week). I've put on about 4 pounds in the first trimester (I'm 14 weeks now) which isn't brilliant but isn't terrible either. Now I feel a lot less nauseous and my eating has improved a lot.

But really I'm just trying not to stress about it. I have my whole life to lose weight after the baby is born. If I'm hungry, I'm going to eat. It sounds like you already know what you should be doing.

you can ask to be referred to a diet clinic who will help you, if you like? I think it's just common sense (I have none, hence a BMI of 32.5 on booking in, sigh), but you might find the routine of the clinic and their diet sheets helpful if it's support that you need.

I was 2lb lighter after delivery than at booking in. I don't think you necessarily have to gain weight when pregnant - in my case not drinking wine for 9 months was probably helpful!

Oh you're basically me! Same starting weight and always carried it on my tummy (took quite along time for me to start showing!).
I'm just over 24 weeks now and braved the scales at the weekend, I've put on a stone. I actually wasn't too displeased with that, my boobs have gone up 3 cup sizes so a lot is there. I'm still in size 10 jeans so that feels promising.
I've been using myfitnesspal to make sure I don't go doolally with food (I really do love it) and try and stay within 1600-1800 cals but often go over at the weekend tbh.
So that's a good way to keep some sense of control but really don't stress too much, enjoy your pregnancy and just try and eat healthily. I know it's easier said than done, I just didn't want to have masses to lose after I give birth so am trying to keep a handle on it but at the same time I'm definitely more relaxed about what I eat than normal, although cutting out booze has surely saved me some calories?! Could probably drink about 2000 calories a week in wine n beer previously.

Congratulations! I'm pregnant straight after a miscarriage I'm 20 weeks now!
About the weight issue I was in the just overweight category too and I've put on 8lbs so far, not too bad I'm keeping an eye on it and hopefully I won't gain too much from now till the end

You are getting some excercise, and you are eating healthy stuff, so you shouldn't need to make too many changes. Is your weight stable now? If it is you just need to carry on as you are, maybe dial the portions back a little? Don't succumb to snacking on crap if you can help it - have a ready supply of healthy stuff to snack on. Don't eat for two. There's a great book called 'feeding the bump' which I've used lots of recipes from.

Maybe at the gym you could do less intensity but for a little longer? To be honest, 2/3 x a week plus walking every day doesn't sound like couch potato territory!

I'm a similar height to you and a little heavier. I was worried about putting loads on but surprisingly, I haven't. I'm sure the scales have gone up but I think it's all bump and boobs - if anything the rest of me has shrunk.

Of course the near constant nausea from 3.5 weeks to my current 25 weeks may have been more to thank than my willpower... :)

Overall, just eat healthily and excercise while you can, if you do that, you'll be healthy, which is what really matters. im actually liking my pregnant body more than the non pregnant me. You just have to get over the early bloaty stage - once you've got a proper bump it looks great

thank you for all the advice, I will use MFP actually, that's a really good tip as I think I underestimate my calories a lot of the time. I will just try to relax and enjoy myself and not go crazy.

I wish the lack of alcohol thing was true for me but unfortunately I don't drink and haven't done for about five years so I can't blame it on that

Congratulations!

I was a bit overweight to start with bmi of 28 i think. I really didn't want to pile loads on (family members have done so was worried) and actually weighed myself this morning at 36 + 4 and have put on 1st 12 lbs. I am happy with that!

I had good unrealistic intentions but the first 16 weeks were awful. I felt sick if i didn't eat almost constantly. Literally every hour or two. Longer than two hours and i felt truly horrendous. And the only things that i could eat were things like crisps, toast, cheese on toast, cheese sandwiches. Cheese and crackers! You get the picture...... So i have ended up eating pretty much what i want. But trying still not to overdo portion sizes. No choice about that at this stage, can only manage a small plate now. But i have got healthier as I've gone along, having fruit and salad almost every day now.

I have kept monitoring my weight throughout and like to think i would have taken more action if i had gained too much.

My saving grace is probably that i went off chocolate, and obviously cut out the vast amount of wine i used to consume!

I was a stone overweight pre pregnancy, a bmi of 27.6. I've had nausea for the whole of the first trimester and have totally gone off sweet things. I also can't eat anywhere near the portions I could before (and I REALLY liked my food). As a result I've lost 7lbs in 7 weeks. I've gone off all veg too so I'm making puree veg pasta sauce etc to ensure I get my nutrients.

In the last week my appetite has started to return (I'm 12+1) but I'm staying away from the sweet stuff and moderating my portion sizes still. If I over eat I feel sick again, so I'm using the old 'eat slow and wait 20mins before going back for seconds thing).

Is there any reason why you can't just continue as usual, but cut your portion sizes? Buy smaller plates, put the rest directly in the freezer, drink more water after eating....whatever you need to do.

Even if you aren't eating junk, you gain weight on pretty much everything if you eat excessive amounts of it.

Congratulations on your pregnancy as well!

I'm 30 weeks and have on the whole carried on as I was before in terms of eating, although the exercise has obviously decreased now. As long as you weren't overeating before, then there's no reason why you should now. I found that in the first trimester I needed more snacks, but as long as I had a supply of apples and oatcakes then I was fine. During the second I was hungry, but I just seemed to eat more quickly! Now I'm in the third there isn't so much space for food and I've never been much of a snacker.

I also have no idea how much I have put on as I don't weigh myself and prefer to go on how I look and feel. I don't see the point in being a slave to the weighing scales because I don't think it's healthy. So my advice is to step away from the scales, use your common sense, keep moving and you'll be fine. :-)