Losing weight whilst pregnant

[TurquoiseWeekend]

I found out on Monday that I'm pregnant. Unexpected but very very welcome. I've always been quite irregular so I could be anything from 4-6 weeks. I'm not sure going from my last period would be the most accurate with me.

I've been losing weight since January, have currently lost 4 and a half stone, but still have around another 3 and a half to lose to get to a healthy weight.

I don't have a date for my first midwife appointment yet so will obviously talk to them when I get there, but has anybody else been in the same position? Is it healthy to attempt to still lose weight now I'm pregnant? How many calories a day should I be eating? I just want to be healthy for the baby so I'm eating very healthily anyway, but i don't want to cause any harm.

Firstly, congratulations on your pregnancy and on your weight loss.

I'm afraid they don't generally recommend losing weight while pregnant. There is no need to eat extra, but weight maintenance is generally recommended for the first trimester. Some people lose weight through sickness of course but in general you should try to eat a healthy diet with plenty of fibre, protein and vitamins.

For your particular circumstance it is always worth discussing with the midwife but until you see her you I think you should stop attempting to lose weight.

Hi, midwives do recommend slimming world as a way to manage weight gain during pregnancy - I believe it is the only slimming/weight management company they do recommend using. In all honesty you have to go with the flow with pregnancy - it’s so hard to eat healthily when you feel like s**t - I’m 30 weeks pregnant with my third and I’ve given up trying to control my weight - I put in similar amounts with the first two and managed to lose it all so that’s what I’ll be doing again this time! I’m just so fat all over and my boobs are just huge - there’s just no way to control them!

When I was pregnant I was advised to and did maintain my weight (both times) which effectively meant losing weight.
Sadly desperately attempting to breastfeed put it all back on.

Oh and I just tracked my calories aiming for 2100 a day.

I'm currently 18 weeks and overweight, lost 3 stone before I fell pregnant midwife recommended that I put on no more than 10kg over my entire pregnancy, however so far I haven't gained anything, just maintain a healthy diet, make sure baby is getting the right things and you'll be fine! I'm going to try and maintain as much as I can through this pregnancy as I don't want to undo the work I did before but also caring for my baby at the same time. You'll be fine, just enjoy it and Congratulations!! X

I'm 9 weeks at the moment and have actually lost 3kg easily since finding out I was pregnant.
I'm not trying to diet in any shape of form but for the first time ever I am not hungry and cannot finish all my meals.

It will be interesting to hear what the midwives have to say when I have my first appointment next week. I hasten to add that I have a BMI of 45 so its quite a problem.

I actually lost a stone in the first trimester due to sickness, but about 9lb has gone back on again. As I was a bigger woman anyway, I was not too concerned either about losing the initial weight, or about putting it back on.

I tried to concentrate on getting a fairly balanced diet and once my appetite came back, not giving into the urge to eat for 2. If my weight had ballooned upwards I would have spoken to the midwife about it, but she was happy with how things evened out.

You can also do Slimming World during your pregnancy, though they make a point of saying they do not encourage weight loss.

I'm 29+3 at the moment. I was already doing slimming world when I found out I was pregnant. I continue going but was told I wasn't to lose any weight. Between my 8 week midwife appt and 16 weeks I lost 7lb. I had so many aversions to food that I couldn't maintain my weight. Since then I've been slowly putting on weight. I'm now 7lb heavier than my 8 week appt. I'm just trying to eat as healthily as I can. Some days the aversions are back whereas other days I could easily eat everything in sight.

When I first found out, I ate like crap for 2 weeks, but it made me feel awful! So I thought about it and I've always been a careful eater, calorie controlled etc so when I had a couple weeks of eating literally anything I wanted - I felt crap. So I went back to my old diet, controlled, but not afraid to have a takeaway every once in a while.
So while I don't think you should actively 'lose weight' while pregnant, I think eating reasonably is the best. :) xx

If you are over a certain BMI then you might get a slimming world referal or be put under consultant care. But honestly, try not to worry right now. Eat a balanced diet and you can worry about your weight once the baby is here!

I have a BMI of 40 and although we've talked about it the midwife and consultant are pretty chilled about it. I am on low dose aspirin and had high does folic acid for a while. I have an appt for the healthy eating clinic at the end of July.
Essentially, they know I am aware of it and have encouraged me to eat healthily. I haven't put on any weight so far - 18+3now - and consultant said babies are the best parasites, lol. I just need to monitor things and get an action plan for post birth!!

You just need to remember that you don't need to eat for two. Then in the third trimester you only need to up your calories by 300.