Losing weight before conceiving

[cerios156]

Hi there. I'm new here so please let me know if I'm posting in the wrong place.

I was wondering if anyone here has thought about or tried to lose weight before pregnancy to make it easier to return to their "normal" weight after pregnancy

Some context: we're trying for our first child and I'm in a healthy weight range for my height and age. I'm considering trying to lose 5-10lb (2-4kg) before getting pregnant to make it easier to get back to my current weight after giving birth. Losing this weight before pregnancy would still leave me in a healthy weight range for conception and pregnancy, according to my GP.

Has anyone done this? Have you felt like it was easier to lose a few pounds/kilos "preemptively" before baby rather than after?

Thank you ladies!

Yes I specifically lost weight before conceiving for this reason.

Yes I did, I wanted to start off from a lower healthier weight (and better food habits) and two weeks PP I weighed the same as before I lost weight. Tbf I haven't lost more than a few pounds since but I know I can do it when things settle.

At this point you have absolutely no idea how this journey is going to go or what changes your body will go through, temporary or permanent, as a result of pregnancy.

Sorry to be harsh but you need to get a grip pronto. Having a baby is the biggest thing your body will ever do. Trying to control it and put limits on it is a sure fire way of ensuring you are anxious, stressed and unhappy through pregnancy and into the first years of your child's life.

By all means lose a few kg now if that makes you happy in the now. Just don't make it part of some grand plan, that way lies misery.

Honestly I was so sick in my 1st trimester I lost weight anyway. Im not a 'sicky' person and it was a complete suprise. You just cant predict anything.

I think the best advice is to just be healthy.

Hi @preggosaurus, thanks for your feedback.

I'm not sure I need to "get a grip," as I'm just talking about making some healthier switches now to make sure my body is set up for success, i.e. staying in a healthy weight range, on the other side of pregnancy. Just, you know, wondering what other moms have done and what worked for them.

I doubt trying to lose 2kg before conceiving is going to make me "anxious, stressed and unhappy through pregnancy and into the first years of my child's life." BUT do I get what you're saying and definitely appreciate your point that accepting pregnancy weight gain and body changes is a better game plan than trying to control the uncontrollable

Thanks @gingerbreaddragon, this was pretty much what I was wondering about. Whether it's worth it to try and make some better habits stick now than try to overhaul my diet after pregnancy with a newborn in the picture.

I lost 20lb prior to conceiving as I was and still am overweight but I'm now only just in the overweight pregnancy category and I'm please to say 21 weeks in and managed to only gain 8lb so I'm happy with that :)

As long as it doesn't tip you into being underweight, it seems sensible.

I'm usually at the bottom end of healthy bmi, and I know that when I (unintentionally) lose weight my periods get lighter which I assume would have an effect on fertility?

(You sound fully in possession of grip, btw).

Yes I did. Not purely for weightloss. At least as much for getting myself healthy by cutting out junk and alcohol. I am glad I did it.

How old are you? If you're young then your body will bounce back quicker so I wouldn't worry. If you're older then I wouldn't waste time on this.

My weight is classed as healthy, my BMI is in fact 22.5 but my body fat is very low usually around 16% as I'm very athletic, so I've actually had to put on some fat to get my periods regular to try to help conceive, so just be mindful that even if you would still be in a healthy weight range, losing weight could have an impact.

I definitely tried to be healthier before getting pregnant, eating better, exercising more. Never occurred to me to try and loose weight to make it easier to get back to a certain weight after. When I read your post I was a bit surprised that the focus was on your post pregnancy weight (rather than general health). It did make me wonder if your weight is something you worry about more than necessary and how you'll be if (for many reasons) you don't easily get back to a target weight. Quite a few responders have done similar you though, so perhaps I'm the odd one out. As a couple of people have said, being low weight, low body fat, very athletic etc can have a negative impact on fertility. Good luck whatever you do, it's always worth picking up healthy habits. But also hope you don't stress about it or put pressure on yourself if you dont need to.

If you are a normal BMI and don’t have any health complications losing 2kg is unlikely to make a difference as you may well gain up to a stone as ‘normal’ weight gain without even trying. I would suggest rather than focussing on your weight, focus on your health. Start taking prenatals, take omega 3 either as a supplement or eat more foods with it included as it helps with conceiving. Get used to regular low impact exercise such as walking or swimming as you will need to maintain that throughout pregnancy.

After having my baby, on reflection (this is just my personal experience) it did help me throughout pregnancy to get my BMI down a bit. For context I was at the higher end of healthy and got down to mid range. Along with the luck of good health it meant that right up to the day my waters broke I was able to remain active and comfortable. Your body is doing amazing things but it is also under stress and this helped in my case.

You certainly can, being a healthy BMI and eating good foods etc will only help with conception etc. But just be prepared that pregnancy can throw many curve balls! I ran and cycled 4-5 times a week before my pregnancy and ate very well but fell pregnant with twins; due to some past losses my consultant put a stop to the running and I also felt so nauseous and ravenous for the first 13 weeks that all I ate was bread, pasta and cheese. I gained a lot of weight! I now also have PGP so do even less exercise again. This isn’t to scare you or to say anything similar will happen, but I think it’s important to be kind to yourself on the pregnancy journey when it comes to weight gain and body changes as huge amounts of it are completely out of your control. Good luck OP x

My husband started a keto diet by the end of June and we both lost weight. Conceived in July.
However, we are not sure if the weight loss helped or it was using the lube that helped us more.

The only thing is, pregnancy is so unpredictable! I have a non pregnant BMI of 20.5 and I’m big into healthy eating & nutrition. I’ve even done courses on nutrition, I find it all very interesting.

Then I got pregnant with my first & was hit with Hyperemesis. I spent 3/4 months living off white bread, potatoes & cream crackers. Didn’t touch a single piece of fruit or veg. My carefully balanced meals went out the window. I lost weight. Yet, once the extreme sickness passed around 18 weeks & I was able to eat relatively normal, the weight piled on. I couldn’t believe it. By 28 weeks, I’d put on all weight I lost & almost an extra stone! I didn’t over eat. I still felt quite nauseous my whole pregnancy & went off chocolate & cake. But it was like my body was making up for lost time! By 40 weeks, I’d put on another two stone. 3 in total. I went from 9 stone to 12! It was totally out of my control. I ate a normal diet as I would when not pregnant.

There’s no harm is loosing some weight if you want too of course, but it may or may not help you spring back post birth! Try not to worry about it, if you want to lose the weight afterwards, you will. I did within 7/8 months out of sheer willpower.. I ate carefully (still allowed myself cake though ) & walked miles with the pram.