bmi and loosing weight during pregnancy

[hewegoagain]

Hi all. Currentlyrently 9 weeks and still have 2 weeks to go till my midwife appointment but this is something that I'd like to deal with sooner, rather than later.

My BMI is currently around 33, it was 29 before the summer but a MC and ALOT of stress eating means I've really packed on the weight over the last few months. I'd like to get my BMI back down a bit, not least because over s certain weight and my knees begin to hurt. I've considered going to see a nutricionist so that they can help me out with a healthy balance meal plan.

My question is, is it safe for me to lose maybe 5kg if it's done properly? I put on nearly 30kg with DS 10 years ago and it took me nearly 10 years to lose that weight again. I'm so frustrated with myself, I should know better and shouldn't have let my anxiety get the better of me 😔

It is safe to lose some fat during pregnancy. Best thing to do is eat a balanced diet aiming for calorie ranges of a pre-pregnancy maintenance level and continue exercising as long as possible.
Most exercise is fine but ensure the intensity is not too high, you should be able to hold a conversation during/after exercise. Don't focus on your weight too much during pregnancy, some weight gain is fine even if you are overweight at the start.
I feel you on the knees, I have osteoarthritis and my knees are more troublesome when I'm heavier, not getting in the gym adds to it too as my supporting muscles get lazy.

I've dropped at least 2st immediayely after each birth. I started out with a BMI of 32 with my most recent and gained a bit more than I wanted to in the 1st 16wk because of the nausea and carb craving. I continued powerlifting until 35+2, reducing weight/volume as bump got bigger. I've only just starting to get back to trimming down via diet now that baby is 8 weeks old. I had a cesarean so not back in the gym yet but will be within the next few weeks, I am back to doing school runs and dog walks as dh went back to work this week.

I'm really craving fruit at the moment which is helpful and just generally cutting out sweets and snacks. I normally walk about 5 miles a day with the dogs as well so everything helps I suppose. Thankfully I haven't gained any weight since finding out I'm pregnant at 4 weeks.

I just find it so frustrating sometimes, I religiously log everything I eat on My Fitness Pal and eat less that I probably should (around 1500 calories a day) plus whatever I'm burning through exercise (not much I know but everything helps) and I continue to gain weight. I've had my thyroid checked and that's fine, I think I just have a crappy metabolism. They only time I've ever been able the loose any weight was when I had a job where I worked so many hours that I literally didn't have time to eat (I was averaging around 800 calories a day) and was walking around 10/15 miles. I dropped 15kg in a year and I felt so much better bodywise. But even 15kg in 12 months isn't much given the calorie deficit I was running at 😔

I know I shouldn't worry too much while pregnant but I don't want to go back to weighing 100kg and feeling fat and ugly ☹️

I think you need to look at the types of food you are eating rather than the calories. Undereating can be as detrimental to as overeating as your body will become more efficient on less.
You can eat more and lose fat if you are eating the right types of foods. Avoid processed foods, choose lean proteins (1.2-2g per kg of your bodyweight daily), lots of vegetables/fruits, limit high carb foods like rice/pasta/potatoes/bread to 2 portions a day. Choose your fruits wisely, go for ones with a lower GI value and limit ones which are higher to a smaller portion each day.

Dr Jason Fung and Dr Eric Berg do some interesting videos about how the body reacts to different foods.

Thanks for the info, I'll definitely check out the videos.

I'm kind of aware that I don't process carbs very well and try to stay away from simple carbs as much a possible, although I have a terrible sweet tooth.

We don't eat a lot of processed foods, we're in the south of Spain and DH is Spanish so the Mediterranean diet rules in our house.

I'm generally craving peaches, blueberries and red fruits.

I think I've probably mucked up my metabolism with too many years of fad dieting and trying to break that habit is very difficult.

I loved peaches with our 3rd, strawberries with our latest but completely went of bananas.

"Diets" aren't great for the metabolism but you can fix damage caused through healthy eating and exercise. Resistance training is really good for improving your BMR but you have to be careful adding any new exercise routines during pregnancy to avoid injury, a PT who specialises in pregnancy is a good idea.
Good luck with it and congrats on baby.

Thanks for all your help x

I’m hoping that I’ll lose a bit of fat during pregnancy because I won’t be drinking alcohol. I’m also back at work so can’t keep getting myself snacks like I could at home. Just want to be healthy!

Unless you weigh or measure everything you eat and drink you may well be underestimating your calorie intake. You need to drink plenty of fluid - preferably water - too.

I read that too many ketones in your blood while pregnant has been associated with lower IQ of the child after birth, and ketones get into your blood when you don't have enough calories overall because you've started burning fat from your body instead of carbs from your food.

I assume this is why you are told never to diet during pregnancy, but I don't know.

Ketones came up in my blood test in early pregnancy, which is why I looked it up and worried about what it might mean that they found them. And that's where I found out it means you don't get enough calories, which is apparently common in early pregnancy (from what I googled anyway).

I also didn't manage to put on any weight during the first 3 months of pregnancy, but my doctor said it's ok as long as I feel well and am eating normally. I think they are more worried if you are really sick and then can't get the nutrition you need. The subject of dieting didn't come up though, so I'm not sure about that, since my weight and diet were stable. But the doctor at least did not seem concerned that I hadn't put on any weight yet.

But honestly I've stopped looking up results from the blood test and just trust the doctor when they tell me which parts are normal and which parts I have to worry about. It is really stressful to look up every little thing.

But if you haven't asked your doctor directly and don't want to, it's at least worth being aware that there are good reasons not to burn up your body fat in pregnancy. What I read seemed to say finding some ketones in the blood is normal in pregnancy because the body needs extra calories for the pregnancy that the mother might not be eating yet. But there were things about possible associations between a lot of ketones in the pregnant woman's blood and then later finding the child's IQ being lower. But then there were also articles saying this association was weak and from flawed research and therefore controversial, so who knows.

I'm not a doctor though so I have no idea.

@WeAreTheHeroes I do weigh and measure everything, and tend to round up as well (so 123g of chicken will be logged as 125g etc).

@magicalmama I plan to speak with the midwife at appointment and see what she says. If needed she can probably refer me to a nutricionist that knows what they're doing. I'm not really that bothered about losing any weight really (although the thought of spending the next 30 odd weeks with me knees as painful as they are is daunting), I just really don't want to gain as much as I did with DS as that's also a huge risk during pregnancy and delivery.

I can’t remember how much I lost but in both my pregnancies I weighed less a couple of days after birth than I did at my booking in appointment at ten weeks.

I’ve always said pregnancy is the best diet for me. Nausea for the first few weeks coupled with the babies growing and squashing my stomach I lost at least a stone.

@hewegoagain that's good that you can speak to your midwife about it.

I was a bit scared to ask my doctor about no weight gain as I was worried about what it might mean for the baby. My doctor wasn't worried at all that I hadn't put any weight on, and that was after 16 weeks! I was very stressed and they didn't bat an eyelid about it! I'm sure you will be fine.

If you're in the UK then it's a dietician you need as they are properly qualified and you may be able to get a referral. Anyone can call themselves a nutritionist and many pay for a short course (think a weekend) then set themselves as such.

Hey, yes definitely possible if you do itv”safely” as in, not starving yourself and hammering it at the gym.

My booking appointment in the summer was hampered by “your bmi is high” and being handed lots of leaflets explaining my increased chances of miscarriage and stillbirth. Was brutal but also what I needed.

I’m due next month and I’ve managed to lose 3kgs. I weigh less now than I did at that booking appointment and I’ve (nearly) grown a full term baby. They say the enlarged womb, boobs, fat restores, placenta etc weighs about 9kg so I’m really chuffed.

All I did was lots of walking and absolutely filled myself up on veg And fruit. I never went to bed hungry and never starved myself. I feel so much better for it, my head is clear and I don’t feel lethargic and sluggish, it’s actually done me wonders as a whole. I’ve had no chocolate or sweets for the past 3 months.

So yes definitely possible if you do it right and still give your body all the (right) fuel it needs. Hope it goes well! Xxx