Can I lose weight while I'm pregnant?I need EVERYONE's advice on this- I'm in a rut.

[TotallyAndUtterlyPaninied]

I put on outrageous amounts of weight whilst pregnant with DS. I went from a size 10 to a size 20.

Now I'm 3 months pregnant and a size 16-18. I don't want to be this big.I disgust myself and I'm really unhappy about it.

Yesterday my neighbour came round and saw a pic of me 2 years ago. She said 'that's not you. Oh My God. I can kind of see in your face that it's you but certainly not in the body!!' I wanted to cry. She's right.

Can I lose weight while I'm pregnant and how? I am currently not very ative and work my arse off so I have very limited time available between work, DS, DH etc.

I need you all to be very specific with me and please do not be afraid to offend.

For a start I think your neighbour was incredibly rude and insensitive.

Other than that, I'm sure others will have useful advice. The only thing I can offer is...don't scoff too much!!- why did you put on SOOO much weight with your eldest? What did you change to go from a size 10 to 20?

What a lovely kind neighbour.

Pregancy is a good incentive to start eating really healthily, but I don't think it's recommended to restrict calories while you are pregnant (not an expert by any means).

If you currently drink a lot (and/or eat crap during/after drinking) you may find that you naturally lose some weight if you give it up while pregnant.

Hmm. I think in general it's not a good idea to actively try to lose weight while pregnant. However, you could try to build in some walking/swimming and just try to eat very sensibly, so that you don't put on excess weight while pregnant, and the new regime will help you feel like you're doing sometjing iyswim, and may set up habits that will set you in good stead when the baby is born.

And hmm at your neighbour - not awash with the tact gene, eh?

Eat healthily and cut out all snacks and cakes, chocolate etc and I am sure you will find the weight gain more manageable. I'm hoping so anyway!

I did, but not deliberately.

I had GD so ate controlled portions, cut out sugar and exercised to control my blood sugar. I started my pregnancy a size 20 and I am now a 14, 3 months post-natal.

Now is not the time for crash dieting. Eat healthily and sensibly, move around and you won't gain weight. Exercise will help you in terms of your health, weight and delivery so walk, swim or whatever. I used Davina's pregnancy DVD every day.

I feel better for it, and had an easier pregnancy. Good luck!

Are there any guidelines to how many extra calories a day you need to grow a baby? It's not many, is it?

You could use something like www.foodfocus.org to monitor your calorie intake, but aim for the 'maintain weight' number of calories.

Sorry, it's actually www.foodfocus.co.uk

Do you know why you put on so much weight last time. If I'm honest I can easily put down my weight gain to the massive amount of chocolate I consumed, and my failure to lose weight afterwards was down to my cup of tea and a piece of cake/biscuit at 4pm every day habit. By eliminating that I could easily have shaved 200-300 calories from my daily intake. That amount of extra calories over 9 months could easily have added to the stone and a half I was still carrying 3 months after giving birth (I put on four stone but lost 2 and a half in the first two weeks after having ds)

Have you tried keeping a food diary? It really really works if you're totally honest with yourself. The key isn't to starve yourself, that's not healthy, but it's really imporant to eliminate the wasted calories (sugar being the worst) and seeing how you can replace them with something that will fill you up but not make you hungry soon afterwards. I swear by food diaries.

hello paninied
I don't want to completely advise you here because I think someone with more medical knowhow should answer that, but what immediately crossed my mind is complete sympathy for you - I'm also pg with dc2 and feel bigger already than last time. However i'm definitely a bit fitter than I was, and I'm determined to carry that on as long I can. So, I'm continuing going to the gym where the personal trainer knows me and has changed my workout accordingly (before you say about childcare and gyms, i take my dd with me, it's a v laidback gym, i'm v lucky)

SO i just wondered - I don't think the official advice is to start a whole new training regime, but could you up the ante on the active stakes? Can you take advantage of the free swimming you get with pg status? Could you walk more? (could you get off the bus a stop earlier and walk) Can you eat healthier (great incentive, growing baby etc etc)

There is ALWAYS time to get fitter, it's just shedding the excuses and actually DOING it. You'll feel better for it and your pgnancy will be better for it.
And if you don't lose weight, at least your fitness will be better for the birth, and perhaps you can actively lose weight once the baby arrives?
Does that make any sense?
I'm basically saying, I can't see why being a bit more active, as long as you don't overdo it, can be damaging for your pgnancy.

And talk to your GP - they'd give you the definitive answer.
Hope I haven't waffled

Agree with HeadFairy- you need to look at why you put on so much weight.

Please write back! Hope you are feeling ok too

That website's fab. I'm going to go for it and put my all into it. I struggle with what to actually eat though. I know what NOT to eat, but I'm a terrible cook so I need quick and easy ideas for healthy foods... anyone got any ideas?

[not being afraid to offend]

what are you eating?

are you eating crap because you are so busy?

if so, stop it

if you have no time or inclination to cook, M&S Be Good To Yourself (or whatever their range is) readymeals are better than having takeaways every night

I wouldn't 'cut out all snacks' when pg - it can make morning sickness a lot worse for one thing
jsut replace crap snacks with better ones - bananas and low fat yog are good and don't feel too virtuous (iyswim)

and before you eat anything, even a peanut, drink a glass of water
I was crap at confusing hunger with thirst while pg and bfing

oh and by the way - at your neighbour. what a plonker! don't take it to heart, people are v tactless sometimes. silly woman

I cross posted sorry.

I put on so much weight last time because I felt sick unless I was eating so I was eating a lot and I could only stomach white carbs, butter etc. Then it turned into a habit and I was getting down about my appearance so I'd comfort eat.

Now I'm an actual 'fat person' maybe even obese. So I feel even worse and comfort eat more.

What's this about free swimming? That would be fantastic! I intend to go on a half hour walk 3 times a week from now on- I'm going to take DS to the park to feed the ducks. This is quite a step really as I'm usually too embarressed of myself to go out of the house when I'm off work.

Also, DH eats rubbish and is always slim. So I end up eating rubbish with him and I get fat. This is difficult to get out of.

We are also on a budget so can only do cheap-quick-healthy meals.

your neighbour is a beatch so ignore her.

you are going to have 2 gorgeous children soon which is better than being a size ten any day.

re. the healthy eating. learn how to make 3 freezable things, eg stew, rataouille, veg curry. make enormous pots at the weekend and then freeze portions. heh presto healthy cheap ready meals.

good luck!

TAUP... also you have to really really work on your mind. I'm not really one to talk, but I read a great article in the Times a while back about weight loss being something you can help with positive thoughts. The basic idea was you have to tell yourself repeatedly, which do you want more? That biscuit or to be slim? The biscuit will give you a short term pleasure, but will it be worth it when you're unhappy with your weight?

It's very similar to cognitive behavioural therapy... one trick they suggested is to wear an elastic band on your wrist (not too tight ) and whenever you absent mindedly reach for something fattening you snap the elastic band. That will stop you and make you think for a second... a) are you really hungry and b) if yes then can you swap what you were going to eat with something a bit healthier.

I'm really really trying not to put on too much weight this pregnancy after putting on so much last time. I've never been a size 10 (lucky you!) but I'd be happy getting down to a 14 by next summer. I think that's also the key, set yourself realistic achievable targets. I will never be a size 10, it's not in my DNA, but a 14 is totally achievable for me, with a little discipline.

No one loses weight without discipline and going without occasionally. Slim people are usually slim because they do deny themselves from time to time. Forget all the crap when people say "Oh I eat and eat and eat and never put on weight" I have a friend who says the same, and actually she eats much less than me, she eats slowly and with care. I wolf food down in seconds.

But as I said before, don't beat yourself if you don't actually lose weight, perhaps aim for maintaining your weight, constantly ask yourself "am I really hungry?" and "can I swap this for something healthier?"

Start a thread in food - cheap quick healthy easy meals - explain a bit about what you want from it - i.e. not really losing weight, but not adding, etc. These threads tend to be really really good, and great for the novice cook - then you can print it out and have your very own new recipe book, courtesy of MN.

Those walks will be really good for you, and set up good habits for DS, and will help in later pregnancy, as you'll be fitter.

sorry you posted while I was posting my mega lecture post

don't buy the junk, dh won't be able to eat it if it's in the house. We have no nice biscuits (only rich tea and the occasional jaffa cake for ds) no crisps, nothing really snacky in the house usually.

Do get out and walk. Sod what anyone else thinks. I'm sure I haven't put on too much this time around because ds is so active I have to take him to the park for at least 2 hours every day.

Do you menu plan for your meals at home? It's easy to find healthy filling recipes that are cheap and quick. Things that involve beans and pulses are really cheap and filling. I will often do a chicken casserole with loads of veg, haricot beans and tomatoes with a small amount of chicken in, serve with loads of brown rice or some lovely new potatoes for a really filling meal.

Thank you, these replies are all fab, and really making me think I can do it.

I have done it before. I was a size 16-18 a few years ago, then I got to a size 10 in 10 months, and then piled it all on 2 years later when I got pregnant. I didn't eat much at all when I lost that weight though- which is why I don't know how to diet sensibly. Or on a budget as I had much more money then. I seemed to have a helluva lot of willpower too which is what I need to get back.

I've just been browsing the meal planner section on here too, could you try printing out one, and finding some recipes you'd like to try, go for ones that look healthy.

One thing that was suggested to me when I was weeping on my gps shoulder one day about my weight was the amount of meat I was eating was too much. I thought it was healthy, good for iron levels etc, but really the doc suggested we should only be having white meat once a week and red meat once a week. The rest of the time we should be having fish or veggies. Meat has so much fat, much of it saturated, so it's really quite fattening.

I make a fish pie every other week or so, but instead of using a white sauce, I'll do something like cod or monkfish chunks (or pollock I think is cheaper) in a tomato sauce with lots of vegetables, white wine and herbs put it in a dish and top with mash. It's a regular in our house too. I think what'll really help is if you can persuade dh to stop eating junk.

totallyandutterly

Sounds like you don't have a very nice neighbour

I'd be very careful about consciously trying to diet - it can be harmful to your baby as you release keratones (spelling?).

I'd echo everyone eles's advice about healthy eating though. I became pregnant when very overweight and shared a similar panic. I tried to focus on what I was putting into my body rather than dieting as such - I lost weight and discussed it with my doctor who was comfortable with my weight loss as I was eating such a healthy diet.

Gentle exercise was recommended but not anything that raises your body temperature too much.

I suggest you discuss your concerns with your GP/midwife.

But enjoy your pregnancy - you can always diet/work your arse off afterwards. It's probably not the best time to overworry about your weight.

You could try Slimming World. You need permission from your midwife but they are, I think, the only slimming club who are happy to support you while pregnant. There are plenty of things you can eat as much as you like of on Slimming World so eating to stop yourself feeling sick shouldn't be a problem. Its mainly just healthy eating and you don't need to ever be hungry.

If you look up your local group you can always talk to the consultant. In my experience they are very nice people.

Go for a walk at lunchtime every day. Wherever you work there must be somewhere you can walk. I either just walk up the road and back, or drive a few minutes up the road where there are a few fields with a public right of way. It's good for your work too - clears the head and I usually use the time to plan what I'm going to do next. It will also stand you in good stead later in pregancny.

Sometimes it can be hard to fit in exercise at other times of the day (and I'm always too tired after work anyway), so make the most of your lunchtimes.

And I just wanted to say good luck with whatever you try!

Re: the comfort eating, have you thought about the Paul Mckenna 'I Can Make You Thin' book. He works on beating cravings and controlling your impulses to over eat. I actually find him a bit weird but his tips have helped me to control my weight during this pregnancy and I hope will help me lose the weight that I'm still carrying from both other pregnancy's once DC3 is here.

A schlep round the park is a great start regarding exercise and perhaps you could try going up and down stairs (provding you have some) a couple more times a day. Also a preggo appropriate DVD would be great if your not keen on public exercising.

The healthy eating thing is a bitch but perhaps you could invest in a basic cookbook and learn 3 or 4 recipies, it may get a bit boring but at least your not then scrabbling around for idea's about what to cook. You can make any dish healthier by whacking in some extra veg and seeing where you can cut out some fat.

I'm blowing raspberries at your neighbour right now, how chuffing rude is that!!