If you are on a diet and then find out you are pregnant?

[dejags]

I am a porker and have finally decided that enough's enough. I have joined an online dieting programme and am determined to shift the flab.

there is a slim chance I may be pregnant - the diet designed for me (based on height, age and current weight) specifies that my daily calorie intake shouldn't exceed 1150 calories a day. What's the minimum required for a healthy pregnancy (if indeed there is one)?

The diet is nutrition based, so there's no fear that I'll not be getting what I need from a nutritional perspective i.e. not an atkins or fad type diet.

anybody?

Hi dejags - I think you only need an extra 200 cals per day in pregnancy - as long as it is a helathy and nutritionally balanced diet you should be okay - 1150 does sound quite low though - I would up it to at least 1500 if I were you. I am no expert though!

Oh crikey dejags, I don't know, but I am in a similar position (TTC, no luck yet). Approx 1800 calories per day is for an average healthy adult, I think 20 points on WW is approx 1500 calories. How about just eating sensibly, and cutting out the rubbish. It will take longer to lose, but you know you are eating the right foods.

I think if you look around, you will find information saying that you don't need any extra calories until the third trimester at which point, you need something like 200 calories extra per day. But that is based on the normal calorie intake of 2,000 calories per day for a woman - more or less depending on build. Don't know if there is an actual minimum intake though - I guess people with severe morning sickness probably have a very low calorie intake! Why not ask the people running the dieting programme - they should be able to tell you whether their diet is safe to be followed when pregnant...

I was on a detox when I found out I was pregnant and ditched it immediately. Personally, I wouldn't risk it as the first trimester is very important in developmental terms. So, if it were me, I'd find out whether or not I was pregnant asap and, if so, stop the diet! You will probably lose the weight after the birth if, like me, you breastfeed, forget/don't have time to eat and carry the baby around in a sling everywhere...

thanks all.

If I am pregnant I'll just try to eat healthily this time (instead of eating like a horse for 9 months).

From what I read a good "normal" calorie intake is around 2000 - 2300 for women. So I'll make sure I don't go lower than that.

You really really shouldn't diet stringently while pregnant apparently, dejags. Breakdown of fat = keytones = risk of harm to the baby from a quick google i just did. Do a pregnancy test and if + abandon diet but eat as healthily and balancedly as possible aqnd try not to put on loads more weight, maybe?

x-posted. You've already suggested my suggestion

agreed Scummymummy, I'll stick to a junk free diet with lots of water.

You'd have a heart attack if you knew how junk I eat.

When travelling it's much easier to just snack on junk - I have put on 11lbs .

I assume that there will be no harm just cutting out the rubbish?

Nah- can't be any harm in that, surely?