Losing Weight: Is it Safe During Pregnancy?
Weight gain and weight loss during pregnancy has always been a hotly contested topic among moms-to-be and the medical profession alike. For years, doctors advised women to keep their weight gain to no more than 25 pounds during pregnancy, with many doctors urging even less weight gain for women who are overweight before becoming pregnant. In 2009, the Institute of Medicine lowered the recommended weight gain during pregnancy from 15 pounds to 11 pounds or less for obese women, and a pilot study was examining the impact of zero weight gain during pregnancy. The recommendation concerns some doctors, who fear that the advice meant for plus-size women could be misconstrued by women of average weight and lead them to believe that dieting during pregnancy is healthy. So what's your best option?
Follow Dietary Recommendations
Healthy babies require specific nutrients in specific amounts during your pregnancy. The USDA has set out dietary recommendations for the number of and types of food portions that you should eat during your pregnancy for a healthy baby. Instead of focusing on how many pounds you gain or lose while you're expecting, concentrate on eating the right foods in the right amounts. If you stick to the recommended guidelines, you'll be eating the right amount of calories and the right mix of nutrients to feed yourself and your baby properly. If you're plus-size, that may indeed lead to a weight loss rather than a weight gain - but it may not. As long as you're eating within the recommended guidelines, you should be fine.
Consult Your Doctor
Your doctor or midwife should know your intentions so he or she won't be alarmed by your weight loss. Make it clear to your medical professional that you're not on a restrictive diet and are eating the recommended amounts and nutrients. If she's still concerned, keep a food diary to show her that you are, indeed, eating a healthy diet.
Unplanned Weight Loss
During early pregnancy, there are many things that can cause weight loss, including morning sickness and nausea. If you can't eat because you're always queasy, you'll likely lose weight. Talk to your doctor about your concerns. He'll want to know how your appetite is and may recommend that you drink protein shakes or something similar to ensure that you're getting the nutrients you need for a healthy pregnancy.
Post-Pregnancy Weight Loss
A top concern of most pregnant women is how to lose weight after the baby is born. Typically, after a 25 to 30 pound weight gain during pregnancy, there will be about 5 pounds to lose after the birth. If you breastfeed, you may find that the weight drops off without effort. That's because breastfeeding uses up many additional calories.
If you're intent on losing weight during your pregnancy, consult your doctor and a nutritionist to make sure that you're getting all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients you and your baby need.
Follow Dietary Recommendations
Healthy babies require specific nutrients in specific amounts during your pregnancy. The USDA has set out dietary recommendations for the number of and types of food portions that you should eat during your pregnancy for a healthy baby. Instead of focusing on how many pounds you gain or lose while you're expecting, concentrate on eating the right foods in the right amounts. If you stick to the recommended guidelines, you'll be eating the right amount of calories and the right mix of nutrients to feed yourself and your baby properly. If you're plus-size, that may indeed lead to a weight loss rather than a weight gain - but it may not. As long as you're eating within the recommended guidelines, you should be fine.
Consult Your Doctor
Your doctor or midwife should know your intentions so he or she won't be alarmed by your weight loss. Make it clear to your medical professional that you're not on a restrictive diet and are eating the recommended amounts and nutrients. If she's still concerned, keep a food diary to show her that you are, indeed, eating a healthy diet.
Unplanned Weight Loss
During early pregnancy, there are many things that can cause weight loss, including morning sickness and nausea. If you can't eat because you're always queasy, you'll likely lose weight. Talk to your doctor about your concerns. He'll want to know how your appetite is and may recommend that you drink protein shakes or something similar to ensure that you're getting the nutrients you need for a healthy pregnancy.
Post-Pregnancy Weight Loss
A top concern of most pregnant women is how to lose weight after the baby is born. Typically, after a 25 to 30 pound weight gain during pregnancy, there will be about 5 pounds to lose after the birth. If you breastfeed, you may find that the weight drops off without effort. That's because breastfeeding uses up many additional calories.
If you're intent on losing weight during your pregnancy, consult your doctor and a nutritionist to make sure that you're getting all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients you and your baby need.
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