dieting affects fertility?

[samy23]

I started dieting and exercising but am concerned it could make it more difficult to conceive, could this be true?

[JMJ]

Getting yourself to a healthy weight and fitness level is good for TTC. If you are overweight, you may have difficulties getting pregnant, and you may put yourself at a greater risk for problems while you are pregnant.

Crash dieting or over-exercising can also have a negative effect on your fertility. Your body needs to maintain a certain body fat percentage in order to function well enough to get pregnant. From what I can tell of the research, it seems like women do better carrying around a little bit (but not too much) extra when they're TTC than what would normally keep them healthy.

If you feel like your weight would put you at risk for developing problems during pregnancy, by all means, diet and exercise. I would suggest, though, that you follow a diet based on eating a balanced diet with more fruits and vegetables and fewer empty calories rather than one that is based on cutting out one of the food groups or starving yourself. As far as exercise is concerned, I would suggest easing yourself into a moderate exercise schedule rather than training for a marathon.

Losing 1/2 to 1 lb a week is fine. I would be concerned about getting pregnant while losing much more than that. Then, when you get pregnant, stop losing weight. Keep active, but eat more. Pregnancy is not the time to go on a diet.

Also, I noticed from your signature that you already have one child. Since every woman is different, it is hard to set guidelines for how much a woman should weigh to conceive. If you remember what weight you were when you conceived her, that might be a good weight to shoot for when TTC #2. If you had problems with high blood pressure or gestational diabetes when you were pregnant with your first, you may consider getting your weight a little lower before TTC #2.