Pregnancy after weight loss

[Eresh]

I'm so excited to have a BFP and this is very much a wanted baby, but now I have to figure out how to deal with my eating and weight issues.

I've been overweight and on the edge of obese for many years, gained 40 lbs with DS, and ended up again quite overweight after. I joined Weight Watchers in June 2009 and lost 35 lbs, putting myself within a normal weight range. I wasn't quite at my target weight but was very happy with my slimmer, healthier body.

Now that I'm pregnant I know I should not restrict my calories (and I'm not) but I also am deathly afraid of putting on a lot of extra weight. My eating so far this week has not been the kind of healthy eating I've gotten used to since June. I went out of town for a business presentation and had a catered dinner with wonderful, wonderful hors d'ouvres and desserts (that I ate too much of) and today was DS's birthday party (and I ate 2 pieces of cake). My goal this pregnancy is to NOT eat all that sugar that I did last time both for my own health and for my baby's health.

I would love to hear the experiences and advice of other ladies who've gotten pregnant after weight loss. How did you manage the emotional aspect of maintaining a healthy weight gain? How did you maintain healthy eating habits (and recover from those oopsy days of too much cake)?

[MaerynPearl]

The best thing you can do is just keep eating healthy and keep exercising. Dont watch your calories but try to keep gaining weight while eating healthy.

If someone offers you cake, politely decline. If you have to... just tell them you have issues with sugar during your pregnancy. They will likely take this to mean you have gestational diabetes, even if you don't really mean it. You should not feel pressured to eat for two or to have dessert just because you have a little one in you... you should feel like eating healthy is necessary for them.

I lost 15 pounds prior to this pregnancy and am trying not to put more weight on than the 15 pounds my midwife suggests (my bmi is still fairly high) I have put on 1 pound already and am 7 1/2 weeks... but I wont beat myself up over it! Ive been eating a lot of little healthy meals rather than big unhealthy ones so that 1 pound of weight gain is not bad weight! Maybe its muscle for all I know? After all I am still exercising.

Good luck and I know we are not alone, there are a ton of us out here who want to keep an eye on our bad-weight while gaining good-weight with our pregnancies!

ETA - FWIW, I gained 50 pounds with DS and 42 pounds with DD... if I ONLY gain 15 pounds this one that will be a huge deal to me, better than the 15 pound weight loss I had pre-pregnancy! because I have this hard time not giving into the bad cravings...

[tri31]

Congratulations!! It is only natural to feel apprehensive, it will be okay. Just stick to your newly learned habits. Keep moving your blessed new body. I lost 40pounds prior to getting pregnant. I am focused on gifting this baby with the best possible nutrients. Did I eat some of ds birthday cake this week. Of course. But tonight my treat was a lush green indulgent salad. Hope you have a great pregnancy.

[Tiffanoodle]

I know exactly where you're coming from. I lost 50 pounds last year and was looking forward to taking off the other 50 I need gone when I got pregnant. I wasn't all too worried about the first tri. I am generally very sick the first 14 weeks or so. With my first, I was not overweight to start but I gained 50 pounds after the 6 month point. With 2 and 3 I was very overweight to begin with. I gained only 10 and 2 pounds, respectively. This time I wasn't really as sick as I was with the other 2 and I have not been able to stomach anything even remotely healthy. Somehow, I was able to make it to 18w3d without gaining. I'm actually down a couple pounds!

I'm trying to keep up on my water intake, stay as active as I can, and eat as healthy as I can. I'm not counting calories (AT ALL) but just eating small meals/snacks and never eating past the point where I'm full. Pregnancy definitely does not mean gaining a ton of weight. However, it does mean that you won't be continuing the weight loss. Don't get down on yourself if you have an "oopsy" day. Just remember that you're eating *healthy* for 2.

[at_the_hip]

TBH, the best thing I did for my weight issues during pg was to decline weight checks. I gain much less NOT being weighed because I don't have that fear before each appointment, obsessing over what 'heavy' clothes or shoes I might be wearing, if I drank too much water, ate too much last week, etc...that would lead to me undereating the week before, and overeating afterward.

For my last 3 pgs I have declined weight checks entirely...I have done some at home IF I want to, but it isn't anyone's concern but mine. I honestly gained a LOT less doing this because it was causing me way too much stress at the appt's. My MW don't mind one bit. I aim for at least 80% good food (after the 1st tri because with m/s nausea, what stays down, goes in). I don't beat myself up about it, and I know I can nurse and exercise it off afterward.

[lifeguard]

I lost 70lbs before I got pregnant for ds. I must admit I found it VERY stressful to see (some of) the weight come back on. I wish I had something profound to tell you but I really don't. Just try to focus on the growing life & being healthy for both of you.

[curvyred]

I know it can be VERY emotionally difficult to watch those numbers rise! I've lost almost 100 pounds over the last year and a half, with another 60 to lose (prepreg weight.) I had stalled out for a couple months before I found out I was pregnant (not paying as much attention to food) and was JUST getting back into weight loss mode when I found out I'm pregnant.

I think the advice you got so far is good--just keep moving and trying to make the best choices you can.

As for scales, only you can determine whether weighing will help or hurt. I weigh all the time, usually morning and night, but it HELPS me to see the crazy fluctuations from morning to night and recognize how much of this is just water/hormones/crazy stuff. I maintained first trimester and am up about 7 pounds at the 21 week mark. I was also hoping to aim for about a 15 pound gain, but I'm trying to focus on healthy eating and keeping active rather than a calorie number.

Hang in there! Congratulations on your weight loss! I'm sure your feet and back will be thanking you for the 15 pounds less weight you have to carry every day!

[is it puppies?]

I was on weight watchers when I became pregnant. I had lost 30lbs over the spring/summer and was maintaining fairly well and losing some here and there (I still could have lost another 20lbs to hit a good weight). I decided to use up my last meeting tickets after I got pregnant but found that eating what I wanted when I wanted (trying to be healthy, somewhat) was the only way to keep myself from getting sick. I had to keep a pretty full belly at all times and eat what I could handle, and NEVER go without eating like I would on meeting day! I couldn't even sleep though the night without getting up to eat or I'd feel too sick! I stopped going to the meetings after 2 more it was too depressing to weigh in! I am looking forward to using those few leftover tickets once the baby comes!
I gained about 12lbs at my first GP weigh in and by the next one it was 20 all together. I am feeling so much better now and could probably watch what I am eating better but it's really hard to get into the foods that I was eating a lot of on WW. Of course I was into a LOT of salads, veggies, chicken and seafood, and I actually have an aversion to chicken now, I can only eat a really good quality fish or it grosses me out, I am trying to limit seafood (which I still love but it's not healthy!) and veggies and salads just don't appeal to me. I have managed to get back into portion control and salads somewhat and now my stomach doesn't seem to hold as much so I am getting a better handle on things again, however once again I am starting to feel wretched if I am not eating(but I don't have to eat as much or as heavy of foods). I am pretty sure that by now (22 weeks) I have gained my 30lbs back, but it is mostly in the belly/breast so I am hoping it is going to come off somewhat easily and that the rest of the gain will just be baby weight! (depending what kind of symptoms my body throws at me now!)

[Galatea]

I was 205 when dd was born and got down to 135 before getting pg again, so I feel your pain. I have gained 50 lbs with each child and don't have much hope of gaining any less this time. I am focusing on how I was able to lose 70 lbs last time, so clearly I will be able to do it again.

[Eresh]

Thank you everyone for your experiences and advice. I'm feeling better today and back on track with eating healthy. It sounds like I'll just have to take every day as it comes and really just try to ignore those numbers going up.