theoretical ? about weight gain - Page 3

[indignantgirl]

 I've been a vegan for 10 years, eating a VERY whole foods and high raw diet (sometimes 100% raw for extended periods of time) and it was a struggle to get below a size 10 in jeans.  Size 12 seems to be my "default", though, and I always return to that. So...overweight according to the charts, I guess, but not VERY overweight. 

Nonetheless, on my very nutrient-dense diet I still gain 45 lbs total, about 15 lbs per trimester.  I never have morning sickness, blood pressure or blood sugar issues, my ankles never swell, and I have fast, easy unassisted births of average-sized 7lb-ish babies.  At the end of my pregnancy I look normal-but-voluptuous in the body but with a huge beachball belly. 

So while I KNOW I gain more than is recommended (and why do I gain 15 lbs in the first trimester, where is THAT going?) and believe me, it's incredibly frustrating with my LONG history of eating disorder, I know that it must be normal for me since I have such normal outcomes.

I think there is such a range of what is "normal", and it worries me that the article that the OP referenced will be used to encourage average-weight women to gain as little weight as possible, since it apparently is healthy for overweight women.

[Lauren82]

I have found that I tend to gain about the same amount of weight with my pregnancies no matter what my starting weight is. During my 2nd pregnancy I ate ridiculously healthy and gained just as much weight as I did the other two times where I indulged in plenty of sweets.

I am happy to let my body do it's thing. I know that I have plenty of time to get the weight off after the baby is born. I think that gaining some weight during pregnancy is important, you're growing a new life. Baby needs nutrients and fat.

[ibusymomto5]

For me, it isn't so much how much weight I gain that I care about as it is what kind of weight I gain. I try to eat healthy, plenty of protein, lots of fresh produce, whole grains, some healthy fat everyday, and lots of water, but I also don't do it so strictly that I don't allow myself some treats here and there. I find I can get away with those treats a lot easier if I stick with exercise. Consistent, fairly strenuous exercise seems to be the key to me gaining 25lbs vs. 50lbs. My pregnancies that I've kept with the exercise to the end and have kept my weight gain in the 25-30lbs range have left me feeling much healthier and happier postpartum than the ones where I was more sedentary and gained 45-50lbs. I'm small framed and only 5'2", have babies that are over 8lbs, and 25-30lbs seems to be ideal for me. Not that I would purposely try, but I don't think I could only gain 10-15lbs if I tried. It's just not how my body works. I think everyone is different though. I have a friend who is a little overweight and only gains 10-15lbs each time and has super healthy pregnancies and babies. Oddly enough, though, she tends to really gain while nursing where as I steadily lose. Everyone is just different, and I think the main concern should be trying to eat as healthy as you can and if possible get in some good exercise and let nature take care of the rest.