Is It Safe to Lose Weight While You’re Pregnant?

There is a lot of pressure in our society to fall within a certain weight range. The best way to reach a healthy size is by mindful eating and reasonable amounts of exercise. Unfortunately this pressure doesn’t magically disappear with pregnancy- it often gets worse. Many moms to be struggle with weight concerns during pregnancy. And if you are anything like me, and you gained 40-50 lbs while pregnant,your doctor may be concerned. And you might want to know: can you lose weight while pregnant?

So what happens if you are pregnant with weight concerns? Can you lose weight while pregnant?

Most professionals agree dieting to lose weight is not advised while pregnant. A desire to do what’s best for both your baby and yourself might level you with questions. What if your weight gain has lead to health concerns? One of the most common is likely ”How to safely lose weight when pregnant?”

Reasons for weight concern during pregnancy

You might be considering losing weight during pregnancy if you were in an unhealthy weight range prior to pregnancy. Or experienced rapid weight gain, like I did.

Weight issues before giving birth often led to labor complications like higher instances of cesarean section, gestational diabetes, and hypertension. Severe weight issues during pregnancy are also linked to premature births and long term consequences.

What to do instead?

Talk to a medical professional about how much weight you can safely gain during pregnancy. decisions involving diet or weight loss during pregnancy.This figure is on a sliding scale based upon how close you are to healthy weight range.

Instead of telling women to aim for weight loss, women who are obese are told to reduce weight gain. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says that weight loss during pregnancy might be a consequence of holistically changes like eating and exercise but not the goal.

The National Institute of Diabetes and digestive and kidney diseases also provides healthy tips for pregnant women. Among those are suggestions of how to manage weight in a healthy way.

If you have weight concerns you may be advised to do the following:

Speak to a nutritionist

A nutritionist is a wonderful source of information on diet and weight during pregnancy. After scheduling an appointment, you will discuss short, manageable lifestyle changes that won’t hurt you or your baby.This is done by evaluating where you are vs. where you can get within a reasonable amount of time. Nutritionists and dietitians are also an excellent resource for developing eating plans.
Your nutritionist will inform you of changes to make like reducing calories. You can reduce your daily calorie intake significantly by eating smaller portions more frequently and cutting out bad fats.

Eating healthy

During pregnancy, it is important that you have a wide variety of nutrient-filled foods. Increasing the amounts of fruits and vegetables whole grains vitamin D and protein that you have from day today is an important part of establishing a balanced diet during pregnancy.

Limiting salts solid fats and sugar sweetened foods and drinks will increase the amount of nutrients you are getting while decreasing the amount of fat filled calories you are getting from day to day.

Incorporating reasonable amounts of exercise

Adding 30 minutes of physical activity each day can make a significant difference in weight related issues. Exercise during pregnancy does not have to be Hardcore gym workouts. Light walks swimming and yard work are all examples of acceptable forms of physical activity.

Ignoring myths

Many weight-related pregnancy concerns can be resolved by avoiding pregnancy myths. An example of this is that once you become pregnant, you are eating for two- This is not accurate and the number of extra calories required per day increases gradually depending on what stage you are in your pregnancy. The first three months of pregnancy many women don’t require extra calories at all, and for some, the same applies during the last few weeks.

Can you lose weight while pregnant? Yes, however, it is important that this is done with the intention of long-term health changes as opposed to short, intense diet plans with the goal of using large amounts of weight. If you wonder if you should lose weight while pregnant, always speak with your doctor first. Together, you can determine your best course of action.

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(Image:  iStock / adrian825)

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