LOSING WEIGHT WHILE PREGNANT

Many women gain considerable weight during pregnancy. If this phenomenon, from which men are definitely spared, is completely normal during this period, it is however important to put limits on this weight gain and take measures in the event of excessive overweight.

It is possible to lose weight and lose weight during pregnancy. If you are one of those women who want to lose weight without compromising your health and that of the baby in your belly, discover this overview on the advice to follow and everything you need to know.

Summary

Why do women gain weight during pregnancy?

Gaining weight, an almost inevitable step

Pregnancy is a particularly delicate period for women, especially in terms of their weight and their figure. Getting fat is almost systematic as long as you carry your little man inside you.

Lose weight pregnant

Weight gain is almost unavoidable during pregnancy.

But have you really wondered where these extra pounds come from? The first reason is very simple: you are eating for two. This little man seems tiny, but he requires a maximum intake of calories and especially nutrients and vitamins to ensure his growth and development.

Also during pregnancy, the body changes and prepares for the birth of the baby. On average, during the whole period, the volume of the breasts increases by half a kilo, the placenta is around 0.6 kg, the amniotic fluid weighs 1 kg, fat reserves are automatically formed and weigh about 3 kg , without forgetting the baby who weighs an average of 3.5 kg.

All this little surplus accumulates and, in the end, you panic the scale without really understanding why. Generally, it is from the fourth month of pregnancy that women begin to gain weight.

Causes beyond their control

It is true that this phenomenon is not unanimous and there are women who gain almost no weight when they are pregnant and without even carrying out the slightest diet. However, the majority will not escape, but there is no need to panic.

Indeed, almost all women who are overweight during pregnancy automatically lose weight once the baby is born. If getting fat is mandatory, you must understand that it is not too much your fault, but several factors come into play.

First, the hormones secreted during pregnancy boost the appetite of expectant mothers, which makes them a bit greedy. They rarely notice this increase in volume of the food they ingest and only notice the damage in front of the scale or the mirror.

Secondly, water retention and edema also appear in the feet or hands, leading to a subsequent increase in weight around the seventh month of pregnancy.

What is normal” weight gain during pregnancy?

Not every pregnant woman gets fat in the same way. On average, weight gain varies between 9 and 13 kg, but much finer women can gain up to twenty kilos.

Thus, depending on your starting corpulence, the increased “normal” weight will change. For example, for a thin woman, the tolerated weight increase is between 12.5 and 18 kg, a thin woman can gain weight between 11.5 and 16 kg, a woman who was overweight before pregnancy or obese should not take more than 10 kg.

In order to know in which category you are, monitor your BMI or body mass index. Calculate yours by dividing your weight in kilograms by the square of your height in meters.

Below 18 you are thin. Between 18 and 25, you are in the normal size. Beyond that you are overweight and if you exceed 30 you are obese.

Which categories of pregnant women should think about losing weight?

During pregnancy, it is out of the question to decide to lose weight anyhow. Your health and that of the baby in your belly depend on it. You must check with your doctor and gynecologist before starting any weight loss diet.

Lose weight pregnant

If you decide to lose weight while pregnant, you must be followed by a doctor.

As mentioned above, weight gain is a systematic and normal step during pregnancy. However, if it becomes too much, it could harm your baby and your delivery. The baby may arrive too prematurely or the delivery may have to be by caesarean section.

To monitor your weight gain, get yourself a scale and when you find that you dangerously exceed 20 kg gained, you must seriously consider losing weight.

What if you want to lose weight while pregnant?

If you want to lose weight when you are pregnant, bitter a draconian diet similar to the time when you were not yet pregnant is inconceivable. Your body should shed excess pounds gradually, but not abruptly so as not to harm the baby in your womb. Here are some practical tips to follow.

Favor quality over quantity

It is true that pregnant women tend to eat anything and everything, especially filling foods. What matters is not eating more, but eating better.

Indeed, a diet that is too high in calories and low in nutrients and vitamins will only bring you extra pounds and almost nothing for the baby. On the other hand, if you favor a balanced diet, it will be beneficial both for you, but especially for your baby.

If you used to eat all the fast food junk, like pizza, burgers and sodas, turn to good healthy dishes cooked at home, balancing meat, vegetables and fruits.

Since you want to lose weight, it is essential to limit what you eat and avoid overeating. Don't give in to your cravings and when it's time to eat, choose healthy food and drink plenty of water.

Vary the diet

A piece of advice for also losing weight during your pregnancy: vary your diet. Indeed, changing the menu frequently prevents you from getting bored quickly and keeps the motivation to eat healthy and balanced, especially if you are not used to it.

Sometimes it's hard to keep up with cravings, especially the usual unhealthy diet. So take the time to carefully prepare your quality dishes so that your taste buds will love them every time it's time to eat.

Finally, do not forget the dessert which will obviously be fresh fruit and not a slice of cake. It will bring complete satiety to your stomach and a surplus of vitamins and nutrients for the body and for the baby in your belly.

Limit certain foods

Although your goal is to lose weight during pregnancy, there is no need to permanently banish certain foods from your diet.

Lose weight pregnant

Your diet must remain balanced during pregnancy, even if you want to lose weight

However, you must be careful to limit their consumption so as not to lead to more overweight and possible health problems. For example, foods loaded with high glycemic index sugars such as cakes, jam and sweets should be limited as much as possible, not excluded.

Indeed, this type of food can very quickly create severe hypoglycemia following their consumption. When you are hungry and you take them, they will boost the production of insulin which will cause a craving in the hours following their consumption, which again leads to snacking.

For example, at breakfast, prefer unsweetened cereals or wholemeal bread and oatmeal. You'll be full throughout the morning and won't feel hugely hungry at snack time.

You can still allow yourself a little whim a week without abusing it. To help you avoid overeating, do not eat these treats when you are hungry, but eat something else first, which will then limit your consumption.

Opt for a suitable sport

Many women believe that playing sports is detrimental to the baby. On the contrary, moving is as beneficial for the future mother as for the growth of the baby, except, of course, if the doctor prohibits it.

However, not every sport is suitable for the situation and it is important to identify the physical activity that you are going to practice according to its intensity, its difficulty to be carried out and the duration of each training session. Sports are perfectly adapted to pregnant women.

You can practice, for example, walking which is particularly recommended to facilitate vaginal delivery. If you can swim, take the plunge and do some swimming or water aerobics. The idea is not to get tired doing lengths, but to move moderately in the water. Just moving in the water is physical exercise.

Yoga is also recommended and full of virtue, especially if you are stressed on a daily basis. This activity combines low intensity sport and relaxation.

Whatever sport you play, go at your own pace without killing yourself. Do not set weight loss as your only goal, but above all have fun. This is one of the times when you can forget the stress and the little glitches associated with pregnancy. As far as possible, get the assistance of a sports coach or a loved one to help you in the event of a problem.

Lose weight pregnant

It is quite possible to play sports during pregnancy, but some rules must be respected

Typical example of power supply proper maintenance during pregnancy

If you want to lose weight without suffering from a restricted diet during your pregnancy, here is a typical day to follow that guarantees you an optimal supply of nutrients and vitamins without excess calories or deficiency.

At breakfast, take a usual hot drink, a dairy product, 2 slices of wholemeal bread or cereals with little sugar and a piece of fruit. Use honey for sweetening, but not diced sugar.

As a morning snack, you can take a bit of biscuit or dairy.

At lunch, eat meat or fish, some raw vegetables and 2 slices of bread or a portion of starchy foods. Have a fruit for dessert.

Your afternoon snack can consist of low-fat dairy or 2 slices of wholemeal bread spread with hazelnut butter.

At dinner, opt for a good vegetable soup and poultry or eggs.

Special diet slimming foods to avoid during pregnancy

When you are relatively overweight, you are sometimes tempted to follow a slimming diet or consume powerful fat-burning products.

However, these alternatives are strongly discouraged during your pregnancy. Indeed, these methods are more or less drastic and risk affecting the health of the baby.

Here are the foods to avoid during your weight loss period.

Light products

Whether it's yogurts, light sodas, this kind of product is not recommended for future mothers. Indeed, these modified products risk creating nutritional deficiencies if you consume them over time. If you want to consume strong appetite suppressants, talk to your doctor first.

Sweeteners

Sweeteners are certainly low in calories, but are mainly chemical. However, this can be very dangerous for the fetus. The sweeteners to absolutely avoid are those that contain aspartame which has phenylalanine. This is an amino acid that is toxic to many babies, especially those who are prone to an inherited condition, phenylketonuria.

High protein products

Anything full of protein, especially bars and cans, should be avoided during pregnancy. Although these products are excellent meal replacements while being low in calories, they do not compensate for the minimum nutritional intake that a pregnant woman and her baby need.

In addition, your calorie rate will drop too low of the minimum acceptable threshold for a pregnant woman. It will follow a lot of fatigue and stress as well as a loss of muscles.

Conclusion

Losing weight during pregnancy is perfectly possible. However, you must remain reasonable and allow time for the body to lose the pounds. Avoid attacking her in any way (draconian diet, intensive physical activity, etc.) and tell yourself that after childbirth, your body will gradually return to its previous state, with a few efforts that will no longer harm your your baby.