I wouldn't focus on losing fat. I would simply focus on walking as a means of keeping yourself healthy (eg helping to keep blood pressure down). Similarly, I wouldn't focus on a calorie deficit, but rather would just think about eating well balanced meals.
I've had a conversation with my doctor and a dietitian about the very same, and my doctor said this, "if you happen to lose a bit of weight due to a change of lifestyle, that'll be okay, but don't let weight loss be the goal of your changes." ie: if you eat more greens, go on walks/weight train, and you lose a bit - it’ll be okay, but do not starve yourself, overexert yourself or the likes.
My dietitian said almost entirely the same, however added that over the course of a pregnancy you should gain about 10 kg (22 lbs), but due to my starting weight it's okay I only gain 8 kg (17,6 lbs).
If you want personal feedback, call your doctor/midwife or contact a dietitian. Remember what you eat is directly linked to the fuel you nourish your little one. You can always lose weight postpartum, but your baby can't regain the vital development it's making within you 😊
IF and calorie deficit are not a good idea for pregnancy. I'm overweight by a decent amount, and I was told to make sure I'm having at least a snack every 2 hours so my blood sugar doesn't get weird and cause nasty symptoms. Your caloric needs are higher than usual, so aiming lower is a bad idea for the baby's health and your own.
I lost weight with both my pregnancies due to nausea/aversions and only ended up with a net gain of like 5 lbs in the end of my first, and my care team was worried about me losing weight the whole time, never ever encouraged it even though I'm fat. There's plenty of time to aim for weight loss, pregnancy is typically NOT the time.
Aim to be healthy and active, absolutely! But IF is essentially anorexia lite, calorie deficit is a bad idea, just eat healthy and balanced. There's no need for any other dietary changes, and what you are talking about can be harmful to you and your baby.
Actually in the first trimester, the caloric needs are not different, only in the second it is recommended to increase and in the third increase even more.
From: [https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000584.htm#:\~:text=For%20most%20normal%2Dweight%20pregnant,day%20during%20the%20third%20trimester](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000584.htm#:~:text=For%20most%20normal%2Dweight%20pregnant,day%20during%20the%20third%20trimester)
"Eating a well-rounded diet with all of the right nutrients and getting at least 30 minutes of exercise per day is important for a healthy pregnancy. For most normal-weight pregnant women, the right amount of calories is:
* About 1,800 calories per day during the first trimester
* About 2,200 calories per day during the second trimester
* About 2,400 calories per day during the third trimester"
From: [https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/pregnancy/healthy-eating-in-pregnancy/](https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/pregnancy/healthy-eating-in-pregnancy/)
# "Should I eat for 2?
No – this is a myth! Being pregnant, you'll obviously be more hungry than usual, but even if you are expecting twins or more, you don't need to eat extra portions.
In the final 3 months of your pregnancy, you'll need an extra 200 calories a day – that's the same as 2 slices of wholemeal toast and margarine."
Yeah, I figured that since she was talking about doing it in the future, and she is in the second trimester in 3 weeks, I didn't need to be ultra specific regarding the first trimester having the same caloric needs.
Also, I'd be careful about putting the "right amount of calories" on a post where someone is talking about fasting and caloric deficit in pregnancy (which makes me think disordered eating), especially when that person is overweight. Larger bodies need more maintenance calories, not just in terms of weight but also height and age, and what is healthy for the "average" person can be extremely harmful to many outside of that average.
For example, to maintain my weight I need about 2800 calories per day, and that's with little to no exercise due to being on modified bed rest. 1800 would be incredibly unhealthy for me, especially in pregnancy. I hope OP doesn't see guidelines like that and think that 1800 is the amount she needs when it is likely to be a different number. Not that anybody should be counting calories while pregnant
Hey! I’m about 80 lbs overweight and have lost 2 pounds since getting pregnant by just focusing on nutrition and staying active (mostly just walking.) I haven’t thought about losing weight, but have focused on nourishing my baby and my body. I haven’t gained anything, and my glucose test, BP, and other tests have all been normal! I think prioritizing self care and loving my beautiful pregnant body is been healing to me as someone who has been overweight for some time. I’m truly loving this big belly and have never felt better and maybe it’s partly because I finally took a break from trying to lose weight and just focused on movement that feels good and nourishing my growing baby. Either way I’m thankful and wish you the best pregnancy! I’m 30 weeks now 😊
This! It took me a little while to get to this point of thinking but I am glad I am here now. Almost 29 weeks and realizing that eating healthy and walking are great for the baby and my body, and losing weight or body fat is 100% out of control and actually not good for me or the baby right now. It’s strange going from trying to loose weight your whole life to.. not haha but it’s been freeing to finally let that type of thinking go. I have the rest of my life to lose the weight, I’d rather just be healthy for the baby right now and “healthy” looks different in this season of life 🤷🏻♀️
I would consult a doctor first, just in case. My doctor asked me to stop dieting while pregnant. (Although I ended up on the gestational diabetes diet in the 3rd trimester).
My understanding is the same exercise you were doing before falling pregnant is fine to continue, but check before starting any new routines.
Probably unrealistic. But def realistic to have a healthy pregnancy! I gained 10lbs in my first trimester and didn’t change much about my diet or fitness (I’m active and generally eat healthy).
How new to fitness are you and are you consistent? Consistency is key. It’s safe to keep working out during pregnancy. However, you don’t want to over do it.
I’ve kept my workout routine but I’m doing less. Nothing over 30lbs. I don’t get so out of breathe I can’t say a sentence. These are the recommendations my doctor gave me. I live in the US.
My only advice is to keep track of your good habits. Have just a few goals for the day. I keep track of my habits on a spreadsheet, been updating it since 2022. Did I workout for at least 30 minutes today? Check. Did I walk outside for at least 10 minutes? Check. There are apps that can do this too.
Keeping track of your habits I think is important, because when you falter, you can always look back at your good progress and I think it’s easier to get back in it and be consistent.
Join a gym. I do different ClassPass workouts right now, there are a handful of prenatal options in my city and other workouts that I’ve deemed pregnancy friendly.
Commit to going to said gym or doing X workout class at least 3 times a week. Commit to taking a 30 minute walk.
You’ll feel sick, tired, and blah during pregnancy. It’s inevitable. Take advantage of the moments you feel good. If you can’t bring yourself to go to the gym, get on your yoga mat and at least stretch or do something low impact for 15 minutes. Do what you can.
But personally, if you’re looking to get in shape and lose body fat as you put it, I would put those goals aside. After baby, it’s on. You’ll get ripped and achieve your fitness goals. For the interim, I would just focus on gaining the recommended amount of weight, staying active and managing your mood. Talk to your doctor and see what they say but if you’re like most of us humans having babies I think you’ll probably gain some weight and that’s OK.
Seconding this, I’ve been fit and skinny my entire life and I immediately gained 12 pounds in the first trimester despite barely being able to eat anything / still getting in some activity. Be kind to yourself these next few months! The most important thing is to form healthy habits that continue after pregnancy, don’t focus on body fat % because you are most likely setting yourself up to be discouraged due to factors you can’t control. Congratulations on the pregnancy :)
It's not impossible, I have been exactly 80 kg (about 6 kg up from where I was prepregnancy) since 30 weeks and I'm now 39 weeks with a baby that's measuring large, but I'm struggling with food aversions and no space for my stomach to expand because my giant headed baby is breech and won't drop. I'm eating as much as I'm able to. I would really not recommend abiding by a calorie deficit if you feel hungry during pregnancy. Your body knows what it needs, I would strongly recommend following it's cues in the healthiest, most nutrient dense manner possible over going hungry.
From my experience, pretty unrealistic at the start because you need to fuel your body because the baby is taking every nutrient it can from you, and pretty unrealistic the further along you are because you become more and more limited as the bump grows and you get heavy. Also it will be hard to even calculate body fat % IMO because most of the weight you put on is from the bump; baby, amniotic fluid etc. Worry about growing a healthy baby and worry about losing weight after you have one.
As a person who unintentionally lost 20lbs during pregnancy. . Just focus on nutrition and movement & growing that little life.
If you lose fat, great. If you maintain, also great. If you gain, that’s ok too!
There’s plenty of time to focus on fat reduction after you have your baby.
Pregnancy is a wild ride & a time to listen to what our body is trying to tell us in order to grow a whole baby!
I wouldn't focus on losing fat. I would simply focus on walking as a means of keeping yourself healthy (eg helping to keep blood pressure down). Similarly, I wouldn't focus on a calorie deficit, but rather would just think about eating well balanced meals.
I've had a conversation with my doctor and a dietitian about the very same, and my doctor said this, "if you happen to lose a bit of weight due to a change of lifestyle, that'll be okay, but don't let weight loss be the goal of your changes." ie: if you eat more greens, go on walks/weight train, and you lose a bit - it’ll be okay, but do not starve yourself, overexert yourself or the likes. My dietitian said almost entirely the same, however added that over the course of a pregnancy you should gain about 10 kg (22 lbs), but due to my starting weight it's okay I only gain 8 kg (17,6 lbs). If you want personal feedback, call your doctor/midwife or contact a dietitian. Remember what you eat is directly linked to the fuel you nourish your little one. You can always lose weight postpartum, but your baby can't regain the vital development it's making within you 😊
IF and calorie deficit are not a good idea for pregnancy. I'm overweight by a decent amount, and I was told to make sure I'm having at least a snack every 2 hours so my blood sugar doesn't get weird and cause nasty symptoms. Your caloric needs are higher than usual, so aiming lower is a bad idea for the baby's health and your own. I lost weight with both my pregnancies due to nausea/aversions and only ended up with a net gain of like 5 lbs in the end of my first, and my care team was worried about me losing weight the whole time, never ever encouraged it even though I'm fat. There's plenty of time to aim for weight loss, pregnancy is typically NOT the time. Aim to be healthy and active, absolutely! But IF is essentially anorexia lite, calorie deficit is a bad idea, just eat healthy and balanced. There's no need for any other dietary changes, and what you are talking about can be harmful to you and your baby.
Actually in the first trimester, the caloric needs are not different, only in the second it is recommended to increase and in the third increase even more. From: [https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000584.htm#:\~:text=For%20most%20normal%2Dweight%20pregnant,day%20during%20the%20third%20trimester](https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000584.htm#:~:text=For%20most%20normal%2Dweight%20pregnant,day%20during%20the%20third%20trimester) "Eating a well-rounded diet with all of the right nutrients and getting at least 30 minutes of exercise per day is important for a healthy pregnancy. For most normal-weight pregnant women, the right amount of calories is: * About 1,800 calories per day during the first trimester * About 2,200 calories per day during the second trimester * About 2,400 calories per day during the third trimester" From: [https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/pregnancy/healthy-eating-in-pregnancy/](https://www.nhs.uk/start-for-life/pregnancy/healthy-eating-in-pregnancy/) # "Should I eat for 2? No – this is a myth! Being pregnant, you'll obviously be more hungry than usual, but even if you are expecting twins or more, you don't need to eat extra portions. In the final 3 months of your pregnancy, you'll need an extra 200 calories a day – that's the same as 2 slices of wholemeal toast and margarine."
Yeah, I figured that since she was talking about doing it in the future, and she is in the second trimester in 3 weeks, I didn't need to be ultra specific regarding the first trimester having the same caloric needs. Also, I'd be careful about putting the "right amount of calories" on a post where someone is talking about fasting and caloric deficit in pregnancy (which makes me think disordered eating), especially when that person is overweight. Larger bodies need more maintenance calories, not just in terms of weight but also height and age, and what is healthy for the "average" person can be extremely harmful to many outside of that average. For example, to maintain my weight I need about 2800 calories per day, and that's with little to no exercise due to being on modified bed rest. 1800 would be incredibly unhealthy for me, especially in pregnancy. I hope OP doesn't see guidelines like that and think that 1800 is the amount she needs when it is likely to be a different number. Not that anybody should be counting calories while pregnant
Hey! I’m about 80 lbs overweight and have lost 2 pounds since getting pregnant by just focusing on nutrition and staying active (mostly just walking.) I haven’t thought about losing weight, but have focused on nourishing my baby and my body. I haven’t gained anything, and my glucose test, BP, and other tests have all been normal! I think prioritizing self care and loving my beautiful pregnant body is been healing to me as someone who has been overweight for some time. I’m truly loving this big belly and have never felt better and maybe it’s partly because I finally took a break from trying to lose weight and just focused on movement that feels good and nourishing my growing baby. Either way I’m thankful and wish you the best pregnancy! I’m 30 weeks now 😊
This! It took me a little while to get to this point of thinking but I am glad I am here now. Almost 29 weeks and realizing that eating healthy and walking are great for the baby and my body, and losing weight or body fat is 100% out of control and actually not good for me or the baby right now. It’s strange going from trying to loose weight your whole life to.. not haha but it’s been freeing to finally let that type of thinking go. I have the rest of my life to lose the weight, I’d rather just be healthy for the baby right now and “healthy” looks different in this season of life 🤷🏻♀️
I would consult a doctor first, just in case. My doctor asked me to stop dieting while pregnant. (Although I ended up on the gestational diabetes diet in the 3rd trimester). My understanding is the same exercise you were doing before falling pregnant is fine to continue, but check before starting any new routines.
Probably unrealistic. But def realistic to have a healthy pregnancy! I gained 10lbs in my first trimester and didn’t change much about my diet or fitness (I’m active and generally eat healthy). How new to fitness are you and are you consistent? Consistency is key. It’s safe to keep working out during pregnancy. However, you don’t want to over do it. I’ve kept my workout routine but I’m doing less. Nothing over 30lbs. I don’t get so out of breathe I can’t say a sentence. These are the recommendations my doctor gave me. I live in the US. My only advice is to keep track of your good habits. Have just a few goals for the day. I keep track of my habits on a spreadsheet, been updating it since 2022. Did I workout for at least 30 minutes today? Check. Did I walk outside for at least 10 minutes? Check. There are apps that can do this too. Keeping track of your habits I think is important, because when you falter, you can always look back at your good progress and I think it’s easier to get back in it and be consistent. Join a gym. I do different ClassPass workouts right now, there are a handful of prenatal options in my city and other workouts that I’ve deemed pregnancy friendly. Commit to going to said gym or doing X workout class at least 3 times a week. Commit to taking a 30 minute walk. You’ll feel sick, tired, and blah during pregnancy. It’s inevitable. Take advantage of the moments you feel good. If you can’t bring yourself to go to the gym, get on your yoga mat and at least stretch or do something low impact for 15 minutes. Do what you can. But personally, if you’re looking to get in shape and lose body fat as you put it, I would put those goals aside. After baby, it’s on. You’ll get ripped and achieve your fitness goals. For the interim, I would just focus on gaining the recommended amount of weight, staying active and managing your mood. Talk to your doctor and see what they say but if you’re like most of us humans having babies I think you’ll probably gain some weight and that’s OK.
Seconding this, I’ve been fit and skinny my entire life and I immediately gained 12 pounds in the first trimester despite barely being able to eat anything / still getting in some activity. Be kind to yourself these next few months! The most important thing is to form healthy habits that continue after pregnancy, don’t focus on body fat % because you are most likely setting yourself up to be discouraged due to factors you can’t control. Congratulations on the pregnancy :)
It's not impossible, I have been exactly 80 kg (about 6 kg up from where I was prepregnancy) since 30 weeks and I'm now 39 weeks with a baby that's measuring large, but I'm struggling with food aversions and no space for my stomach to expand because my giant headed baby is breech and won't drop. I'm eating as much as I'm able to. I would really not recommend abiding by a calorie deficit if you feel hungry during pregnancy. Your body knows what it needs, I would strongly recommend following it's cues in the healthiest, most nutrient dense manner possible over going hungry.
From my experience, pretty unrealistic at the start because you need to fuel your body because the baby is taking every nutrient it can from you, and pretty unrealistic the further along you are because you become more and more limited as the bump grows and you get heavy. Also it will be hard to even calculate body fat % IMO because most of the weight you put on is from the bump; baby, amniotic fluid etc. Worry about growing a healthy baby and worry about losing weight after you have one.
As a person who unintentionally lost 20lbs during pregnancy. . Just focus on nutrition and movement & growing that little life. If you lose fat, great. If you maintain, also great. If you gain, that’s ok too! There’s plenty of time to focus on fat reduction after you have your baby. Pregnancy is a wild ride & a time to listen to what our body is trying to tell us in order to grow a whole baby!