Pregnancy and Weight Loss

Pregnancy is a stage of life that comes with notable expectations and even delicateness. The body experiences some changes as the baby bump starts to show up for all to see. As weight loss is concerned, a pregnant woman may eventually get to tone down the level of exercises or weight loss-related observances – unlike what was attainable before pregnancy. It is in light of this that it suits to give a thought to the status of a woman’s body weight before, during, and after pregnancy. The details shared in this article will help you – whether as an expectant or new mom – to know how you can plan your weight loss routine.

Prepartum weight loss

The period before pregnancy is the ideal time to lose as much weight as you can. This does not, however, mean you should embark on an aggressive routine that would make you shed weight in a fast and unhealthy way. Plus, for an obese woman, this is a period to find out the factors that might be impeding from getting significant results from your weight loss program. In essence, obese women, having a BMI of 30kg/m2 and above – as well as every woman looking to conceive – should be more committed to having an effective weight loss routine. That would entail eating nutritional diets, regularly engaging in exercises, and staying through to a weight loss plan without being unrealistic.

The issue about being overweight going into pregnancy is that it portends certain health risks to both the mother and the fetus. In the first instance, a woman who is obese is bound to add more weight during pregnancy – and this extra weight could mean more burden.

More concerning is the fact that obesity increase the probability of developing medical conditions such as gestational diabetes, thromboembolism, and preeclampsia in pregnant women. So, you should leverage the freedom you’ve got to lose weight before pregnancy. And, during labor, obese women are more liable to have difficulties and might even have to go through C-section to have their babies delivered.

Weight loss during pregnancy

Ordinarily, weight loss programs are not advisable during pregnancy, but this should not be viewed in the same light as wilfully encouraging adding on weight – pregnancy weight gain is natural and inevitable. The term “weight management” should best describe a pregnant woman’s approach towards maintaining healthy body weight.

A report from the US Institute of Medicine shows that the ranges for safe weight gain vary among pregnant women. For the sake of overall well-being; obese pregnant women should only add between 11–20 pounds while for those that are normal weight with a BMI of 18.5 – 24.9Kg/m2, the safe weight gain range should be 25–35 pounds. Overweight pregnant, with a BMI of between 25 – 29.9kg/m2, may however add between 15–25 pounds.

Nevertheless, pregnant women have to be mindful of overeating. To this end, you should not indulge in “eating for two” – a term that most pregnant women resort to as they aim to satisfy their cravings for food. It is not as though there is a spike in the body’s demand for energy within the first two trimesters (that is, 1 – 26 weeks of pregnancy). That said, you will need to consume additional 200 calories as you enter the third trimester (from week 27 – 40). It is recommended that pregnant women take between 2000 – 2800 calories daily. You should snack on fruits and cut-up vegetables most of the time, and ensure that you feed on diets rich in Vitamins A, B & C, protein, fiber, calcium, iron.

As per exercises; pregnant women, especially those that are obese, can look to engage in 15 – 30 minutes of light or moderate exercises – for example, brisk walking, swimming, yoga, etc. These exercises help pregnant women to be physically active without endangering the life of the fetus. Avoid throwing to the wind by not pushing yourself too hard while exercising. You should stop exercising whenever you start feeling nauseated and/or dizzy; have vaginal discharge or abdominal pain. You should endeavor to drink water habitually while pregnant and watch out for any spate of dehydration while exercising.

Postpartum weight loss

The activities a new mother commit herself to after giving birth will, most likely, determine the extent to which she will regain her pre-pregnancy bodyweight – or a trim figure so to say. You can aim to lose 1 – 2 pounds of your postpartum body weight every week. You can achieve this by burning around 500 – 100 calories daily; exclusive breastfeeding can be effective in helping you get rid of a third of this daily caloric burn rate.

Besides breastfeeding, certain exercises can also help a nursing mom burn calories. You can plan to have two sessions of these exercises – with each session being 10–15 minutes – every day. Some of these exercises include walking, Kegels, yoga, side plank leg lifts, diaphragmatic breathing exercise, bridges, etc. You should try speaking with your doctor before getting into an exercise routine postpartum. And, lastly, eating healthy diets remain key postpartum – and even ever after.

Bonus Tips

I will like to share some bonus tips just before the curtain is drawn on this particular topic. Here, you have them:

Have a concrete weight loss plan

By weight loss plan, I mean all that pertains to the activities – be it your dietary plans, physical exercises, etc. – you will keep dear to the heart being structured out – probably in some sort of timetable format. With this, you will be able to get a grasp of those activities that are substantially beneficial in ensuring that you keep a healthy weight. In essence, you will learn to focus and spend more time on those activities that assure the best [or most satisfactory] weight loss outcome.

Keep a weight loss/weight management journal

Recording variables such as calorie weekly burned, BMI, weight loss or weight gain, and so on, from time to time, will help you keep a tab of activities. It tells you whether you’re making progress or not, and helps you to see the areas where adjustments might be needed. You will be able to easily juxtapose your prepartum, pregnancy, and postpartum body weight, and work around what is obtainable to create an effective weight loss program – with the expertise of your doctor also.

References

Rasmussen KM, Yaktine AL. (2009). Committee to Reexamine Institute of Medicine Pregnancy Weight Guidelines. Weight gain during pregnancy: re-examining the guidelines.

NICE (2021). Weight management before, during, and after pregnancy. Public health guidelines. www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ph27

Thangaratinam S, Rogozinska E, Jolly K, Glinkowski S, Roseboom T, Tomlinson JW, Kunz R, Mol BW, Coomarasamy A, Khan KS. Effects of interventions in pregnancy on maternal weight and obstetric outcomes: Meta-analysis of randomized evidence. BMJ 344; e2088.

Villamor E, Cnattingius S (2006) Interpregnancy weight change and risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes: a population-based study. Lancet 368: 1164–70.

Yu CKU, Teoh TG, Robinson S (2006) Obesity in pregnancy. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology 113: 1117–25.