Losing weight in the first trimester

[swtalker]

Hi there,

Can anyone tell me please if I can safely diet in the first trimester? I'm 155 lbs. and 5'3 and I haven't lost all my weight from my first pregnancy. I only would like to lose 5-8lbs. so I can get back to where I was before I got pregnant with my first child. I'm only about 3 weeks along with my pregnancy and I don't want an over grown baby inside me which will most probably result in a c-section, nor would I like the extra weight to carry around.

[LauraB78]

I was told NOT to start a new diet or excercise regimine... I understand carrying around extra weight is uncomfortable, but if you don't already have a diet/excercise plan "in place," I wouldn't advise starting one this early in your pregnancy. I am no expert though! =)

I would just eat as healthy as possible! Congrats on your pregnancy and wishing you a happy and healthy 9 months.

[sweetangel7]

No, you should not 'diet' while pregnant...eat lots of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, dairy and some protein in order to give your developing baby what it needs.  I'm a bit confused as to what you mean by an 'over-grown baby'...if you eat healthy, including the additional 300 calories a day a pregnant woman should be consuming, you will not have an 'over-grown baby' but rather a healthy baby that was properly nourished.  The first trimester is so important to your baby's development...all its organs and everything a fully developed adult has in life will be forming during this time.  Now is not the time to watch calories...eat healthy yes, diet no.

[Tracy21]

i dont think you should diet but if you lose weight in your first trimester its okay im 10 weeks and i have lost 35lbs but that not dieting thats me cutting my portions down and eating healthy. i just think you should eat healthy dont try and diet while pregnant good luck x

[amy0013]

I agree with everyone else...dieting isn't a good idea but eating healthier and not over eating would be a great idea!  Just like Tracy, you might find that your new healthier eating habits result in weight loss...just so long as you're meeting your caloric and nutritional needs each day for the baby.  

[sweetangel7]

Dieting While Pregnant Is it Safe?

Pregnancy is a critical time for both mother and baby. This is especially true in the area of nutrition and diet. It is important for a woman who is pregnant to focus less on losing, gaining, or maintaining weight than it is to focus on the actual nutrition that she is consuming.

In general, pregnancy is not the time to lose weight. If a woman does not gain enough weight during pregnancy, her baby will not gain enough weight. On average, a slender woman should gain around 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy. A woman who is underweight should gain more like 30 or 40 pounds. For a woman that is overweight, it is still important to gain at least between 12 and 25 pounds during pregnancy.

When you are “eating for two,” it is important to realize that you aren’t going to take in twice the amount of calories; your growing baby and you need about 300 extra calories each day to keep things moving along.

There are specific foods that you should make sure you are getting during pregnancy. You should get between 3 and 5 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day. One of these should be of a dark orange vegetable, and two should be of leafy dark green vegetables. You should have two servings of extra-lean meats, chicken, fish, or cooked peas or dried beans. You should drink eight glasses of water. You should have six servings of grains, and three servings of nonfat or low fat milk products.

[JoyRenee]

The last thing you should be worrying about is your weight. Worry about getting your baby the proper nutrients and staying away from alcohol/smoking. Worry about the weight *later*.

[LosingMyMindInGA]

YOUR weight has nothing to do with the size of the baby you will have. You could be 200 lbs and have a 5 lb baby or be 120 lbs and have a 12 lb baby.  

[Brittney11]

Thats how my first pregnacy went i started out at 155 lbs 5'5'' and weighed in at 200 lbs the day i delivered him weighing in at 8 lbs 1 once. With my secound i started out at 174 lbs and now i am 26 wks and only weigh 188 and the doc is telling me that she may be smaller than my son was when he was born. So every pregnacy had a different weight gain.

[nikko*ttc]

The big thing to keep in mind right now is to get all the nutrients and such that you need. I am currently 23 weeks pg and gained about 6 lbs by week 18, but have lost 7 lbs since then. So, I am at my prepregnancy weight. Docs not really worred, since I am eating healthfully and the baby is doing just fine.  I would say diet, but eat healthy and continue your current exercise program. Be sure to cut out the no-no's during pregnancy such as coffee, tea, soda pop (all because of caffeine), etc. You haven't gotten to the queasy stages just yet but you will in the next 2-3 weeks, so during that time eat what you can when you can. Once the nausea goes away, aim to eat sensibly and you'll see that you won't gain as much with this pregnancy.