Feeling so fat....

[renatacata]

I did not have morning sickness- I had the hungry horrors for about 3-4 weeks and now at 16 weeks I feel
like a fat porn star (fat - with huge breasts). Sorry if that offends...I'm just so embarrassed by the way I look I want to stay home for the next 22+ weeks....

I work out almost every day- and I am in the fitness industry. I have not let the nurse/ doctor disclosed my weight - though they have acknowledged I have gained- I cant bear to know.

None of my clothes fit and I feel like thw world'd ugliest pregnant person. I am a very privat eperson to boot- and there is nothing private about an expanding body.

Reading about women who still wear their pre pregnancy jeans at week 20 and seeing pictures of pregnant women with cute baby bumps makes me even more depressed.

My ob's office at the hospital offers a nutritionist so maybe I can stop the gaining and use the fat I have already packed on.

I know this is a crazy rant- I just did not think it would be this hard. I FEEL fine- except when I look in the mirror and am aghast at my giant body. No, I'm not exagerrating....

I guess no two women are alike and maybe as time goes on an the weight looks more like a baby and less like a spare tire I will be at peace with this?

Thanks for reading:)

[renatacata]

Hi Sue- thanks for the great tips. I still workout- in fact rarely miss
a day. That's part of my frustration. I have always worked out. It's the
diet. Apparently babies like carbs....but my *** doesn't ;)

[sue68]

Hi,

I know how you feel.  When I first started showing i couldn't fit into my regular pants - and I looked at all the new pieces i had bought pre-pregnancy and worried about ever fitting in them again.  I'm almost 42 and had 2 m/c's before this one and so I know  that this is what I'd signed on for, that I'd give up my waist size for a healthy baby anytime.  My bump is getting big and I'm relaxing and starting to eat some junk food which I'd been denying myself . Sometimes I feel guilty like I'm feeding my baby "crap" but, chocolate is sooooo good. ANd I do it in moderation.
   Get active again if you're not - some walking and light pregnancy exercises.  Eat healthy food so you feel like you're doing something to make a positive change - and then you won't feel so guilty if you treat yourself now and then.  You're 16 weeks - still early - so you have lots of time to get more active and change your diet to a healthier one. You want to make this pregnancy easier for you and the baby too and this helps.  Good luck and enjoy your pregnancy while you can - I know all the tests and wait for results are stressful ( excuse for a cookie chip binge ) but then balance it out with fruits/veggies.  

[pertykitty]

you are at a point in your pg that you have that "beer gut" feeling.  soon you will have a nice round bump and maybe then you will feel better about your new figure.  we all dream of this little round tummy and glowing skin blah blah blah lol.  

i love being pg and i love my belly but not all of us show the same or how we expect. many women dont like their bodies during pg and feel horrible about it and want their old body back now!  

maybe if you buy some cute maternity clothes to help with that chunky feeling you might feel better, but maybe not.  i hope you can try to enjoy this little bit of time you have left, feeling stressed in pregnancy isnt good for you or baby.  your body might not ever be the exact same after childbirth, but you can work at it and regain your self esteem.  i bet you are just beautiful with your bump though!  ;)

[AnnieBrooke]

In case it helps, here is some stuff from another site:

___________________

"Minimize foods known to precipitously drop your blood sugar, which can be a trigger for sugar cravings, including refined, high glycemic 'great white hazards' such as white flour products, white potatoes, white rice and sugar/sweets.

"Eat three meals with snacks in between to prevent the drop in blood sugar that may increase cravings. Breakfast, especially, should never be skipped. Including super nutritious and healthy whole grains, beans, fats and vegetables will satisfy your appetite and maintain blood sugar levels for a longer period of time due to their lack of processing and high fiber content.

"Avoid artificially sweetened foods and beverages. Artificial sweeteners are exquisitely sweet substances that exploit our highly developed taste for sweets and keep our taste buds on overdrive. Taste is malleable – the less sweet foods you eat, the sweeter they taste when you have them – and vice versa.

[The site continued with a list of what one can eat during pregnancy to control cravings:]

"peanut butter
bananas
peanut butter *and* bananas
dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa)
all-fruit sorbets
frozen fruit pops
granola bars
dried fruit and frozen dried fruit "
_______________________________

I thought this was a useful list and good set of suggestions.  Hope it helps.

Annie

[renatacata]

Thank you all for your kindness. I know I am lucky (so far)- I got pregnant at 42 (now 43) and without feritility drugs. At 16+ weeks now my risks for loss are diminshing- I will try to look at the positives and relax.

I do think the more I freak about food - the more I eat ... and that is certainly not helping.

It would have been easy to lambast me for being so self centered or superficial so I appreciate the helpful and not judgemental comments :)

[Victoria01]

I think what you're feeling is very normal. There is always a certain part of pregnancy where we feel fat and don't look pregnant. You should not try and diet or anything, just eat healthy and do a moderate amount of exercise if allowed by your doctor.

The one thing that really got me through those 'fat' days was knowing that in the grand scheme of things I would feel that way for a short period of time and I would get a beautiful baby out of it in the end. So no matter what you are feeling, try and focus on the end result and not on the now.

[Ecologic]

I am at 31/32 weeks and I have gained almost 30 lbs... not what I had in mind! Around Christmas I went crazy with food eating chocolates, chips... in one month I gained 8 lbs: I decided I could do better! Since then I have made sure I don't pig out and that I eat more fruits and veggies (I force myself to eat veggies). When going to the restaurant (and I go there often for my job), I always try to eat no more than 1/2 of the portion and force myself to get something healthy. And I ditched the chips.

Try reducing the portion sizes you're eating: you will not loose the weight you have already gained but you will gain weight less fast and you should feel better about that. These past 2 weeks for instance I gained only 1 lb, and that made me happy!

Also: do you have water retention? I started to have some during the 3rd trimester when I travel for my job and that makes me look real fat (ankles, legs, thighs), my clothes get real tight! It's better when I am able to rest at home. Drinking a lot of water is what was recommended for me.

Good luck!

[mamom15]

Hi, I can completely understand where you are coming from.  I have run marathons, triathlons, been extremely active all my life and suddenly I ma this huge person with big boobs.  I had a BMI of 17 for heavens sake.  I cannot loft weights anymore and I have a double chin and pimples.  No matter how many times I say to myself that I am not fat, it's not helping.  I feel gross and ugly.  I am embarrassed to go out in public.  Everyone thinks I am carrying small and I look cute but I think they are blind I am humongous and gross.  My hair feels greasy and I am a huge lump of lard.  I don't socialize at all.  DH wanted us to go to a nice restaurant fro our anniversary I refused because I do own a mirror and I hate looking at it.  Thanks for letting me vent    

[KarenDiane]

Have you talked to your Dr. about your anxiety? Maybe they can help you feel better about things. I always enjoyed my pregnant body before, but I do understand what you mean about being an "older mom". I kind of feel like people might be judging me. Especially when I'm out with one of my older kids. But, people are always interested in a baby so you really will be the center of attention for quite awhile, and so will your belly. Wear it proudly because you may be surprised to miss it when it's gone. Besides, you can stress yourself about losing the weight after your baby is born. And please take the results of your down syndrome testing with a grain of salt. It seems that a great number of women are getting a good scare with their #'s when in reality most do not have Downs Syndrome babies.

[renatacata]

I do intellectually know that - and I do believe all those things to bevtrue- yet I had no idea how much this would bother me. The pregnancy has made me anxious- as an "older" mom to be the odds of miscarriage were high and now I am facing all the testing for down syndrome.

Being anxious, hormonal and hungry has definitely made me feel like a stranger in my own  body.  Believe me, I'm not some skinny thing griping about a few lbs, I am someone who has had to diet her whole life and now has lost control and I feel so self conscious.

One thing -, related- as a fairly private person, there is nothing private about expanding. Co workers eye balling me - so I had to finally tell- and it's hard to deal with talking about it. Funny- there is no where to hide- I am literally the elephant in the room.

I appreciate being able to "vent" and it is embarrasing to sound so neurotic and I hope it passes;). Thanks for your help!

[slmcgaughey]

Repeat after me. "I am not fat, I am not ugly, I am pregnant!!" According to WebMD .....

"Gaining the right amount of weight during pregnancy by eating a healthy, balanced diet is a good sign that your baby is getting all the nutrients he or she needs and is growing at a healthy rate....

A woman of average weight before pregnancy should gain 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy. Underweight women should gain 28-40 pounds during pregnancy...

Where does the weight come from?

Baby                        8 pounds
Placenta                   2-3 pounds
Amniotic fluid            2-3 pounds
Breast tissue            2-3 pounds
Blood supply            4 pounds
Fat stores for delivery
and breastfeeding      5-9 pounds
Uterus increase         2-5 pounds
Total                        25 to 35 pounds

Is It Safe to Lose Weight When Pregnant?
No. It is never safe to lose weight during pregnancy -- both you and your baby need the proper nutrients in order to be healthy....

If you have gained more weight than recommended during the beginning of your pregnancy, DO NOT try to lose weight. It is never safe to lose weight during pregnancy."

http:/www.webmd.com/baby/guide/healthy-weight-gain

Please for the sake of you and your baby concentrate your focus on having a health pregnancy, not on what you look like.  Realize that healthy weight gain is essential to a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby.  No. your clothes won't fit.  No you won't be able to do all the things you are used to doing, but in the end it will all be worth it when you hold your little one in your arms.