Obesity and Pregnancy

makemeshiver,
You mentioned that you didn't gain much weight with your pregnancy and lost a bunch of weight afterwards. Did you change habits while pregnant - is that why?

High five to MMS!!! Yeah, let's bust some of those myths. Like, for starters, the idea that it takes 10,000 calories a day to maintain a heavy weight. Hahahahaha!!!!! I nearly spewed Diet Coke all over my monitor when I read that one! When I was at my (non-pregnant) heaviest at 240, I couldn't lose weight on a 1,500 cal/day diet. I had to get it down under 1,000 to lose anything, and lemme tell ya, that is miserable.

And yes, Slappy, they make lots of sexy lingerie in a size 1X. Which should be good news to you since it will be increasingly difficult for you to find size 4 women as you get older.

Eating under 1,000 calories a day isn't healthy or good for losing weight either. Even if you're overweight, you want to eat 5-6 small meals a day to kickstart your metabolism.

But yes, obviously genetics plays a huge part. Some people will never be "fat," and some people will never be skinny. People still blame, or at least, believe genetics play a bigger part than they actually do in most cases. Look at the people in Japan for instance...obesity isn't anywhere near as common. One quick look at their diets explain why. Americans don't have a basic grasp of how to formulate a healthy diet.

And no, I'm not "sensitive" to it. As long as you're happy, I don't care how much someone weighs. If you're not happy, then do something about it. I did the opposite: went from being a complete bone-rack and put on 50lbs of lean weight over the last 7 or so years. It's no easier than losing weight.

I definitely think that people carry some responsibility for their weight and that it can't all be blamed on genetics -- just, it's not that everyone has to eat 10,000 calories worth of food daily (or even close) to be hugely fat. Some people who have normal lives are fat (and if they had a different genetic makeup and lived the same lives, wouldn't be), and then have to take extraordinary measures to stay thin.

But equally, it's important that you don't try to diet when you're pregnant.

You might also need to make some changes if you follow a vegetarian or weight-loss diet.

How much weight should I gain during pregnancy?

About 25 to 30 pounds. If you don't weigh enough when you get pregnant, you may need to gain more. If you're very heavy when you get pregnant, you may need to gain only 15 to 18 pounds.

Pregnancy isn't the time to diet! It's best to gain about 2 to 3 pounds during the first 12 weeks and about 1 pound a week after that. Talk to your doctor about how much weight you should gain.

An average-sized woman will probably gain 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy. Too much weight gain, or too little, can put you and your baby at risk. Though your appetite will increase, try not to overeat. Don't diet and never skip a meal. Even if you are not hungry, your baby is.

Certain things related to your health could put your unborn baby in danger. Some of these things include drinking alcohol, taking drugs, smoking, dieting, and poor health practices.

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DIETING

* Some popular diets are not good for a women having a baby.
* Some examples are low sugar diets, high meat diets, diets where you don't eat, and liquid meat diets.
* If you are heavy at the same time you are having a baby, do not try new diets, and do not take off weight.
* A women on a diet may cause her baby to be smaller and lighter in weight.
* Dieting during pregnancy, even for a short time, is harmful to your unborn baby.
* If you don't eat meat, you may need help in planning your meals.
* It's important to include milk, other dairy foods, and eggs in your diet. These foods are good substitutes for meat.
* You may also need to take a vitamin B-12 pill.
* Talk to a doctor or registered dietitian about the food you eat.