Is It Safe to Try to Lose Weight While Pregnant?

Most women expect to gain weight while pregnant. This isn’t an uncommon expectation, especially in women who are smaller or even average. Women who are overweight or obese, however, may not feel comfortable gaining any more weight than they already have. Many women who find themselves pregnant and are struggling with their weight begin to wonder if dieting while pregnant is safe.

Every pregnant woman should gain weight
Regardless of whether you started your pregnancy at a size 2 or at a size 22, every pregnant woman should gain weight during her pregnancy. Depending on the weight a woman started her pregnancy at will determine the average recommendation for weight gain during pregnancy. According to the March of Dimes, women who began their pregnancy overweight should gain between 15 and 25 pounds, while women who began their pregnancy obese should gain between 11 and 20 pounds.

Pregnant women should avoid diets
Unless you are suffering from a specific medical condition such as celiac disease, which requires a gluten-free diet, or were a vegan or vegetarian before you became pregnant, it’s best to avoid adopting any specific diet during pregnancy, especially diets designed to help weight loss. Weight loss diets, although they may be effective for losing weight, aren’t likely to be very healthy for a pregnant woman or developing baby. The nutritional needs of a pregnant woman and her developing baby are much different than the nutritional needs of a non-pregnant woman.

Pregnant women should eat balanced meals
Pregnant women should do their best to eat a healthy variety of foods to promote the best nutrition possible for them and their developing babies. Although you might feel like you’re “eating for two,” you really aren’t. Pregnant women should only consume an extra 300 calories per day and exceeding this limit (especially by a lot or on a regular basis) could put the health of both mother and baby at risk.

Weight loss is safer after pregnancy
When considering the health and well-being of the mother and child, it is much safer to lose weight after pregnancy, rather than during, even if the mother is breastfeeding. Breastfeeding will help aid in weight loss by burning as many as 500 additional calories per day. It may be tempting to diet and exercise in an attempt to lose weight while pregnant, but your unborn child’s health and safety are more important. Eat a balanced, healthy diet while pregnant and the weight gain shouldn’t be excessive, making pregnancy weight easier to lose after giving birth.

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