Can you safely lose weight during the 1st and 2nd trimester of pregnacy?

Question

If someone is restricting themselves to a 1500 calorie diet, will this affect the development of the fetus?

Answer 1

I don't believe your doctor would actually reccommend dieting, but you can definitely make it a point to eat healthier! Ask your doctor about how many calories a day you should be eating and make sure to get those calories from dairy, protein, veggies, fruits, whole grains, and some good fats (nuts, olive oil, etc). I am about 30 pounds overweight and worried about gaining too much weight during my pregnancy. I am now 17 weeks pregnant and have only gained 1.5 lbs so far! I am just making a very concious effort to eat well and do a lot of walking! Good luck!

Answer 2

So everyone so far has said no....my answer (from experience) is "it depends". Dieting is not about starving yourself or eliminating important vitamins and minerals. If you are overweight to begin with to the point that simply eating good healthy meals would cause you to lose a significant amount of weight, then by changing your diet for the baby's sake to healthy foods, you could lose weight and not harm the baby. This would be good for you too -- although you might not notice any weight loss....if you remain the same weight, after you have the baby, you will have actually lost weight. Didn't quite work out this way for me though :-)

On the other hand....if you are not significantly overweight and just want to "prevent" being to heavy at the end, then it is not advisable to prevent weight gain.

In both cases - you should eat healthy nutritious meals and take your vitamins to grow a healthy baby. If it benefits you in the end, that's a bonus.

Answer 3

You should NOT attempt to lose weight when pregnant. You can harm the baby! You have to eat a healthy diet with the proper amount of calories for you and the growing fetus inside. Even if you are overweight, the doctor will still expect you to gain weight during the course of the pregnany.

Answer 4

I can tell you right now, 45 pounds is too much weight to gain in a pregnancy...total, unless your carying multiples. You should gain maybe 4-6 lbs, total in your first trimester. and after 16-20 weeks it's about a pound per week. If you even average that it's maybe 30-35 pounds. Your doctor should've put you on a modified diet. That's a lot of weight and your in your 3rd trimester and not even finished. I'm 26 weeks pregnant and total gained 13 pounds.

Answer 5

When pregnant, your baby actually needs an extra 300-500 calories a day. This is NOT the time to be reducing calorie intake. Remember that the health and nutrition of your baby is more important than weight loss/gain at this point.

If you are worried about weight loss or your weight after pregnancy, start exercising. That will help tone your muscles while pregnant which will help weight to drop off faster after pregnancy.

Answer 6

I am extremely overweight, and was during my pregnancies. I did lose weight during the 1st and 2nd trimester of my first pregnancy, and the doctors weren't worried about it. They put me on a 2000-2500 calorie diet during my pregnancies. In my first, I only gained 5 lbs during, but one week after delivery, I had lost 20 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight. Don't try to lose weight right now, just eat healthy for the sake of you and your baby.

Answer 7

Do not put yourself on a diet while you are pregnant. You should be taking in enough calories for you AND your baby, not losing them. Just change your eating habits if your worried about gaining too much weight. Eat smart healthy foods, like whole grains, fruits, veggies...You and your baby will be better off in the long run. But don't "diet". :)

Answer 8

You must eat!.
At least 2000 calories a day or otherwise you are putting your baby at risk. Make sure that the calories count, and you can always excercise, not to excess, but 20-30 minutes of light excercise. I would talk to Dr. for safe ways. The only thing you can do, is to avoid excessive weight gain.

Answer 9

you should not diet (strictly for weightloss) while pregnant...you can maintain an exercise routine that is not too strenuous...walking is the best thing to do. if your normal diet is only 1500 calories then you should at least increase to a 2000 calorie perday intake because your new little bundle needs nourishment....above all else discuss these things with your doctor...he/she will be able to give you the best advice based on your medical history.

Answer 10

You need more than 1500 calories when you are pregnant. It is not safe to be on a weight loss program when pregnant except if you are under a Dr's care.