How to Lose Weight During Pregnancy

Weight loss during pregnancy is not recommended by health professionals – even women who are overweight and obese are often advised to gain weight during pregnancy. However, there are a few things you can do to avoid unnecessary weight gain during pregnancy. Here are the things you should know.

Table of Contents

Safety Notes

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Do not diet while pregnant. ^{[1] X Research Source} You should never try to lose weight while pregnant, unless your doctor advises you to. Don’t continue with weight loss regimens after finding out you’re pregnant. All pregnant women are encouraged to gain weight during this period.

Obese women should gain between 5 and 9 kg.
Women who are overweight should gain 7 to 11 kg.
Women of normal weight should gain between 11 and 16 kg.
Women who are underweight should gain between 13 and 18 kg.
Dieting while pregnant can deplete your baby of calories, vitamins, and minerals.

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Know when to lose weight. ^{[2] X Research Source} Although losing weight during pregnancy is not recommended, it is normal for some women to lose weight during the first trimester.

Many women experience extreme dizziness and vomiting, which is known as “morning sickness”. You’ll have the most hangovers during the first trimester of pregnancy, and it can be difficult to keep food in your stomach or eat a normal meal during this period. If you have a slight weight loss, that’s nothing to worry about, especially if you’re already overweight, as your baby can take advantage of the excess stored energy in your fatty tissues.

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Talk to your doctor or dietitian. If you’re really concerned about your weight, talk to your doctor or pregnancy dietitian about how to manage your weight in a healthy way for both you and your baby. Never follow a special diet before discussing it with a specialist.

You should also talk to your doctor if you can’t keep food in your stomach or experience severe weight loss, even during the first trimester. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Stay healthy

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Know your calorie needs. Women who were at a normal weight at the start of pregnancy need an average of 300 extra calories per day during the second or third trimester. ^{[4] X Research Sources}

Those people should consume 1900 to 2500 calories per day.
Consuming more calories than recommended can lead to unhealthy weight gain.
If you were underweight, overweight, or obese before becoming pregnant, discuss your calorie needs with your doctor. Everyone’s needs will be different. Even if there are rare situations during pregnancy that make weight loss a healthy option, you still need to maintain or increase your calorie intake.
You should ask your doctor about your calorie needs if you are carrying multiples. You’ll probably need more calories if you’re carrying more than one baby.

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Avoid eating foods that contain empty and unhealthy energy. Empty energy will lead to unnecessary weight gain without providing enough nutrition for the fetus. Avoiding empty calories is essential to maintaining a healthy weight during pregnancy.

Avoid sugary foods and solid fats. These foods include soft drinks, desserts, fried foods, non-fat dairy foods like milk or whole cheeses, and fatty meats.
Choose low-fat, fat-free, sugar-free, and unsweetened foods when possible.
In addition, avoid consuming caffeine, alcohol, raw seafood and foods with a risk of bacteria.

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Take prenatal vitamins. Your body will need more nutrients during pregnancy. Pregnancy vitamins will help you meet those needs without having to take in more calories than you need.

Never consider vitamins as a substitute for real food, even if your doctor says that weight loss is appropriate in your case. Supplements are best tolerated when eaten with food, and vitamins from food are often more easily absorbed by the body than supplements.
Fpic acid is one of the most important vitamins you need. ^{[5] X Research Source} It will reduce the risk of neural tube defects in the unborn baby.
Iron, calcium, and omega-3 fatty acids also help your body stay healthy while supporting the development of your unborn baby.
Avoid consuming supplements that contain too much vitamin A, D, E, or K.

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Eat small and frequent meals. ^{[6] X Research Source} Eating several small meals a day instead of three large meals is a trick used by dieters to control food intake, however, it also benefits pregnant women.

Food fear, hangovers, heartburn, and indigestion often make eating a large meal uncomfortable during pregnancy. Eating five to six small meals a day can make eating easier and food easier to digest. This makes even more sense as the fetus grows and takes the place of internal organs.

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Maintain a healthy meal rich in nutrients suitable for pregnant women. Focus on foods that contain fpate and make sure you’re getting enough protein, healthy fats, carbohydrates, and fiber. ^{[7] X Research Sources}

Foods rich in fpate include orange juice, strawberries, spinach, broccoli, beans, fortified breads and cereals.
Start with a varied breakfast to help you feel better throughout the day.
Choose sources of whole grains instead of refined products like white bread.
High-fiber foods can help you manage your weight and prevent digestive problems like constipation. Whole grains, green vegetables, fruits, and legumes are excellent sources of fiber.
Make sure to include both fruits and vegetables in your meals as often as possible.
Choose good unsaturated fats like olive oil, canola oil, and peanut oil.

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Healthy snack. Snacks can be great during pregnancy, even if your doctor only encourages you to gain little or lose weight. Choose healthy and nutritious snacks over processed foods and desserts high in sugar or dairy fat.

You can have a banana smoothie or fat-free fruit ice cream instead of regular ice cream and milkshakes.
Snack on nuts and fruit between meals.
Instead of crackers made with white flour and full-fat cheese, eat whole-grain crackers and topped with a small amount of low-fat cheese.
You can eat hard-boiled eggs, whole-wheat bread and unsweetened yogurt, and a few other cakes.
Instead of sugary drinks, drink low-salt vegetable juices, carbonated water with a little juice, flavored skim milk or soy milk with ice.

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Gentle exercise. Exercise is also an important part of weight loss when not pregnant, and it is also very important in maintaining a healthy weight during pregnancy. Healthy pregnant women should exercise at least 2 hours and 30 minutes with gentle exercises each week. ^{[8] X Trusted Source US Office on Women’s Health Go to source}

Exercise also reduces pain during pregnancy, improves sleep, regulates emotions, and reduces the risk of complications. It also makes it easier to lose weight after giving birth.
Talk to your doctor before starting any exercise regimen. Stop exercising immediately if there is vaginal bleeding or premature rupture of membranes.
Good exercises include low-impact exercises like walking, swimming, dancing, and cycling.
Avoid activities that strain your abs like kickboxing or basketball. You should also avoid risky activities such as horseback riding. Do not scuba dive as it can cause bubbles in the fetal blood.

Warning

Never intentionally lose weight while pregnant, especially unless directed by your doctor.

Steps

Safety Notes

Stay healthy

Warning

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