Today I want to address a really hot topic in the pregnancy world—weight loss during pregnancy! I literally get tons of emails from overweight women all around the world wondering whether they can actually LOSE weight DURING their pregnancy!
I’m sure you’re saying, “No way! Pregnancy is not the time to lose weight”, and you’re totally right! However, IF, AND ONLY IF, YOU WERE OVERWEIGHT BEFORE YOUR PREGNANCY (AND I DON’T JUST MEAN FEELING “FAT”!), THEN IT IS POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO ONLY GAIN A MINIMAL AMOUNT OF WEIGHT DURING YOUR PREGNANCY AND MAYBE EVEN LOSE A LITTLE!!!
Think about it. In today’s day, how many articles do you read about the GROWING number of people who are GROWING around the middle and becoming obese (and here I speak mostly for North America)? More and more of us are choosing the wrong kinds of food and becoming increasingly sedentary.
So, for those women who TURN OVER A NEW LEAF during pregnancy—that means start eating healthy food, exercising and keeping very active—well, yes, they CAN lose weight DURING their pregnancy.
Remember, excess weight or body FAT is really just energy waiting to be used—one pound of fat equals a whole 3,500 calories to be exact!
By cleaning up your diet (i.e. cutting out all the fat and sugar of “unhealthy eating”) and adding lots of whole grains, vegetables and good quality protein, you’ll start to burn your own (not your baby’s!) fat stores. Add in some exercise and lots of activity and you’ll lose even more of your FAT and gain ONLY baby-related weight (roughly 30 pounds worth!).
To be safe, it’s important you’re monitored by your doctor and follow a proper pregnancy plan.
