Any plus size ladies looking to minimise weight gain?

[salamander91]

Hello! I'm 5ft 3 and approx 95kg. I'm due baby #3 with a 4 month old so I haven't lost my previous baby weight yet! I'm hoping to gain as little as possible this time!

 

[ClandestineTX]

Grand plan from the specialist is to have me check my glucose when I wake up and 2 hours after each meal for two weeks. He wants me to send him the data at that point, so he can review it and determine if I need to continue monitoring past that point. He doesn't seem concerned at all, and the little guy is looking perfect.

 

[Uni tsi]

Clandestine, I'm so sorry to hear you've been diagnosed GD. I think you made a good choice not taking the next test. That is a ridiculous amount of carbs to put in if you already know there's an issue. I imagine that with everything you already do, you'll have no problem controlling things. It's nice to hear you only have to monitor for two weeks at this point. It probably sounds weird, but I actually like taking my after-meal numbers, because it gives me such good info on how what I eat impacts things. Like, all these foods I thought before were healthy turns out aren't so healthy for me, and vice versa. One thing I would suggest you ask about, does he want you to keep track of your fasting numbers as the pregnancy goes on? Because of the placenta, those tend to increase over time even if you're doing everything right meal-wise.

Wombat, congrats on reaching third tri and still being so active! I'm really impressed!!

Honeybee, welcome! It sounds like you're doing great so far

Salamander, it's nice to meet you. We're all in the same boat lol

I've found this thread super helpful with helping me keep on track. Just be sure to talk to your doctor about what a healthy goal is for you. But, it's totally possible to break even during pregnancy. The ten lbs they suggested I gain means I'll weigh the exact same after the baby is born as I did on O day. (well fx I don't blow it in the last eight weeks)

It is so hot here, I've almost given up on outside activity. But, I'm not very hungry either. Probably because I'm not doing much activity, so I guess it's averaging out.

 

[ClandestineTX]

I'm already not worried. Due to needing a doctor's note to get testing supplies, was after a late breakfast (carb party with pancakes after fasting blood work done) and it was 132 after two hours. Dinner was a home made cheeseburger on toast, baked beans, and corn and it was 100 at one hour and 73 at two hours. I'm checking at one and two hours after meals just this weekend to see which time point is most informative, but yesterday was a ton of carbs for me and still ok.

 

[Uni tsi]

Clandestine, those sound like great numbers.

By the way, I've totally stolen your phrase "carb party" every since you used it early on in this thread. It makes me feel so much better about myself. Someone asked me recently, "Don't you miss beer?" and I honestly answered, "No, I miss drinking juice" lol I've been on carb restrictions for so long now, having an 8 oz glass of orange juice is just as exciting and practically as intoxicating as drinking alcohol used to be I could seriously go to town on some apple juice right now. Once baby comes, I might just chug a whole quart of juice!

 

[Mearly12]

Hey ladies, mind if i join in? I have bmi of 42, and i am 4 weeks pregnant, so just barely! I have PCOS and have been doing the Ketogenic/ low carb diet for the past 7 months.It is the only reason i started ovulating. I lost 40 lbs, and plan to stay on the diet during my pregnancy. I will not eat over 30 net carbs in a day because i am terrified of messing up my hormones and miscarrying.

 

[ClandestineTX]

@Mearly12: Welcome! There are lots of low carbers on here so you are in good company!

@Uni tsi: I don't think I have GD (which I've taken to calling "Fetus Beetus" because humor saves my soul). The 2-hour test should have been after I ate 150 g of carbs per day for several days to several weeks beforehand and I haven't eaten that many carbs on a regular basis in at least three years. When you are on a LC diet for a long time, the amount of ready-to-use insulin stored by your body goes down, so the fact that I blew out the one hour reading, but was fine at two hours is actually showing that down-regulation. All of my measurements since Friday have been under 120 at 2 hours, except for the first one (I broke a 14+ hour fast with a massive bunch, including pancakes with syrup and it was 132 at 2 hours) and a day that I added a fiber supplement to meal, so it just didn't go down - it was 125 at 1 hour and 123 at 2 hours. All of my other measurements have been way below 120 at 2 hours, if not back to baseline (between 70-something and low 100s). I am going to continue to collect the fasting AM, and 2 hour post-meal readings for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as instructed through the 28th or 29th, but I don't think it's GD, based on what I understand it should look like. And I have eaten a lot of carbs this weekend, bread with almost every lunch and dinner and fresh or canned fruit as well, which is unusually high intake for me. FX this trend continues and that I'm spared all this finger-pricking after this trial!

PS. Taking our annual vacation starting WEDNESDAY and have to travel with all this stuff But better to travel with testing supplies than not travel at all!

 

[minties]

You guys are doing so well! I've totalled an 8kg gain all pregnancy, so 1kg under my maximum recommended by the hospital. My c-section is in a couple of days so I'm ok with this.

There's no way the health professionals would be ok with me sticking to keto, I was on 20 or less grams of carbs a day and lost 38kg in 2015 but they scared me by raving on and on about it having the potential to stunt babies brain growth, and then her head percentiles were shrinking so I just went back to eating carbage again. I figure when my body is my own again I can eat how I please, for now I go with what the GD nurse says and eat like a regular person. I've been testing my bold sugars 7 times in every 24 hours since 26 weeks and only had a few higher numbers, so I've been lucky.

 

[ClandestineTX]

Yay for keeping your weight in check right up to the finish line! And testing seven times a day is incredible, I'm honestly whining about four over here.

As far as LC goes, I've not been keto low. I stick to 25-80 g of carbage per day (LOL, which I think is my new favorite word). Baby's growth is monitored monthly due to my age and hypothyroidism and he's been a little ahead since 18 weeks but we are also tall people - Hubster is 6'2" and I'm 5'7" so not surprised with growth so far.

 

[honeybee2]

Because my BMI is 36 I have to have glucose tests and extra scans. I feel so embarrassed.

I've decided to join weightWatchers.

Seriously can't be any good this big

 

[SamerSue]

My BMI is 45. I've been watching what I eat, and while I had initially gained 5 lbs from my weight pre-pregnancy, I'm back down almost to what I was before (I've gained .4 lbs from what I weighed the day after the wedding). My midwife is okay with my current weight, as long as I'm eating and taking my vitamins, since she wants me to only fain 11-20 lbs overall throughout the pregnancy.

 

[ClandestineTX]

My BMI is 45. I've been watching what I eat, and while I had initially gained 5 lbs from my weight pre-pregnancy, I'm back down almost to what I was before (I've gained .4 lbs from what I weighed the day after the wedding). My midwife is okay with my current weight, as long as I'm eating and taking my vitamins, since she wants me to only fain 11-20 lbs overall throughout the pregnancy.

That's the same recommendation I have, I think it's for all BMIs over 30 or 36. I've managed to stay in about five pounds or less above what I weighed ovulation day. I feel better when I eat healthy anyway, been like that for years.

 

[Wombat]

Hello Ladies

First of all - BIG congratulations to Minties for having her baby!
YAY!

Clandestine - welcome anytime to do long bike rides with us I could easily do with another fitness partner, who is older than 18:happy dance:
Also, well done with sticking to low carbs. I think it is a much healthier way to keep GD under control, than medicine...

Uni - how are you doing? It has been less hot here, so I am enjoying the weather much more. Hope the heat is down at your place too, and you managing to do some sport.

Honey, when I started my last pregnancy,my BMI was 37... ~To say it was hard is understatement... Try to keep fit and stick to healthy eating. But don't be embarrassed.


Samer - I am 29 weeks pregnant and gained only 4 kilos (lbs?). So it is possible. Just stay motivated

 

[minties]

Thank you! Emma is 6 days old now and is sooo cute and such a sweet little baby.

I'm almost down to my booking in weight. Yay!

 

[Uni tsi]

Mearly welcome Congrats on losing so much weight and having the willpower to positively impact your fertility! WTG and congrats on your BFP I agree with Minties though, docs are probably going to suggest you not stay keto. I know for myself, I don't tolerate carbs at all when I'm pregnant, but they said it was better to go on meds than eat super low carb, because some carbs are necessary for baby's wellbeing. I've been taking Metformin, which I've heard they also give to people with PCOS. I'm interested to hear what advice the docs give you, if you don't mind sharing once you have your first appointment?

Cladenstive, carbage? you always have the best words! Regarding what you're describing, I think it might be related to the nature of gestational diabetes? That it's not primarily an issue of insulin production but rather the placenta reduces our insulin sensitivity. Maybe that hormone is triggered more in people who are eating somewhat low carb, so that more carbs are available for baby? Which would then show up as GD in the test, even though it's actually beneficial? Anyway, I'm glad you seem to be tolerating carbs ok and I hope you can stop the finger sticks soon. Enjoy your trip!

Minties, I'm so happy for you! Congrats!!!

honeybee, glucose tests are standard in the States, because plenty of skinny girls end up with GD too while there are tons with higher bmi who don't end up having it. Don't feel embarrassed! Plus the nice thing about extra scans is plenty of chance to see baby

Wombat, sadly it has been above average temps here. In the 90s f every day, heat index was 109 f the other day. I manage to go out a bit just before dusk every day but haven't done much beyond that. Even in the house with the airconditioning going I feel too hot most of the time. Honestly, I just want it to rain and break this heatwave.

 

[ClandestineTX]

Congrats, minites!!!

Uni tsi - "Carbage" came from one of the other ladies on here! I did the finger pricking through Friday of last week, need to call the docs office and report the two weeks of data today (but I just got home yesterday afternoon and am taking my sweet-ass time to do anything today). I was almost always below his thresholds, by quite a bit! The exception seems to be baked goods. I can eat my body weight in ice cream, french fries, and bread and no effect, but cake, cookies, strudel, etc. all made it too high at the two hour mark. I think I can stay off cake for the next two to three months (the exception was my birthday, which has already passed). PS having to do a two week test of monitoring over vacation seems cruel, but I'm glad it doesn't seem to really be an issue. I really didn't hold back, so it's comforting to know my regular low-carb diet should be totally fine. My HbA1C was tested right before I left and I just got that result this morning - it was 5.5, which isn't diabetes or even pre-diabetes. So FX I can stay off testing now.

The heat, OMFG. Coming back to Texas has been horrible and it's not even been 24 hours yet!

 

[Uni tsi]

Clandestine, that's a great A1c! I'm glad to hear your finger sticks look good too. I hope your placenta cooperates. Mine on the other hand, not so much. The amount of the insulin resistant hormone it makes must have skyrocketed for me this week because all of a sudden all my numbers look horrible :/ I've resigned myself to the fact she's probably going to put me on fast acting insulin when I go in this week. Not happy about that at all.

I know some of it is that I am not keeping as active as I was before, but being that active didn't seem to help my sugar levels that much anyway. It's all starting to really feel out of my control. My weights still doing good though. If anything, I need to gain a little more. I feel hungry all the time so that shouldn't be a problem.

I'm going to try to get to the pool this week, but between the heat and third trimester lethargy it's hard to find the motivation. Only a few more weeks to go though, for me. So, I'm hoping I can keep it together.

How is everyone else doing?

 

[familygirl30]

Hi ladies, I'm not pregnant but wanting to start ttc for our 2Nd child next cycle, my bmi is 39 and I'm currently doing a high protein low carbs diet so hope to drop a stone at least before got Bfp! I would love to loose more weight but no way can I wait to get to My ideal weight to start ttc! I'm 34 now and hubby 40 and we have a boy who's 3 so we don't want to really wait to start trying esp if it takes us longer this time. I do worry though that I'm going to have comments made to Me about my weight from the drs,

 

[floridamomma]

Hi ladies. I'm almost 14 weeks and last year I lost over 60lbs taking me from obese at 5'2 and 203lbs to 143lbs. Unfortunately after the beginning of the year my degree program kicked into high gear. Over 6 months I gained some back. I've done moderately well with pregnancy gaining less than 5-10 in this first tri(depends on the day). I want to honestly keep my weight where it is and maybe go up to 180 at the end. I don't want to end up 200lbs after this over. I am not looking to necessarily lose weight (though I'm not opposed) just trying to keep my weight level. Baby is growing well. I enjoy occasional bad meals but other than the few pounds I gained on vacation I've not gained any. I plan to start exercising now that the kudos atevgonoh back to school and we've gotten through first tri. Any advice? Right now im at 175

 

[Uni tsi]

familygirl, I've heard just losing 5% can make a huge difference in terms of health and fertility so maybe that would be a good goal? But, I agree with you not to put off ttc. Hopefully, you will have a doctor that isn't a jerk about it

floridamomma welcome! Regarding exercise, my advice is to start slow, accomplish less than you expected to (i.e. less than nonpregnant) and bring lots of extra water because you'll get thirstier more than you'd expect. Also, you'll get winded faster. So, just start of easy with something like walking or yoga. Swimming is good too. Second trimester was a very productive time for me, I hope it is for you too! A lot of ladies like to stick to cardio, but I strongly recommend adding in some light strength training, especially if you have access to weight machines (free weights can cause injury more easily while pregnant if you're not used to them so if you're inexperienced the machines can be safer). One good piece of advice I was given early on is to never exert yourself more than 80% of your max on any sort of exercise.

Beyond that, I have no advice because I have turned into a total lump whose hips hurt so much it's a workout just getting up and down from the sofa But I only have a handful of weeks left to go.