Excessive Pregnancy Weight Gain: Why Eating for Two Isn't OK
Excessive Pregnancy Weight Gain: Why Eating for Two Isn't OK
One of the most common, but also most misunderstood, problems of pregnancy is excessive pregnancy weight gain. Gaining too many pounds during pregnancy is often treated like a joke, but it's no laughing matter. Becoming obese while you are expecting can have very real consequences. In this article, we discuss the problems associated with pregnancy and obesity.
How Much Is Too Much?
The question of how much weight to gain throughout pregnancy has been through both extremes. At one time women were told not to gain any weight with pregnancy. Later, women were told not to worry about excessive weight gain and to go ahead and eat for two.
The reality, as you may suspect, lies somewhere in the middle. According to most pregnancy experts, women should gain no more than 20 to 30 pounds over the course of pregnancy. Gaining any more than that can make labor difficult. It can also make it extremely difficult to lose that weight after you give birth.
The Physical Effects of Too Much Weight Gain
Gaining too much weight can take its toll on your body during pregnancy. Excessive weight puts too much pressure on your joints, making it difficult to move comfortably. This can lead to a lack of exercise, which can also make weight gain more likelya vicious cycle that is difficult to stop.
Lack of physical fitness and too much weight can also cause labor to be more difficult than it should, making a natural childbirth more painful and taxing than usual. Eating too much of the wrong kinds of foods can also cause your baby to grow too large, which can also make natural childbirth more difficult.
The Emotional Toll of Weight Gain
Gaining too much weight can take a powerful emotional toll on the expectant mom. If you feel too heavy and tired to exercise, you lose out on a great tool for stress release, which can add to feelings of depression.
You may also begin to feel badly about yourself and lose a tremendous amount of confidence. The emotional struggle of losing a great deal of weight after giving birth can also be quite daunting; some women never lose the weight and instead settle for living with obesity.
Don't let the emotional toll of weight gain take over your life; instead, control your gain so that you are within the reasonable recommended parameters.
Taking Control of Your Weight
You can take control of your weight one step at a time by making healthy lifestyle changes. Don't think of your diet just in terms of the next nine months.
Instead, take the advice of a pregnancy nutritionist and implement changes that will benefit you for the rest of your life. Let's look at the four different areas of your life and the changes you can make:
Foods: Start by getting rid of processed foods and focus on healthy whole foods. Make the switch from non-organic to organic foods. Increase the amount of protein you eat and phase out refined carbs. If you suffer from edema, eliminate gluten and wheat products from your diet altogether.
Beverages: Cut down on the amount of caffeine you consume so that you are down to a scant 150mg per day. Focus on drinking plenty of waterat least half your weight in water each day. Eliminate sodasboth the real deal and diet versions.
Exercise: Make a commitment to exercise at least 30 minutes per day. Seek out low or no impact exercise like swimming, walking, water aerobics, or yoga. Getting enough exercise is crucial to combating fatigue, water retention, and common aches and pains.
Stress Reduction: Aside from using exercise as a way to reduce stress, make a daily habit of stress reduction. Seek out methods like prayer, meditation, journaling, or talking with close family and friends. Controlling stress will help you stay on track and keep from overeating.
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