The Dangers of Dieting When Pregnant
*Always consult your doctor before you try anything new while pregnant, whether that is a change in diet or you want to try a yoga class, then go see your doctor first to make sure it is ok – stay safe!*
Some women become obsessive about their weight gain during pregnancy. While being pregnant is not a time to over indulge yourself in low nutrition foods, neither is it a time to cut back and try to avoid gaining weight. Pregnant women are expected to gain weight for the health of themselves and their baby. Dieting is never a good idea when expecting an infant.
Dieting while pregnant can lead to delivering babies that are undernourished or low birth weight. The body needs specific vitamins and nutrients to help the fetus develop. When pregnant women diet, they often deprive their bodies of some of the needed elements for a healthy developing baby.
In addition to the dangers that not eating properly can have on the baby, expectant mothers who diet can have premature labor and complications during delivery due to the inadequate diet that they have during pregnancy.
In general, women will need to add 300 to 500 calories to their diet when pregnant. Fad diets and lifestyle diets that many in society carry out limit the body on calories as well as carbohydrates. These diets are never considered safe during pregnancy.
Some doctors may suggest that obese women do not gain as much weight during pregnancy as those that are not overweight. However, trying to lose weight is not a solution to gaining less during pregnancy. If you are concerned about the weight gain, then it is much more advisable to avoid eating low nutrition and empty calorie foods. Cut back on sugars and junk food rather than cutting back on eating in general. Do not cut back on healthy calories.
Always talk with your doctor if you have concerns about gaining too much weight or feel the need to lose weight while pregnant. If your doctor does give you a diet to follow, carry it out exactly as stated.
After the baby is born is a much more appropriate time to become concerned about your weight loss. However if you are breastfeeding, keep in mind that your body will still need additional healthy calories.
One of the most important factors during pregnancy is nutrition. This is not a time to alter healthy eating or experiment with weight gain and loss. Pregnancy is a time to focus on giving your baby and yourself the nutrients that you need to be healthy. Rather than focusing on cutting back, focus on gaining foods with substance. In most cases, this is the best way to control the amount of weight that you gain.
If you really must do something though then consider some light exercise, maybe some toning exercises using light weights and some walking, just to help you burn some calories and keep you active, but consult your doctor before you launch into anything.
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