Wednesday, 6 March 2019

Can weight loss be safe in pregnancy?

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Weight loss, a term many women are conversant with. You have either been on a weight loss journey , are presently on one, or will be on one in the near or far future . Societal pressure aside, sometimes a girl just wants to look good and feel great, nothing is wrong with it. Imagine being on , or planning to get on a weight loss journey , and then you realise you are pregnant . That can seem like a little  glitch on your good news, but it is wrong for you to desire to know if you can  lose weight when pregnant , without the foetus being affected.


First thing I would like to state is that pregnancy is not the time to embark on a weight loss journey indiscriminately. I say ‘indiscriminately’ because on some unusual occasions, a doctor would advise a pregnant woman to shed some weight, and this would usually have some direct connection with safety of her life or that of her baby, never for aesthetics .
For example , being obese and pregnant increases the risk of many complications which may in turn adversely affect the life of a mother and / or the baby . The excess weight in this case is life threatening and so must be dealt with .
Weight gain is normal in pregnancy , and conversely , weight loss is highly discouraged , and is usually examined further if extensive in pregnancy. That is not to say every weight loss in pregnancy is suspicious. A woman who prior to pregnancy had no brakes on her eating habits, who now decides to clean up her diet in pregnancy will most likely drop a few ‘ safe ’ pounds.
For a pregnant woman to desire weight loss ‘ just because’ in pregnancy is risky and not responsible because if this is done without the help of a professional , chances are high that you may be cutting off nutrients (macro and micro) and energy supply to the developing foetus . The best time to engage on a weight loss journey is when your baby is safely out of your body, breastfeeding is established , and your doctor has cleared you at your post - natal check . The best news is that no matter how much weight was gained in pregnancy , you can lose it post - delivery . It may take you more time than another mum but everybody can ‘bounce back’ with knowledge , patience and consistency.
Rather than asking if you can lose weight in pregnancy , you should be concerned with how to manage the weight gain process through the 40 weeks of gestation with a clean diet and an active lifestyle .
Ideally, for a singleton pregnancy, a woman should gain anything between 10 kg to 15 kg .
But in rare cases where weight loss is recommended in pregnancy , how does one go about it?
First , you need a professional , this goes beyond fad diets , quick fixes, and ‘cutting carbs ’. A professional would ensure that whatever diet you are placed on may be lower in calories but still optimal in its nutritional profile . Work closely with your doctor, he / she would also recommend supplements. Instead of cutting carbs out for example, which most people who want to lose weight are quick to do, she would find healthier, low - calorie alternatives and present
them in the right portion size and frequency . This requires some expertise which the pregnant woman most likely does not have .
The result of all these measures would be a safe program that leads to weight loss, optimised nutrition and a healthy developing foetus .
And just to clarify, you will actually be gaining weight but the weight lost may be higher and faster than what is being gained thereby creating a safe calorie deficit, making weight loss the more obvious result .
It is also important for you to be realistic in your expectations . Trust the professionals working with you and be patient , disciplined and honest too as anything else may lead to frustrations resulting from unmet expectations .


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