How to lose weight when pregnant. How to lose weight during pregnancy? When not to lose weight during pregnancy

In the old days, a pregnant woman was told that she needed to eat for two. According to medical statements, weight gain should not be too large. Excess body weight creates health problems during childbearing and reduces the chances of losing prenatal weight. To lose weight during pregnancy, you need to choose the right diet and daily routine that combines physical activity and rest.

Overweight and pregnancy

The weight of the expectant mother grows due to an increase in the mass of the fetus, placenta, amniotic fluid. In addition, to provide the baby with everything necessary, the volume of blood increases, fat reserves increase. The mammary glands are preparing for the production of milk, they also increase in size.

The gynecologist who supervises the pregnancy is obliged to monitor the weight of a woman. At a scheduled visit to the doctor, weighing is carried out, the result is recorded in the card. This allows you to track the dynamics of weight changes. If the process goes with a deviation from the norm, the doctor gives recommendations on how to stop or reduce weight gain.

Indications for weight loss in pregnancy

Excess weight puts more stress on the legs. If a woman has a tendency to varicose veins, and the disease worsens during pregnancy, then the weight must be dropped. May increase or develop flat feet. Excessive nutrition leads to excess weight not only in the mother, but also in the child. A large weight in combination with data from metric measurements of the abdomen and ultrasound readings helps to identify excessive fetal growth. A large baby will create problems during childbirth.

Weight gain is accompanied by an increase in body size, and this is fraught with the appearance of stretch marks on the abdomen, sides, hips and buttocks. It is next to impossible to get rid of them afterwards. Heaviness also creates problems with pressure and heart function, provokes the appearance of edema, disrupts the functioning of all body systems.

How to get rid of extra pounds and not harm the baby?

Weight loss during pregnancy affects the health of mother and baby, so this problem should only be solved with a doctor. You should choose a diet that is saturated with the necessary useful components in sufficient quantities, but has a low calorie content. Only in this way can a mother lose weight without harming the baby. A balanced regimen of alternating work, active and passive rest, and physical exercises is important. Sometimes antenatal clinics hold classes in which women are taught accessible exercises and proper eating behavior.

What can you eat?

Already in the early stages of pregnancy, the expectant mother needs to form the habit of eating often, every 3-4 hours, but in small portions. It is useful to maintain this approach to nutrition throughout life.

You can leave in the diet some vegetable sweets (marmalade, halva). Bread is better to choose rye. Those who have a home bread machine should try the ground oatmeal bread recipe.

Protein should be enough. They need to be obtained from lean fish and meat, steamed or in the oven. It is especially important to eat protein foods in the first trimester and reduce it in the last. The use of nuts is possible, but it is better to limit it, because this product is very high in calories. Be sure to eat dishes with calcium: cottage cheese, cheese, milk, almonds, prunes. It is important to include foods rich in fiber in the menu: cereals, fresh fruits and vegetables, wholemeal bread.

The most abundant meal is at lunch (40%). Snack and dinner should be 10% of the daily diet.

What should be excluded in order not to gain excess weight?

To lose weight, you should limit the use of chocolate, sweets, rolls, confectionery, sugar. Sugary carbonated drinks are very harmful. Do not abuse grapes, raisins, figs. Onions, garlic and spices increase the secretion of the stomach, which increases appetite and promotes overeating. Too salty food retains water in the body and provokes the occurrence of edema. Fatty varieties of meat and fish, sausages, smoked meats are undesirable. Of the methods of cooking, frying should be preferred to steaming and in the oven, as well as cooking.

You can’t stick to mono-diets - kefir, peanuts, etc. Food programs built on the maximum exclusion of carbohydrates should also be avoided. The diet should be complete and balanced.

Exercises for expectant mothers: yoga, swimming, exercises

In order to lose weight, it is not enough to limit the calorie intake, you need to spend calories. Nowadays, a healthy lifestyle is very popular, and in many cities sports centers and clubs create special sports groups for pregnant women.

An example of a set of exercises that can be performed by pregnant women:

The number of repetitions in each exercise should be done according to well-being, you can start with 5-8, gradually increasing to 15-20. The pace should be chosen moderate, perform the complex without sudden movements.

Yoga will help you choose gentle, but effective exercises. Pregnancy yoga groups are very popular and affordable right now. Yoga is based on different ways of breathing. They help burn fat without intensive movements. Breathing exercises are also useful for the fetus, they supply it with oxygen.

It is important to find a competent yoga instructor who knows how to get the most out of the class without causing harm. If the execution technique is mastered, you can do it yourself at home with the permission of the instructor and the doctor.

If there are groups for pregnant women in the pools at the place of residence of the expectant mother, then visiting them is ideal for losing weight. In such groups, they will offer not only swimming, but also exercises in the water under the supervision of a specialist.
Swimming provides a uniform and correct load on all muscle groups, putting in order the sides, back, arms, perineum. Holding your breath while diving also promotes fat burning. Water aerobics is the best option for a pregnant woman.

A visit to the pool is still worth coordinating with a doctor. With the threat of a miscarriage, the presence of spotting spotting is unacceptable. In the case of adopting water procedures in natural reservoirs, extra care must be taken - avoid fast-flowing rivers, waves on the sea, reservoirs with a rocky bottom, places with an unknown or unfavorable sanitary condition. A pregnant woman becomes less mobile and more susceptible to infections, this must be taken into account.

What weight is considered normal for a pregnant woman?

The ability to digest and assimilate food and accumulate body fat varies from woman to woman. Everyone's metabolic rate is different. Weight can be excessive already at the beginning of pregnancy. Specialists-gynecologists are guided by certain norms of weight gain at different stages of pregnancy.

So, in the first trimester, the rate of increase should not be high - 2–3 kg is enough for the entire period. In the second and third trimesters, the standard allows a weekly increase of 300–500 g. For the entire pregnancy, a body weight gain of 10–15 kg is allowed. If the initial weight corresponded to the norm (height in centimeters minus 100) and the regular increase does not exceed the standards, then there is no indication for weight loss. If a woman is overweight and has fat reserves to feed the fetus, then it is permissible to have an increase in the lower value of the norm.

Before you start losing weight, you need to really assess the figure. It is important to consider that after giving birth you will lose about 12 kg., This includes the placenta, amniotic fluid, a certain percentage of blood flow and a newborn baby. When you definitely decide that excess weight is present, change the diet. Otherwise, there is a risk of fetal hypoxia, an increase in the body weight of the child, an increase in blood pressure and excessive swelling of the extremities. Weight loss must be correct so as not to harm the baby.

Restrictions on certain foods

1. Completely exclude peppered, smoked and salty dishes.
2. Steam food. It is not forbidden to fry meat or eggs, but it is necessary to do this in a Teflon pan without the use of vegetable oil.
3. Refuse carbonated drinks, packaged juices with an unknown composition. Fresh juices should be diluted with mineral water without gas in a ratio of 1:1. Black coffee prefer chicory, which does not increase blood pressure.
4. Of the sausages, you can eat only bacon in limited quantities.
5. Sweet and starchy foods are allowed, but within reason. For desserts, opt for homemade yogurt cakes, dark chocolate, and fruit salad with a little cream. You can drink milkshakes, but only with a natural sweetener ("Stevia"). With regards to baking, it should contain the maximum amount of cereals.
6. It is strictly forbidden to eat fatty meat. If you really want to, choose the pulp of pork or lamb.
7. From natural oils, olive and corn are suitable for pregnant women. They can be seasoned with salads or greased the pan with a thin layer when frying.
8. The number of yolks in the diet should not exceed the permissible norms. The optimal quantity is 2 pcs. per day, while the use of proteins is not limited.
9. Give up homemade "delicacies" such as pickled cucumbers and tomatoes, adjika, jam, and more.
10. Do not eat meat sauces, which are accompanied by frying or the use of tomato paste.
11. It is strictly forbidden to snack on snacks (crackers, salted nuts, chips, cookies, etc.). Eliminate fast food (fast food), convenience foods and canned food.

What products should you focus on?

1. During this period, you need to eat more foods rich in fiber. These include figs, almonds, whole wheat, dried fruit, sesame, rye and wheat bran. Do not forget about cereals and legumes, rye, whole grain bread, carrots, spinach, potatoes, brown rice, lentils, broccoli, apples and citrus fruits.
2. As for proteins, they are found in white meat, lean fish, dairy products, seaweed, eggs, hard cheese, beef and pork meat. Important! The fat content of dairy products should not exceed 1% for kefir, 1.8% for cottage cheese, 1.5% for milk, 20% for cottage cheese.
3. The correct carbohydrates that do not harm a pregnant woman include the following: whole grain black bread, tomatoes, cabbage, greens, zucchini, grapes, dried fruits, cereals, bell peppers and beans.
4. Drink at least 3 liters of fluid per day, of which 2 liters should be pure mineral water. Do not abuse green tea, it leaches calcium from bones. Of the components for freshly squeezed juice, give preference to apples with celery, pears with peaches, apricots, grapefruits, oranges, grapes. It is advisable to add greens (parsley, dill) to the fresh.
5. Make sure you always have fresh vegetables and fruits on hand. Put them in a basket and put them in a conspicuous place. Remove cookies, sweets and purchased cakes from view on the top shelf of the cabinet.

Basic rules for losing weight

1. Cook meals in your own juices by brushing them with a little lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Get a sleeve, foil or baking bags, use the oven. Well, if there is a slow cooker, it allows you to cook food without using oil and retains the beneficial properties of the products.
2. Visit a doctor who guides you throughout your pregnancy. Warn that you are going to go on a diet, ask for a course of multivitamins.
3. You probably know, but it’s worth reminding you: do not drink alcohol under any pretext. Many do not shy away from drinking a glass of red wine; when losing weight, you cannot afford this.
4. Observe food hygiene. After eating, do not lie down to rest, take a seated position or go for a walk. The last meal should be no later than 4 hours before bedtime.
5. While eating, focus on the movement of the tongue, palate and cheekbones. Chew carefully, don't rush. Eat fractionally every 2.5-3 hours. Portion should not be more than 450 gr.
6. Pregnant women need to take a comprehensive approach to losing weight, since the diet is quite free. Sign up for special gymnastics for pregnant women, attend classes 2-3 times a week. Go to yoga, Pilates, stretching, water aerobics or just start swimming in the pool.

You can't go on a diet for weeks or months, because the body is not ready for this. Specialists have developed a technique that consists of a two-day interval unloading. Every week on Mondays and Thursdays, switch to the diet below.

Do not skip meals so that the body does not make up for losses twice. Unloading days are suitable for girls throughout pregnancy, with the exception of the last 2 months.

Monday

1. Start the day with a 3 egg omelette (2 yolks, 3 whites), 300 ml. whole milk and fruit salad (apple, kiwi, grapefruit).
2. After 3 hours, drink freshly squeezed juice from 1 apple, 1 pear and celery. Eat a vegetable salad with the addition of 300 gr. boiled chicken breast.
3. For lunch, cook a light soup, meatballs with buckwheat. Fill your dishes with sour cream. Make a salad of 1 boiled potato, bell pepper, cabbage and carrots.
4. After 2 hours, eat 250 gr. fish baked in the oven, 300 gr. low-fat natural yogurt, drink herbal tea.
5. In the evening, cook stewed vegetables with meat (zucchini or eggplant, tomatoes, cabbage, potatoes, onions, carrots, herbs, chicken or turkey). 20 minutes after eating, drink 200 ml. kefir or ryazhenka.
6. A few hours before bed, make carrot or cabbage juice with dill. Drink 200 ml.

Thursday

1. After waking up in the morning, prepare 170 gr. flaxseed porridge with the addition of 20 gr. oat bran. Eat 1 muesli bar or a salmon sandwich with butter and cheese. Wash down with fruit juice diluted 50:50 with water.
2. After a few hours, eat 200 gr. low-fat cottage cheese with sesame seeds and dried fruits (raisins, dried banana, kiwi, dried apricots). After 25 minutes after eating, drink a decoction of wild rose.
3. 1 hour before lunch, prepare a milkshake with strawberries, currants and blackberries, sweeten it with Stevia.
4. For lunch, cook soup with meatballs, potatoes and durum wheat pasta. As a main course, eat brown rice with 1 slice of bacon and a slice of whole grain bread, 300 gr. vinaigrette, lemon tea without sweeteners.
5. After 1.5 hours, eat the cheese mass with one handful of almonds. Drink 300 ml. rosehip decoction.
6. For dinner, eat a salad of various vegetables, add 3 boiled eggs to it, 100 gr. boiled beef and 10 ml. lemon juice. Drink 270 ml. grape juice.
7. 2 hours before bedtime, prepare a mixture of 300 ml. kefir and chopped dill. Drink in several doses with an interval of 10 minutes.

Observe food hygiene, do not skip meals. Replace products with similar proportions. Rearrange the components in places or combine them with each other, alternate days in a different order every week. Avoid prohibited foods.

Video: how not to gain weight during pregnancy

Pregnancy is one of the most beautiful and difficult life stages for a woman. For 9 months, the body of the expectant mother changes, if at the very beginning it was without extra pounds and stretch marks, then by the end of 8 months everything changes. Therefore, the main issue that worries expectant mothers is how to lose weight during pregnancy so as not to harm your own body and the baby in the womb.

Pros and cons of losing weight during pregnancy

The main advantages for which you should strive to lose weight while expecting a child include:

• Getting rid of the pounds gained in conjunction with physical exercises can improve the well-being of a pregnant woman, normalize her sleep, and give her vigor.
• Exercise can help prevent gestational diabetes. In such a state, blood sugar levels rise to dangerously high, which threatens the life of the woman, as well as the fetus. In some cases, high sugar levels can cause complications during childbirth.
• If you adhere to the principles of proper nutrition, eat a large amount of fresh vegetables and fruits, then the weight will gradually decrease.

The disadvantages of weight loss during pregnancy include:

• Difficult bearing if the initial weight of the pregnant woman was insufficient or within the normal range.
• Diet or starvation can lead to a deficiency of beneficial micronutrients, due to which the child in the womb will lag behind in development.

Causes of weight gain during pregnancy

Weight gain during pregnancy is formed from the following indicators:

• At the beginning of pregnancy, the body makes reserves in the form of body fat, the mass of which is 1.5 kg. This happens so that the future baby is protected from various external influences.
• Amniotic fluid reaches a weight of 1 kg.
• At birth, the weight of the baby is about 3.5 kg.
• The weight of the placenta is 0.7 kg.
• An increase in the mammary glands, blood volume and uterus is equivalent to 2 kg.

Based on these indicators, the optimal increase during pregnancy is 10 kg. If before childbirth the increase in the pregnant woman is much lower, then this indicates that over the 9 months of gestation there was a gradual weight loss.

Weight loss can be for the following reasons:

• Toxicosis.
• Starvation, strict diets, intentional denial of nutrition.
• Depression, stress, unfavorable financial situation, due to which the pregnant woman could not fully eat.
• Diseases.

Video: How to lose weight during pregnancy

How to lose weight during pregnancy without harm

To lose weight during pregnancy without harm to health, follow these recommendations:

• Eat healthy food, exclude alcohol, flour, sweet, fatty, smoked products from the diet.
• Include foods rich in vitamins and important trace elements in your diet.
• Eat small.
• Follow a special diet designed for the last months of pregnancy.

The concept of healthy, living food includes the following definitions:

• Every morning before eating, you need to drink juice from vegetables or fruits. It is best to drink carrot and lemon juice if you are not allergic to these products, and it is advisable to dilute them with water.
• Before going to bed, it will not be superfluous to use honey along with sour juice.
• Drink plain water, but in small amounts so that it does not cause swelling.
• Add whole foods to your regular diet.
• Do not eat large quantities of meat products and meat itself. You can find protein in fish, dairy products, nuts. Try to keep your diet varied.
• Try to reduce the amount of salt consumed, because it retains fluid in the body and causes increased thirst.
• It is advisable to reduce the amount of heat treatment of your food. Steam food, bake in the oven, give up frying in favor of boiled foods and stews.

When taking vitamins, it should be remembered that their overabundance, like a lack of them, can negatively affect the body. Try to get important trace elements not from complex vitamins, but from fresh vegetables and fruits. Opt for freshly made juices over store-bought ones.

Many pregnant women suffer from calcium deficiency, so doctors persistently prescribe various pills that increase the level of calcium in the body. In the last months of pregnancy, this is fraught with the fact that the bones of the child will be calcified, which will make it more difficult for the baby to wade through the birth canal.

3 weeks before childbirth, it is necessary to remove dairy products from the diet, which are a source of calcium. It will not be superfluous to refuse flour products, sweets, which cause weight gain, while they do not bring any benefit to the body.

If a pregnant woman takes care of her weight and follows all of the above tips, then her increase during the period of bearing a child will be within the normal range, and the baby will be born strong and healthy. If you neglect all the advice, then in the future it will lead to various complications, as well as problems with weight loss after childbirth.

It is possible for pregnant women to lose extra pounds only for medical reasons. All diets are based on balance. Uncontrolled weight loss threatens with serious problems with the fetus, up to death.

Weight loss during pregnancy: main indications, risks, diets

Rapid weight gain often drives pregnant women into depression. A few extra pounds is not a cause for concern, while a sharp increase in centimeters not only in the abdomen indicates nutritional problems.

For a long time it was believed that a pregnant woman should eat for two, but now this opinion has been refuted. A healthy diet, and as a result, weight loss, will allow you to control weight during pregnancy, quickly return to its original forms after childbirth.

Pros and cons

If the weight of a woman before the conception of a child was normal, then the natural growth rates are up to 15 kilograms up to 9 months. In the case when the indicator is exceeded already at 4-5 months, you should think about losing weight. Extra pounds threaten to complicate childbirth. It is also necessary to adhere to a diet for those who had a slight degree of obesity before pregnancy. Arguments "for" diet during childbearing:

• improving the chances of giving birth to a healthy child (if the fetus gains more than 4 kilograms due to the abundant nutrition of the mother, this leads to a weakening of contractions);
• reducing the risk of complications during childbirth;
• improving health status (a balanced diet allows proteins, fats, carbohydrates, as well as essential vitamins and microelements to enter the body);
• easy weight loss after childbirth.

Nevertheless, diets in their philistine understanding should not be carried away either. Eating one type of product, the so-called mono-diets, is strictly contraindicated. Also, pregnant women should not roll back from meat and fish products, since the body of the mother and child receives protein from them.

When Doctors Recommend Losing Weight During Pregnancy: Medical Reasons

Experts have repeatedly argued that pregnancy and childbirth proceed better if the woman's weight is normal. However, for some indications, it is recommended to lose weight while carrying a child. The reasons are related to the risks to the health of the fetus and mother. So, medical indications for weight loss are:

• improvement of the childbirth process;
• risk of hypertension and diabetes.

The incentive to lose weight is the health of the child. A mother who has begun to eat for two, eats a lot of sweet, starchy and fatty foods, while thinking that such food is beneficial to the fetus, is mistaken. A healthy child can only be born if the diet is balanced and complete, it contains the optimal amount of protein, fats and carbohydrates. The diet during pregnancy is primarily aimed at ensuring that the expectant mother, and with her the child, get the maximum of useful substances from food, and not empty calories.

When not to lose weight during pregnancy

Losing weight for no apparent reason is not safe. Indications for weight loss are described above, but there are also contraindications in which you cannot lose weight:

• problems with the work of the gastrointestinal tract;
• diseases of the liver and kidneys;
• problems with the heart and blood vessels;
• when weight gain corresponds to anatomical parameters.

Strict diets are strictly prohibited, because they do not become risks for development. Even if a woman used mono-diets, vegetarian or raw food, the menu needs to be diversified. It is not worth it to abruptly include in the diet products that were not previously on the menu. It is better to slowly introduce them into the diet, by the middle of the second trimester to make their intake normal.

What is the danger of uncontrolled weight loss during pregnancy for a child

Losing weight, when not enough nutrients enter the body, is dangerous for the health of the fetus. Main risks:

• risk of miscarriage;
• the development of diseases in the womb (including diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, liver);
• malnutrition of the brain, and, as a result, diseases associated with it.

Uncontrolled weight loss in any case will harm the child. During pregnancy, the mother's body provides feeding to the fetus, and if he himself receives less nutrients, then the child too.

How weight loss can affect the placenta and blood supply

The placenta is an organ that forms in a woman during pregnancy. She is responsible for the transfer of nutrients to the child. As a result of poor nutrition, placental insufficiency occurs, which is expressed in violations of the functionality of the organ. The placenta can no longer provide the fetus with the necessary substances, and this can even be fatal. Also, uncontrolled nutrition affects the fact that blood circulation is disturbed, and this causes the development of oxygen deficiency.

When necessary for medical reasons: a diet without harm to the child

A diet without harm to the child and mother includes vegetables, fruits, dairy products, non-refined foods. Vegetable oils, meat and fish are also required. You should not completely exclude sausages, sausages, butter, white bread and other not the most healthy foods from the diet, especially if you are used to seeing them on your table every day. But you need to include such things in a minimal number, since in addition to calories, they also contain harmful, carcinogenic substances.

Essential vitamins for proper metabolism

Vitamins are best absorbed from food, not vitamin complexes. This is explained by the fact that tablets, even of excellent quality, affect the excretory system, forcing it to work at the limit of its capabilities. It won't work during pregnancy. For the development of the fetus and proper metabolism, vitamins of groups A, B, E, C, the Omega-3 group, potassium and calcium are necessary. You can find them in:

• any varieties of sea and river fish;
• green, red, orange and yellow vegetables;
• all kinds of greens and lettuce;
• fermented milk products (but they should not be high in fat content);
• cereals;
• dried fruits and nuts;
• fruits;
• lean chicken and turkey.

Vegetable oils that are rich in vitamins E will be useful. They help improve metabolism, better functioning of the placenta, keep the skin, hair and nails of a woman in excellent condition. Also, vitamin E helps to improve the condition of the skin, after childbirth there will be fewer stretch marks, the skin will be smoother and more even. You can find it in fish oil, flaxseed oil, nuts.

Amount of water and liquid

It is recommended to drink clean water at least two liters a day. But if swelling is present and body weight increases due to fluid retention, you can reduce by half a liter.

Liquid, which is included in broths, soups - in unlimited volume. You should be careful with fruit drinks, milkshakes, juices - in addition to useful vitamins, they also contain a large amount of sugars, which is not good for the health of the child.

Number of servings per day

The amount of food consumed is purely individual. It cannot be said that a woman whose weight before childbirth was 45 kilograms and one whose weight reached 100 kg should choose portions of the same size.

For a woman whose weight ranges from 60-70 kg during pregnancy, portions of 200-300 grams are optimal, while there should be at least four meals. Optimal power plan:

• breakfast;
• lunch;
• dinner;
• snack;
• dinner.

The number of servings per day is four to five. It is not recommended to reduce the frequency, as there is a risk that the child will not receive nutrients in time for his development.

How to lose weight in the legs while pregnant: exercises and strength training on muscle groups

The legs during the bearing of the child are subjected to serious stress. They bear not only the weight of the developing child and the increased mother. In the female body, hormonal changes occur, which also affects the limbs. The basis of losing weight in the legs is proper nutrition. Exercises in the pool are perfect - they will tone up not only the legs, but also the back, hips, and chest. Useful exercises for the legs and buttocks:

• bicycle (lying on your back, with your legs raised, make movements as if you were riding a bicycle);
• walking in place (feeling the muscles, just step in place, raising your knees to 30-40 degrees);
• butterfly (separated legs are connected at the feet, then they spread their arms to the sides).

Light fitball exercises will help (in addition to strengthening the legs, this reduces the risk of perineal rupture during childbirth), yoga (strengthens the pelvic ligaments, which increases the speed of childbirth).

During pregnancy, jumping rope, rollerblading and skating, fast running, aerobics, pulling up dumbbells are prohibited.

Is it possible to lose weight in the third trimester

In the last trimester, weight gain occurs due to the growth of the fetus. Some women even lose weight during this period, as they gradually shed their own extra pounds. During this period, emphasis is placed on salads, fruits, greens, light dairy products and whole grain dishes.

Three weeks before the expected date of birth, it is advisable to include a minimum of calcium-rich foods, meat and fish. Some restriction of the diet does not threaten problems with the fetus, but the expectant mother will allow you to start losing kilograms.

Losing weight is under the supervision of a doctor, and if there are medical indicators for that. It is impossible to lose weight if a woman is not psychologically comfortable (feels fat). The doctor's recommendations are:

• only a specialist can correctly compose a diet;
• help to cope with excess weight and improve metabolism light workouts;
• you can not get involved in mono-diets, vegetarianism and raw food diet (in rare cases it is allowed as a fasting day).

Pregnancy is a complex physiological process. It is not possible to predict how weight loss will affect the child's body in a particular case. Therefore, it is worth engaging in weight loss only for medical reasons, at the slightest danger, consult a doctor.

Useful video

After the gynecologist confirms the fact of pregnancy, the woman happily imagines how her life will change after the birth of the desired baby. Planning a child's room and acquiring all sorts of things push any worries out of the head of the expectant mother. At a later date, the representatives of the weaker sex begin to notice how quickly their figure is changing. Some young ladies are calm about weight gain, while others begin to get nervous and count every kilogram. But is it possible to lose weight during pregnancy in such a way as not to harm the little man?

How to eat during pregnancy to lose weight?

In fact, all women who are expecting a baby face dramatic changes in taste preferences. Moreover, the appetite also increases. This is quite normal, as a growing body requires a lot of micronutrients. But if you choose the right diet, then the expectant mother will not have to eat for two. In addition, an increase in body weight not exceeding twelve kilograms is considered normal.

First of all, a woman should establish her own mode of eating, because uncontrolled eating of sweets will definitely not benefit the figure. It is recommended to eat five times a day. In the end, you will get three main meals and two light snacks that will help get rid of the feeling of hunger. It is very important to eat at the same time. Of course, initially it will be difficult to rebuild, but the result is really worth the effort.

The expectant mother must definitely drink two liters of plain water daily until the beginning of the third trimester. The liquid has a positive effect on metabolic processes, so subcutaneous fat will be deposited in much smaller quantities. A woman must definitely give up her favorite fast food, peppered crackers and chips, sweets with a high content of dyes and flavors, carbonated fruit drinks, smoked meats, sausages and sausages with a dubious composition.

It is important to remember that certain foods can provoke the development of severe allergies, which has an extremely negative effect on the state of the body as a whole. Therefore, it is necessary to exclude citrus fruits, specific seafood, honey and chocolate from the usual menu. It may seem that the diet of the expectant mother should consist exclusively of vegetables and fruits, but this is not so.

You should consider what food will help you lose weight during pregnancy without harm to the baby. If earlier a woman preferred all kinds of meat dishes, now she needs to limit herself to chicken fillet, since it contains a sufficient amount of the most important trace elements and is low-fat. But it should be remembered that the bird needs to be baked, boiled, stewed, but not fried. But fish should be consumed with caution, giving preference to species with a minimum fat content.

Dairy products must be present in the daily menu. A future mother can drink a glass of low-fat kefir or yogurt daily, eat one hundred grams of cottage cheese or a few pieces of cheese. It is also desirable to eat wholemeal bread and rolls, but, of course, in small quantities.

Sweets should be replaced with a variety of dried fruits, fruit desserts and jellies. But if a woman really wants to eat a piece of chocolate, then it is better to do it before twelve o'clock in the afternoon, since at this time the food is well processed and does not transform into subcutaneous fat. As for fruits and vegetables, they can be consumed almost without restrictions. It should be remembered that some foods contain too many carbohydrates (grapes, pineapple, avocados, pears, bananas).

Can exercise help you lose weight during pregnancy?

In normal times, training brings exceptional benefits to the body, but women in position should be more careful. In the presence of any complications, the threat of miscarriage, anemia, varicose veins, isthmic-cervical insufficiency, it is better to refuse any physical activity. The only available activity for all, without exception, expectant mothers is walking. If you set aside thirty minutes every day for walking, you will be able not only to avoid weight gain, but also to get rid of unwanted extra pounds.

Pregnant women are also allowed to swim. It is recommended to visit the pool two or three times a week. This sport helps to relax the spine and venous system, actively burn subcutaneous fat and strengthen the muscles of the abdomen, legs and arms. If a woman regularly engages in swimming, she will get rid of excess weight and prepare the body for the upcoming birth.

In the absence of contraindications, the fair sex is allowed to attend yoga and gymnastics for pregnant women. Such exercises are unlikely to help you lose weight, but they will help strengthen various muscle groups and significantly reduce the load on the spine. Thus, you can reduce weight during pregnancy with the help of proper nutrition and light exercise.