Is it possible to lose weight during pregnancy?

Weight loss during pregnancy – is it safe?

Both nutritionists and gynecologists strongly advise against losing weight during pregnancy. Overweight women are advised to reduce their body weight in the period before conception. This is because dieting during pregnancy and strict diets can be harmful and have a negative effect on the normal development of the baby. It has been proven that dieting during pregnancy and being underweight during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage and low birth weight. The dietary habits of expectant mothers can lead to a deficiency of substances necessary for the proper development of the baby, which is why the diet of a pregnant woman should be balanced and contain all nutrients in the right proportions. Among the most dangerous consequences of an unbalanced diet and the resulting deficiencies, experts count insufficient supply of folic acid and iron. Among other things, these lead to anemia in the pregnant woman and abnormal development of the central nervous system in the fetus.

Normal weight during pregnancy

It is not true that an expectant mother should eat for two. The calorie needs of a pregnant woman depend, among other things, on her initial body weight (or, more precisely, her BMI). For example, women whose pre-pregnancy BMI is above 29 kg/m2 should not gain more than 7 kilograms during pregnancy. Women with a BMI below 19.8 kg/m2 can gain between 12 and even 18 kilograms during pregnancy. Expectant mothers whose BMI before pregnancy was in the normal range, i.e. not above 26 kg/m2, may gain a maximum of 15 kilograms. According to studies, it is also known that the daily calorie requirement of a pregnant woman increases by 360 kcal/day in the second trimester and by 475 kcal/day in the third trimester.

Physical activity during pregnancy

According to the recommendations of the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), if there are no contraindications and the pregnancy is going well, a pregnant woman should be physically active for an average of 30 minutes five times a week. This measure is not aimed at weight loss, but at preventing excessive weight gain, which can also have negative consequences for the course of pregnancy. The same guidelines state that a woman who has done intensive endurance exercise before pregnancy can continue to do so during pregnancy and in the postpartum period. Regular physical activity not only reduces excessive weight gain during pregnancy, but also reduces the risk of gestational diabetes and probably postpartum depression. Before you start exercising, you should consult your doctor to find out if there are any contraindications to it.