By: Lucy Doyle
Many women discover that they're pregnant while they're in the middle of a weight loss diet. This situation raises many questions, the foremost of which is should they continue their weight loss diet, and if so, how?
The answer is very simple: Do not, I repeat, do not try to lose weight during your pregnancy. Pregnancy isn't the time for weight loss. Pregnancy is the time to eat more, not less. During your pregnancy you should be gaining some weight, not losing it.
Remember that you have a responsibility as a mother to nourish your baby while it is inside you. Your baby needs food in order to fully develop and grow. If you're on a diet, you may be depriving your baby of necessary nutrients and causing him or her irreversible damage.
This doesn't mean you should start eating like crazy. In fact, you should be eating only about 300 calories more a day. Throughout your pregnancy, you should gain about 25 pounds if you weren't overweight to begin with, and less than 25 pounds if you were overweight. If your weight gain is higher than that, or it looks like it's going to be higher than that, you should start thinking about changing your diet and fitness plan.
There is really no need to gain too much weight during your pregnancy. If you watch what you eat and do specialized exercises for pregnant women, you should be able to keep your weight gain to a healthy minimum.
There will be time after your pregnancy to lose your extra weight. Just make sure to not gain too much during your pregnancy.
