Healthy Ways To Lose Weight While Pregnant

Gaining a little weight during pregnancy is normal and, in fact, healthy. But excessive weight gain can be alarming. To avoid or manage such a situation, you could try following some diet plans for overweight pregnant women to help maintain a healthy pregnancy weight.

While preparing a food chart for pregnancy, you should include foods from all the major food groups while controlling your calorie intake. An abnormal weight gain during pregnancy invites complications such as preeclampsia i XA pregnancy disorder characterized by high blood pressure, water retention, and protein content in urine , gestational diabetes, and even depression. These issues can take a toll on both your and the baby’s health.

In this post, we have provided some healthy food choices to include in your pregnancy diet, including tips to make delicious yet balanced meals.

Lose Weight After Pregnancy With Postnatal Exercises & A Weight Loss Plan

A considerate weight gain during pregnancy is important for your health and the development of the little one in your womb. A woman who enjoys a normal weight should gain 25 to 35 pounds during pregnancy. Underweight women should gain 28 to 40 pounds while overweight women should gain only 15 to 25 pounds during pregnancy (1).

So, if you were overweight already, try to keep a close tab on your weight gain during these nine months. Despite aiming at gaining less weight, your pregnancy diet plan must consist of all the essential nutrients and minerals sources, such as fiber, calcium, iron, and carbohydrates, for proper nourishment of your baby.

If you need to keep an eye on the weighing scale while expecting, you must cut down on your unhealthy calorie consumption. You can remain healthy and disease-free by including nutrient-rich and low-calorie foods in your meal planning. The diet plan for overweight pregnancy can consist of several small meals at regular intervals. Remember, you must maintain your recommended calorie intake and plan your meals accordingly. Here are some of the superfoods that your pregnancy-balanced diet plan should include if you are overweight:

Is It Safe To Lose Some Weight During Pregnancy?

A US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report shared that pre-pregnancy obesity increased from 26.1% in 2016 to 29.0% in 2019. Since being overweight/obese before pregnancy can raise your chances of gaining more than the recommended weight when pregnant, it is imperative to maintain weight.

Obesity during pregnancy can lead to complications like hypertension, diabetes, preeclampsia, fetal macrosomia i X A condition where a baby is born with a weight that is significantly higher than the average (usually 4000 or 4500 g) , increased cesarean delivery rates, higher incidence of wound infections, etc. Some of the other health issues overweight women are likely to face during pregnancy include the following: (2)

Exercising is beneficial during pregnancy as it can strengthen your muscles and improve circulation. Safe and medically approved exercises may help your body adapt better to the changes, prepare you for the delivery, and help you get back in shape after the delivery (4).

Safe Ways To Weight Loss During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is not the time to go on a diet. The fetus is dependent on the mother for nutrition, and weight-loss diets could hinder the baby’s growth and development. If you are overweight or obese, your medical advisor and dietician will prescribe you a suitable diet.

An overweight pregnant woman should control carbohydrate intakes such as bread and pasta and avoid carbonated drinks, sweets, and foods with refined sugars, high salt content, and fatty meats.

There is no risk associated with following a diet plan during pregnancy. A healthy diet plan will help in a smooth and swift pregnancy and delivery. However, talk to your doctor or nutritionist if you have any concerns regarding your diet or changes you wish to make.

How To Lose Weight During Pregnancy

Unhealthy food cravings can be swapped with healthy foods. To overcome sugar cravings, try eating whole fruits or freshly squeezed fruit juice, and include healthy snacks like roasted chickpeas, sweet potato, fresh salads, smoothies, and roasted meats and vegetables instead of junk fried foods.

Yes, an overweight pregnant woman can still eat out, provided the food is eaten in moderation, from a reliable restaurant, and not very often.

Pregnancy-induced food cravings and the wrong assumption that you need to eat for two may cause excess weight gain, especially if you are overweight at the time of conception. Gaining excess weight increases the risks of pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes and may also be detrimental for the fetus. However, diet plans for overweight pregnant women should focus on cutting down unhealthy calories from junk food without compromising the nutritional requirements. Including whole fruits, whole grains, salads, lean meat in your diet, and eating small portions multiple times a day may help prevent excess weight gain during pregnancy.

How To Lose Weight On A Mediterranean Diet

Pregnancy is a time of physical and hormonal changes, and being overweight can complicate matters. However, implementing the right dietary strategies is the key to managing excess pregnancy weight gain. Our infographic could be a handy guide for pregnant women who are overweight, so skim through it and switch to healthier food choices to have a healthy pregnancy and baby.

's articles are written after analyzing the research works of expert authors and institutions. Our references consist of resources established by authorities in their respective fields. You can learn more about the authenticity of the information we present in our editorial policy.

Dr. Mona Hardas is a practicing Ob/Gyn from Flint, Michigan, with over 20 years of experience in private practice. She is also actively involved in teaching medical students and residents as an associate clinical professor from MSU College of Human Medicine.  Dr. Hardas is interested in minimally invasive gynecology procedures, including laparoscopic hysterectomy, myomectomy, removal of adnexal masses, etc. Having...more

How Does Exercise Help You Lose Weight During Pregnancy?

Lorraine is a postgraduate in Life Science from Mount Carmel College and previously worked as a freelance scientific illustrator. As a project associate and lab technician at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Lorraine received valuable insights into Covid-19, transgenerational epigenetic inheritance, and neuro-degenerative diseases. In addition to being a science enthusiast, she has been an active writer since childhood. Lorraine has...more

Swati Patwal is a clinical nutritionist, a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) and a toddler mom with more than a decade of experience in diverse fields of nutrition. She started her career as a CSR project coordinator for a healthy eating and active lifestyle project catering to school children. Then she worked as a nutrition faculty and clinical nutrition coach in...more

Ria is a techie-turned-writer and writes articles on health, with special emphasis on nutrition. She did her B.Tech from West Bengal University of Technology and was previously associated with IBM as SAP ABAP technical consultant. She moved into freelance content writing in 2013 and worked for various websites including , Brainpulse Technologies, and Emarketz India.more(This post probably contains affiliate links. I receive a small commission at no cost to you through links shared on this website to help keep the information I provide free to you)

Is It Bad To Lose Weight During Pregnancy

Weight management during pregnancy can be complicated and it depends on multiple factors such as BMI (body mass index) before conception, activity level, type of exercise if any during pregnancy, age, and whether there are existing medical conditions.

Today we will explore what the research shows us about fat loss during pregnancy and if it is safe for you and your pregnancy.

Disclaimer: This website and information provided is not intended to be a substitute forprofessional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Struggles of a Fit Mom uses only high-quality sources and the content is for informational and educational purposes only.

How To Lose Weight Safely During Pregnancy?

Obesity is a complex, sensitive, and increasing worldwide health problem with increasing numbers of women of reproductive age being affected by it.

This can cause extra stress on your heart and kidneys, leading to serious pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia, preterm birth, low birth weight, and cesarean birth.

Preeclampsia is a condition associated with abnormally high blood pressure and could be an indication of organ system damage, particularly the liver and kidneys.

Diet Plans For Overweight Pregnant Women

Preeclampsia is dangerous for you and your baby because this increased blood pressure can restrict blood flow to the placenta which means less oxygen and nutrients for your baby.

Diabetes is a condition where blood sugar rises to unhealthy or dangerous levels because the body cannot produce enough insulin or the cells are resistant to the insulin produced.

When blood sugar levels stay high over time, it can lead to serious pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia, preterm birth, cesarean section, macrosomia (large baby) and even stillbirth.

How Can I Lose Weight While Dealing With Pregnancy Or Postpartum Changes?

Overweight pregnant women may be at greater risk for complications during labor and delivery including cesarian sections, preterm delivery, infection from improper wound healing, longer labors.

If you do have a c-section, the risks of infection, improper wound healing and other complications are greater in overweight or obese women.

Carrying excess body fat can interfere with with accuracy of certain prenatal screening tests such as ultrasounds and difficulty checking the baby’s heart rate with a fetal doppler.

Pregnancy Weight Gain: How Much Should You Gain?

Pregnant women who are struggling with obesity may experience more fatigue during pregnancy because their bodies are working harder to keep up with extra weight.

It can also make it more difficult for moms to complete day-to-day responsibilities such as prepare food and meals, get proper rest and relaxation, and care for their babies before and