Losing Weight And Gestational Diabetes

TRY OUR TOP-RATED FORKS MEAL PLANNER FREE FOR 2 WEEKS! Get Weekly Meal Plans, Delicious Recipes, Meal Prep Tips, Grocery Lists & More! TRY IT FREE TODAY! (no credit card required)

I used to constantly obsess over losing weight: what to eat, what not to eat, how I looked in the mirror each day. I loved cheese, but I suffered from extreme feelings of guilt whenever I ate anything that would make me gain weight. I tried low-carb diets like Atkins but didn’t experience any long-term sustainable benefits. I had chronic constipation and severe allergies; if I skipped my allergy pill even one day my whole body would break out in hives.

Then, three years ago, during my last pregnancy, I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. My insulin dose kept growing every week. I got scared for the well-being of my unborn child and for my own health, and I came across some information about how a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle helps people regulate insulin and even reverse their diabetes.

Association Between Gestational Weight Gain In Women With Gestational Diabetes Mellitus And Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: A Retrospective Cohort Study

I was a bit apprehensive at first, because I’d heard people criticize plant-based diets for supposedly being deficient in calcium and protein, claiming we couldn’t get all our essential nutrients from plants (criticism I later discovered was inaccurate). But six months into my pregnancy, I decided to give it a try. Thankfully, my friends and family were supportive of my decision.

The results of the new diet were evident within one week, when my blood sugar normalized. Two weeks later I was off insulin, having reversed the gestational diabetes. There were other unexpected benefits, too, such as resolving the chronic constipation I’d been experiencing. My weight during my pregnancy was 185 pounds, one month postpartum I was 155 pounds, and 3 months postpartum I was 136 pounds. 

Seeing the success I’d had with a plant-based diet, I decided to also eliminate oil, salt, sugar, and flour. Three months later, I’d lost an additional 20 pounds. It was an amazing feeling. Recognizing the power that I had over my body and health was like discovering that I had a superpower! 

Weight Gain During Pregnancy: What Is A Healthy Weight?

Today I have a clear mind, and my energy is through the roof. My skin looks better than ever. I no longer need to take allergy pills. I’ve gained lean, strong muscles. Never in my life have I looked as good as I do now!

I love simple cooking: I batch-cook beans, rice, and soups (especially split pea). My favorite thing to eat is veggies with homemade hummus. Over the last two years, I’ve become a passionate advocate for the power of plants. I created a YouTube show to get the information out there and let as many people know about this diet as possible.

Ready to get started? Check out Forks Meal Planner, FOK’s easy weekly meal-planning tool to keep you on a healthy plant-based path. To learn more about a whole-food, plant-based diet, visit our Plant-Based Primer.The views expressed in are solely the opinions of participants, and do not reflect those of What to Expect. Learn more about our guidelines

Gestational Diabetes Dos And Don'ts

Hi ladies! When we conceived I weighed 75 kilo which put me JUST in the overweight BMI range for my height. I didn't carry my weight in my tummy though, it was mostly in my legs and boobs (genetics!) so my family doctor has always told me this is not as dangerous as middle tummy weight and I shouldn't be concerned. At week 27, weighing 83 kilo, I was diagnosed with GD, but I was also going hypo every day as I was mostly eating meats and cheese (baby cravings). So the first week we added more carbs to my diet in smaller meals and all was good, but my fasting numbers were still terrible. I was put on slow release insulin at night and I've already had it increased once due to my fasting numbers not improving. Now I'm week 23 and just realized I'm down to 79.5 kilos. I've noticed my legs and face thinning out so I'm not too worried about the baby not growing...but how is this happening?! I actually expected to gain more weight with all the carbs I've added to my diet. Does insulin cause weight loss? Should I call my doctor ASAP? My next appointment is in a week. I've attached a photo for scale. I'm not at all scrawny but I've thinned out a lot since starting insulin and eating more carbs..I need an explanation :/

I don’t as diagnosed 2.5 weeks ago and I think my weight is staying the same vs going up. I was gaining quite a bit but I’m pretty sure I am not anymore. I think it’s just your body processing everything different. I am not worried about it as I know I am keeping my sugar levels where they need to be.

I was diagnosed about 4 weeks ago. I started out at a healthy BMI and my weight gain was already at the low end (up 6 pounds at almost 24 weeks). I haven't gained any weight since, and like you I seem to be losing weight everywhere but my belly and boobs, but my OB doesn't seem concerned since the baby is growing fine. I'm diet controlled, but I think I've read insulin can actually lead to weight gain. I've been tracking what I eat so I can track any trends in my blood glucose readings, and I think for me I'm just having a hard time getting any more than 2000 calories in a day on this restrictive diet--maybe that's the case for you as well. On the bright side, I guess we won't have much to lose when baby is born!

Diabetes Prevention — Medical Weight Loss Clinic

Diet change can definitely impact weight loss. As long as your dr isn't concerned it is usually fine. You are still eating and baby continues to get nutrients and grow :)

But you are eating balanced meals and avoiding swings of hypo and hyper..and you may not have been eating enough prior to pregnancy so your body may have thought it had to hold onto all the calories it could.

I haven't gained much weight at all, I lost weight and at 30 weeks in an still not to my prepregnany weight, I was just diagnosed with GD and have been changing the way I eat, and have lost weight again. I talked to my DR. they said it was fine as baby is growing and my diet before being diagnosed looked good, they weren't concerned. though meds for diabetes can cause you to lose weight when not pregnant, so they probably would when pregnant as well. Maybe ask you dr about it and see what they think and if you haven't, maybe ask to see a dietitian?

Why Females Get Diabetic During Pregnancy?

My friend lost weight until the end of her pregnancy once she found out she had GD and started eating really well. She was overweight to begin with. She said the dr gave her a hard time but she felt fine and it was due to her eating way better.

Pregnancy Week 1 Pregnancy Week 2 Pregnancy Week 3 Pregnancy Week 4 Pregnancy Week 5 Pregnancy Week 6 Pregnancy Week 7 Pregnancy Week 8 Pregnancy Week 9 Pregnancy Week 10 Pregnancy Week 11 Pregnancy Week 12 Pregnancy Week 13 Pregnancy Week 14 Pregnancy Week 15 Pregnancy Week 16 Pregnancy Week 17 Pregnancy Week 18 Pregnancy Week 19 Pregnancy Week 20 Pregnancy Week 21 Pregnancy Week 22 Pregnancy Week 23 Pregnancy Week 24 Pregnancy Week 25 Pregnancy Week 26 Pregnancy Week 27 Pregnancy Week 28 Pregnancy Week 29 Pregnancy Week 30 Pregnancy Week 31 Pregnancy Week 32 Pregnancy Week 33 Pregnancy Week 34 Pregnancy Week 35 Pregnancy Week 36 Pregnancy Week 37 Pregnancy Week 38 Pregnancy Week 39 Pregnancy Week 40 Pregnancy Week 41 Pregnancy Week 42

We strive to provide you with a high quality experience. We respect everyone’s right to express their thoughts and opinions as long as they remain respectful of other members, and meet What to Expect’s Terms of Use.

Weight Loss Can Help You Prevent Diabetes Complications

If you feel a message or content violates these standards and would like to request its removal please submit the following information and our moderating team will respond shortly.

Please specify a reason for deleting losing weight with gestational diabetes? from the . Note that once you confirm, this action cannot be undone.

A Group Leader is a What to Expect member who has been selected by our staff to help maintain a positive, supportive tone within a group. Group Leaders communicate with staff moderators and escalate potential violations for review, but they don’t moderate discussions. Group Leaders aren’t expected to spend any additional time in the , and are not held to a set schedule.

Losing Weight With Gestational Diabetes?

A Group Owner is a member that has initiated the creation of a group to connect with other members to share their journey through the same pregnancy & baby stages. Group Owners uphold the core values of the brand by reporting content that violates the guidelines.Following a few questions around Slimming World and gestational diabetes in our Facebook support group,