Weight loss during pregnancy, here’s what you need to know…

Pregnancy is many things, but one thing it’s not is a time to experiment with restriction. Pregnancy is a time of nourishment, not calorie counting and it would not be advised to do anything that could negatively impact pregnancy in the hope of weight loss, like fasting or juice cleanses.

However, with that being said it can be a lovely time to build a positive relationship with nutrition and wholefoods. If there were medical worries about obesity during pregnancy, reducing ultra processed foods and focusing on a beautiful blood sugar balancing protein rich varied diet could potentially see a reduction in cholesterol, or fat percentage and also reduce the risk of gestational diabetes. Plus support the optimal health of the growing foetus! But it is not a time for any type of highly restrictive diet.

It can be hard to get your head around the physical changes that come with pregnancy but it’s all part of the magic of motherhood. It’s quite amazing what the body can do. Worrying about the scales is not going to serve anyone. You also have to remember that “weight” is just a metric that accounts for not only fat, but water, blood volume (which increases in pregnancy), your skeleton, the baby, the placenta, your muscle etc.

Instead see pregnancy as a time to nourish your body and bump. It can be a great opportunity to ignite a super positive approach to food, it’s a nice break from alcohol and it is easier to put you at the top of the pile and rest more – as it’s a lot easier to say no to plans as you don’t tend to argue with a pregnant lady!

During pregnancy the impact on your nutrient stores (amongst other things) is enormous. Think of this as a nutrient robbery. Biologically you are the past and your baby is the future, so your body is excellent at prioritising baby, ensuring they get everything they need thanks to the placenta (and later via breastfeeding if you choose to do so). This does have the potential to leave you with the nutritional scraps and lead to something called a nutrient deficit, which can express itself as low energy, low mood, inability to shift the baby weight and the feeling of complete exhaustion (some of which go hand in hand with the new-born years anyway, so it can make your experience even more challenging). So if you were trying a restrictive diet, the risk of this goes up.

The main culprits are the B vitamins, zinc, iron and most importantly the essential fatty acid Omega 3. We want your omega 3 levels to flourish via diet and also with the help of supplementation.  So I always advise my clients to shift all focus onto what you are adding to the plate. If ever there was a time to eat a rainbow, this is it!

And by doing so, you will ensure an easier ride for your postpartum journey. In fact a growing body of clinical and epidemiological evidence suggests that low dietary intake and/or tissue levels of omega 3 are associated with postpartum depression.