Ever been curious as to how celebrities manage to get back to their pre-pregnancy weight so easily? The reason is they don’t put on more weight than needed to grow a healthy baby. Any weight that does not come from formation of the baby, placenta, womb and additional blood supply is extra. Many doctors agree that women need not gain extra weight to have a healthy baby. The following tips explain how you can keep those extra pounds off.
Weight Gain: Normal vs. Extra
First, you need to know that normal weight gain will disappear after the birth of the baby and about excessive weight gain. During pregnancy, a weight gain of 25 to 35 pounds is normal for a healthy woman, 28-40 pounds for an underweight woman and 15-25 pounds for an overweight woman. For the most part, this weight gain occurs slowly, over the course of the pregnancy. For example, during the first trimester, women lose 2 to 4 pounds; then gain 1 to 2 pounds weekly until the baby is born.
Why are these pounds required? This weight makes up not only your baby, but your uterus, body tissues, and everything else that supports the baby. Here is a list of what the added weight is used for:
• Normally, the baby in the mother’s womb weighs around 7 to 8 pounds while the uterus weighs about 2 to 5 pounds.
• The baby’s placenta is 2 to 3 pounds.
• Add to that the 2 to 3 pounds of expanding breast tissue and 5 to 9 pounds of fat stored for delivery and breast-feeding.
• The amniotic fluid in your body weighs approximately 2 to 3 pounds.
• Additional blood supply for the baby weighs 4 pounds.
Any more than this, in general, is extra weight the baby doesn’t need in order to grow. This type of weight is difficult to get rid of after the baby is born.
Eating for Two
It is a myth that a pregnant woman should eat for two, a myth that can result in extra weight gain. Celebrities are aware that to have a healthy baby, a healthy woman requires only an addition of 100 to 300 calories per day. The extra requirement is equal to an apple and a bowl of cereal. It may be difficult to hear, but if you consume more food than this, the extra calories are stored in your body as fat. If you have gained extra fat during pregnancy it may not be obvious to you now, but you can bet you won’t be able to get into your pre-pregnancy jeans.
Therefore, do not indulge too much during pregnancy and thus prevent gaining any unwanted weight. Smart food choices include fresh vegetables, fruits, lean meats, and whole wheat breads. A healthy diet will keep you in shape and support your growing baby.
Move that Baby Bump
Have you noticed that pregnant celebrities are often pictured in magazines taking walks? Want to know why? Exercise is absolutely all right for healthy moms-to-be, and it is agreed by most doctors. Benefits from long walks include burning extra calories from your last craving, and the smoothing of mood swings through extra blood flow. That’s a celebrity weight loss tip that works!
Note: This method is designed for healthy women with doctors who have approved their personal benefits of avoiding extra weight gain during pregnancy. Attempts to avoid gaining a healthy amount of weight during a pregnancy are not recommended. Doing so may affect both the mother and her unborn baby in negative ways. Please check with your doctor.