I have been on the Atkins diet / On-Going Weight Loss, to lose weight, which I had lost a weight about 40-50 pounds, weight I had gained from the last pregnancy.
I wanted to lose some more weight, but, now I am pregnant - about a month into it. Can I still continue thw Atkins Diet / not OWL, but maintainance, so I don’t gain to much weight, the last prenancy I gained alot of weight, which I do not want to do this time.
Then after the pregnancy, can I go back on the Atkins Diet and lose what I gained, and lose the rest of the weight I wanted to lose before this pregnancy.
Yowzaa! Doesn’t it sound weird to you that you’d be nourishing a growing foetus with only mega proteins and next to zero carbs?
Fwiw, it doesn’t sound like something nature intended to me, but what the hell do I know. I’d suggest getting good medical advice and pretty quick cos this baby needs nourishing as nature intended.
http://www.intelihealth.com/IH/ihtIH/WSIHW000/333/21345/363273.html
"LYON, France (USA TODAY) – Staying thin may seem ideal for good health, but for women who plan to become pregnant, poor nutrition could condemn their children to diabetes, heart disease, stroke and even obesity, a study of 12,000 British women suggests . . . continues . . . .
I would talk to your obstetrician. There are ways to not gain a lot of weight during pregnancy, but you still have to gain some to ensure proper fetal growth and development. The March of Dimes recommends 25 lbs. for normal-weight women, 15-25 lbs. for overweight women, and 28-40 for underweight women.
In any event, some high-carb foods are necessary for proper nutrition. Folic acid, which is necessary to prevent neural-tube defects, is found in some vegetables, orange juice, and fortified cereals, none of which are a part of Atkins. Fiber is also necessary to help prevent irregularity and hemorrhoids, and that’s found in high-carb foods. Both of these can be found in vitamins and fiber supplements, but (at least in my experience) a high-fiber nutritious snack like a piece of fruit or some vegetable sticks helped make sure I didn’t go for the higher-calorie, lower-nutrition foods. The strategy worked a little too well, by my sixth month, I wasn’t gaining enough weight and I had to fortify my diet with higher-calorie foods.
One other thing is that exercise (in moderation) can help with weight gain.
I would definitely talk with your obstetrician about your diet, however. S/he can make some recommendations.
I have found out while being on the Atkins Diet, that I like Protein-rich foods. Meat, Cheese, etc. Before I use to eat Carb-based foods - Potatoes, Bread, Pasta. I have found Pasta and Bread that I can eat, in order to up the Carbs in my diet.
I had a feeling I was pregnant, so I cut out Alcohol, the Caffeine, went to low Sodium and low Sugar foods. But, I crave Tomato and Grapefruit Juice, and Crunchy Peanut Butter and Strawberry Jelly Sandwiches, just like the first pregnancy.
I had taken myself off the Atkins diet, and added more Carbs, but like I said I still like the Protein-rich foods. I want a balance, giving my unborn baby and myself what we both need, the nurtitiousment that the baby needs, and what I need by, not gain alot of the weight I gained with the first pregnancy.
Trust me, I do not want to deprieve the baby of the food it needs, but I want to make good choices, and I did gain too much weight and didn’t take it off, like I should have.
Maintenance is a very healthy diet for anyone - and it is NOT ultra low carb, but a sensible amount, plus loads of green vegetables (in fact that is exactly where folic acid is found - http://www.sbaa.org/html/sbaa_folic.html) and some whole grains and stuff.
Atkins done properly - ie lots of natural, whole foods and not all the chemical-filled chocolate bars - is one of the most nutritious diets around. It’s certainly more nutritious than many people’s daily junk fest. But do see your doctor in case you are missing anything, as you’ll obviously have special, extra nutritional needs now.
Trust me folks: my Intaglio isn’t subsisting solely on canned tuna and ground beef!
She takes being pregnant very seriously, and while she hasn’t lost all the weight, she has been working on getting healthy. She’s been on a reasonably accurate mainteneance diet for some months now, and has been showing a slow, but consistant weight loss. Now, she’s besieged by pregnancy hormones, and that ultra-responsible behavior has kicked in, at war with her sudden desire for munchies, and loads & loads of tiredness. Not an easy ballancing act.
Like last time, she’s got a HUGE craving for tomato juice, but this time, it’s the low-sodium variety. And she doesn’t like tomato juice at all. Also like last time, she has a craving for peanutbutter, in a big way. But also like last time, she’s got a constant case of the munchies. Tough row for her to hoe.
Intaglio, you may want to consider modifying your diet to the one I use for weight loss: no refined sugar, white flour, white potatoes or white rice. If you eat whole-grain breads and pastas, sweet potatoes, etc., you should still get plenty of carbs, but not in a way that will trigger those Snicker’s cravings! By all means, consult your OB/GYN, but I don’t know a doctor in the world who would say, “Oh, no, you absolutely need all those refined, high-calorie, low-nutrition carbs”. Restricting these refined carbs may help curb cravings, and keep you from gaining too much weight.
bolded by me. From the link I cited above:
*"Perhaps most harmful to future generations are diets low in carbohydrates and high in protein, such as the Atkins diet, says David J.P. Barker, director of the environmental epidemiology unit of the Medical Research Council at University of Southampton in the United Kingdom. The council is similar to the USA’s National Institutes of Health.
“The Atkins diet is clearly inappropriate” for women who plan to have children, Barker says. By the time a woman learns she is pregnant, it already is too late, he said, because the predisposition is locked in at conception.
Colette Heimowitz, a spokeswoman for the diet, replied, “Pregnant women should not be on the weight-loss phase of the Atkins diet or on any weight-loss program. That is true. However, the Atkins maintenance diet would be a perfect program for pregnant or lactating women.” *
so it looks like agreement that weight loss stage Atkins is a no-no, and, well, the “spokeswoman” for Atkins itself says the maintenance phase is okay for pregnant women . . but she’s not a doctor. Atkins also looks to not be good if you’re thinking of pregnancy.
I guess you probably still need more medical cites and r/l opinions, though.
During pregnancy, you need to have extra nutrients on board. Your blood volume will increase by 35%, and if you are not quite overweight, you should gain at least 15-20 lbs to ensure your baby is not nutritionally deprived. You should not gain much more than this, though, and can continue to safely exercise during pregnancy. Don’t eat everything in sight and gain 60 lbs, as many women do! But don’t risk the health of your baby by trying to gain nothing… your baby (and its placenta) require a lot of iron, carbs and nutrients!
There is a good article on this topic here. Personally, I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t do Atkins maintenance during pregnancy, especially if you’re taking your prenatal vitamins (getting enough folic acid). Most people seem to think it’s a good idea to try to stay out of ketosis, but no one needs white flour, white rice, or sugar during pregnancy, anyway.
Every Woman’s Eating Guide to Pregnancy, by Martha Rose Shulman and Jane L. Davis, M.D., suggests that a lower-carb diet is a good thing for overweight pregnant women. Their suggested menus generally include 3-4 servings of whole-grain type carbs, 4-5 servings of vegetables, 4-5 servings of fruit, 3-5 servings of protein rich foods, and 3-4 servings of dairy per day. For example:
Breakfast
1-2 scrambled eggs
1-2 ounces turkey sausage links (optional)
1 slice whole grain toast
3/4-1 cup orange juice
Snack
Apple
1 oz cheese
Lunch
Club sandwich
Dill pickle
Coleslaw
1 cup milk
1 piece of fruit
Snack
1 cup yogurt with fresh blueberries
Dinner
Grilled fish
Steamed broccoli
Brown rice
Green salad
Snack
Pear
I can’t find anything in this menu that I think would cause a doctor to raise an eyebrow. Even if you leave out the bread (suggested if you are overweight or insulin-sensitive), it’s still fine.
We figured folic acid was the reason for the tomato juice craving. it’s still early days yet, as it’s only been official a few days, and it’s still the first month. Why yes, her pregnancy symptoms are very early, clear, and unambiguous. Why do you ask? Got a lot of shopping to do, including vitamins, clearing out all the caffinated food items, and losing all the other stuff that we’d not gotten around to tossing before.
Good information & links folks, and thank you! ENugent, I’ve now got that book on order, thank you!
Got a lot of shopping to do, including vitamins, clearing out all the caffinated food items, and losing all the other stuff that we’d not gotten around to tossing before.