pinkmomma

Diet and Exercise during pregnancy

Posted January 15, 2008 =20 Comments(2)
File under: Weight Loss

Feeling good about your Plus Sized = Pregnancy.

Because I think it=E2=80=99s important for other moms to know that = you=E2=80=99re not a bad=20 mom and you won=E2=80=99t be a bad mom just because you=E2=80=99re = plus-size. Here=E2=80=99s some=20 helpful information about being plus sized and pregnant from the = Babycenter=20 website. (They also have a plus sized and pregnant bulletin board = (message=20 board) which is a great place for ideas and support!)

~

Most plus-size women have completely normal pregnancies and normal = babies.=20 We=E2=80=99re currently making a lot of fuss about maternal size. This = only magnifies=20 the risks and scares women,=E2=80=9D says Cornelia van der Ziel, a = clinical instructor=20 in obstetrics at Harvard Medical School and an oby-gyn in private = practice.

=E2=80=9CThe odds are, plus-size women are going to have healthy = pregnancies,=E2=80=9D says=20 Brette McWhorter Sember, a mom of two and coauthor of Your Plus-Size = Pregnancy. =E2=80=9CThe odds often sound like they=E2=80=99re = against plus-size women, but=20 the truth is that you=E2=80=99re most likely to have a perfectly healthy = pregnancy,=20 nothing wrong with the baby, and a wonderful delivery. It = doesn=E2=80=99t have to be=20 that big of a deal.=E2=80=9D

Books For the Plus Sized Pregnant woman

General pregnancy
Big, Beautiful, and Pregnant: Expert Advice and = Comforting=20 Wisdom for the Expecting Plus-Size Woman, = by=20 Cornelia van der Ziel and Jacqueline Tourville

Your Plus-Size = Pregnancy: The=20 Ultimate Guide for the Full-Figured Expectant Mom,=20 by Brette McWhorter Sember and Bruce D. Rodgers Exercise
Exercise DVDs for plus-size women by = Kelly=20 Bliss

Great Shape: The First = Fitness Guide=20 for Large Women, by Pat Lyons and Debby = Burgard

Megayoga, by Megan Garcia

Real Fitness for Real = Women: A=20 Unique Workout Program for the Plus-Size Woman, by=20 Rochelle Rice

Yoga: Just My Size With = Megan Garcia=20 (DVD) And = here=E2=80=99s some=20 information on diet and nutrition:

Diet and Nutrition

Pregnancy=E2=80=99s an important time to focus on eating = well. You need to=20 make sure your baby=E2=80=99s getting enough nutrients to grow =E2=80=94 = and that you=E2=80=99re getting=20 enough nutritional support to grow a baby!

This isn=E2=80=99t the time to diet or cut back on calories. But = it=E2=80=99s a great time to=20 take a close look at how and what you eat and to figure out = what=E2=80=99s best for you=20 and your baby. And to focus on making healthy food=20 choices.
Top tips for eating well-

=E2=80=A2 Eat a good breakfast. Here=E2=80=99s where you set the = stage for your day. A=20 breakfast with protein, fat, carbohydrates, and fiber will make you feel = better=20 the rest of the day.

=E2=80=A2 Eat small meals with snacks in between, rather than three = bigger meals.

=E2=80=A2 Include protein in every meal and snack, and avoid foods = with refined sugar=20 or processed white flour. This helps your blood sugar levels stabilize = and keeps=20 hunger at bay.

=E2=80=A2 Work fruits and veggies into your meals in creative ways: = Toss assorted=20 chopped vegetables into your breakfast eggs, or sprinkle shredded = zucchini or=20 carrots into low-fat quick breads. Apple and cucumber slices make great=20 additions to sandwiches. Add apple chunks, dried cranberries or = currants, or=20 chopped dried apricots to salads.

=E2=80=A2 Focus on folate: Plus-size women, according to a study, may need more = folic acid than = smaller women, so=20 it=E2=80=99s essential to take a daily prenatal vitamin with 1 milligram = of folic acid=20 both before and during pregnancy. =E2=80=A2 Choose = unsaturated=20 good fats (olive,=20 canola, peanut oils) over saturated and hydrogenated bad fats (animal = fats, palm=20 oil, margarine).
If you need support to get and stay on track, a = nutritionist=20 can help redesign your ways of eating to be healthier and more = fulfilling for=20 both you and your baby, without making you feel deprived. You can find a = nutritionist (also called a dietitian) on the American Dietetic Association = website =E2=80=94=20 just click on Find a Nutrition Professional.

If you have problems with emotional and/or compulsive overeating, = you=E2=80=99re not=20 alone =E2=80=94 and you=E2=80=99ll find good company and lots of support = and recovery help at a=20 local Overeaters = Anonymous or Food Addicts=20 Anonymous meeting.

Before making any changes to your regular food routine, run them by = your=20 healthcare provider to make sure they=E2=80=99re safe for your = baby.

And tips for finding a size-friendly healthcare = provider:

The importance of finding the right healthcare=20 provider
Pregnancy creates its fair share of stress around = tests,=20 vitamins,=20 food restrictions, and the rest, but get the right healthcare provider, = and your=20 stress level may decrease, says Sember. A good provider will note your = weight=20 during pregnancy and occasionally talk about it =E2=80=94 it=E2=80=99s = necessary as your baby=20 grows. And a good provider can monitor=20 your risk factors, based on family and personal history, but without = harping on=20 weight, she adds.

Finding the right doctor is key during pregnancy, says Sujatha Reddy, = an=20 ob-gyn in Atlanta. =E2=80=9CA more relaxed approach is best for most = women. If there are=20 problems, you want the doctor to help, but you don=E2=80=99t want to = constantly be=20 worrying that you=E2=80=99ve gained one too many pounds,=E2=80=9D she = says.

=E2=80=9CThe line I always use is, =E2=80=98This is not about you = looking like Britney=20 Spears. It=E2=80=99s about being healthy,=E2=80=99=E2=80=9D says Reddy. = =E2=80=9CThere=E2=80=99s no reason to stay with=20 a doctor you don=E2=80=99t connect with. You form a relationship with a = doctor just like=20 you do with anyone else.=E2=80=9D

How to find a healthcare provider you=20 like
Do you need help finding a great doctor? Follow these = tips=20 :=E2=80=A2 Stick together. Ask other plus-size = moms in your area=20 for recommendations for size-friendly obstetricians. They=E2=80=99ll = have the inside=20 line on practices that offer great care for plus-size moms =E2=80=94 and = those that=20 don=E2=80=99t.

=E2=80=A2 Gauge experience. Before you make an = appointment at=20 a new practice, ask whether the doctor and nursing staff have experience = working=20 with plus-size moms. If the doctor has never done, say, a c-section on a = plus-size mom, you don=E2=80=99t want to be his first.

=E2=80=A2 Case the joint. Does the practice = have gowns large=20 enough to fit you and large-size blood pressure cuffs? That=E2=80=99s a = sign of a=20 practice that=E2=80=99s welcoming to plus-size women.

=E2=80=A2 Trust your gut. Watch how the doctor = and his staff=20 talk to you. Do they use a condescending tone? Knowing that your doctor = will=20 want to talk to you about weight as your baby grows, see if the way he = does it=20 is sensitive and nonjudgmental.

=E2=80=A2 Consider a midwife. Many plus-size = women have good=20 experiences with midwives who don=E2=80=99t instantly see their weight = as a medical=20 problem. =E2=80=9CI felt defective in my doctor=E2=80=99s office, like = my pregnancy was a=20 ticking time bomb, but my midwife never made a fuss about my weight = =E2=80=94 she=20 trusted my body to be able to do what it=E2=80=99s designed = for,=E2=80=9D says Emily James, an=20 architect and mother of two in Bergen, New Jersey.

How to leave a healthcare provider you = don=E2=80=99t=20 like
If you decide your doctor doesn=E2=80=99t measure up, = you can always=20 leave. Consider these tips from Sember and moms who=E2=80=99ve made the = switch:=E2=80=A2 =20 Get a second opinion. Before you notify your doctor = that you=E2=80=99re=20 leaving, Sember recommends you tell your insurance company you need a = second=20 opinion and then start auditioning different doctors. That way, = there=E2=80=99s never a=20 gap in your care.

=E2=80=A2 Time it right. Get prenatal care = early, so that if=20 you decide to make a change, you can do it before the end of the first=20 trimester, notes Sember. After that, some doctors will be hesitant to = take=20 you.

=E2=80=A2 Plan your exit based on comfort = level. The way you=20 leave the practice depends on what you feel comfortable doing. Lehman = told the=20 nurse-practitioner in her second pregnancy to say, =E2=80=9CI = don=E2=80=99t think this is going=20 to work out.=E2=80=9D You can also secure a new ob-gyn and have your = records transferred=20 without any explanation. Some women want their former doctor to know why = they=E2=80=99re=20 leaving and so write a letter or tell their doctor directly. Do what = feels right=20 for you.

=E2=80=A2 Remember: You don=E2=80=99t have to = explain. You don=E2=80=99t need=20 your ob-gyn=E2=80=99s permission, either. You also don=E2=80=99t have to = tell your new doctor=20 why you=E2=80=99re changing. Simply follow the above advice to find a = doctor who fits=20 your criteria. Then have a great pregnancy!

-Yes, being overweight and pregnant can put you a higher risk for = some issues=20 such as gestational diabetes and preeclampsia, but skinny and = =E2=80=98healthy weight=E2=80=99=20 women get those too -no matter what your size some people will have=20 complications and others a completely problem free pregnancy. If you are = pregnant and overweight your weight truly doesn=E2=80=99t have to be = that big of a deal=20 =E2=80=94 and it is possible to have a healthy pregnancy and = healthy baby.

Holiday Fitness BINGO

Posted December 18, 2007 =20 Comments(5)
File under: Weight Loss

It=E2=80=99s time for a Christmas party & everyone is = welcome to join in.=20 We are going to play Fitness Bingo starting today & running through = New=20 Years. The game is simple. = Each=20 day I=E2=80=99ll post 2 activities (There are 2 levels - Regular and = Super. The game is=20 played the same for both - the regular activities only take a few = minutes each=20 day to perform and the super ones are for those who want a bit more = oomph in=20 their challenges.) If it=E2=80=99s one of the activities you selected on = your game card,=20 do it and then make a big x in the square. First person to get 5 = x=E2=80=99s across,=20 down or diagonally yells out BINGO and posts it on the forum thread. = There=E2=80=99s a=20 better explanation posted in the forum so come over and check it out - = It=E2=80=99s=20 under Forums/Weightloss and Fitness Challenges/Fitness Challenge/Holiday = Fitness=20 Bingo. = So, in=20 the midst of all the holiday hustle and bustle come have fun doing some = things=20 that are good for you! Whether you plan to stay on program or take it = easy over=20 the holidays, put a little extra in your day and join us in this fun=20 game.

Oh, and feel free to jump in at any time - you can always work = on=20 anything that has already been called! Also feel free to modify the = activites to=20 your liking - (just make a note of what you=E2=80=99re replacing since = I=E2=80=99ll be calling=20 from the listed activites, and stay within the spirit of the game = -namely doing=20 what was called or you have substituted for that activity ahead of = time). =20 There=E2=80=99s still plenty of time for more fitness between now and = January 1st, why=20 not make it fun at the same time!

A Time of Thanks to All Buddies!

Posted November 21, 2007 =20 Comments(5)
File under: Weight Loss

Ok, I=E2=80=99m not big on writing the blogs, with a 6 year old = and a new baby=20 (who is sleeping on my shoulder as I type this one handed) not = much=20 time to work on improving my health and fitness, let alone blog about = it, but as=20 I was composing a note of thanks to my personal buddies, I thought, = there really=20 are so many more people on here that I gain inspiration from and who = deserve my=20 thanks. So thank you to all who share with us, you may not know it, = or=20 intend it when you chronicle your triumphs and struggles, your questions = and=20 dispair, but you make us realize that we are not alone when we feel that = way=20 ourselves. Also thanks to those who comment, you help us all too because = your=20 perspective and advice goes not only to the one who blogs, but to = those of=20 us who read along - your influence is wider than you know. So to my = regular=20 buddies, if you are reading this, sorry for the repeat, but to the = rest of=20 you - all my best wishes and thanks=E2=80=A6

As Thanksgiving approaches, I just wanted to let you know that = I=E2=80=99m thankful=20 there are people in the world who share similar struggles and = experiences to my=20 own -it gives us a reason to reach out to people we otherwise never = would have=20 know, to gain a little more perpective, find a little more compassion, = and=20 become better for it all. So thanks for being my buddy & as my early = holiday=20 gift to you I share The Optimist Creed,in it may you find the = inspiration to=20 keep moving toward your goals with all your best efforts, for when you = are=20 better I am better for knowing you :

Promise Yourself

Promise yourself to be so strong that nothing can
disturb your = peace of=20 mind.

To talk health, happiness, and prosperity to
every person you = meet.

To make all your friends feel like there is
something in them.

To look at the sunny side of everything and make your
optimism = come=20 true.

To think only of the best, to work only for the best,
and expect = only the=20 best.

To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are = about=20 your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past and press on the
greater = achievements=20 of the future.

To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give
every living = person=20 you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself
that you have = no time=20 to criticize others.

To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, and too
strong for = fear,=20 and to happy to permit the
presence of trouble.

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