Pregnancy Weight Gain

Since I am considered obese (aka just too darn fat), my recommended weight gain from the time I got pregnant us only between 11 to 20 lbs, compared to "normal" women who are allowed to gain between 25 to 35 lbs.

I was on a diet during my first 2 months of pregnancy since I didn't know that I was pregnant. So now... looking at the chart, I'm way below my weight gain range. The doctor seems OK with it though...

Pregnancy is definitely not the time to go on a weight-loss diet: Restricting your food intake is potentially hazardous to you and your developing baby. But many plus-size women (according to babycenter.com) do lose weight during pregnancy without dieting.

In the first trimester, it's common to lose weight as the result of morning sickness: The nausea can diminish your appetite, and the vomiting can cause you to miss out on calories. But even so, your baby will get all the necessary calories.

Overweight women have an extra reserve of calories in stored fat, so as your baby grows, it's not harmful to maintain or even lose a little weight at first. What's not okay is losing weight because you're intentionally cutting calories (and, as a result, limiting nutrients).