Managing Weight & Preventing Stretch Marks

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If you read the "How I Found Out I Was Pregnant" story, or seen the YouTube video that goes along with it, you'll know that I found out because I broke out in hives. Part of my treatment was an extremely aggressive course of steroids. I started at 60mg (20mg three times a day) and after nearly three months, was finally off of them. One of the side effects of steroids is it makes you really really hungry. Before my hives, I was already slightly overweight, weighing between 155-160lbs. When I started the steroids, I gained about 10-12lbs in my first trimester in about two months. Of course, my doctor was concerned and didn't want me to gain much more weight for the rest of my pregnancy. I didn't blame him... at the rate I was going, I would be over 200lbs at the time of delivery. I am only 5'6" with a broken toe, and I really didn't want that to happen. He told me to keep it between a total of 20-25lbs... and I was already almost halfway there. Regardless of what is considered "normal" -- by my doctor or by society -- every pregnancy is different and I had hoped that even if I went slightly over what my OBGYN wanted, that I would still have a healthy pregnancy.

On top of being pregnant, I also have an autoimmune disease called Hashimoto's Thyroiditis... 

which is when certain antibodies attack the thyroid. Your thyroid is an important part of your body and controls so many things, including -- you guessed it -- weight. When I was first diagnosed with having hypothyroidism (it took ten years to get officially diagnosed with Hashimoto's but that's a whole other story) I was about 125lbs. It was a very slow process but because I wasn't able to control my food intake -- I tried to keep eating like I was a teenager when my metabolism started to slow down around the age of 25 -- I gained quite a bit of weight over the years. At my heaviest, I was 180lbs -- circa 2014. I started controlling my food a little better -- said goodbye to eating pasta all the time, which was a sad decision for my little Italian heart to make -- and got myself down to about 150lbs. As soon as I started to lose a little more weight to get to my goal weight of 135-140lbs is when we found out I was pregnant. 

With being pregnant and having an autoimmune disease, I must admit, I was scared of gaining too much weight and not being able to get rid of it post-baby. All I knew was that I did NOT want to hit the 200lb mark. So what did I do?

In short, I didn't use being pregnant as an excuse to eat whatever I wanted. 

It's true that you are supposed to eat a few more calories (about 500 more) when you're pregnant -- I mean, you're making another human, that takes energy -- but it doesn't give the excuse to eat whatever you want and however much of one thing that you want. I don't know where the mentality came from that "Oh, I'm pregnant, I can eat whatever I want!" No...no...no... In the beginning, I was so nauseous that I couldn't stomach hardly anything except cereal and sandwiches. So that first trimester was rough on my weight gain since I lived off of sugary cereal for weeks in the beginning -- and was still on steroids until about February. 

I also did have moments when I would crave random things -- nothing gross, just random things like chicken wings, corn dogs, a box of macaroni and cheese, or even sloppy joes -- and I would allow myself those things, but in moderation. Some days I would let myself have a high-calorie day where I just ate whatever the hell I wanted... those weren't too often. I would also have my ice cream (86-ing the pickles) and some sweets but I really just watched my calorie intake. 

A great way to do this was to buy frozen meals with the calories listed on the box. 

I know, it sounds lazy, but we bought a bunch of random Marie Callender's meals -- my favorite is the meatloaf meal and the salisbury steak meal. They're all fairly low in calories (I think the highest one we would buy was 560 calories, and it was macaroni and cheese with some buffalo chicken in it... YUM!) and it's usually at LEAST a pound of food. These meals were enough to make me feel full without needing to make something else. If my brain somehow told me "You're still hungry, you should make something else!" I'd give it a few minutes and then feel the complete opposite. 

Protein is also an important thing to have while pregnant...

...so I ate quite a bit of chicken. When I did cook at home, it was primarily chicken dishes (click the link to my video on how to make my Chicken Taco Chili... really good during the winter months and it is low in calories!) with a vegetable -- usually green beans -- and something else, like instant mashed potatoes. Say what you want, but those are delicious... add some salt and pepper, along with some chives...bomb! 

I also tried to switch my go-to drink from soda to water, tea, and Gatorade. I think since I've been pregnant I've had soda -- diet or regular -- about five or six times, and it's because I wanted something fizzy. 

In all honesty, I haven't really exercised -- 

even though most days after I quit my job I totally could have -- aside from just doing housework and walking around during the day -- but to be honest, I just didn't want to. I had to quit my job as a Pharmacy Technician due to the fact that I was unable to stand for 8 hours a day. The maximum that I was able to stand was about three hours before my back started to completely give way. By the end of the day, I was practically immobilized and in tears, needing to lay down from the time I got home until I had to get up in the morning. I would take warm showers and soak in a hot-ish bath with some Epson salts but even wearing my belly band, and even sleeping with a heating pad. I was in so much pain that working was unbearable. I have had days where energy was scarce and even wiping down the kitchen was too much.

All in all, I think I have done pretty well managing my weight. I told my mom -- at 34 weeks -- that I felt like a big rolly poly. She told me "You're really not that big... you're all in the front. All baby." Apparently, from the back I don't look pregnant -- the waddle I probably have could give it away though haha. So far this whole third trimester I've stayed between 180lbs-185lbs. There are just a few weeks left in this pregnancy... I don't think I'll gain any more weight. I think it's over. I do plan on working out after the baby is out and I'm cleared to exercise. I'll probably just use the treadmill at home. I don't need to go too crazy.

Perks of not gaining too much weight:

Since I didn't pack on 50+ pounds with this pregnancy, I don't have stretch marks. I don't know how much genetics play into if someone will get stretch marks or not -- my mom didn't get stretch marks with me, and Nana didn't get stretch marks with any of her three pregnancies -- as much as how much weight one gains in a short amount of time. I also live in a dry climate so I used lotion daily (sometimes twice a day) to ensure my skin stayed hydrated. I used the Jergens Firming Body Lotion about 80% of my pregnancy and the other lotion I would use was the Aveeno Creamy Moisturizing Oil. I applied this to my stomach, upper legs, and butt -- basically, anywhere I anticipated to expand while growing another human. I also wouldn't scratch. Keeping my skin hydrated was a good way to prevent itching -- especially since I had just had that horrible break out... the last thing I wanted to do was be uncomfortable and itchy. So moisturizing is extremely important as well in watching calorie intake. 

I am pretty proud of myself for keeping my weight under control. I have been at 185 for the last few weeks. I don't see my weight going any higher, which is good. I don't think I'll walk out of the hospital at my starting weight, but with light exercising, breastfeeding and all around taking care a tiny person, I'll get down to my goal weight of 135lbs sooner than later.