Fast Weight Gain

Gain weight during pregnancy is one of the most dreaded scenarios of women who are so figure conscious. And why not worry? Aside from the pains and major intellectual, emotional, physical and financial adjustments pregnant women should go through, they still have to worry how pregnancy would ruin the years they spent to achieve their figure right now.

But, no matter how frightening or alarming that thought of weight gain during pregnancy is, gaining weight is inevitable. These findings are supported not just by researchers in the field of science but also by some pediatricians, obstetricians and other those who know the real pains of pregnancy.

The importance of weight gain during pregnancy



Experts say that weight gain during pregnancy is inevitable because the hormonal change in a woman’s body triggers it. Studies show that when women are conceiving, there are drastic changes in their hormonal levels that increase their appetite.

Aside from hormonal changes, women gain weight during pregnancy because they tend to eat a lot in order to supply the nutrients needed by the growing fetus.

Providing food and nutrients for the baby inside the womb, experts say, is the main advantage of weight gain during pregnancy. Aside from supplying nutrients to the fetus by eating a wide range of nutritious foods, gaining weight during pregnancy will also help the woman to protect her back from the belly that grows heavier by the month.

Weight gain pregnancy is very important during the early stages of conception because it will help the woman to adjust to the major changes in her body.

But, too much weight during pregnancy—especially at the latter stages—can also be a disadvantage because it may lead to diabetes mellitus, a condition wherein there is too much sugar in the blood caused by large amounts of starches and other sources of sugar from foods.

For you to know the how weight gain during pregnancy can be beneficial to you, make sure that you visit your ob-gyne right away.

Today, studies say that women should go to ob-gynes even before they conceive to ensure that proper monitoring will be done. If you visit the doctor as early as possible, there is a bigger possibility of a healthier pregnancy because you get the right amount of information and guidance that you need.

During you ob-gyne visit, she or he can tell you how much weight you should gain during your pregnancy, how will it affect your body and you overall health, as well as of your baby, what kind of foods you should and shouldn’t be eating, how can gaining weight help your pregnancy to be easier and less stressful or painful, and how can you get rid of the weight you have gained during this stage.

Ideally, the weight a woman should gain during pregnancy should depend on her height and current weight or the total body mass index of her body. Once this has been determined, proper calculation will be done to ensure that you would gain just the right amount of weight during pregnancy.

Ideally, women who are slightly overweight should still gain at least 10 to 15 pounds while women who are underweight should gain more weight, at least 20 to 40 pounds to ensure that her body can supply enough nutrients for the child inside.

Weight gain during pregnancy should also depend on the type of pregnancy that the woman has.

For single pregnancy, the mentioned weight gain standards should apply. But for those who are having double, triple, or quadruple pregnancies, more weight gain is needed to ensure that that babies will get the same amount of nutrients just like the others.

Aside from the overall condition of the fetus inside the womb, one of the major things that stress women when they are conceiving is pregnancy weight gain. This is because they are so afraid to gain so much weight and be among those women who are suffering from a condition called obesity.

Women who have babies in their wombs cannot be blamed for worrying too much over pregnancy weight gain because the society largely contributes to this thinking. In fact, with all the commercialization and hype on weight loss, women—even if those who are pregnant—are tempted to cut down on their weight so the people in the society won’t ridicule them.

Today, some studies show that more and more pregnant women are trying to regulate their food intake. They do this because they don’t want to be fat without thinking that it could severely affect the condition of the baby inside the womb.

Experts say that pregnant women—regardless of their condition—should always stay healthy throughout the duration of pregnancy. Being healthy does not only entails having a positive outlook in life but also good eating habits to supply the nutrients needed both by the mother and the baby.

Why weight gain during pregnancy?

Doctors say that that number one reason why pregnant women should gain weight is to support the nutritional needs of the growing fetus inside her. Since food intake is the number one source of all nutrition in the body, pregnant women should keep on eating especially during the first few months of pregnancy to provide al the nutrients needed by the baby.

Aside from supplying all the nutritional needs of the fetus, weight gain also indicates that the mother is healthy enough to carry on with the pregnancy.

Experts agree that the weight of the woman before the pregnancy does not matter once the first trimester rushes in. It means that no matte how light or heavy you are, you still need to gain weight when you are pregnant.

Medical findings prove that women who are overweight during pregnancy still need to gain weight with at least 20 pounds. Women who are underweight are advised to gain more, ranging from 20-40. These figures are ideal for women who are having single babies.

For those who are expecting two or more, they need to gain much more weight in order to provide the needs of the growing babies.

Pregnancy weight gain is very important for this special period in time because it will benefit the baby a lot. Aside from providing him or her nutrients needed through the foods that you eat, it also ensures their overall health once they come out in this world. Studies show that pregnant women who did not gain weight during conceiving are mothers to small and sickly babies.

For pregnant women to gain weight the healthy way, they should stick to the recommended number of calorie-intake which is 400 to 500 daily.

They should also be mindful about what they eat and how often they eat. During the early stages of pregnancy, pregnant women are allowed to eat almost anything they want to. But, as the pregnancy progresses, some foods are prohibited for pregnant women because these contain ingredients which can be harmful to the baby such as caffeine in coffee and in other drinks, alcohol and beverages with alcohol content, as well as cigarette smoking because it may cause mental problems to the baby.

Aside from eating healthy foods, pregnancy weight gain can also be achieved by performing a list of exercise regularly to keep the muscles fit and firm.

Have you ever been told that you are too skinny or just underweight? Surely, you have heard some people joke about it behind your back or you may have said that about someone. But it’s not their fault that they are underweight. Sometimes, it’s in the genes or they are simply not eating right. If poor eating habits are the culprit, the good news is that you can help yourself or that person.

The first thing you to do is step back and think about what you are eating regularly. Are they healthy? Does it have any nutritional value at all? If there is none, then remove it and replace these with what experts deem as nutritional.

There are three things to keep in mind when we want to eat healthy. This is the number of carbohydrates, fats and proteins that the body is ingesting. None of these come from junk food so if you want to know what the right ones are, read on further.

Carbohydrates can be compared to gasoline as this is what gives us energy. Without it, the body will have to find a new source of energy by tapping into fats and proteins that will not help you gain weight but rather lose it. You get carbohydrates from fruits, vegetables and whole grains.

Fat is also needed and the healthiest around is omega 3 fatty acids because this is not produced by the body. You can get this from eating fish and other marine life. It has also be found in nuts and certain vegetables.

Protein is what the body uses to produce hormones, body chemicals and helps repair damaged tissue. You can find this lean meat, poultry and vegetables.

Now that you know what the three important essentials are, it is time to make a plan. A dietitian can help in the beginning but one thing you have to learn is how to monitor the number of calories you take in from these products.

Each one has a corresponding calorie count which you can look up in books or online. By calculating how much you need daily and then distributing this during the different meals of the day, you are able to practice good nutrition.

Also, instead of eating three full meals a day, it is better to divide it into 5 or 6 smaller meals so you never feel overstuffed. Each one should consist of a main dish with 2 or 3 side orders consisting of different vegetables.

Enough about food. Now its time to talk about proper exercise. The type of exercise program for you depends on your physical condition which is why you have to see a doctor first who will be able to say which is safe for you to try.

If you are in good shape, then you can try aerobics, cycling, jogging, running or walking. You simply have to get a good pair of shoes and do this at home or sign up in the gym. While you are there, you can also check what other anaerobic exercises similar to those mentioned can help you gain weight.

Eventually, you or the friend you have helped will attain their ideal weight. But you shouldn’t stop there. You must be able to maintain it by continuing your routine as you may lose weight again or gain too much making you overweight.

Is it easy? No, it will take some hard work and dedication since its up to you whether you still want to be underweight.

The family is all abuzz. Jun will be home this summer, his first summer as a college man. My parents were so excited that they have already forgotten the visit they made to Jun’s dorm a month ago. Well, that’s the way parents are. Anyways, when Jun opened our front door and stepped into the house, everyone was on him almost immediately.

But amidst all those chatter, the smiles, the welcome home remarks, there was one comment that rang through the whole house. It was my niece saying “boy, have you gotten fat.” Jun, fortunately, just brushed it off. However, to some people, college weight gain cannot be brushed off quite easily.

Studies have been undertaken which on the issue of gaining weight during college. Although, the truth of the matter has been confirmed quite a number of times, the actual reason behind the phenomena is not as conclusive as other people might like.

It is said that the first year of one’s stay in college can easily result to a 10 or even a 20-pound increase in body weight. A number of reasons have been cited as the causes of getting a bigger butt while you’re in college. Actually, some of the clues that explain this phenomenon are really quite obvious, when you look at them closely.

One of the possible reasons is that they might over do this concept of being free. Some students or most students see their first year in college as their chance to be free from their parents. Although, some might handle this quite well adapting to the school and his/her peers. They loose control and eat and drink whatever they want and whenever they want.

They don’t concern themselves with their diet. Compared to when their mom’s were in control of what they eat, these first year college folks drown themselves with sodas and fill their bellies with junk foods. The school cafeteria is also an easy place to stuff more fat since the food there is often times “complete.” With appetizers, main course, and most especially desserts, college folks are more likely to overeat there than in any other place in campus.

One interesting thing is that according to recent studies, college males are more likely to gain considerable weight after the first year of their stay in college than their female counterparts. So guys, beware. If you continue on your current lifestyle, you might end up four times or even six times your body weight before you leave college.

Another reason that kept getting the blame for this college fat phenomenon is the fact that most college folks live a more or less sedentary life. If eating the right food is the least of their concern, believe me, exercising is further off their grid. They have homework, study groups, library work, experiments, and not to mention parties to go to, events to crash, and so on.

Speaking of parties, the various gathering you go to in college serve mostly fat laden finger foods, sodas and the like. Imagine the fat you will gain the next day. In the attempt to socialize with their peers, college freshmen are eating more than enough fills of fats, salt, and other junk.

Stopping college weight gain is a conscious effort. College folks need to get their diet in order and need to get their butt off their bunks. This is an action that they themselves need to initiate. Complaining won’t do them any good. They need to fight this with sheer will power and utter determination.