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Expert Q&A

	By Allison Gamble Nutritionist/Diet Technician Highland Park Hospital, Illinois

Hi, I have been TTC for 7 months now and feel a bit bad because I am 5'2" and weigh 168 pounds. Will there be problems with my weight and being pregnant? I eat healthy, exercise moderately and just don't seem to lose weight.

There are problems associated with obesity and pregnancy. The mother is at a higher risk for gestational diabetes, hypertension, and difficulty with labor and delivery. However, pregnancy is not the time to diet. The recommended weight gain for overweight women is around 15 pounds. Everyone is different, so keep that in mind. Ask your doctor for a more personalized weight gain evaluation.

Number one: you should feel great that you have the desire to be healthy.

Number two: you should examine your lifestyle more closely to get a more accurate viewpoint of what you are actually doing.

The concept of losing weight is so simple it's disgusting. Expend more calories than you take in; it doesn't get more basic than that. Easy right? Not when you are used to a certain lifestyle. Since you seem unsure of why you haven't lost weight, then ask yourself what you may be doing to inhibit it.

• Are you really motivated to make a lifestyle change?
• Are you eating more than you think?
• Are you exercising four to five times per week, in conjunction with eating less? If you are exercising three times per week, and are not changing your eating habits, you will only maintain your weight. Make sure you do both cardiovascular exercise and weight training. I recommend going to your doctor for a complete physical, before intensifying your exercise, if you haven't already.

My other suggestion is to keep a three-day food diary. Write down everything you eat. Don't hold back. Eat what you would normally during the day. Include portion sizes, and when, why, and how you feel when you ate. This way you can identify issues you may not have known about. I think if your first steps are identifying what your obstacles are, then you will be well on the road to a healthier mind and body. Good luck!

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