Weight Watchers is a popular international company that offers dieting plans to those who wish to lose or maintain weight. It claims to use a science-based approach in helping members lose weight through healthy living.
They have formulated their “four pillars of healthy weight loss”, which are to form helpful habits, eat smarter, move more, and get support. Unlike other weight management programs, Weight Watchers does not prohibit certain kinds of foods, but provides a PointsPlus program, in which calorie intake is limited per day. There are no prohibited foods, but their program has target daily points a member must follow in order to make the most out of the program. Weight Watchers is all for healthy and nutritious living. Does this mean that pregnant women can also follow Weight Watchers to achieve a healthy pregnancy?
A healthy and balanced lifestyle is undoubtedly a large part of pregnancy. The mother must make healthier choices not just for herself, but also for her growing baby. During pregnancy, your body needs more vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, which you can get from eating different kinds of healthy food. More calories are required to sustain a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby, and that is why dieting during pregnancy is a no-no. Dieting will cause you to eat less, causing you to have a deficit on the nutrients that you and your baby need.
The goal of Weight Watchers is for individuals to have a healthier lifestyle through smarter food choices, good habits, regular physical activity, and support. Although pregnancy is all about healthy living as well, a diet program such as Weight Watchers is definitely not for expectant mothers. The program may be all-out for a healthier lifestyle, but its main objective is for participants to lose weight. Pregnancy is definitely not a time to lose weight, but a time to regulate weight by eating more nutritious foods.
Can I Follow Weight Watchers While Pregnant? Answer: Not Recommended
Weight Watchers has an underlying goal of helping their participants lose weight. Although their program highly promotes having a healthy and balanced diet, it is not for pregnant mothers. In fact, Weight Watchers prohibits pregnant women from joining the program for the sake of the mother and baby’s safety. Pregnancy is not a time for dieting and losing weight. A pregnant mother will definitely gain weight during pregnancy, but weight gain should still be regulated by her physician or midwife, and not by any diet program such as Weight Watchers.
Following the Principles of Weight Watchers During Pregnancy
If you have previously joined Weight Watchers before your pregnancy, it is a plus to apply some of what you have learned from the program into your healthy pregnancy diet. The program encourages eating more fruits and vegetables, and less of the fatty and oily foods.
It also promotes drinking more water and natural juices instead of carbonated drinks. You can still incorporate what you have learned in Weight Watchers into your diet without being too conscious of your points. Always remember that during pregnancy, you are to make wiser choices in your food intake for the health of your baby and yourself.
The Effects of Excessive Weight Gain During Pregnancy
Excessive weight gain is highly discouraged during pregnancy because of its effects on the mother’s and baby’s health. The American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology stated that greater weight gain during pregnancy had led to children gaining more weight, having more body fat and higher systolic blood pressure at 3 years old. Excessive pregnancy weight is also said to be more difficult to get rid of. Studies show that these women who gained more during their pregnancy continued to gain even more weight in subsequent pregnancies.
Planning for Your Post-Birth Weight Loss Strategy
As your due date draws near, you may start planning for your weight loss strategy by starting to look up the different diet programs you think would suit you best. However, consult with your doctor first when it is safe to start to lose weight again.
If you are breastfeeding, your doctor will most probably advise you to establish your milk supply first before getting into any diet program because your body needs higher caloric intake to maintain good milk production. You might want to think of your baby’s nutrition first before hurrying to lose that extra belly.
