2015-01-01

Happy New Year! We’re kicking off 2015 today with a reader question that we thought would help a lot of mamas-to-be. While this answer is applicable any time, we thought it would be especially helpful today as we all dive right into those resolutions!

Hello ladies!

My name is Tabytha. I’m 21 and newly married. My husband and I want to try to conceive by the end of 2015, but my body is in no way prepared for pregnancy. I am overweight for my height. I was wondering if y’all had any resources to help with preparing for pregnancy by losing weight and proper eating habits? Thanks!

—Tabytha

Hi Tabytha,

It’s so smart to be asking this question before you get pregnant so you can get in the right frame of mind (and body!) before you take the plunge! A short answer to your question: Buy our book! But really, it’s got so much good information about little things you can do to work healthier habits into your life, particularly if you’ve tried diets that haven’t worked or if you’re not sure where to start. It’s also way easier and more fun than “dieting” because we break living a healthy lifestyle into 10-minute chunks — things that you can do quickly and easily to make healthy changes now. We’ve also got a video series that shares tips from our book, so you can check that out for free here.

Beyond the book, here are a few of my top tips for someone in your situation.

1. Focus on how you feel, not what you weigh. Don’t focus so much on losing weight for pregnancy, but focus on being as strong and as healthy as you can be both for the health of your baby and for your future mama self. When you shift your focus to what is most important, you might be surprised that it’s easier to stick with a workout routine and make healthier eating choices.

2. Make activity a habit. Working out during pregnancy is a lot easier if you start exercising before you get pregnant. So get active now so that you’re stronger and fitter when you are pregnant. (Trust me, pregnancy is hard work, so you’ll be glad you grew some muscles before those demands on your body kicked in!) Find activities you love, and do them often. Even something as simple as a walk several times a week will be beneficial, just stick to it.

3. Tweak your diet for the healthier. If you’ve got bad eating habits, work on them now. If you clean up your diet now and start to see extra energy and other benefits, it’ll be easier to stick with them when you’re craving sweets during pregnancy or are too tired to make a healthy meal because the first trimester wiped you out.

4. Talk to your doc. Talk to your doctor about your plans to conceive and any concerns you may have. He or she may have additional helpful resources for you, plus it’s good to have your medical professional involved on your weight-loss journey.

We hate to beat a dead horse, but our book really has so many of our tips and tricks in it, from how to motivate yourself to get healthier to ways you can fit in exercise to your daily life and ways to ensure you’re eating healthy while still getting fun splurges into your diet. We also recommend reading our list of 10 Things to Do Before Trying to Conceive and on the fitness side of things, 5 Things to Do Before You Get Pregnant. We hope those help; best of luck to you! Let us know when you become a Fit Bottomed Mama!

How did you prepare for pregnancy? I was in the best shape of my life leading up to my first pregnancy, so now I’ve got some work to do to get back there! —Erin

Show more