[vero33]

Hello to all,

I am new here. I have been browsing on the site and really loved it. I am not sure I am supposed to post in the "support" forum, let me know if it's not the right place.
A short story about myself and my weight ;-)
I am 5'9'' and my ideal weight is 135 (I have small bones).
I maintained this weight until I was 25. At that time I was finishing my MSE away from home and was eating lunch at the university everyday and a lot of junk food. I gained 20 pounds. I managed to loose them in 2 month by eating Healthy choice TV dinner for lunch and dinner, and let me tell you when I see them in the store now, I get sick... I am also ashamed to say, I took an ephedrine product for the same time.
I kept the weight off for the next 3 years. Then I got pregnant and gained 75 pounds during my pregnancy!!! I was 100% sure that all the weight was going to come off once I had delivered. Well, big surprise, it did not.... I weighted 180 pounds after the delivery
My son is now 30 months old and I am 165 pounds and have not been able to go below that for the past 2 years.
I really wanted to wait until I loose the weight to get pregnant again, but I figured at this pace, my kids would be 15 years appart.. Well I am pregnant again and very happy about it, but I feel fat and disgusting. I have no clothes that fit and just cannot bear to look in the mirror. I have a friend who is 5'9' like me and weights about the same, and she looks reallu good, but not me: my stomach is hanging, my tighs are huge, even my face does not look the same...
I am afraid to gain a lot of weight again... Any advice? I am a work at home mom and sit most of the day, which is not good. I try to be very sensible about what I eat, but nothing seems to work.
Thanks for listenning to my whining :-)

Vero

[melekalikimaka]

Vero, congratulations on your 2nd pregnancy, you are truly blessed . First of all it sounds like your body image is a little distorted. You have a lot of height on your side--165 lbs on a 5'9" frame doesn't seem so bad to me. I know that you may have what you consider "problem areas" after pregnancy, I know I do, but we are often our own worst critics. I'm not dismissing your concern, but consider me at 5'3" w/174 lbs on my so-called large-frame --and that's AFTER I've lost 41 lbs. I have a little motto I recite to myself: "I will love myself through thick and thin" . I'm going to assume that part of this attitude towards your body is partly affected by pregnancy hormones . You can and should stay active during pregnancy, just ask your OB what guidlines you should follow for your personal health. I've always been heavy but I did continue to walk during my first (and only) pregnancy. Still, I gained 40 lbs, but it could have been worse. I found a little website info that may help you:

http://sd.***************/pregnantexercis_rtbs.htm

You may also want to consult w/your OB about getting some advice from a nutrionist who can help you plan your meals. I found that resource very helpful to me in the last months of my pregnancy and only gained about 8-10 lbs within the last trimester. Good luck and good health during this happy time.