[runningfromfat]

I recently joined a gym to start water aerobics since I'm pregnant and don't want to gain 65lbs again like with my last pregnancy. Anyways, today they had me come in and do all my measurements to check my body fat, make sure I was healthy, etc etc.

That's when I got the shock of my life! I'm 8 weeks pregnant (2nd kid) so I've already got a bit of a bulge going but even with that my body fat was at 25% (22% is the normal range), which put me at the LOW END of overweight!!!! Now by my weight (194lbs at 5'6", although I measured in there are more like 196/197 since it was at night immediately after dinner) I should be 9lbs into the obese range. She said in reality if I loose 2kilos (so a bit less than 5lbs) I'll be in the healthy weight range. She actually said it wouldn't hurt to try since I'm still in the first trimester and I've been losing weight anyways (so far I've lost 9lbs because being pregnancy, nursing DD, exercising, and lack of appetite I just can't get enough calories in). I've been eating until I get full but then all of a sudden I get REALLY full and just can't eat anymore.

I'm just wondering... as anybody gotten their body fat measured and it was so drastically different than their BMI range? I feel so much better about my pregnancy now knowing that my body fat is not nearly as large as I thought it was (I was really concerned about starting at obese since last time around I started 25lbs lighter). I still can't get over the shock that if I were to loose 4-5 I would be in the healthy range that's just pure craziness to me. At the moment I'm not trying to actively lose weight, I'm just focusing on eating healthy and trying to stay active (despite being really, really tired!). However, I'm also wondering if I'm at the low end of overweight (and if I do continue to lose weight like I have been that would put me at healthy) how much should I work on gaining during pregnancy? I'm pretty confused now!

[Niecy]

This is just my perspective, but while I DO think you should keep focused on eating healthy and getting exercise that is in keeping with each stage of your pregnancy, I don't think you should actively try to lose weight. I'm sorry, I just don't think that is healthy at all for the developing baby. I mean, what does your OB think? That would pretty much trump anything me or a gym could tell you anyway. Maybe this pregnancy was not planned (all 3 of mine were surprises! lol) but I feel a woman wanting to lose weight either does so before or after the pregnancy. I really suggest you talk with your Dr. before taking any advice.

[seagirl]

I would not take a trainers advice about weight, weight loss or nutrition during pregnancy. Talk to your doctor and ask for a referral to a registered dietitian for eating advice.

[runningfromfat]

Like I said in my post, I'm not actively trying to lose weight. I already talked to my OB (and now my Midwife since we just moved) and they both were OK with it (the OB did offer anti-nausea meds but I prefer not to take anything) and the Midwife said working out was great since I want a natural both. Just to clarify they were ok with me loosing weight naturally, again, I haven't been trying at all.

So she measured with calipers and she said she'S been working there for a loooong time so I have the feeling she has a lot of experience with it. FWIW, I eat pretty healthy little to no sugar and almost all whole wheat products (at the moment that's not 100% true since we're staying for the next month and I don't always have a say over what we eat ).

[Niecy]

Good thing you cleared it with them. Just as long as you are getting all the nutrients you and the baby need is the main thing. What I meant about actively losing was just making sure you aren't going all out like most of us here busting our chops to get it off.

Good luck with everything and hope you have an easy breezy pregnancy!

[sacha]

Truthfully and don't shoot me - there is an error in the calculation. A 5'6 woman at 194lbs is not going to be 24% body fat, even if you are body builder Iris Kyle in the off season bulking

[stacygee]

My trainers measure body fat percentage as different then BMI. They actually don't look at BMI at all b/c when you have muscle the BMI chart is crazy.

My first pregnancy I gave up cokes and I walked 30 minutes every single day and I actually lost weight during the whole preganancy until about the last 6 weeks. I only gained about 12 pounds the whole pregnancy. I think I went from 220 down and then back up to about 232.

Now my second pregnancy I didn't get off the couch and gained a mother load.

[Rana]

I don't trust the calipers either.

When I went to a personal trainer and got measured that way, she measured my thigh on the top part (the quad). Then she noted that my body fat percentage there was only 24%.

I asked her how that could be possible, because all of my fat was in my inner thigh. I mean, you can't miss it! It's there!

She told me that's not where you measure, you have to measure on top of the quad.

That's when I realized that the caliper method isn't fail-safe either, because my fat is distributed in different way. I've never had a lot of fat on top of my quads. My fat has always been in my inner thighs.

So, I would only really trust the method where they dip you water.

[runningfromfat]

Yeah, I've been thinking about it and I really wonder if it was off for a few reasons:

- She did it on my belly and my belly it is rock solid right now due to water retention (I tend to retain quite a bit while pregnant!)

- Sacha, it was actually 25% fat, no 24% but then she calculated how many pounds of fat I had on my body and that was just under 50lbs. That would mean if I were to still retain 15% body fat that I would only be able to get down to a weight of 169lbs! It doesn't make much sense since I used to be 140 in high school and was very, very active then. Plus that would be I really only have 25lbs of fat I can afford to loose (obviously, after the pregnancy), which is so not true!

- She just measured my thigh, stomach, and arm but I carry I lot of weight in my chest and lower belly (still have that wonderful pouch since my last pregnancy with DD) so something similar to what Rana said.

I'm kind of bummed now because I thought I was way closer to my goal than what I originally thought. However, maybe I can at least take this as an indication that maybe my body fat isn't at the level of an obese person and more on the level of some one who is at the upper end of overweight. That seems more realistic to me since I'm only 9lbs into obese.

It doesn't really change my focus for this pregnancy, which is to maintain healthy eating habits throughout even with some crazy cravings (like chocolate) and to continue to exercise.

[runningfromfat]

I just googled the caliper method and pregnancy and it looks like there is no accurate way to measure body fat during pregnancy. Oh well, I'll just get it checked out afterwards. I'm curious to see where I'll be.

Interestingly enough I went to a gym years ago when I was somewhere in the 180's (maybe even upper 180's, I can't remember) and then my body fat was measured at something like 32%. However, I'm definitely in better shape now even though I weigh more simply because I've been working out for months before I got pregnant. Too bad I didn't check before my BFP!

[mkroyer]

My BMI and BF levels do not measure up (pardon the pun) at all... so its possible........