Healthy Weight Management for Pregnancy: A Guide for Active Women

Question
Hi,
I am married and planning toget concieve now.I am very active i work out on tread mill and do cycling in jim for least 1 hour 5 days a week and have lost most of my extra fat.However i am not over weight and my weight is 110pounds and height is 5 feet.I believe i carry ideal weight currently according to my height.I would like to ask you if i need to loose more weight before getting pregnent as during pregency women gains weight or i am  perfect.And also i will highly appreciate if you will let me know ways to maintain ideal body weight during pregnency , i don't want to gain extra fat other than required during my would be pregnency??
thanks a lot in advance

Answer
Dear Shipra,

This is an excellent question.  First of all, congratulations on being fit and taking care of yourself.  It is not only good for you, it is very good for your future baby.  Fitness professionals do not evaluate fitness in pounds.  If you want to have the most scientific proof of your fitness, ask a trainer in your gym to conduct a body composition assessment.  The trainer will use calipers and body measurements and will give you a body fat vs. body muscle percentage.  The ideal body composition for pre-pregnancy will be 18% - 25%.  I do not recommend losing extra body fat before pregnancy for a few reasons.  a) if you go below 18% you might go into amenorrhea, meaning the stop of menstruation due to the insufficient amount of body fat  b) your body is pre-programmed to gain body fat in pregnancy in order to provide for the future breastfeeding and due to many metabolic and hormonal changes. You should not be afraid of this natural change; if you are eating healthy and follow a safe and appropriate physical fitness program you should have to problem getting back in shape after you deliver the baby.
You should talk to your OB-GYN about your exercise program once you get pregnant, and if you have no complications maintain a well-balanced routine.  The general recommendation for pregnancy is moderate aerobic exercise 3 - 7 days a week, resistance training 2 -3 times a week and flexibility training (prenatal yoga) 2 - 5 times a week.  Abdominal strengthening and pelvic floor conditioning should be included.  I recommend you to look for a prenatal fitness trainer in your area and taking a consultation or two to get started.

Hope it helps and good luck with your plans!

Anna