Dieting and TTC

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-14-2003
Dieting and TTC
8
Thu, 07-31-2003 - 10:32am
I was wodnering, DH and I have started a low carb (no more then 20grams a day), high protein diet on Monday. I was wondering, will this affect TTC? I couldnt really find anything on the net about this. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

Machelle'(24) ~ DH(25)

TTC#3, C3, CD3

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-31-2003
Thu, 07-31-2003 - 10:53am
Machelle,

You can take this for what it's worth, but here's what I've heard. I considered doing the same thing and asked DH to ask the nutritionist that was on his team at M.D. Anderson Cancer Hospital what she knew about high protein/low carb diets. She had no idea that we were TTC or even why he was asking. She said, "Those diets do get results, although it is not clear whether or not they cause kidney damage. They simply haven't been studied enough to know one way or the other. I'd say to anyone who wants to do one to just be careful and make SURE that they drink LOTS of water. Also, they are absolutely contraindicated in women who are trying to get pregnant or are pregnant because they set up a state similar to gestational diabetes from the beginning." So I called my cousin who has a masters in nutrition and works for the WIC program for the state of Texas and she said exactly the same thing. (A note on the whole kidney damage thing. I noticed on several of the websites for these diets that they were quick to say, "You'll be told that this diet causes kindey damage, but there is NO EVIDENCE for that claim." That's true, but there's also no evidence that it doesn't. It simply hasn't been studied.) All that being said, I did see once someone here asked the same question and someone said that someone on the "TTC While Losing Weight" board was on Atkins with her Dr.'s blessings. You might want to head over there and see what you can find out. As for me, I abandoned it in favor of a diet based on the USDA food pyramid, just to be on the safe side. GL!

Anne

(sorry so long!)

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-14-2003
Thu, 07-31-2003 - 11:01am
Anne, thank you very much for the info. I will go and take a look at the other board. Thanks again.

Machelle'

Avatar for morgan_67
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 07-31-2003 - 11:42am
not sure about the low carb thing, but when I got pregnant with my son I was in the process of losing weight. I wasn't doing low-carb, I wouldn't even call what I was doing a diet. I considered it to be a life-style change. I would eat around 1750 calories a day, following the food pyramid. I also worked out a lot. For me the magic number for exercise was at least 5 days a week. I love to exercise so not a problem. The foods I ate were very healthy, and honestly even though it was helping me lose weight, I think it helped create the healthy baby we ended up making. It was really funny, actually, because I could guarantee a drop in weight each week if I really stuck to my goals, and the week I found out I was pregnant I was dead on with everything but I didn't lose weight, I started to suspect I was pregnant and ta-da, I was!

good luck!!!!

Morgan, mom to Daniel, Andrew, and Katie

 

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 07-31-2003 - 3:07pm
Hi! I'm sorta new here and have been lurking for a few days. I checked in here a while ago but started posting over at the WTT and P4P boards. Now that dh & I are officially trying I decided to visit over here too. This topic interests me because dh & I are trying to get into a workout routine to lose a little weight. I don't need to lose a huge amount of weight and in fact my doctor told me if I do want to lose weight to wait 2 to 3 months after I get down to my "goal" weight to start trying! So not gonna do that but I would like to get into better shape and be strong when I have the baby. I've thought about the Southbeach diet which is similar to the low carb/atkins diet but I'm also concerned about the effects it can have on ttc. What exactly does "contraindicated" mean? Does it mean that it's advised to not go on a low carb diet when you are TTC?

Jenny wtt #1 c1 d17 (not sure when I O'd!)

 baby

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-31-2003
Thu, 07-31-2003 - 3:13pm
Oops, sorry about that, Jenny. Yeah, contraindicated means absolutely not advised under any circumstances. I know that you're not supposed to lose weight while TTC, but I just figured, what harm is eating a healthy diet and exercising going to do to a developing fetus? I think that advice applies to radical diets, but I hardly see how a healthy diet is going to hurt (it's gotta be better for the baby than the junk that a lot of people eat while pregnant!). Anyway, GL with your TTC journey. Hope it's quick and painless!

Anne

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 07-31-2003 - 3:17pm
Thanks Anne!

 baby

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-24-2003
Thu, 07-31-2003 - 3:28pm
Hi Anne-

I've been following a low carb/high protein diet for years now (way before the craze) and had a lot of success (when I stick to it). I am in need of loosing wieght again and am TTC and was wondering the same thing also. I read in my What to Expect while Expecting book that a high protein/low carb diet can effect TTC. So I decided to just do it in moderation (no ketosis) and try to put the emphasis on consistent exercise.

Kim

TTC #1 c4 cd24

Lilypie 2nd Birthday PicLilypie 2nd Birthday Ticker
Avatar for sssjjjbbb
iVillage Member
Registered: 06-23-2003
Thu, 07-31-2003 - 3:36pm
My husband and I both were on that diet over a year ago and we lost weight fast. My fahter in law is a dr. and when he heard we were on that diet (and knew we were TTC), he told me 2 things...

1st of all - this is not a diet you should stay on for a long period of time. Because of the obvious - even though you are supposed to be taking vitamins, your body needs certain natural vitamins from your food ( fruits and grains )

2nd of all (which made me quit the diet), losing weight as fast as you do on this diet also throws your body into total chaos - and your cycles are part of that chaos.

I actually think that the diet may have something to do with me not having normal cycles since we have been ttc.



Dont get me wrong, I dont think the diet is bad - I was really happy with the results. (I lost like 30 lbs in 4 - 5 months.) And my husband even lost more.

But when you lose weight like that, your body has a hard time understanding what is going on and it could throw off your cycles.

My father in law and mother in law even used this diet for a couple of months, and I think that my MIL still does it like 4 months on, then 4 months off (somthing like that)

Another thing that happened to me when I was on this diet is that my hair started falling out!!! OMG i just remembered that! It was falling out in the shower and took like 3 months to go back to normal.

And I took vitamins every day so I know I was getting the reccommended amount.

Sorry so long, I just really can relate to the no carbs thing.

Stephanie

TTC # 1, cycle 15