Being too heavy can impact your ovulation, which may make it more difficult to conceive. If you are trying to get pregnant, but are overweight, losing a few pounds may regulate your ovulation schedule so you are more likely to conceive. Mary Jane Minkin and Carol V. Wright note in their book, "The Yale Guide to Women's Reproductive Health: From Menarch to Menopause," state that heavy women often create a constant stream of estrogen, which prevents ovulation from taking place.
Step 1
Cut your caloric intake. You need to eat fewer calories to begin losing weight. Try cutting one-third of your portions from each meal. As your body adjusts to less food, continue cutting calories until you find the amount of food that fills you up without leaving you hungry.
Step 2
Choose filling foods. Eat foods that contain fiber and protein because they keep you feeling full for several hours so you end up eating less food. Fruits, vegetables, white meat chicken, skim milk and whole wheat bread are all good choices that are lower in calories, but will satisfy your hunger. These are also nutritious preconception foods that will increase your chances of having a healthy pregnancy.
Step 3
Replace soda with water. Soda is empty of nutrition and contains at least 100 calories per serving. Substituting water for your daily soft drinks will cut calories and sugar, which will enable you to begin losing weight. Drink 6 to 8 glasses of water and you may also experience additional energy as well as increased chance of conceiving.
Step 4
Exercise often. Burning more calories than you take in is the formula for shedding unwanted weight. Start by taking a walk through your neighborhood or marching in place while watching television. Work up to more vigorous activity such as jogging, swimming or using a treadmill or elliptical. Gradually add more exercise until you reach about 30 minutes per day.
Tips and Warnings
- Recruit your partner to adopt healthier habits with you. Discuss your goals and progress and offer one another support. Keep your goal of having a baby in mind to help motivate you to make changes and keep shedding excess weight. Choose exercise that you enjoy and you are more likely to continue burning calories. Your local library may have workout videos that you can try to get some ideas about what activities you like best.
- Some women still cannot get pregnant even after losing weight, Heidi Murkoff and Sharon Mazel note in their book, "What to Expect Before You're Expecting." Speak with your doctor if you lose weight and still cannot get pregnant. He can refer you to a fertility specialist.
References
- "The Yale Guide to Women's Reproductive Health: From Menarch to Menopause"; Mary Jane Minkin and Carol V. Wright; 2003
- "What to Expect Before You're Expecting"; Heidi Murkof and Sharon Mazel; 2009
