TTC and leanness??

[kszal]

So my hubby and I are going to TTC in a couple of months.

I've been going back and forth about what to do in the meantime. Is it wise to try to get leaner, or will that just be totally counterproductive on the TTC front? Ladies that have recently gotten pg or are trying, what are you doing? Should I just maintain until then?

In an ideal world, I would like to be smaller - not necessarily leaner. But I don't know whether trying to do that before TTC is a good idea or not.

Thanks!

[LUVPINK222]

in my not so professional opinion I would say to maintain. I think it's harder to get pregnant the leaner you are.

[colo1278]

I'm not very lean right now and am having some trouble ttc, so being heavier doesn't guarantee pg obviously. But the leaner some girls get, the more likely they are to lose their periods or have irregular cycles which can make it harder ttc. If your cycles are irregular, you can use ovulation test kits still which tell you when you are about to ovulate (i.e. when to have sex) so that could still work.

However, you will need a certain amount of "maternal fat stores" to have a healthy pregnancy also, and that amount is not known scientifically.

I used to go to a trainer who was ripped as all get out and said she got pregnant just fine at that level of leaness, but also mentioned she never lost her period.

Right now, I am trying to get leaner because then I look better to my hubbs and feel sexier in general- which makes it easier to get my husband interested in trying in the first place! :)

good luck to you!

[rogmel]

are you having regular periods??? if so, then i say stay status quo.......dont mess with a good thing....and a "regular " cycle, in a perfect world is a good thin when TTC....

[Tina]

in my not so professional opinion I would say to maintain. I think it's harder to get pregnant the leaner you are.

What she said. It depends on how lean you're talking..it helps to have some fat.

How exciting!

[strongchick]

K - according to my literture, you need at LEAST 17% bodyfat for ovulation (of course there are exceptions, but that is the research), and it is recommended to be closer to 20%. Remember, fat releases estrogen which is ESSENTIAL for ovulation. more fat also = healthier pregnancy, less risk of miscarriage, less risk of premature birth, etc.

Don't run into my problem.

[kszal]

Thanks ladies. So how do I know how much bf I have? :unsure:

[colo1278]

if you search around on here, you'll see various arguments about the validity of people's body fat claims- seems like most methods are highly unreliable. I think the test where they dunk you in water is one of the more reliable, but Thunder has mentioned another one before I think, that everyone is hailing as the best method... but I can't remember what it is called.

[strongchick]

You can take a test, but K...you know your body isn't working that great as it is, and I think trying to be more lean is a bad idea....