Understanding Prenatal Care

Maintaining a healthy weight can improve all parts of a woman's health, including her reproductive health. Your OB-GYN doctor can be an ally in your weight management journey. Here are some things your gynecologist can do to help you reach and stay at a healthy weight:

1. Offer nutritional counseling.

The food you eat is converted into energy that can be used to power your body's basic metabolic functions, in addition to giving you the energy you need to tackle your daily tasks. When people eat more than their bodies need, the excess calories are stored as fat. Understanding the way food affects your body is the first step to taking control of your weight. Many people have misconceptions about food, calories, and nutrition. Your doctor can give you some tips for choosing foods that allow you to look and feel your best. They may suggest choosing foods that are rich in nutrients and low in calories as your staple foods while reserving foods that are high in fat and sugar as occasional treats.

2. Provide an overview of acceptable fitness activities.

Exercise is often suggested as a helpful means of weight control. However, people often have unpleasant associations with the idea of exercise. Exercise usually sounds hot, sweaty, and uncomfortable. However, your doctor can be instrumental in broadening your view of fitness activities. There are many different types of exercise, and most people can find at least one or two workouts that they enjoy. Your doctor can suggest activities that suit your interests and fitness level. Many people are surprised to learn that even gentle forms of exercise, like stretching and walking, can contribute to their weight loss efforts.

3. Suggest ways to incorporate more movement into your everyday life.

Participating in structured exercise can help you burn calories and reach your target weight, but lifestyle modifications are equally important. Your doctor can impress upon you the importance of making small changes to support weight management. Simple things, like taking short breaks to walk throughout the workday or taking the stairs instead of the escalator, can help you fight the weight gain that tends to come from sedentary lifestyles.

4. Discuss medication changes to manage weight.

Some people struggle with their weight due to the medications that they're taking. Hormonal birth control pills are common culprits in this regard. If you feel that your birth control is making it harder to lose weight, you can discuss your options with your OB-GYN doctor. You may be able to switch to a lower-dose birth control pill or a different type of contraceptive to attain the same benefits while also managing your weight.

For more help with weight management, talk to a doctor.