Maintaining a healthy weight is important for overall health. Unfortunately, women can be more prone to weight gain than men because of their hormonal profiles. Carrying too much weight can cause menstrual issues and hormonal imbalances. Fortunately, OB-GYN doctors can help their patients manage their weight. Here are four things that your doctor may do as part of a weight management treatment program:
1. Offer nutrition counseling.
Many people don't eat as healthfully as they should. A diet that is high in fried foods, sweets, and junk food can contribute to weight gain. OB-GYN doctors can offer nutrition counseling to women who would like to improve their diets. They can help women choose healthy foods that will satisfy them, contribute to overall good health, and aid weight loss.
2. Advise women to exercise.
The food you eat can contribute to weight loss or weight gain. However, everyone needs to move their bodies in healthy ways throughout the day, no matter what their diet looks like. Exercising at a moderate intensity for at least 30 minutes five times a week can help women lose weight or maintain the weight loss they have already achieved. An OB-GYN doctor can help women discover the ways that they can exercise. Even simple forms of exercise, such as walking during a lunch break, can improve cardiovascular health and help women keep unwanted weight off.
3. Help you find the right birth control method.
Many women rely on birth control pills to regulate their menstrual cycles and prevent unwanted pregnancies. However, birth control pills act on a woman's hormones, which means they can cause some unwanted side effects. Some women experience weight gain while on birth control. If your doctor believes that your birth control pills are contributing to your weight gain problem, they may help you find an alternate method of birth control. Some women find weight loss success by replacing their birth control pills with a non-hormonal copper IUD.
4. Provide postpartum care and counseling.
It's natural for women to gain weight while pregnant. In the aftermath of labor and delivery, most women have their hands full with their new children and don't have time to prioritize their own care. Things like weight loss can easily fall to the wayside. An OB-GYN doctor can encourage women to lose their pregnancy weight safely and sustainably by emphasizing gradual, small changes. Ongoing postpartum care can help women return to a healthy weight while feeling good about their post-pregnancy bodies.
When my husband and I struggled to conceive our second child, I knew something wasn't right, but I wasn't sure what. I went through several appointments with my OBGYN before finding out that I had an autoimmune disease that affected my thyroid, which in turn affected my fertility. The process was overwhelming, and the feelings I faced afterward were challenging. I knew that there had to be others going through the same thing, and I didn't want them to feel alone. I created this site to share what I've learned about fertility and gynecology in the hopes of reaching people like me and helping them understand, too.