I know this may sound ridiculous, but....

Do the women on this forum think that it would be a bad idea for me to begin cutting as my wife approaches her due date in her pregnancy?
I know that (for good reason) women are extra sensitive about their appearance and sex appeal during pregnancy. Being conscious of this, I have made extra effort to do the little things to remind her what a sexy woman she is and that being pregnant (in my humble opinion) is one of the most beatiful things I have ever experienced.

We are expecting (our first) October 1. That is around the same time I was planning to be crossing back under 10% BF... I have gained quite a bit of weight this year allowing myself to indulge as we have travelled and she has been feeding her pregnancy cravings.(BTW, it's VERY rare steak, fried everything) And yes, I do take full responsibility for my actions, I am not trying to displace blame by any means...

I have considered postponing my cut to November when we can both be getting back into shape together, but I also have the very realistic fear that a new baby will make a gym/diet routine four times as difficult.

So on one hand, I can try to cut before the baby arrives and then do a bulk/maintenance afterward and assist my wife with her recouperation and fitness recovery... or I can try to wait and see what happens in a post-baby lifestyle.

Any help/comments/feedback would be appreciated.
Thanks.

Have you asked your wife?

I'd think you could easily just work on adding muscle now, and when your wife is cleared to workout, you can cut together. She's going to be very tired, as will you, so she'll need motivational help with her workout. MSNBC had an article not too long ago that said that for the majority of women, if they don't lose the weight in the first six months after pregnancy then they never lose it.

At the same time, I doubt your wife would mind you cutting now, unless she's selfish about it. You can always tell her it's so you'll have more time to help her then. Has your wife been exercising during the pregnancy at all? It will help her post-baby, too. Check with a doctor about it, especially if she thinks of starting it late into the pregnancy.

Congrats!

I'd think you could easily just work on adding muscle now, and when your wife is cleared to workout, you can cut together.

Definitely one of the aproaches I was considering. With us both wanting to get back into shape it seems less likely that we would let eachother slack off too much.


Has your wife been exercising during the pregnancy at all?

She did jazzercise for the first four months and then switched to water aerobics.

Congrats!

Thanks!

I'd think you could easily just work on adding muscle now, and when your wife is cleared to workout, you can cut together. She's going to be very tired, as will you, so she'll need motivational help with her workout.

I was thinking the same thing. However, it depends on how motivated she actually is. If she can muster up the effort to workout, then you guys should do it. Ifr she can't, then I say bulk for now, cut later.

I don't think it matters either way. Just as long as you don't go on and on about what you are eating. And absolutely make NO comments about what she eats or say anything about how much you have lost unless she asks. IN other words, don't volunteer information.

I am 80 lbs. lighter than I was when I delivered my youngest ( who is now 5 years old.)

Congratulations! My 6 year old is an October baby - Halloween incidentally!

I know this may sound ridiculous, but....

Do the women on this forum think that it would be a bad idea for me to begin cutting as my wife approaches her due date in her pregnancy?

It's not ridiculous to ask. But it probably is a bad idea. You want to train for sleep deprivation in the weeks following the birth, and you want to be in a really good mood. That doesn't sound like cutting to me. It sounds like add calories and add endurance work to your normal program. There's stuff that can happen in pregnancy that you might have to handle. Ours was far from stress-free - at one point someone interpreted an ultrasound the wrong way and we went through a week of dreading the worst. Then there was the time the obstetrician ordered me to drive my wife IMMEDIATELY to the emergency room (pneumonia) and then I had to hang there while nobody could figure anything out until my wife experienced great difficulty breathing about eight hours later. Neither of these will probably happen to you, but if any of the million things like this happens to you, do you want to be cutting? You want to be on top of your game mentally and emotionally. You can always get back on whatever fitness trip you want later.

Neither of these will probably happen to you, but if any of the million things like this happens to you, do you want to be cutting? You want to be on top of your game mentally and emotionally.

Good point Z.

I considered a sort-of-cut to get rid of some of the flab I picked up over the last 9 months, and then going into a maintenance-type period when duty calls.
I would really love to drop 10 or 12 before I get to the time when working out and eating clean are pushed down the priority list in favor of more pressing issues.

Good point Z.

I considered a sort-of-cut to get rid of some of the flab I picked up over the last 9 months, and then going into a maintenance-type period when duty calls.
I would really love to drop 10 or 12 before I get to the time when working out and eating clean are pushed down the priority list in favor of more pressing issues.

Well getting better conditioned won't really get in the way of cutting. It's sort of like cutting except you don't drop the calories as much, and you can even increase your exercise intensity and volume a little.

Get ready to use short high intensity workouts to stay in shape because your time will not be your own. If you increase your cardiovascular fitness as much as possible now, a whole lot of that, and some other things, will be easier.

Okay, i'm going to go out on a limb and be selfish and paranoid here. (hat's because, when it comes to my husband, i'm sort of selfish and paranoid. hehe. ;) )If I were preggers (and I was once, so I know how it feels), especially with my first child and did not know how my body would react (if you've never had a baby before, the first one is scary in that your body seems out of control.), the last thing I would want is for my husband to be making a big effort to get all fine while I felt like a blob. :D I also know that, personally, if my own hubby had asked me if it were okay for him to work on any aspect of his appearance at that time, I'd say sure, go ahead, but inside i'd be somewhat hurt and maybe annoyed. I would feel, er, how should one say- abandoned in a way.

I can't help but remember exactly how I felt about myself right before and after my baby was born. I feared my body would never be the same (and I was right, it's not, but i continue to struggle with it.) I also feared my husband would be disgusted by my body- and that's partly the fault of the media, hammering into women's heads just how many men leave their wives because they "got fat" after having a baby. They fail to mention all the other factors that go into a marriage failing after a baby is born, like less intimate time together, etc. Thye only bring up how a woman "got fat" after childbirth, and this ws scary, at least to me, even though we had a rock solid relationshiip at the time.

October is not too far away. It will be good for her to work on her body, two-three weeks after the baby's born, and give yall something to do together. If I were in your shoes, i'd just be getting together some meal plans, looking up some interesting healthy recipes, etc, but holding off on any serious cutting.

But if you did decide to go ahead, I definitely agree about not bringing up what she eats in any way. I also think it's sweet that you are enjoying her pregnancy and seeing the beauty in it. If you weren't sensitive and kind, you'd never have asked the question in the first place, and the question was far from silly. It was perfectly legit.

:tu:
Good luck.

And absolutely make NO comments about what she eats or say anything about how much you have lost unless she asks. IN other words, don't volunteer information.

Understood. I was going to make this subtle.


Congratulations!

Thanks!


I also know that, personally, if my own hubby had asked me if it were okay for him to work on any aspect of his appearance at that time, I'd say sure, go ahead, but inside i'd be somewhat hurt and maybe annoyed. I would feel, er, how should one say- abandoned in a way.

This is basically the EXACT situation I was alluding to. I have a tremendous wife. I know for a fact that if I were to ask, she would support me all the way. However, I was looking for objective, 3rd party input before I actually brought it up.


October is not too far away. It will be good for her to work on her body, two-three weeks after the baby's born, and give yall something to do together. If I were in your shoes, i'd just be getting together some meal plans, looking up some interesting healthy recipes, etc, but holding off on any serious cutting.


I think that I have decided to take the approach that has been the common theme amongst the replies. I am going to do a mild two-month session of body fat loss. I will try to be fairly strict with breakfast through afternoon snack and then when Shauna and I eat dinner together, just try to eat reasonable portions with her.

Thanks to everyone for the valuable input...