Fertility and Diet: 4 Tips for Healthy Weight

Wendy Marcason, RDN

Published February 02, 2016

While healthy eating prepares your body for pregnancy, it also can affect fertility in ways that are not yet clear. A healthy body weight and physical activity level may also play a role.

Healthy Weight for Conception

One area that researchers agree upon with regard to fertility and health is body weight. Body weight extremes are not good for fertility — being too heavy or too light make it harder to get pregnant. To reach or maintain a healthy weight:

• Get moving. Along with healthy eating, get moderate physical activity for about 30 minutes on most days of the week.
• Add in strength training to build muscle. Having more body fat than lean muscle mass is not good for fertility, since body fat affects hormone balance. Lift light weights or use resistance bands at least three times a week. This will help you build muscle and lose body fat.
• Make calories count. Keep weight within a healthy range by reducing your intake of added sugars in regular soda, sweets and baked goods.
• Balance calories and activities. Balance your overall calorie intake with the amount of calories you burn every day. It's a step in the right direction for getting pregnant and staying healthy for life.