BMI in Surrogacy is such an aggravation for many women who so badly want to be a surrogate but don’t fit into the requirements of having a BMI of 30 or less. Agencies get blamed and lashed out at for this but the truth is it is the discretion of the clinic. Nobody wants the liability of approving a surrogate whose BMI is over the limit. The higher BMI puts the surrogate at an increased risk for Gestational Diabetes, high blood pressure, pre-eclampsia, and a host of other complications that wouldn’t benefit the baby or the surrogate. All parties involved are not willing to take that sort of risk and put someone’s life in danger.
With that said, I’ve had several requests and input from other surrogate moms including myself who needed to shed weight in a healthy way. We are by ALL means not medical doctors so speaking with a medical doctor IS advised before beginning ANY health program or restrictive diet.
We’ve read numerous emails, articles, books, and listened to testimonials from other surrogate moms about what works and what does not. Weight is something many struggle with and if you struggle it can be a HUGE frustration that many times even leads to depression. Even for those that have no desire to become a surrogate but maybe need or want to lose weight for other reasons, we hope you find this beneficial and helpful.
Many people in our country struggle with food allergies or sensitivities they didn’t know they had. Some may never notice but their weight could be the indicator that they have an allergy or intolerance to a particular food/drink. The best way to find out if you suffer from food allergies is to eliminate it and see if anything changes. Above everything you read, you MUST learn to read your own body and LISTEN to it! It will actually speak to you if you pay attention. Below is a list of 6 items to avoid completely. Try it for 4 weeks and see if you notice a difference in either the way you feel, your skin or your weight.
Foods to avoid completely for those concerned with BMI in Surrogacy
ALCOHOL
DAIRY
CRUNCHY SNACKS
BREAD
PASTA
SUGAR
Further explanation and food suggestions:
Dairy (this does NOT include eggs! Eggs are NOT a dairy! Don’t get confused. It is chicken! Add vegetables or saute’d onions etc but just avoid adding the cheese.
Crunchy Snacks – (ie, chips, pretzels, goldfish, snacks in general that are crispy.) Snacks you can have are UNLIMITED amounts of fresh fruit with NO sugar added. Unlimited amounts of nuts of any kind as long as you have no nut allergy and of course vegetables raw or cooked.
Bread – – Unless you are milling the wheat and baking flour tortillas with oil water and salt, avoid altogether for now and add back slowly once desired weight is attained. Everything in moderation remember. Some people cannot tolerate breads of any kind. Refer to The Wheat Belly that will help you determine if you need to eliminate all together.
PASTA – avoid completely for a few weeks and then maybe try adding back slowly brown rice only to see how you tolerate it.
Notes on brown rice if you find you can tolerate it and still lose weight: When cooking brown rice, add enough water (1/2 cup more than what you would use for white rice. Do NOT buy instant! Cook longer than white rice usually by adding at least 20 minutes but monitor closely. Make sure you cook it all the way until soft and consistency you like rice to be. You can flavor with oil, salt and pepper or you can add cooked egg, onions, and soy sauce for basic fried rice.
BEST FOOD CHOICES ALWAYS: As many vegetables as you want. When flavoring veggies you can use real butter, olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic or any other seasonings but try to avoid dressings (especially hydrogenated oils.) Fruit is great in moderation. Any soft covered fruit try to buy organic. Make sure all fruit is washed well and eaten without additives or sugar flavoring of any kind. Fruits should be eaten in the natural state and no canned fruits should be eaten at all. Veggies should be fresh or frozen. Little to NO canned unless desperate and it’s all you have.
MEATS AND FISH: Eat meats but they should not be processed. Eat as much in the natural state as you can. If you eat bacon or sausage it’s best to buy “uncurred.” Seasoning and grilling, broiling or baking in the oven is great. Cooking in oil and the natural fat is fine. Fat is not bad just don’t add breading of any kind. If you have a large amount of weight to lose cut out sausage and bacon at first and add as the weight comes off. Stick to natural non-processed meats and fish of ANY type that you can season and broil, bake or cook without breading. Don’t eat ANYTHING fried with breading. If you have an intolerance to meat, eat fish and if you can’t eat fish you could have dry beans. These have to be soaked and cooked properly. All that can be researched via the internet.
We hope this helps those trying to shed pounds and those who are above the guidelines for BMI in surrogacy. It has been proven effective for a number of people we know and hope it continues to be proven effective for others. Drink only water, unsweetened tea and coffee with no sweeteners. Limit juice completely unless you are juicing with a juicer at home with no added sugar.
If you would like more information about becoming a surrogate mother or about surrogacy in general, please contact Surrogates Across America.
