A:  A tattoo is pigment in your skin.  Therefore, it will grow as you grow and shrink as you shrink.  Think of a design on a rubber balloon, the design gets denser and smaller, or larger and less defined.  A stretchmark, on the other hand, will ruin a tattoo 100% of the time.

Overweight women often gain less weight than our leaner counterparts during pregnant and that's fine. The main concern is eating properly ? not over-eating, and definitely not dieting. Pregnancy is not the time to try to lose weight.

Tattoos can definitely be affected by stretch marks. Whether you will or won't get stretch marks is apparently determined genetically, so placement is a consideration if you are planning on getting pregnant. I know for a fact that stretch marks can ruin a tattoo, because I have a very small tattoo that now looks more like a blob because of a large stretch mark running through the middle of it.

Weight change is usually minimal (body fat composition increases in the breast and hips sometimes - adding curves). Appetite may be increased during the first few months of pill use. To prevent weight gain, decrease fats and increase fruits and vegetables in your diet and exercise regularly. ^ Contraceptive FAQ | ^ Top

Enough to account for the baby, the placenta, and some amniotic fluid-about 35 lbs. Ask your obstetrician.

Typically no. However, there have been some cases where a person has lost or gained a significant amount of weight and the tattoo was affected by this. Usually , during pregnancy, a tattoo in the pelvic area will stretch. After pregnancy, when the body takes its original shape, the tattoo will return to normal. Stretch marks can damage a tattoo, but repairs are usually possible. Building muscle (significant muscle) can cause a tattoo to look distorted in certain areas of the tattoo.

Stretch marks can be tattooed. Just be aware that this type of skin tends to be a little bit more sensitive and softer. The consequence of increased sensitivity is obvious, but pain is subjective and depends on your personal tolerance. As for the tissue being softer, make sure your tattoo artist is experienced with softer skin tissue as the techniques used are slightly different in order to avoid excessive trauma to the skin and possible scarring.

When it comes to quitting smoking, weight gain is the #1 concern of women and the #2 concern of men. Even if you do gain a bit, it's nothing compared to all the good things you're doing for yourself. If you continue to gain weight after a few months, try to analyze what you're doing differently. Reduce your fat intake, choose healthy snacks, and increase your physical activity to burn off the extra calories. Drink lots of water.

The following answer is from the IFIC, International Food Information Council Foundation, 1100 Connecticut Avenue, N. W. Suite 430, Washington, DC 20036. (reference in bibliography, Part 8)] Because sugars taste pleasant and humans are born with a preference for a sweet taste, scientists have speculated that eating sugars may lead to overeating and thereby obesity.

You have to eat more calories each day than you burn up in basic metabolic functions and activity. If you eat 500 extra calories every day (about one hamburger or restaurant sandwich or milkshake), you will gain about one pound per week, providing your thyroid gland and digestive tract are normal and healthy -- and providing you don't exercise more and burn off those extra calories.

Pregnancy weight gain depends upon your baseline height and weight. The bulk of the weight gain in pregnancy is blood volume and that increases by two thirds in a normal pregnancy. Taller, larger framed women should gain more weight than smaller women. The oft-quoted recommended weight gain of 25 pounds actually applies to the average woman who is 5'4" tall.

Approximately 75 - 90% of pregnant women get stretch marks during pregnancy. They are most common during the last stages of pregnancy but prevention should be started early for optimum effectiveness. You can rest assured that all of the essential oils used in our StretchEasy Massage Oil are completely safe to use during pregnancy and will have only positive effects on the expecting-mom and unborn baby.

Women often blame the birth control pill for weight gain. But studies have shown that the effect of the birth control pill on weight is small — if it exists at all. However, the way the hormones in birth control pills act on tissues in your breasts, hips and thighs can make you feel as if you've gained weight. This is usually due to fluid retention and not increased body mass or fat.

If you eat more food (calories ingested) than what is used (calories burned) in daily physical activities, the excess calories are converted into fat and stored in the body. If this imbalance continues over time, there is weight gain.

middot; Recommended guidelines for the range of total weight gain and the pattern of weight gain should be based on prepregnancy weight for height. The pattern of weight gain is as important as total weight gain during pregnancy.

I was looking at your earlier food logs and you were only eating around 1200 calories per day, sometimes even less! That was not enough food for your weight at the time, was it? [ Updated November 06, 2005 ] What do you think of the Atkins diet and other diets that use ketosis as a means to lose weight? [ Updated November 02, 2005 ]