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I agree with @Chastenet - sometimes your body just does what it needs to do to grow a baby.
Just be sure to eat healthy and get some exercise, even if it's just a walk around the block a few times.

I gained half my body weight (I was around 120, ended up close to 180 at the end), I ate healthy and was very active until I was put on bed rest for pre-e at 37 weeks. I also lost the weight without much effort at all.
I remember seeing the scale at the doctor's office and freaking out seeing the numbers go up and up!

Girl I'm right there with you. I'm almost 19 weeks and I stepped on the scale yesterday at my appointment and I was 162, up from 146 at my 8 week appointment (which itself was wayyy up from the 135 I was just a few months earlier, although I can't really trust my home scale). I don't think I've been gorging myself. I eat salad, I honestly don't eat dessert most of the time, I never eat fast food. This happened just from me eating normally and not counting calories.

The good news is I've been here before with my last pregnancy. I stepped on my scale when I got home from the hospital and I was 200 lbs. 200!!! And I lost it very slowly through exercise and breastfeeding, and was back to my happy weight a year later. So I am not worried this time, just kind of depressed to see the scale creep into the 160s so soon.

Also, everybody looks like a manatee when they are 9 months pregnant (unless you are Rachel Zoe who is a freak of nature).

FWIW, there's a blogger I read on occasion who just announced her pregnancy. She's 16 weeks now and has gained 20 lbs. You can hardly tell from her pictures though. She's a majorly committed Crossfitter and I'm guessing the underlying muscle is helping "hide" some of that weight now? But, honestly, you can't even tell! Here's her first trimester summary with photos: http://carrotsncake.com/2013/12/first-trimester-recap.html

Here's another fitness blogger who's had 2 10lb babies. With her first (pre-fitness lifestyle), she gained 60lbs. I don't remember what she gained with her second but I think it was somewhere near that number too. And she was healthy during pregnancy and everything! Just how her body and babies wanted things Here: http://nataliehodson.com/blog/category/natalies-notes/fit-pregnancy/

I'm not pregnant yet but whenever that happens, I think I'm going to have to avoid the scale. Maybe have my doctor tell me overall gain as I go? Not sure yet. I'm just fearful that the rising numbers (even though it's a good thing!) will freak me out a bit. If I were you, just continue eating healthy and exercising. Try not to stress about the overall numbers as long as you're healthy. Maybe your baby just need a little extra nutrients!

@Dandelion: ditto!

I gained 65 lbs when pregnant with DD and know people who gained much more and lost all the baby weight pp. As long as your baby is healthy that's all that matters.

Agree with PPs, if your doctor isnt concerned don't worry about it!

I gained the bulk of my 40 lbs during the first and second trimester, WAYY over the recommended weight. I ended up having a healthy 8.5 lb baby boy and lost my weight by 6 months pp

I gained a LOT of weight in my first tri, too. I attribute that to the carbs and my inability to exercise without getting sick. I'm now 24 weeks and up about 25 pounds.

I will say, though, that the rate that I'm gaining has slowed down CONSIDERABLY. As in, the last week, I didn't gain anything. I eat pretty well and am trying to drink more water and walk more, but really, there's not a lot I can do. My doctor doesn't seem concerned, and my husband and mom don't think I look like I've put on 25 pounds, which is good. But I hear you on the self esteem. Putting away medium maternity clothes for large ones was really, really hard.

As long as there's no underlying issue, I agree with PPs-we need to cut ourselves some slack!

+1 to others. You're growing another human being! Take care of yourself, eat as well as you can and what you feel like, if doctor isn't concerned, embrace the weight gain! I gained 60lbs with my first (starting weight was 140lbs near your start) and lost it all after. It was a huge shock for me, but I embraced the weight gain and realized the good reason it was for!

Honestly, don't stress. I was much the same. I had gained 33lbs by 24 weeks, 53lbs by 36 weeks and ended somewhere close to 70lbs. I did yoga, walked, used the elliptical, didn't eat horribly... and yet I packed it on. Granted, I was very swollen and carried a lot of water weight, but still... I gained 3lbs just between my first appt at 6 weeks and my ultrasound at 7 weeks!

That being said, I lost it all.

Just eat healthy, stay active and don't let the numbers stress you out. If it becomes a problem, refuse to let them weigh you or if they insist, don't let them tell you or talk to you about your weight.

@gingerblonde: Agree with all the others. Unless I misunderstood, you had gained 8lbs just from honeymoon life before your BFP, right? So you've really only gained about 20lbs in the pregnancy which is pretty common, I think. I'm up 18lbs at 19wks and all my pre-pregnancy clothes still fit except around my belly/breasts, so I don't think it's an issue. Yeah the "guidelines" say 10 by 20wks, 25-35 by term, but there's no absolutes. If you're taking care of yourself and your baby, that's beauty! Don't be so hard on your mama self.

@gingerblonde: I was in a similar situation when I got pregnant. I had recently lost 15 lbs before my wedding, then a month after the wedding got pregnant.

My body IMMEDIATELY gained back the 15 lbs. Like, in the first 8 weeks and I was actually eating way less because I was sick all the time. I posted about it quite a bit here, but one of the doctors in my practice was really rude to me about it and advised me to "stop drinking milkshakes and eating cookies". I hadn't been able to eat a dairy product or a cookie in ages...I struggled to eat dry toast, or an apple. I was pretty upset.

I had gained 35 lbs before I even started my 3rd trimester, which is when most people gain the most. It was AWFUL.

However....in my third trimester, I only gained about 7 lbs in the last 3 months. Gained about 42 lbs total which isn't GREAT, but wasn't that bad.

I'm now 5 months pp, and have lost 32 lbs doing nothing. I haven't exercised, and eat a TON because I pump so much it makes me starving. So I have 13 lbs to go which is pretty doable to me. I'm planning to get serious about it in january so it will be gone by 9 months pp.

9 months on, 9 months off.

Don't beat yourself up, but when you are feeling better after your first tri, you can start working out again for overall health. You'll be fine. =) Good luck!