Stephanie Bauman – @TrainerSteph7
Have you been scared to get pregnant because you don’t want to gain the extra weight and then after the baby comes you can’t get rid of it? Or you are just nervous about gaining weight during the pregnancy? Have you ever wondered how someone gains 30 plus pounds when their baby only weighed 7 pounds? How did they gain so much extra weight when the baby was only 7 pounds? All those questions and more will be answered in this article!!
You find out you’re pregnant and people will start to tell you that you can now eat for two! Yes, you’re eating for yourself and your baby, but eating for two is not necessary. During the first trimester you don’t need to increase your calories. The second trimester you should eat 300 extra calories than your normal intake. Then, by the third trimester, you will need to eat 500 extra calories.
When you’re pregnant you spend a lot of time on the scale. Every time you go to the doctor they weigh you. It can be something you either hate, or you get use to it, but it’s something you do every single doctor appointment. It can be hard to some women to see that number. But you must remember that there is zero time during pregnancy where you should be trying to lose weight. You should never be at a caloric deficit during pregnancy! So don’t let the number get to you and understand you must gain weight during pregnancy.
Weight gain during pregnancy is a normal. How much you gain can be determined by your doctor. They will be able to tell you how much they believe you should gain. The weight you gain is not all fat and the baby’s weight. Here is how your body gains weight broken down:
- Baby 7.5 pounds
- Placenta 1.3 pounds
- Amniotic Fluid 7.5 pounds
- Uterus 2.2 pounds
- Breasts 1.1 pounds
- Extracellular Fluid 3.3 pounds
- Blood Volume 3.3 pounds
Total weight: 26.2 pounds
Pregnancy is not the time to feel like you are allowed to eat whatever and however much you want. That is where a lot of women get in trouble is they will eat and eat during pregnancy and gain extra weight that they don’t need to gain and is hard to lose after their baby has arrived!
The quote “you are what you eat” becomes so true while you’re pregnant and if you decide to breastfeed, because literally your baby is eating what you eat! Making healthy choices is hard to do while pregnant and it doesn’t mean you need to have the perfect diet, but you need to be mindful of what and how much you are eating. There is no need to eat for two and no need to go crazy on all the cravings you might be having. Enjoy food but also remember once the baby is here you will want to lose weight and by having a good solid diet during pregnancy will make losing weight afterwards easier.
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