nutrition

[joyce619]

Shiela and Cathe,
Do you have healthy eating tips to share? When I first found out I was pregnant I was very determined to eat right. Now at 16 weeks all I want to do is eat, especially anything with meat and lots of cheese. I am gaining weight in my butt already. How can I get back on track?

 

[Heather Y]

I'm not Sheila or Cathe but I thought you might be interresting in my experience. When I got pregnant with my first I also was determined not to gain too much weight and to eat healthy. During my first trimester or so looking at a carrot made me want to throw up. The only things that sounded good were deli style sandwiches (Subway) and french fries with fry sauce. I wanted so badly not to eat this way but it I couldn't control the cravings. It got better but I still couldn't eat raw carrots the whole pregnancy. I gained about 21 pounds - and lost it all plus another 20 lbs (I was a bit overweight to start) within about 2 months.

My second pregnancy I was able to eat healthy the entire time and never had any major uncontrollable cravings. I gained 25 pounds and it took just over 2 months to lose.

From my experience, I think your body just craves different things during different pregnancies and it is really hard to prevent following through on those cravings. Just know you will be able to get back on track once you have your baby.

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Did somebody say Mc Donalds?

Hi Joyce! I have to be very honest with you and tell you that although I know that this is a time in our lives when eating healthy is especially important, I, personally, just do not crave anything especially healthy. I also had high hopes of maintaining a good eating plan for my baby, but as the weeks went by I couldn't hold on to that plan. My previous pre-pregnancy eating habits of eating mostly grilled and broiled chicken and fish, lean cut meats, steamed vegetables, all varieties of whole grain breads, along with the occasional sweet, salty, or fried treats, has completely gone out the window. The main things I wanted for the first three months were McDonalds, Italian hoagies, all varieties of pasta, meats with gravy, mashed potatoes, all versions of cheesy foods, peanuts, cheese steaks, pizza, etc. My sweet cravings were chocolate milk, donuts, premium ice cream, devil dogs, all varieties of chewy, gewy, treats, etc. If I didn't eat what I wanted, I was moody and miserable. I really panicked thinking that my baby was just going to be completely unhealthy. Although the doctor preferred that I try to get on a better diet, he assured me that many mothers have to eat just what works(especially during the first three months) in order to keep from getting nauseous and/or vomit. By my fourth month I was able to get some healthier food down without it totally turning me off but the food still needed to have some element of disguise(cheese on it, prepared in a gravy, or butter on it). Fortunately, now at five months, I am noticing that grilled chicken is starting to work for me again. I also can eat brocolli, a pre-pregnancy favorite, without holding my nose

.


Although I have no hands on healthy eating tips to share, I just thought I would let you know that you are not alone. What I can share with you is that it does seem that as the months go on, I am slowly re-acquiring a taste for my pre-pregnancy eating habits. This has made me feel a whole lot better. Hopefully you too will soon acquire a taste for healthier foods. Hope this helps! Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[Sheila Watkins]

This is all so normal

Everyone is relaying pregnancy "nutrition" stories that I hear everyday. This is all quite normal. French fries and cheese tend to top the list. This too will pass.

On a personal note.... When I was pregnant with my first I craved red meat and lots of it. I started eating it again after 15 years. I had to admit that I felt alot better with it in my diet. I also did not need iron supplements with that pregnancy. I still eat it and that "baby" is now 3 years old.

 

[Connie]

I am glad to hear this...

I just found out I'm pregnant (that still sounds weird) a couple of weeks ago. I was fine at first, not tired & able to eat, but now it is just awful! I just want to sleep and I'm hungry but nothing sounds good except soda (7-UP) and tortilla chips. My husband made me a salad last night and I couldn't even look at it!

Thanks for making me feel better!
Connie

 

[BLinda]

Me too- to all of this!!!

This all sounds just like me. Like you Sheila, I had been vegetarian for years, and trued to remain so during my first pregnancy. I just couldn't, I wanted a cheeseburger so bad. I started eating meat again, and haven't stopped- my son is 4 now. I am eating it now while breastfeeding my second, and am considering going back to a veg diet, but am not yet committed.

I also could not stand to eat broccoli, a previous favorite. I blame that on my son, who to this day says the smell of broccoli makes him sick.

 

[lmn]

Question for Heather...

Hi Heather,
I was wondering if you would be willing to share your exercise/diet routine that helped you to get back in shape and lose your pregnancy weight in two months! (Especially with a toddler and an infant at home!) I would be most interested in how soon you began exercising/what type of exercise you did, if you breastfed, and what your diet consisted of.

Thanks for sharing your experience!
Laura

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Congratulations Connie!

It also took me time to get used to saying that I'm pregnant. 7-up and tortilla chips sounds pretty delicious to me even now at 5 months

. I'm happy for you and wish you the best of luck!

 

[susan p]

if you can eat at all. . . .

be grateful. Believe me. I got my tubes tied after #3 because pregnancy is just so impossible for me, I get so ill. But I don't want to sound insensitive. . . I know that gaining too much weight is SO scary! With my first I had gained exactly 2 pounds by my 24 week checkup (I had quite a belly but my arms and legs were like knobby sticks, I looked somewhat like a kid with rickets!). With my third, I had gained 20 pounds at that point and I panicked entirely!! So I do understand your feelings. Would it work to limit your cheesy, meaty treats to a day or two a week? I did that during my second pregnancy, at 6 months I was past being sick and really wanted CHOCOLATE (I was fairly underweight and I think my body was just craving CALORIES). I made a deal with myself that every Tuesday morning I would buy a small bag of Hershey's kisses, and every Tuesday afternoon while my firstborn napped I ATE THEM! I knew it was coming every Tuesday and so I was able to eat healthier stuff the rest of the week. Maybe Tuesday and Friday could be cheeseburger days or something? I just know that it helped me to have scheduled junk food binges. The rest of the time I ate the high-calorie but healthy diet my doc recommended for me to help me gain. -susan p (who knows that the words "managing" and "cravings" don't really belong in the same sentence!)

 

[Heather Y]

no real routine / diet

After I had my first baby I was so bound and determined to start exercising again. I started walking and at 4 weeks postpartum I decided to pick up the pace a bit with a slow jog. Was that wrong! I started bleeding all over again and had to wait about 3 more weeks. So, with #2 baby I waited the whole 6 weeks to workout. Also, I should mention that I worked out until I delivered with both babies.

I did nurse both babies exclusively for 4 months and continued nursing until they were at least one year old.

With my first baby I would go for easy runs (with baby jogger) for about 30 minutes or so and would do some easy videos (way before I learned about Cathe, etc.). My metabolism just really kicked in and I was absolutely starving. I would eat anything I could to fill up - uaually ice cream (bad, I know). If I ate ice cream I wouldn't lose that much weight but I could maintain where I was.

The second baby was more difficult. I ran when I could but with two at home it meant I had to wake up and run before my husband went to work. So usually I just did easy videos with light toning and abs (again - pre Cathe, etc.) I had to watch what I ate better - no ice cream feasts this time. I focused on more vegetables but I ate many other things too. It was harder with the second one and I wouldn't say that my muscles, stomach were right back where they should be for quite a while - just the pounds came off. It may have taken about 3 months for the second baby - I found that once I got adequate sleep that really helped me loose weight.

Basically, I think if you take good care of yourself while pregnant and after the baby comes, you will hopefully see the results you want. Like I said, adequate sleep was a big factor in losing weight. Also, I didn't force myself to any number of times to workout per week. Sometimes it was only 3 times a week for about 30 minutes each in the beginning.

I hope this is helpful. Everyone is different and have different results.