Pregnancy and calorie counting

la_vie_est_belle_

Hello everyone!
Currently I am 14 weeks pregnant with my first baby and I plan to keep logging during pregnancy to hold myself accountable. Before I became pregnant, I was eating 1300 calories + exercise calories and was at a healthy weight. As soon as a I found out I was pregnant, I just switched to maintenance calories + exercise calories. Now that I'm in the second trimester, I plan to eat maintenance calories +300 calories+exercise calories, based off my research. I just feel like this is so much food! I know it's healthy to gain weight during pregnancy, and my first priority is a healthy baby, but I don't wait to gain excess weight. Any calorie-counting moms have any advice on what they did during pregnancy?

Thanks!

EDIT: By the way, I already talked to my doctor about this--She basically told me to eat healthy (vegetables, protein, fruit, healthy carbs, etc which i already knew) and they did tell me I need to eat more (duh) but didn't really give me a calorie number or how much more so it wasn't that helpful. I can't afford a nutritionist right now and it's not covered by insurance. I'm looking to see if any mom's have experience with calorie counting during pregnancy.

JenMc14

Talk to your doctor or a pregnancy nutritionist/dietician.

la_vie_est_belle_

JenMc14 wrote: »

Talk to your doctor or a pregnancy nutritionist/dietician.

Thank you for this! I already talked to my doctor--They basically told me to eat healthy (vegetables, protein, fruit, healthy carbs, etc which i already knew) and they did tell me I need to eat more (duh) but didn't really give me a calorie number or how much more so it wasn't that helpful. I can't afford a nutritionist right now and it's not covered by insurance. I'm looking to see if any mom's have experience with calorie counting during pregnancy.

Queenmunchy

@la_vie_est_belle_ join us! http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1903-fit-fabulous-pregnant

DaniCanadian

The extra 300 cals is basically 2 cups of 2% milk. It seems like a lot but it's really not. You could also add in more nuts, I would add canned oysters cause they're a good source of folate.
I counted from about 14 weeks on as I had gained 9lbs just in the first tri. By around 20 weeks I had actually lost weight (I was over weight before so it was ok). Just keep doing what you're doing.

la_vie_est_belle_

Queenmunchy wrote: »

@la_vie_est_belle_ join us! http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1903-fit-fabulous-pregnant

yes!!! I've been looking for an MFP pregnancy group but couldn't find a very active one. thank you!

la_vie_est_belle_

DaniCanadian wrote: »

The extra 300 cals is basically 2 cups of 2% milk. It seems like a lot but it's really not. You could also add in more nuts, I would add canned oysters cause they're a good source of folate.
I counted from about 14 weeks on as I had gained 9lbs just in the first tri. By around 20 weeks I had actually lost weight (I was over weight before so it was ok). Just keep doing what you're doing.

Thank you! I guess it just seems like so much food and I'm already gaining weight! Ah! I just have to tell myself it's baby--not fat!

kksmom1789

I remember when I was pregnant with my last baby my OB said I just needed an extra 300-500 calories daily I only gained 16lbs that pregnancy but I was already overweight

Asher_Ethan

It's most important to talk to your doctor- that being said:
it's my understanding that you should maintain your first trimester, gain at least half a pound a week your second trimester, and gain at least a pound a week your last trimester.

RunningOnWontons

I think it's a great idea, especially if you also talk w/your doc or midwife about your weight and exercise goals at your visits. I counted calories during my first pregnancy (in fact that was the reason I joined MFP) and I found it was a GREAT tool, not only for curbing overeating but also to ensure adequate nutritional intake for important things like iron and calcium that are essential during pregnancy. FWIW, unlike you, I began that pregnancy obese and in a high risk category for both pregnancy complications and excessive weight gain. I had also suffered a previous miscarriage, and was so worried about a repeat of that experience. I tracked my calories and exercise for my entire pregnancy. Two weeks post-partum I was down 35 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight and fitting into jeans that were a size smaller than what I wore pre-pregnancy! I was amazed--and I felt great.

This is important, though: I personally found that the real test of healthy eating and exercise habits comes after the baby is born. Do not underestimate the degree to which you will be exhausted in the early months following your child's birth. It is so easy to "fall off the wagon" then, and I did. (There were some additional factors, too, but anyway the short story is that I'm back on MFP to repeat my earlier success and keep it off for good).

Good luck to you!

RunningOnWontons

PS...just realized you were looking for specific advice regarding calorie counting. I'm afraid I don't remember exactly what I did, nor would it likely apply to your scenario. It sounds like you are a lot more focused than I was on hitting specific caloric targets. IIRC, I actually set up my calorie goals on here to lose a pound or so a week, which worked well. I didn't always hit MFP's target calorie intake--I did frequently eat somewhat over that--and I didn't worry about it. It was the overall lifestyle change that I was after. My rainbow baby was born perfectly healthy and spot-on average in weight. I, however, had shrunk nicely.

You may find it interesting that elsewhere in the world (I'm assuming you're in the U.S), the guidelines for "healthy pregnancy weight gain" are sometimes different than they are here. In particular, I've read that pregnant women are regularly counseled to curb their eating and yes, even to lose weight, in certain European countries. I've never heard of that being the case here. Anyway, I was told by numerous well-meaning individuals that I should expect to gain 35+ pounds with my pregnancy and to just accept it...and that any effort to consider curbing my weight gain was horribly irresponsible. Gaining that much weight would have been a nightmare for me, physically. I really feel strongly that the recommended weight gains, for both normal weight and overweight/obese women, are sometimes out of sync with what basic biology dictates. There's a reason why women have a higher % of body fat than men...it's a built-in reserve to help support a growing baby. No need to drive yourself crazy eating more food than you are comfortable eating just to hit someone else's idea of your "correct" weight gain. Believe me, the baby will take what he/she needs and WILL grow. Just continue to eat your normal healthy diet, no need to drastically change your habits unless you are counseled to do so by your doc.

Sorry for the long ramble.

Heather4448

You can consult with your local Health Department's registered dietitian for free.

susannekb

When I was pregnant with my two boys I was advised to eat an additional 300-500 cals a day. That if you are a healthy weight before hand you want to gain about 24lbs with most of the weight being in the third trimester. My advice would be to eat at maintenance plus the additional calories. Don't limit your food choices but try to make nutritious choices as much as possible. Chocolate made me nauseous when I was pregnant so it was easy to avoid that temptation. And don't worry about what the scale says it's just a number, remember you are growing a extra person in there be kind to both of you.

ashliedelgado

With my youngest, I started obese and really wanted to keep weight gain to a minimum. I started like you, having a plan of set calories to eat each day and found myself thinking holy cow, this is so much food.

What I ended up doing was figuring out that my maintenance pre-pregnancy was around 2000. So, I made my goal a set 2000. I still worked out. I still walked. If I was hungry, I ate more. If I was satisfied, I didn't. I listened to my body and stopped stressing about getting all the extra calories I was supposed to have. My doctor endorsed this.

I gained 17 lbs, and had a 6lb 10oz perfectly healthy little nugget. My doctor told me to eat to hunger, and eat a wide variety of foods to make sure I was getting my nutrients and my body would tell me what it needed. Worked for me.