Pregnant...Calorie confusion

knelson095

Hello everyone! I don't really know where to put this, so I'm just dropping it here because...Well, because this is the board I'm most used to. Lol.

So a little background: I started here July 2015, have now logged for 600+ days and lost a total of 65 lbs. My pre-pregnancy weight was 158 and my current is ~161 at almost 14 weeks. I'm not exactly sure about that number because those 3lbs popped up over less than a week's time, this last week, so I think some is bloating? This is my first pregnancy so idk how the weight gain goes.

Everything I have read online has said that you don't add calories in the first trimester. I started this way, eating around 1700-1800, but I have been starving this whole time and that got really difficult. I had terrible nausea that went all day and eating all day long is the only thing that helped. I never threw up, so every calorie was available. I started trending down in weight a bit there so I kept slowly adding to my daily goal until that stopped and ended up at around 2000 calories per day. That's where I still am. Also, it's probably even a bit more than that because I've been snacking on things some days that I don't log...Little things here and there. My logging isn't as tight as it was when I was dieting.

On to the questions: I don't know how to balance the weight gain that's going to happen soon. When should I add more calories? Anyone have any ideas as to why I burned so many calories the first trimester? I can tell you it wasn't from exercise...I was very much slug-like and also on pelvic rest with activity restriction due to a tiny bleed (subchorionic hemorrhage at 8wks5d, gone now). I was lucky to get 1000 steps on my Fitbit per day. I've been more active recently, but the hunger picks up when I move more, also.

And before you say it, I did talk to my OB about this and she told me to just add 300 each day the whole time...Which goes against everything I've seen anywhere. I thought there were different requirements for each trimester?

I'm just worried about gaining too much and setting myself back after working so hard all year. I also want a healthy happy baby even more so I don't​ want to accidentally restrict too much.

Anyone have any insight or experience?

Also, I was still like 10lbs overweight bmi-wise before pregnancy, so I'm only shooting to gain 25lbs, definitely no more than 30.

nrbutton

This is the site I used both pregnant and breastfeeding with my 3rd

https://www.freedieting.com/tools/pregnancy_calorie_calculator.htm

Congrats

annacole94

You're in second tri, so if you're using MFP, set it to "gain half a pound". Go up to "gain a pound" in third tri. Log and eat back exercise calories.

You're making a human. It takes energy. You have to make not only the baby, but also the placenta, a bunch of extra blood volume, etc.

knelson095

nrbutton wrote: »

This is the site I used both pregnant and breastfeeding with my 3rd

https://www.freedieting.com/tools/pregnancy_calorie_calculator.htm

Congrats

Thanks! I went here before and with the activity levels it didn't give me much to go on...There's a big difference between their sedentary and lightly active. I averaged them and that's what I've been eating though, so there's that. Seems like that's the only calculator of that kind to be found online.

knelson095

annacole94 wrote: »

You're in second tri, so if you're using MFP, set it to "gain half a pound". Go up to "gain a pound" in third tri. Log and eat back exercise calories.

You're making a human. It takes energy. You have to make not only the baby, but also the placenta, a bunch of extra blood volume, etc.

I know it takes a lot of energy...I don't get though why even the American Pregnancy Association (or whatever it's called) says to eat your pre pregnancy maintenance in the first? I would think, if you're throwing up especially, you would need more. That's a different topic though I suppose.

I don't know why I didn't think to set my calories up that way.. lol. It gives me 2070 per day...I think I'll do that until it seems like I'm not gaining on track. Thanks!

FreyasRebirth

knelson095 wrote: »

annacole94 wrote: »

You're in second tri, so if you're using MFP, set it to "gain half a pound". Go up to "gain a pound" in third tri. Log and eat back exercise calories.

You're making a human. It takes energy. You have to make not only the baby, but also the placenta, a bunch of extra blood volume, etc.

I know it takes a lot of energy...I don't get though why even the American Pregnancy Association (or whatever it's called) says to eat your pre pregnancy maintenance in the first? I would think, if you're throwing up especially, you would need more. That's a different topic though I suppose.

I don't know why I didn't think to set my calories up that way.. lol. It gives me 2070 per day...I think I'll do that until it seems like I'm not gaining on track. Thanks!

I think they assume that at least some of the women are eating a little too much to begin with.

pinuplove

How did you burn so much? YOU ARE GROWING A PERSON! That's pretty freaking amazing. And exhausting, trust me, I know

zdyb23456

Pregnancies were the only time I didn't worry about dieting. I didn't go crazy, but I accepted that gaining weight is inevitable and to embrace it

I ended up gaining about 30 pounds for each of my 3 babies. Remember it's not 30 pounds of fat. It's baby, increased blood volume, placenta, fluids, breast tissue, etc...

ashliedelgado

My OB told me to not worry about a number. Eat diverse food to hunger, drink plenty of water, and give in to your cravings now and then. You're making a human - if you're hungry, eat!

I didn't add any extra calories. I set my goal to maintain. If I was hungrier, I ate more. If I wasn't hungry, I didn't eat them all. I used maintenance as my guideline. I was obese, and wanted to gain less than 20. I kept it to 15.

Echoing the growing a person - your body will tell you loud and clear what you need right now. Your weight will be weird and not make any sense - I lost 10lbs between week 34-37 eating like a hog!

Congrats, and good luck!

knelson095

zdyb23456 wrote: »

Pregnancies were the only time I didn't worry about dieting. I didn't go crazy, but I accepted that gaining weight is inevitable and to embrace it

I ended up gaining about 30 pounds for each of my 3 babies. Remember it's not 30 pounds of fat. It's baby, increased blood volume, placenta, fluids, breast tissue, etc...

I remind myself of this every time the scale bumps up a bit. Lol. It's still nerve wracking to see it going up when the goal for so long was for it to go down...But I'm surely enjoying the extra food.

knelson095

ashliedelgado wrote: »

My OB told me to not worry about a number. Eat diverse food to hunger, drink plenty of water, and give in to your cravings now and then. You're making a human - if you're hungry, eat!

I didn't add any extra calories. I set my goal to maintain. If I was hungrier, I ate more. If I wasn't hungry, I didn't eat them all. I used maintenance as my guideline. I was obese, and wanted to gain less than 20. I kept it to 15.

Echoing the growing a person - your body will tell you loud and clear what you need right now. Your weight will be weird and not make any sense - I lost 10lbs between week 34-37 eating like a hog!

Congrats, and good luck!

Thanks! I don't necessarily trust my hunger signals...that was always my biggest issue. It's gotten better with pregnancy though because there's no question when I need to eat. It's basically all the time. Ha!

It's funny, I was losing weight all this time so I could get pregnant and now I am and I'm worried about gaining. I've been told I'm a bit obsessive...I think I'm gonna have to just let go of the reins a little bit... Lol.