How many calories should I eat when pregnant?
ashleeei
Posts: 35
I have been trying to lose weight this past year and in total have lost about 40 lbs. I still have 15 to go but next month plan on starting to try for a baby. Probably won’t reach my goal 
but I will live…My question is…Right now I eat right around 1280 calories daily sometimes up to 1400. I exercise by hiking (2.3 miles with lots of hills) 45 minutes a day and DON’T eat the exercise calories back because I feel like I miss little things tracking throughout the day (ex: olive oil I cooked the asparagus in). With still 15lbs to lose I obviously want to maintain a healthy weight gain once we conceive but don’t want to gain a ton of unnecessary weight. How many calories should I eat to maintain? And do I start right away after conceiving? Or 2nd trimester, 3rd?? Any advice is greatly appreciated!!
I am 5’2 and currently 155. Hope to be 145ish by the time we start trying.
Thank you!
but I will live…My question is…Right now I eat right around 1280 calories daily sometimes up to 1400. I exercise by hiking (2.3 miles with lots of hills) 45 minutes a day and DON’T eat the exercise calories back because I feel like I miss little things tracking throughout the day (ex: olive oil I cooked the asparagus in). With still 15lbs to lose I obviously want to maintain a healthy weight gain once we conceive but don’t want to gain a ton of unnecessary weight. How many calories should I eat to maintain? And do I start right away after conceiving? Or 2nd trimester, 3rd?? Any advice is greatly appreciated!!I am 5’2 and currently 155. Hope to be 145ish by the time we start trying.
Thank you!
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Replies
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Typicall you would want to eat for maintenance of your weight when you are pregnant at a minimum. It is not usually advised to lose weight while pregnant so eating under is usually not recommended. During the first trimester there is no need to eat extra calories or gain weight (though many women do gain some). In the second and 3rd trimester you could eat 200-500 calories extra depending on your specifics and who you consult. These are all just general guidelines and you would want to consult your doctor on your specifics.
Good luck.
Side note- if you've been on birth control for a while don't get too discouraged if you don't get pregnant right away. It took me a year of being off birth control to get pregnant.0 -
depends what your maintenance calories are. My maintaining calories are 1500, I was eating around 1800-1900 (which is 300-400 more then my maintaining calories) for the past 3 weeks and gained a ridiculous amount of weight. I am starting today to lower it to 1700MAX (which is 200 more than maintaining calories). I used to eat 1300-1400 to lose weight before getting pregnant. As soon as I got pregnant I stopped counting calories (here and there I would log just to see where i'm at with #s) I'm just 16weeks along now and starting to calorie count again cause my weight gain has increases A LOT(hopefully I stick to it lol) . The first tri you don't have to change your calories. I had bad nausea and only gained 1lb up until 12weeks. From 12 weeks on, my nausea went away and I put on 7 additional pounds in just 4weeks. yikes. I am hoping to only gain 1/2 a lb a week until week 20, and then after week 20, i'm sure my weight gain will increase to 1-1.5lbs a week, like it did with my previous pregnancies (this is my 3rd kiddo). Good luck!!!0
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i eat about 1700-2000 a day0
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Thanks ladies! I really appreciate your responses!! I do plan to meet with a doctor about it, and have been reading tons, but also feel those here understand us more and don't cringe when you mention "counting calories" when pregnant... Can an average OBGYN help with that or do I need a nutritionist I wonder?? I definitely plan on eating for maintenance, not losing... I want a healthy baby and my weight I can lose afterwards!!
Oh and luckily 2.5 years ago I decided to switch to an IUD with NO hormones (ParaGard) so hoping for the best and crossing my fingers!
Thanks again!0 -
Thanks ladies! I really appreciate your responses!! I do plan to meet with a doctor about it, and have been reading tons, but also feel those here understand us more and don't cringe when you mention "counting calories" when pregnant... Can an average OBGYN help with that or do I need a nutritionist I wonder?? I definitely plan on eating for maintenance, not losing... I want a healthy baby and my weight I can lose afterwards!!
Oh and luckily 2.5 years ago I decided to switch to an IUD with NO hormones (ParaGard) so hoping for the best and crossing my fingers!
Thanks again!
My OBGYN was surprisingly supportive when I mentioned calorie counting. I explained how I had been eating 1800-2000 calories in the first tri, not eating back exercise calories and working out 5-6 times/week (hoping to maintain) but ended up gaining a ton. She said I could take calories down to 1600 total if I wanted to as long as I was eating nutritious foods. (though she said I didn't *have to*) Anyways I have been trying to stick to that. I really didn't know what maintenance calories were for me because I had always been restricting prior to getting pregnant.
I will say it's amazing how much my metabolism has slowed since I lost the baby weight from my first son (7-8 years ago). I was eating 1500-1600 total, not eating back exercise calories and exercising most days. I lost a pound per week doing that. Now that's basically maintenance for me. The difference between age 27 and age 34 I guess!
Good luck w/ your goals and TTC! 0
