How many calories should I eat while pregnant?

I_GoT_ThIs

Thanks for the advice guys, I know I need to eat healthy and all that, and I KNOW 1200 is too low. That's just what it was set at by MFP for me to lose weight. I'm not focused of loosing weight right now, i'm focused on making sure i'm getting the right amount. Thanks again guys!!!

Pangea250

Caloric needs during pregnancy increase by about 300. But that is 300 on top of a "normal" diet, not the severe restriction of a 1200 calorie diet. Toss the diet out the window until you can meet with your OB and get his/her specific recommendations. Many OB's have nutritionists on staff to advise patients with special needs, or your OB can refer you to an outside nutritionist. I think it would be a good idea for you to consult with a nutritionist. Together, you can put together intake goals and meal plans that take both your pregnancy and your desire to lose weight into account.

Important: start taking prenatal vitamins with folic acid now . Over-the-counter prenatals are fine.

Pangea250

Also, if you are not already drinking it, I suggest a cup of Red Raspberry Leaf tea daily. Not the flavored raspberry stuff. Actually raspeberry leaves. I drink the Yogi brand and they are starting to pop up a lot in most supermarkets. RRL helps with strengthening and toning the uterus. This can be very helpful in preparing for labor and the healing process after giving birth. It is especially beneficial if you are planning a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean.) You should read up on it

It does really taste horrible though lol. Kind of like tree bark. I usually steep it with a bag of pepermint tea or something equally strong to mask the taste.

It's probably a good idea not to drink rasberry leaf tea until the 2nd & 3rd trimester.

Qarol

Call the doctor's office and ask one of the nurses. They'll be able to give you a quick enough answer to tide you over until you can make an appt. Seriously, don't ask anyone on here something that important.

Pangea250

Seriously, don't ask anyone on here something that important.

Ah. This is the best advice out of all the previous posts. Including mine.

godblessourhome

I would suggest eating maintenance calories during your first trimester anyway, you usually need to add 200-300 more per day in the second and third trimester (ask your doctor)

i hate seeing so much misinformation given. ^^this is the correct answer, unless you are verging on morbid obesity (if you are, your doctor will keep you on restricted calories until the third trimester). please make sure to take prenatals and get all the nutrients you need! congrats!

LilMissFoodie

With all due respect, this is part of the reason why we have so many obese new mothers. Pregnancy is not a disability, regardless of what the medical industry in this country would like us to believe. For an industrialized nation, we have the highest percentage of medicalized births, and our current cesarean rate (over 34%) is evidence that we are doing something wrong. Pregnant women around the world carry on with their lives without being treated as if they are cripples and give birth to healthy babies-at home.

I truly mean it when I say that I do not mean to come off as rude or anything like that. I have been obsessed with researching natural pregnancy and birth for the past three years, after having had an unecessarean.

You think we have a lot of obese mothers because we encourage people not to stick to ridiculous calorie goals like 1200 per day? In theory (although every body is different) 1200 calories is the absolute minimum amount to provide basic nutrition (if all your food is clean) so where is the nutrition for all the processes to grow the baby coming from? There is a lot of time in a persons life to lose weight if they need to and those 9 months of each pregnancy are not it.

Jovialation

AlyRoseNYC

With all due respect, this is part of the reason why we have so many obese new mothers. Pregnancy is not a disability, regardless of what the medical industry in this country would like us to believe. For an industrialized nation, we have the highest percentage of medicalized births, and our current cesarean rate (over 34%) is evidence that we are doing something wrong. Pregnant women around the world carry on with their lives without being treated as if they are cripples and give birth to healthy babies-at home.

I truly mean it when I say that I do not mean to come off as rude or anything like that. I have been obsessed with researching natural pregnancy and birth for the past three years, after having had an unecessarean.

You think we have a lot of obese mothers because we encourage people not to stick to ridiculous calorie goals like 1200 per day? In theory (although every body is different) 1200 calories is the absolute minimum amount to provide basic nutrition (if all your food is clean) so where is the nutrition for all the processes to grow the baby coming from? There is a lot of time in a persons life to lose weight if they need to and those 9 months of each pregnancy are not it.

No. I think we have a lot of obese new mothers because many women toss all restraint out of the window, and their loved ones tend to enable them by reassuring them that they are "eating for two." Yes, there is another life in there, but that doesn't mean we should overeat.

If the OP eats 1200 or 2000 calories of good, nutritious food, then good for her. But being very overweight can lead to a more difficult labor. I don't think that people should force themselves to lose weight during pregnancy, but if they are obese or overweight to begin with, and start (or continue) to eat healthy during their pregnancy, weight loss might happen inevitably. Really, it all comes down to not using pregnancy as an excuse to pig out.

And I am a firm believer that pregnancy is a natural biological process, and not a medical condition. For obese women, I don't feel like pregnancy is an excuse to take a break from their weight loss program, as long as they are eating enough, and eating well. It can only benefit them in the future

carlydonathan

Go to freedietingtools.com it has a place for you to enter if you're pregnant. I can tell you right now, this site and your doctor will probably be telling you not to restrict calories. 1200 is ridiculously low for a normal person on a diet too. You're supposed to gain weight while pregnant.

I was also wondering the same thing a OP. When I put my information in the freedietingtools.com calorie calculator, should I put my exercise level as Basal Metabolic Rate so I can get a base number? I have a HRM so I am able to track my calories burned and add them on MFP for the extra calories.

My first OB appt is in 2 weeks, but I want to start good eating habits now and not literally "eat for two". Thank you everyone!

MadBabysMama

I just went for my first OB appointment today, and the nurse at the practice talked with me a bit about nutrition recommendations and gave me a pamphlet. She said they generally recommend about 1800 calories for the average pregnant mom in the first trimester, with the goal of gaining about 20-25 pounds for the whole pregnancy, but she didn't make a big deal about it. I told her I was on MFP and she was supportive of that and just recommended continuing to eat healthy foods and that it should be fine.

LilMissFoodie

And I am a firm believer that pregnancy is a natural biological process, and not a medical condition. For obese women, I don't feel like pregnancy is an excuse to take a break from their weight loss program, as long as they are eating enough, and eating well. It can only benefit them in the future

I do agree that there are people that use pregnancy as an excuse to eat whatever they like. I don't however feel that 1200 calories is a healthy diet (even for someone trying to lose weight!). A 1200 calorie diet certainly shouldn't be done in the long term but hopefully people lose the weight within a year or so then return to a higher caloric (and nutrient) intake. I have no problem with a pregnant woman meticulously sticking to 2000 calories per day (even if their weight means that their energy expenditure is greater than this so they may lose some weight) but that is a completely different thing to sticking to 1200, which is definitely not a safe approach to nutrition in pregnancy. That's all I'm saying.

Pebble321

Until you see your doctor, switch to maintenance. You don't really need extra calories at first.

This sounds like the best advice until you see your doctor.
Congratulations!

ZieBom

I found out two weeks ago today that I'm pregnant. Went in to the doctor the following Friday. I am 7 weeks pregnant right now. I talked to my doctor thoroughly about caloric needs now that I'm pregnant. O told her that I have been eating about 1230 calories per day, which is what My Fitness Pal recommended. My doctor told me that since I am overweight (I'm 5'4" and weigh about 160) to simply add about 300 calories to my normal 1230 for now. She said she may up my caloric intake based on how my weight gain is going throughout my pregnancy, but for now doesn't see any reason to increase it. She said based on my starting weight, she only wants me gaining about 15 - 20 pounds throughout my pregnancy, and that normal weight gain for a healthy first trimester is 3 - 5 pounds. Good luck!!!

savithny

Want to know one of my theories on the "obesity epidemic?"

A whole generation of our mothers were told to gain so little during pregnancy that they had to DIET during pregnancy to comply with their doctors orders. My mother had friends who were put on very low calorie diets while pregnant because it was thought women should only gain 12-15 pounds.

Babies gestated during times of famine have been shown to have permanent changes to their DNA that cause them to metabolize food differently - they are much more prone to diabetes and obesity, as well as heart disease. Long term studies of post-WW2 populations have shown this again and again and again.

Pregnancy is not a time for weight loss. It's a time to get as much high quality nutrition as you can, including healthy fats and Omega-3s. Yes, its' not a time to pig out and gain a bunch extra -- but too much restriction is NOT good for either your or the growing fetus.

Yes, you don't need to gain much, if anything, in the first trimester. Baby will take what it needs "off the top." But you do need to eat enough for both your functioning and to grow a baby in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, when baby is growing very fast. Make sure that this includes healthy fats, because fat and cholesterol are vital for growing new cells, which is what you're doing.

If you know your BMR, I'd strongly recommend staying above it. Ideally you'd know your TDEE, and eat at that plus the "growing a baby" allowance.

If you dont know your BMR, then change your MFP settings to "maintain," and add 200-300 calories to that, starting in the 2nd trimester.

BoomstickChick

I never upped anything, honestly. Not until my appetite started to increase. If I was hungry though, I ate, if not, I kept to my goals. For now, I'm 24 weeks and I'm eating around 1800-2000 a day at most.

BoomstickChick

Want to know one of my theories on the "obesity epidemic?"

A whole generation of our mothers were told to gain so little during pregnancy that they had to DIET during pregnancy to comply with their doctors orders. My mother had friends who were put on very low calorie diets while pregnant because it was thought women should only gain 12-15 pounds.

Babies gestated during times of famine have been shown to have permanent changes to their DNA that cause them to metabolize food differently - they are much more prone to diabetes and obesity, as well as heart disease. Long term studies of post-WW2 populations have shown this again and again and again.

Pregnancy is not a time for weight loss. It's a time to get as much high quality nutrition as you can, including healthy fats and Omega-3s. Yes, its' not a time to pig out and gain a bunch extra -- but too much restriction is NOT good for either your or the growing fetus.

Yes, you don't need to gain much, if anything, in the first trimester. Baby will take what it needs "off the top." But you do need to eat enough for both your functioning and to grow a baby in the 2nd and 3rd trimesters, when baby is growing very fast. Make sure that this includes healthy fats, because fat and cholesterol are vital for growing new cells, which is what you're doing.

If you know your BMR, I'd strongly recommend staying above it. Ideally you'd know your TDEE, and eat at that plus the "growing a baby" allowance.

If you dont know your BMR, then change your MFP settings to "maintain," and add 200-300 calories to that, starting in the 2nd trimester.

While it may be true pregnancy isn't a time for weight loss, it can be a time to NOT gain extra weight. For overweight women, gaining 15 lbs is a good thing. "healthy" women are supposed to gain between 20-30 I believe. Then you have those that gain a ton during pregnancy because they were told it's okay. It's not okay. I gained 60 with my first because I was listening to the older women who lived by the "eat for two" rule. That's NOT the case. There's no need for all that excess. Same as normal, if you're hungry, eat. If not, don't eat more than normal.