Pregnant - need to add calories - help?

twinkfran
twinkfran Posts: 54 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I am seeing my dr again in 10 days so I will verify with her but until then…any advice gratefully received. I asked her about exercise (she was all for as active as I can manage so I am continuing with everything until I can’t) but in my dazed state I didn’t bring up diet.

I was on a strict diet of 1200 cals for six months but that made me miserable so I upped it to 1500 which I have survived on for around 6 weeks now and feel like I am eating a lot – I am never hungry, felt good and was slowly losing weight. I usually exercise 4-5 times a week doing cardio at home with weights (e.g. I might do the Spartacus or 5 Tabata rounds) – I have been bad the last two weeks as I had exams but generally and fairly active.

Then I found out I was pregnant so I plan to up my calorie intake by 300 (which seems to be the general advice from these boards when I searched MFP past posts). My question is: Is 1800 enough as some of the pregnancy sites say that I should be on 2100 (the average for a woman) plus the extra 300 giving me a total of 2400 which is 900 more that I have been used to living on. I don’t want to starve my baby but that seems a huge leap?

So I guess to put it shortly – do I add the 300 to what I usually eat, or to the daily recommended amount?

Oh and stats - I am 5’8”, 82 kgs (was trying to lose 10kg but for now I will settle for minimising baby weight and staying fit & healthy) and have an underactive thyroid.

Replies

  • laceylucas86
    laceylucas86 Posts: 120
    i thought it was that you are to eat at your maintenance level (which is not always 2000 for the average woman) plus 100 cal for the first trimester add another 100 cals for the second trimester (totaling 200 extra) and then add another 100 to total of 300 hundread extra cals int he third. that way babe gets what he'she needs but you actually get no extra calories.
  • shariannamarie
    shariannamarie Posts: 35
    I think I would just listen to your body (unless its telling you to eat lotsa donuts!!) and eat small amounts frequently throughout our day. Don't worry too much about calories right now, just eat healthier foods if possible and enjoy your pregnancy :) Congratulations!
  • trud72
    trud72 Posts: 1,912 Member
    why don't you just stick to the maintence calories, do exersice(not too drastically)! and you should lose some :wink: but baby will take from you too! :flowerforyou:
    WIN WIN in my books x
    and gratz by the way x :bigsmile:
  • laceylucas86
    laceylucas86 Posts: 120
    for example my maintenance cals are 1930, so i would eat 1930 until i find out I'm pregnant (we are trying :D ) then up it to 2030 for first triemester (and thats if you don't have nauseau, you may not be able to eat enough calsi n the first trimester but that's ok, some women actually loose weight form morning sickness, just do your best) then I would be 2130 in the second trimester and 2330 in the home stretch, I already have one son and I made it out of my pregnancy with an 8lb 5 oz healthy baby boy and only a 5lb gai for me, good luck girl! to you and your baby
  • thisismeraw
    thisismeraw Posts: 1,264 Member
    Eat at maintaince plus any exercise calories. In the second and third trimester add in an extra 250 calories each time. Do not eat at a deficit while pregnant.
  • twinkfran
    twinkfran Posts: 54 Member
    for example my maintenance cals are 1930, so i would eat 1930 until i find out I'm pregnant (we are trying :D ) then up it to 2030 for first triemester (and thats if you don't have nauseau, you may not be able to eat enough calsi n the first trimester but that's ok, some women actually loose weight form morning sickness, just do your best) then I would be 2130 in the second trimester and 2330 in the home stretch, I already have one son and I made it out of my pregnancy with an 8lb 5 oz healthy baby boy and only a 5lb gai for me, good luck girl! to you and your baby

    Ah, ok, never thought of that – ok so according to MFP my maintenance should be 1900 so I will try and eat at least that then

    It will be a struggle but maybe I can add the extra in with healthy snacks and smoothies

    Thanks and good luck!
  • freebirdjones
    freebirdjones Posts: 236 Member
    Okay this may be all over the place. But I think 2000 cals of pasta and mcdonalds is not good. But 1900 of mixed diet where you are getting a lot of nourishment is great. So there may be a magical number the doc gives you but I think it's what it consists of. I think if you are taking vitamins and eating well if you don't hit exactly X cals per day you & baby will be okay.

    My grandmother is over 70 years old with no prescriptions. Her mother had 18 kids and would give them their food before she ate, so her diet was restricted. She gave her newborns carnation powdered milk and corn syrup as formula. And my grandmother is so healthy, so I think we are a bit resilient.

    I did not calorie count when I was expecting, and as long as I took my vitamins and ate a wide range of foods my children turned out healthy. I was not on a diet though, I ate because I knew I would start to lose it once I had my baby in my arms. Do what you can to make you and your baby healthy and you will have lots of time to get to your idea body after delivery.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    You have to remember that you are eating for something the size of a peanut not a teamster. There is no reason to eat extra for at least the first 3 months and even after that if you are overweight you don't need to be adding in a lot of extra calories for a little person. The baby will take what it needs from you regardless of how you eat. That was the old story of a woman losing a tooth for every baby.

    If you pile on weight while you're pregnant it's going to be all yours to keep after the baby is born. When I hear women talking about losing their baby weight I always laugh. The baby weight was gone when you had the baby, the fat you stored from eating too much while pregnant had nothing to do with a baby!
  • shutupandlift13
    shutupandlift13 Posts: 727 Member
    i thought it was that you are to eat at your maintenance level (which is not always 2000 for the average woman) plus 100 cal for the first trimester add another 100 cals for the second trimester (totaling 200 extra) and then add another 100 to total of 300 hundread extra cals int he third. that way babe gets what he'she needs but you actually get no extra calories.

    This is what I've heard. You aren't eating for another adult or even another small child. Its a baby. They don't require many additional calories.

    Check this site out, it might help: http://www.freedieting.com/tools/pregnancy_calorie_calculator.htm
  • twinkfran
    twinkfran Posts: 54 Member
    You have to remember that you are eating for something the size of a peanut not a teamster. There is no reason to eat extra for at least the first 3 months and even after that if you are overweight you don't need to be adding in a lot of extra calories for a little person.

    Yes, this is a good point. If I feel healthy, take my vits and have a good balanced diet for the first three months maybe I shouldn't struggle to eat extra. Surely I'm still better off than someone on 2500 cals worth of pizza and chicken nuggets :-)

    I will check all this with my doctor but for now stick to a maximum 1900 and aim to be aorund my usual 1500 which I was finding left me full and feeling good.
  • shutupandlift13
    shutupandlift13 Posts: 727 Member
    Yes, this is a good point. If I feel healthy, take my vits and have a good balanced diet for the first three months maybe I shouldn't struggle to eat extra. Surely I'm still better off than someone on 2500 cals worth of pizza and chicken nuggets :-)

    I will check all this with my doctor but for now stick to a maximum 1900 and aim to be aorund my usual 1500 which I was finding left me full and feeling good.

    Yes, I would think the nutritional value of your food is VERY important for your newly developing baby, not just the calorie value.
  • laceylucas86
    laceylucas86 Posts: 120
    for example my maintenance cals are 1930, so i would eat 1930 until i find out I'm pregnant (we are trying :D ) then up it to 2030 for first triemester (and thats if you don't have nauseau, you may not be able to eat enough calsi n the first trimester but that's ok, some women actually loose weight form morning sickness, just do your best) then I would be 2130 in the second trimester and 2330 in the home stretch, I already have one son and I made it out of my pregnancy with an 8lb 5 oz healthy baby boy and only a 5lb gai for me, good luck girl! to you and your baby

    Ah, ok, never thought of that – ok so according to MFP my maintenance should be 1900 so I will try and eat at least that then

    It will be a struggle but maybe I can add the extra in with healthy snacks and smoothies

    Thanks and good luck!

    THANKS :) and MMMMMMMMM smoothies! great idea!
  • mellynat
    mellynat Posts: 345 Member
    i was eating about 1400-1500 when losing weight.. when i got pregnant i ate a1800-1900.. days i was hungry i ate more.. I gained 36lbs..
  • momzeeee
    momzeeee Posts: 475 Member
    Congratulations! I have no input but am following the thread for possible future reference. I have suspicions and am just waiting a few more days to take a test. My husband says if it's positive we're mailing it to the doctor that did his vasectomy :laugh: My big issue would be the potential weight loss-with both my girls I lost close to 30lbs and 20lbs with my son-horrible, horrible morning sickness that lasted pretty much the whole pregnancies. At the time I had the cushion to lose, but now I don't. Hopefully I'm fretting over nothing though-I was really looking forward to sending my youngest to kindergarten this fall :tongue:
  • csheltra26
    csheltra26 Posts: 272 Member
    I am 11 weeks pregnant and when I saw my doc at week 8 she said really only need to eat 150-300 calories above maintenance.

    I haven't been tracking any food. Most days I am sick all day long and its hard to eat - other days its not too bad. I try to eat when I'm hungry and try to keep up a healthy diet. The occassional burger has snuck in but most of the time it's pretty healthy. I am quite a bit overweight and so far am still wearing the same clothes.
  • mycrazy8splus1
    mycrazy8splus1 Posts: 1,558 Member
    Eat at maintaince plus any exercise calories. In the second and third trimester add in an extra 250 calories each time. Do not eat at a deficit while pregnant.

    as a mom of 8 I second this^^
    avocados are great and up your iron intake (spinach and fish are great for pregnancy).
  • honeyharlowe
    honeyharlowe Posts: 1
    Just want to congratulate you, and encourage you to continue a healthy eating plan. I'm sure your OB will have recommendations for your diet.

    I continued to eat healthy & work out in pregnancy & gained 37 lbs. I lost them without effort in < 7 m postpartum - while eating whatever healthy foods I wanted (with a few homemade cookies thrown in now and then) - by breastfeeding. I decided to get back on the treadmill, and stepped onto the scale out of habit, and made the shocking discovery. Best weight loss plan ever! As I am still breastfeeding at 9 m, and plan to continue for the 1y recommended stateside, I'm factoring in that calorie requirement as I go forward, and expect to continue to see a slow weight loss.

    I was over 40 y when I gave birth last August, and was thinking my metabolism would be shot, but I was wrong. The OB nurse at the delivery gave me a backhanded compliment by telling me I hadn't "let myself go" like other "older mothers."
  • CandiQueen
    CandiQueen Posts: 57
    Try not to worry about calories when you're pregnant. Eat whenever you're hungry but make healthy choices and your body will mandate how much you need to eat. If you absolutely want a number then eat as if you were doing maintenance with 0 extra calories in the first trimester, 300 in the second and 500 in the third. Most pregnancy sites will tell you this and your doctor probably will too.

    Have had 2 kids, most recent one 4 months ago and already back to pre-pregnancy shape. You won't over gain or starve your baby if you eat when you're hungry. Even women that are unable to get adequate nutrition usually have okay babies because if you don't get enough of something then the baby will just take it from your stores, although you don't want that to happen.

    Congratulations and good luck.
  • Lbf321
    Lbf321 Posts: 81 Member
    A baby will take what it needs from your body, so it's you who will suffer if you do not eat enough or get proper nutrition. I would eat at maintenence and each exercise calories.
    I had really bad morning sickness that lasted until the last trimester with my last 2 kids and lost about 30 lbs with each pregnancy, I would then gain 30 lbs in water weight the last month or so then lose the water a couple weeks later. My kids all were born about the same hieght and weight 7 lbs. 5 ozs. But yeah my body really did suffer and it's been 3 years since my last pregnancy and I'm just now feeling healthy.
  • twinkfran
    twinkfran Posts: 54 Member
    In case anyone is interested I have spoken to my dr and here is an update.

    Ok so my calculated maintenance according to MFP would be 1900 based on a sedentary lifestyle, In reality my maintenance is how I have been eating for the last six months – around 1500-1600 per days with three exercise sessions. per week. This is due a very underactive thyroid which makes it harder to lose weight…its possible but I need to exercise every day or really drop my calories which makes me miserable. I asked her advice as I was worried that going up to the normal maintenance for my size etc would make me put on weight.

    My doc’s advice was stick to my usual diet but make sure it’s healthy and nutritious and if I feel more hungry try to have more protein/less carbs so I stick to my calories but give me and the baby what we need. She thought me adding extra calories and putting on weight would be more dangerous and said the baby would take what it needs from me.

    So, I will stay around 1600 for the first trimester and make sure I get all the nutrients I should both through food and supplements and look to add protein in. I am still exercising but trying to lower the impact and avoid ab work but she was fine for me to do cardio and weights.

    Of course any other pregnant ladies should listen to their own doctor as my case is quite specific due to the thyroid issue.
  • lms4310
    lms4310 Posts: 21
    bump
  • ecdce
    ecdce Posts: 129 Member
    Congratulations! I have no input but am following the thread for possible future reference. I have suspicions and am just waiting a few more days to take a test. My husband says if it's positive we're mailing it to the doctor that did his vasectomy :laugh: My big issue would be the potential weight loss-with both my girls I lost close to 30lbs and 20lbs with my son-horrible, horrible morning sickness that lasted pretty much the whole pregnancies. At the time I had the cushion to lose, but now I don't. Hopefully I'm fretting over nothing though-I was really looking forward to sending my youngest to kindergarten this fall :tongue:

    Same thing happened to my friend and she didn't have any wiggle room, either, or so she thought. She got pregnant, threw up loads and lost about 10 pounds before confirming she was pregnant. When she lost an additional 10 pounds whilst seeing her doctor, she questioned him about the weight loss and whether she should be worried because she was now 20 pounds lower than her pre-pregnancy weight. Her doctor said everything looked fine and they're really more worried about the mothers who pile on the weight rather than the mothers who lose initial weight. She was concerned because he'd only seen her after she'd lost the first ten pounds (although she did tell him about it), but he didn't think she needed to worry. He even told her it was fine to continue her fairly rigorous exercise schedule for a couple of months.

    She really didn't start putting on significant weight until her third trimester and ended up gaining about 30 total, a solid ten of which was a big, fat baby.

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