Pregnant- should I eat to satisfaction or count calories?

http://www.babycenter.com/406_is-it-safe-to-diet-during-pregnancy_1246178.bc

Years ago my dr told me how many calories to increase per day and how to count exercise if i did safe exercise during pregnant. I would ask your Dr. and follow their lead, they dont want you to overgain either.

Ask your Dr what your calorie range should be before you even count calories.

As for eating to satisfaction, watch that. I was hungry all the time when I was pregnant. I mean I would eat a large meal and 1 hour later I was starving. I gained a lot of weight, but if I didn't eat, I got sick to my stomach. So you can't go by that and expect not to gain. Everyone is different though.

I do recommend that you eat a varied diet, lots of veggies and plenty of calcium rich foods. The added bonus to this is that your baby is more likely eat a healthy diet. I am convinced that what you eat when pregnant effects how your kids eat after. When I was pregnant I didn't eat chocolate, candy, avoided cakes and cookies. no empty calories. My daughter loves veggies, salad and does not like cookies. She does like ice cream and I ate frozen yogurt everyday because I don't like milk it was a way to add dairy.

I'm due in June and I still try to log. (Under the advice of my OB) I have upped my calories by 200/day in the first trimester and 400/day in the second trimester. On the days I feel like logging, I log. Days that I feel sick/can't eat very much I just eat whatever I'm craving. *steals boyfriend's tator tot*

Talk to your OB and follow his/her advice. Congrats!! :flowerforyou:

If you're nauseated and eating certain foods staves off the nausea, just go with it. Some women find that frequent, small meals helps them feel better in the first trimester. I found eating meat or the mere smell of it would make me feel, not sick exactly, but like I didn't want to eat. I survived on carbs pretty much the first 12 weeks or so.

If/when you start to feel better, make sure you're getting plenty of balance in your meals. Lean protein, grains and veggies/fruit, plus good fats (esp Omega 3s from fish if you eat it, or things like chia or flax if you don't). Don't stress too much about the weight gain - while you can eat healthy during pregnancy and not overeat, sometimes the weight gain is out of your control. Some women will gain very little but appear to be eating for their country, and others will gain stacks despite having a healthy, balanced diet. You will probably fall in the middle of those two extremes, but that's what happens to some people.

You're only a little bit over your healthy weight. Of course watching what you eat is great and important but if there's not much you can eat without feeling sick, then just eat what you can. You need energy and calories to help your baby grow.