Hungry ALL THE TIME....Help??
jennk5309
Posts: 206 Member
I'm 14 weeks and have now gained almost 20 pounds. I had set my calories to lose 1/2 a pound a week since I know I have a slower metabolism from having dieted for years (lost 100+ pounds). I could NOT stick to it, and I think the hunger made me overeat once I gave in.
So now I set my calories to gain 1/2 a pound a week, but decided that if I'm hungry, I'm going to eat but will make sure that what I eat has high nutritional value.
It's 9:30 am, I've been awake since 5:30, and I've already had a smoothie made with unsweetened almond milk, kale, strawberries, cherries, ginger, and a little bit of green juice (green goodness) for breakfast. I also have snacked on a cheese stick, a banana, and a yogurt. I'm freaking hungry still! I feel almost crazy with hunger. I know I should have had something with more protein, like eggs, but I ended up running late and couldn't make them. Oh, and I went for a 30 minute walk.
My point is, I feel starved. I actually cried with joy when I ate a hamburger yesterday because I was SO hungry. Then again, I've been crying almost daily, over anything or nothing at all since becoming pregnant.
Am I just going to be a cow? I feel awful, I feel huge, and I feel gross. My belly is already big, but I do have big babies and I stick out early. It's big and hard, more like I'm 18-20 weeks instead of 14. People won't shut up about how huge I am either, and it's upsetting me.
Help?
So now I set my calories to gain 1/2 a pound a week, but decided that if I'm hungry, I'm going to eat but will make sure that what I eat has high nutritional value.
It's 9:30 am, I've been awake since 5:30, and I've already had a smoothie made with unsweetened almond milk, kale, strawberries, cherries, ginger, and a little bit of green juice (green goodness) for breakfast. I also have snacked on a cheese stick, a banana, and a yogurt. I'm freaking hungry still! I feel almost crazy with hunger. I know I should have had something with more protein, like eggs, but I ended up running late and couldn't make them. Oh, and I went for a 30 minute walk.
My point is, I feel starved. I actually cried with joy when I ate a hamburger yesterday because I was SO hungry. Then again, I've been crying almost daily, over anything or nothing at all since becoming pregnant.
Am I just going to be a cow? I feel awful, I feel huge, and I feel gross. My belly is already big, but I do have big babies and I stick out early. It's big and hard, more like I'm 18-20 weeks instead of 14. People won't shut up about how huge I am either, and it's upsetting me.
Help?
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Replies
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Congrats!!!
I noticed you posted in the general forum first. Be very careful with the advice/suggestions you get there. This is a much safer forum for pregnancy advice.
I found that upping my protein really helped my hunger. However, I still wanted to snack ALL THE TIME. I swear I would have hunger pangs 30 mins after I had dinner. It was easier to keep good snacks around me. (carrots, celery etc) I found a protein powder that was safe for pregnancy if you want to add something like that to your smoothies. I buy it at Whole Foods but you can get it online too.
http://www.gardenoflife.com/Products-for-Life/Foundational-Nutrition/RAW-Protein.aspx
Good luck with the hunger and you little gummy bear!0 -
^^ 100% agree with TinaBean007! I'm 18 weeks in and I still have evenings where I'm hungry shortly after eating dinner. This is my second pregnancy, I found I was super hungry for several weeks during the second half of the first trimester and into the second trimester with both pregnancies. Hormones, baby growing, both make for an increased appetite. Honestly, I wouldn't worry about counting calories right now, just eat when you're hungry, and make the most of your snacks/meals by making healthy choices. Don't feel guilty about eating, and don't listen to what anybody says about the size of your belly. Every woman and every pregnancy is different. Talk to your doctor/midwife about it at your next appointment, and I'm sure he/she will say the same.0
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You're still in that first trimester phase really. It took me until about 14 weeks to start eating better. I was so nauseous and eating too many carbs. The second trimester was ok, although I did increase my calories a bit.
I'm now 2 days overdue and have lost my appetite a bit, but for a lot of the third trimester I've been more hungry.
I definitely found protein helped. I generally eat eggs for breakfast. I often have tuna for lunch, or cheese, or something with protein, and for dinner try to have chicken or fish with something. I try to get as many healthy snacks as I can - apple with peanut butter, banana, nuts etc. I've just given in to my sweet tooth at the end of this pregnancy! If you took the treats out of my diet it would generally be pretty good!
Are you exercising regularly? I kept up the gym until 38 weeks.
I haven't weighed myself, but I have definitely gained. My profile pic is me yesterday at a day overdue. I look a little bit like a whale lol, and I am on the beach!0 -
Yes, protein is key. At my Bradley class they said that we should be aiming for 100 grams per day (plant, meat, and dairy protein combined). Greek yogurt, fruit and yogurt smoothies, green smoothies (lately it's been dandelion greens, turnip greens, carrot, juice of one lemon, bit of lemon peel, and frozen pineapple) and tracking things on My Fitness Pal have really helped. Also I keep sipping herbal teas throughout the day- warm, cold, room temp, whatever. I am in my third trimester so I'm all about the Raspberry Leaf tea.
I have a VitaMix blender and it has been worth every penny. We use it 3+ times per day. I make sure my smoothies are quite runny so I'm getting lots of water in the process.
Hope this helps!0 -
You have already gotten some good advice here.
I found that what works for me (especially towards the end with my stomach being squished anyways) is eating small portions. I snack throughout the day, if I feel I am eating too much I still eat the same things same amounts I just space my snacks out further. It is easier to not go to the fridge for food right now if you have a plan to eat it in 30 more minutes.
For me it is a mental thing I guess, I know I can wait a little longer.0 -
Update- I think I'm retaining a lot of water and that's a big part of the weight gain. I added grated ginger (a diuretic) to my smoothies the past couple of days and went down 4 pounds. I would cut salt back too, but I am always told by doctors to be liberal with the salt because I have super low blood pressure and pass out easily because of it. My BP is already starting the 2nd trimester drop and I'm getting some dizziness, so I don't want to take any chances with altering my sodium intake.
Also, I've been following a higher caloric goal and have been trying to eat more protein as suggested (not easy for me, because I'm not used to it), and I've been feeling more satiated and therefore have not overeaten. I really think that was a lot of the problem- trying to stick to calories that were set too low and then feeling super hungry until I gave in and ate something crappy or ate too much.0 -
This happens. I lost a whole bunch of weight before getting pregnant too, and I was eating great. Before I even found out I was pregnant, I noticed my hunger had gone CRAZY. I couldnt stay out of the fridge and I didnt know why. Up until about 17 weeks I ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted because I was so sick anyways and just didnt care. Lol I finally have my eating back on track though, and I too gained a lot in my first/start of my 2nd trimester. I gained 40 pounds. I say just eat. If your body is telling you to eat, then its hungry and it needs the nutrients. Just stick to healthy foods when you DO eat. Fruits and veggies and lots of protein.0
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I'm 23 weeks now and the past couple weeks have noticed a big increase in appetite too like I can't get satisfied until I've overeaten. Good tips here, I may try making a protein shake as one of my meals soon. Maybe try having a couple boiled eggs as a snack or a greek yogurt here and there to boost protein intake. I usually get 60 or more grams of protein but getting close to the 100 mark is hard for me. I do like the spirutein or plantfusion protein powders blended with almond or soy milk and some fruit. I also love peanut butter so I will have to try to remember to have some peanut butter with apple slices sometimes too. I've found walking several times a week also seems to help regulate my appetite for some reason so I need to make myself do that too even when I'm feeling lazy:) Keep us updated if you find out some more tips that are working for you!0
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If you want to snack, snack! Find low calories snacks if you can't control your hunger and foods that help you fill up without going crazy on the calories, like carrot sticks plain or with lowfat/fat free ranch dressing, celery sticks, apple slices, or whatever low calorie fruits and veggies you can eat....tomato, cucumber, pickles (0 calories!) etc..... Don't deprive yourself if you're hungry
Just find a way to eat like crazy, without gaining like crazy. It is possible! Most salsas I see from tostitos are like 10 calories for 2 tablespoons and bite sized rounds are only about 140 calories for 24, so I sometimes eat that for a snack...or dip the chips in laughing cow cheese wedgs (35-40 calories each). If you can find a veggie to dip in it instead, like carrots or something, that is even better and low calorie! 0 -
Feeling hungry can be a sign of dehydration so make sure you're getting enough water (when pregnant you should be drinking much more water than you usually would anyway). Oddly enough, drinking more water also helps with water retention, so there could be double benefits for you!0
