pregnancy weight maintenance - calorie goal?

frannyshai
frannyshai Posts: 15 Member
edited November 28 in Goal: Maintaining Weight
While I appreciate this is not a time to be trying to lose weight I am currently overweight and gained far to much weight in my previous two pregnancies so really want to gain minimal amount this time round.
Just wondered what other mums to be out there set their daily calorie limit to in order to minimise their weight gain during pregnancy. Thanks

Replies

  • kellellie
    kellellie Posts: 109 Member
    I'm 6 weeks pregnant and I set my goal to maintenance. However, I didn't have time to ease into maintenance before I got pregnant, so jumping from 1200-1400 to 1900-2000 is ridiculous unless I just eat high calorie crap all day. So I'm just focusing on eating healthy and often, especially on days where I don't feel that great. Most days I aim for 1400-1600 and sometimes I'm above it and sometimes im way below it. Yesterday the only reason I got above 1100 was I ate 5 Turkish delight candies, I felt like garbage yesterday. Snacks are my friends.
    From what I understand you don't need extra calories in pregnancy until later in 2nd or 3rd trimester and even then it's like 200-300 calories. That's like an extra egg at breakfast and a piece of chocolate at night.
    You shouldn't be minimizing your calorie intake while pregnant, you're growing a human and it takes energy! But you shouldnt "eat for 2" either. A lot of the weight you gain is normal for the extra blood volume and fluid you're carrying. Drink lots of water, stay active, and eat sensibly and you'll be fine!
  • frannyshai
    frannyshai Posts: 15 Member
    Thank Kellellie :)
  • kellellie
    kellellie Posts: 109 Member
    edited January 2016
    No problem, I actually popped over here to maintenance to look for a thread for pregnant ladies myself!
    This is my first, so at the risk of talking out of my *kitten*, it seems to me that as long as we don't give in to eating a butt-ton of everything, or giving into every craving we have, the weight gain should stay an appropriate amount. 2 of my cousins gained 80lbs while pregnant, but they had been practically starving themselves before that to get all "hot and skinny" and then ate vast amounts of whatever they wanted for the next 9 months, of course it got out of control :) Looking at pregnancy through a lens of what nutrients baby needs most, and less like a free pass to eat mac and cheese all day seems to be a reasonable way to do things ;)
  • chelsy0587
    chelsy0587 Posts: 441 Member
    edited January 2016
    I am 29 days away from my due date!!! To be honest, I was completely devastated when the Doctor came back into the room and told me I was pregnant... I had lost 66lbs and I was so motivated to keep it going. I literally cried for 3 days, didn't go to work, just had a complete pity party for myself. I'm excited now, but it took months for me to be okay with this change in my body I can't do anything about...

    9 months in now and I've gained 22lbs, more than recommended for my current weight but I really feel that that is damn good.

    When I asked my OBGYN about the calories she stated 300 extra calories is all my body needs. When I first found out about being pregnant I was in the gym every day working out for an hour at a time... I stopped in October because I worried a lot about doing too much, plus during Zumba I really felt like I was trying to dance with a big rock under my shirt.

    Congratulations on your blessing, try your best to be kind to yourself and take time to enjoy the small things during your pregnancy (easier said than done when you already have 2 little ones depending on you!)
  • frannyshai
    frannyshai Posts: 15 Member
    That's exactly what I did before I got pregnant with my first I went on a silly crash diet and dropped one and a half stone really quickly but then gained about 4 and a half stone during my pregnancy.. lost a couple of stone after that then got pregnant with my second and gained it back and since having him I've managed to get down to pre pregnancy weight so I'm super worried about gaining that amount again this time I need to be so much more careful. In honesty though I didn't track what I ate in the last two pregnancies and pretty much ate what I wanted to so was my own fault really. This time round though I have the added pressure of getting married in two months. I'm currently 13 weeks pregnant and have gained about 4 pounds.. I will be 22 weeks pregnant on my wedding day so really trying to keep the the weight gain to a minimum. As I mentioned earlier I'm already overweight so think it would really advantage both myself and the baby if I gained as little possible.
  • burns429
    burns429 Posts: 104 Member
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/1903-fit-fabulous-pregnant

    Here's a group I visited a lot during my pregnancy in 2014. You should be able to find a lot of answers to many questions. But you OB is the best source for answers...
  • frannyshai
    frannyshai Posts: 15 Member
    I've joined that group thanks burns429
  • frannyshai
    frannyshai Posts: 15 Member
    Chelsy0587 I'd be so happy with a 22 gain at the end of the pregnancy I think you've done really well there have you been tracking calories? And if so what have you been setting it to? I'd be happy with a 22lb weight gain in total just hoping it stays off until after my wedding.. wishful thinking haha
  • Yi5hedr3
    Yi5hedr3 Posts: 2,696 Member
    You're pregnant - you are GOING to gain weight. Cut out the junk foods and you'll be alright.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    frannyshai wrote: »
    While I appreciate this is not a time to be trying to lose weight I am currently overweight and gained far to much weight in my previous two pregnancies so really want to gain minimal amount this time round.
    Just wondered what other mums to be out there set their daily calorie limit to in order to minimise their weight gain during pregnancy. Thanks

    Talk to your dr and maybe ask for a reference to a dietitian. In general, if you are starting the pregnancy very overweight, not gaining any weight at all or even losing might be actually recommended, so discuss with your dr what your goals should be.
  • marieamethyst
    marieamethyst Posts: 869 Member
    I've maintained for the past two weeks (21-23), and my calorie range has been around 1400 with some exercise. (I don't weigh/measure, so I know it's probably more like 1600-1700)

    I'm up 7 lbs so far thanks to the holidays; only gained 14 lbs with my daughter and that was all in the third trimester. I just ate like normal with her and cut out what caused me to gain weight before pregnancy.
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