MFP during pregnancy for healthy weight gain

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SonyaKou
SonyaKou Posts: 33 Member
in Introduce Yourself
Hello all! I was curious if there was anyone else on here using MFP to track healthy weight gain? I am at the end of my 2nd trimester and working really hard to eat well and gain the recommended 1lb a week. There are some funny bugs in the program that make it challenging to use for weight gain, but I have been feeling much healthier and confident in my eating habits when I see my micronutrients hit recommended values. My weight has also been a more gradual increase and less spiking!

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  • Skinny_Kitty
    Skinny_Kitty Posts: 136 Member
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    I used MFP religiously while I was pregnant! I set my calories to "maintenance" and then added 250 more, as that's the amount of extra calories my doctor advised. It helped me be more aware of what I was eating and kept me from "eating for two". If I had a craving (which I did for soft serve ice cream), I would eat it, log it and then just watch the rest of the day. It really helped me focus on eating foods that were good for me and my baby as it was right in front of my face.
    I ended up gaining 30 lbs. total and had a very healthy pregnancy/delivery. The weight gain was very slow and gradual.
    The week after giving birth, I was back on MFP... not to lose weight, but again, to be more aware of what I was eating and to make sure I was making the right choices. I lost all 30 lbs. within 2 months! I was not breastfeeding, however, that can help burn the baby weight as well. I did drink a ton of water though, and I think that helped me. For some reason, I was so dehydrated all the time. I could not drink enough.

    Congrats on your pregnancy! Babies are the greatest blessing! o:)<3
  • SonyaKou
    SonyaKou Posts: 33 Member
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    Thanks! Yeah, I knew I could not trust my body once I hit the 2nd trimester. I gained 4 lbs in 2 weeks and realized I was still ravenous. I have been finding it much easier to make sure I am getting enough calcium/iron now and my cravings have mostly gone away. Setting to maintenance and adding 250 sounds about right. I feel like their suggestion of calories for the 1lb a week gain is set too high. I have been just sticking to 2000 calories which seems to be perfect for me right now! :) which I think is pretty much 250 more than I typically need. :smile:

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