Pregnancy and tracking advice

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DJAB2011
DJAB2011 Posts: 5 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hello everyone,
I am newly pregnant and at no place with my weight right now to be gaining excessive amounts of weight. I noticed there is no where in this tracker to account for pregnancy. Are there any other pregnant mommies out there who use this app and can offer advice?

Replies

  • SafioraLinnea
    SafioraLinnea Posts: 628 Member
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    I have several thoughts. Firstly, discuss your concerns with your health provider. A referral to a dietician may help you greatly! Most will not recommend weight loss in pregnancy because it hasn't been studied well enough to ensure that it won't cause harm to the growing baby.

    Pregnancy is not "eating for 2" and until the third trimester most women can and should eat at maintenance. In the last 3 months, a small increase of 150-300 calories a day may be necessary.

    MFP doesn't have a pregnancy setting because every pregnant woman is a bit different and for some, intake is about nausea symptom management. Set your goal at maintenance and eat there. Keep in mind, even super morbidly obese women are within normal recommendations to gain 5-20 pounds in pregnancy.
  • malibu927
    malibu927 Posts: 17,565 Member
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    Speak with your doctor about an appropriate calorie/weight gain goal for your term. Every pregnancy is different, so MFP does not offer any setting.
  • kelseymallen
    kelseymallen Posts: 85 Member
    edited August 2017
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    I've been using mfp for several years off and on, but I quit counting when I got pregnant. I'm 6 months pregnant at the moment and at my doctor appointment last month, the OB was concerned with my weight gain. So I started counting again and started back at the gym per her instruction. Because the app has no settings for pregnancy, I'm trying to eat at maintenance give or take a couple hundred calories per day. If I need to adjust up or down from there, I can make custom changes to my calorie goal in the app settings.
  • noirelb
    noirelb Posts: 216 Member
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    kelseymallen wrote: »
    I've been using mfp for several years off and on, but I quit counting when I got pregnant. I'm 6 months pregnant at the moment and at my doctor appointment last month, the OB was concerned with my weight gain. So I started counting again. Because the app has no settings for pregnancy, I'm trying to eat at maintenance give or take a couple hundred calories per day. If I need to adjust up or down from there, I can make custom changes to my calorie goal in the app settings.

    Can I ask you whether your weight gain stabilized or is more normal since you started calorie counting last month? I'm asking since I gained a bunch in my first pregnancy and did not calorie count and was aiming to have a healthy weight gain on my next pregnancy so wanted to eat at maintenance plus 150 calories first trimester, 250 plus for the second and 300-400 calories more in the last trimester and I'd like to know if someone else tried it!
  • SafioraLinnea
    SafioraLinnea Posts: 628 Member
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    I personally didn't count calories during my pregnancy. It was a struggle to eat due to severe morning sickness. I ended up gaining just 17 pounds (14 of those in the last trimester) and my OBGYN was pleased with that.
  • ashliedelgado
    ashliedelgado Posts: 814 Member
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    I was 40lbs overweight when I got pregnant. I counted the whole time. After talking with my doctor, we agreed 15lbs would be an appropriate gain, and I hit 17. My calories were set at maintenance my whole pregnancy, I ate regular snacks/small meals, and I ate back exercise calories if I was hungry. I walked, did yoga, some swimming, and other cardio that I had been doing prior. Some days, I didn't hit maintenance because I wasn't hungry, sometimes I went over. I tried to just enjoy my last pregnancy, but use tracking to not go into "I'm pregnant, TREAT YO SELF LOL" mode. At the end of the day it's important to remember that you're growing a human, and you have 9 months to give this human the best possible shot at a healthy start. Give your self grace. The weight can and will come off later. Congrats on your pregnancy and feel free to add me if you like!
  • engodwin
    engodwin Posts: 516 Member
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    I'm only tracking my protein - bc I don't normally eat enough as it is. - I wouldn't focus much on calories - I would recommend setting calories manually based on conversations with your HCP
  • sarahthes
    sarahthes Posts: 3,252 Member
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    noirelb wrote: »
    kelseymallen wrote: »
    I've been using mfp for several years off and on, but I quit counting when I got pregnant. I'm 6 months pregnant at the moment and at my doctor appointment last month, the OB was concerned with my weight gain. So I started counting again. Because the app has no settings for pregnancy, I'm trying to eat at maintenance give or take a couple hundred calories per day. If I need to adjust up or down from there, I can make custom changes to my calorie goal in the app settings.

    Can I ask you whether your weight gain stabilized or is more normal since you started calorie counting last month? I'm asking since I gained a bunch in my first pregnancy and did not calorie count and was aiming to have a healthy weight gain on my next pregnancy so wanted to eat at maintenance plus 150 calories first trimester, 250 plus for the second and 300-400 calories more in the last trimester and I'd like to know if someone else tried it!

    I can sort of answer this. I gained 67 lbs my first pregnancy without tracking.

    I was on pace to gain the same with my second when I was dx with gestational diabetes. I came back to MFP and started tracking again. I wasn't worried about calorie targets, just daily and per-meal carb and protein targets. I still wound up losing weight the first 2 weeks of tracking and then maintained through until delivery for a total pregnancy gain of 30 lbs. I was eating about 2400 calories a day, give or take.

    By the way, hitting my carb goals did nothing. I wound up on insulin even with being extremely diligent and careful with my logging. Placenta was just determined to do its own thing...
  • Chef_Barbell
    Chef_Barbell Posts: 6,644 Member
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    SafioraLinnea wrote: »
    I personally didn't count calories during my pregnancy. It was a struggle to eat due to severe morning sickness. I ended up gaining just 17 pounds (14 of those in the last trimester) and my OBGYN was pleased with that.

    This for me as well... Pregnancy was a struggle. I ate whatever I could keep down.
  • tcunbeliever
    tcunbeliever Posts: 8,219 Member
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    My youngest is 13, so if this information is a bit dated, so be it. My doctor didn't give me any kind of a calorie goal, however I did get a list of how many servings of protein, how many servings of vegetables, fruit, etc. for ensuring that adequate nutrition was consumed. I think MFP would be great for tracking, but definitely focus on getting the minimum amount of protein (or more) and getting a variety of foods. I gained 50 lbs with the two boys, and 35 lbs with my daughter who was a month premature. However, very little of the weight I gained was actual fat, most of it was just a ginormous big belly full of baby and fluid, and torpedo boobs...those are always fun.

    You only get one chance at giving your baby good nutrition as they grow inside you...give them good nutrition, quality food, not junk, and then worry about you after they aren't feeding on your body anymore.

    Also, be sure to get plenty of iron, calcium, and omegas - your body will sacrifice itself to provide these for the baby, so get plenty!
  • noirelb
    noirelb Posts: 216 Member
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    sarahthes wrote: »
    noirelb wrote: »
    kelseymallen wrote: »
    I've been using mfp for several years off and on, but I quit counting when I got pregnant. I'm 6 months pregnant at the moment and at my doctor appointment last month, the OB was concerned with my weight gain. So I started counting again. Because the app has no settings for pregnancy, I'm trying to eat at maintenance give or take a couple hundred calories per day. If I need to adjust up or down from there, I can make custom changes to my calorie goal in the app settings.

    Can I ask you whether your weight gain stabilized or is more normal since you started calorie counting last month? I'm asking since I gained a bunch in my first pregnancy and did not calorie count and was aiming to have a healthy weight gain on my next pregnancy so wanted to eat at maintenance plus 150 calories first trimester, 250 plus for the second and 300-400 calories more in the last trimester and I'd like to know if someone else tried it!

    I can sort of answer this. I gained 67 lbs my first pregnancy without tracking.

    I was on pace to gain the same with my second when I was dx with gestational diabetes. I came back to MFP and started tracking again. I wasn't worried about calorie targets, just daily and per-meal carb and protein targets. I still wound up losing weight the first 2 weeks of tracking and then maintained through until delivery for a total pregnancy gain of 30 lbs. I was eating about 2400 calories a day, give or take.

    By the way, hitting my carb goals did nothing. I wound up on insulin even with being extremely diligent and careful with my logging. Placenta was just determined to do its own thing...

    Thanks for the info. That's actually really useful since I gained 64lbs at my first pregnancy!
  • nikki8412
    nikki8412 Posts: 108 Member
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    I'm 11 weeks preggo. I'm food tracking this pregnancy because I want to see how much food it takes to feel satiated. Can't wait to see the 3rd trimester woo wee!! Lol
    I gained 34 with my last pregnancy but was already 20 lbs overweight. Haven't discussed a weight gain range with my doc yet but he's old school and will probably tell me to trust my instincts unless the scale says creeps up too fast. FYI, my goal is to stay active this time around again and to also take a prenatal with more iron than the regular brands, Omega-3, extra folic acid and calcium. I'll add you now as a friend.

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