Dietitian/Nutrionist
sunnyhike58
Posts: 13 Member
Hi everyone,
I'm about 6 weeks now and am trying to figure out nutrition and calories for pregnancy. I'm technically obese at 196lbs and 5'7". BMI was never very accurate for me though because I am muscular.
I asked my doctor yesterday what calories I should aim for and she said I could eat 1200-1500 per day then increase in the next trimesters. I told her MFP gives me 1750 to lose a lb a week and she said "that's fine." She just told me "not to eat junk".
I feel like she isn't well versed in nutrition, calories, etc. I'd like to keep losing some weight in the first trimester since I'm already overweight. Then gain 11-20 lbs that the American Pregnancy Association seems to support.
By no means do I want to limit nutrition or baby's growth so when I'm hungry I'll eat. The past two days I've been very hungry so I went over the 1750 and ate to satisfy the hunger.
I gained 60 lbs with my 1st pregnancy and battle Hashimoto's so I'm very scared of gaining too much. Breastfeeding my first did not help with weight loss in my case. I also have a ruptured lumbar disc so gaining too much may make that act up.
Has anyone had success meeting with a dietitian or nutritionist during pregnancy?
ETA: I wear a FitBit and eat back exercise calories.
I'm about 6 weeks now and am trying to figure out nutrition and calories for pregnancy. I'm technically obese at 196lbs and 5'7". BMI was never very accurate for me though because I am muscular.
I asked my doctor yesterday what calories I should aim for and she said I could eat 1200-1500 per day then increase in the next trimesters. I told her MFP gives me 1750 to lose a lb a week and she said "that's fine." She just told me "not to eat junk".
I feel like she isn't well versed in nutrition, calories, etc. I'd like to keep losing some weight in the first trimester since I'm already overweight. Then gain 11-20 lbs that the American Pregnancy Association seems to support.
By no means do I want to limit nutrition or baby's growth so when I'm hungry I'll eat. The past two days I've been very hungry so I went over the 1750 and ate to satisfy the hunger.
I gained 60 lbs with my 1st pregnancy and battle Hashimoto's so I'm very scared of gaining too much. Breastfeeding my first did not help with weight loss in my case. I also have a ruptured lumbar disc so gaining too much may make that act up.
Has anyone had success meeting with a dietitian or nutritionist during pregnancy?
ETA: I wear a FitBit and eat back exercise calories.
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Replies
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I worked with a nutritionist through the Maven app a few times during pregnancy, especially while my morning sickness was at its worse. It was a great help!2
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Following. I was so motivated to lose weight, I lost 13 lbs in the last month since getting my gallbladder out and restarting on MFP, then I found out I'm 4.5 weeks pregnant! I'm 197lbs, 5'6". Calories 1530 daily on a lose 1.5 lbs /week. Can I keep that up during my first trimester and still give baby enough nutrients? Haven't had my first doctors appointment yet, I'll be sure to ask my doctor.0
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Similar stats to you sunnyhike58 - when I was pregnant I actually came out of the hospital lighter than when I found out I was pregnant! I was sticking to 1700-1900 kcals most days - with the concentration on eating healthy unprocessed foods. I was doing light exercise such as yoga, pilates and walking maybe 3 times per week. Our pilates teacher was a qualified nutritionist and her advice was to eat regularly and eat to feeling sated. She recommended fruit, small portions of nuts, yogurts and boosting up meals with lots of veg. The big thing for me was the alcohol calories I had been consuming before pregnancy - when these were cut out, I think it definitely contributed to weight loss at the end.
The advice my doctor gave me was "baby will take what it needs from you, whats left over is for you" - so the baby will get enough nutrients, but you need to ensure you are fueling yourself as well.
Best of luck with ur pregnancy.1 -
When I had it set to lose 1 lb a week, I was nearly ravenous so I set it to lose .5 per week and that seems to be much better for my hunger levels. Now at 8 weeks, I'm up a couple pounds I think because of bloating.
I'll call the nutritionist this week. Guess it can't hurt for one visit.
JuliBiGoolee- are you feeling ok at that calorie deficit?
Gbutler811- I'm hoping the lack of beer helps me too, haha! Did you stick to 1700-1900 throughout the pregnancy? Was that maintenance, gain, or lose for your weight? I'm trying to follow that basic eating plan. Last time, I turned to carbs to manage nausea then sugar to keep me awake. Hopefully I can get ahead of it this time.0 -
I have seen conflicting reports of what happens to nutrients while pregnant - is there any scientific evidence that you can share that shows nutrients go to the baby first and the mother gets whats left? This makes the most sense to me but I've come across a few posts in other groups that contradict this.1
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@sunnyhike58 I'm feeling good with it, not starving. I find I need to eat more frequently, small snacks because on an empty stomach I start getting a little nauseas. Just like I did with my first pregnancy.0
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@girlalmighty08 I haven't seen any scientific evidence about nutrients going to baby first. Everything seems anecdotal. It's super frustrating.0
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@JuliBiGoolee Did you have a chance to ask your doctor yet?0
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sunnyhike58 wrote: »@JuliBiGoolee Did you have a chance to ask your doctor yet?
My first appointment is May 25th, which seems like FOREVER from now0 -
Hi,
I am a nutrition coach but I am also my first pregnant 'client'.
I have found the first trimester very tough and only ate processed junk or fried food. I spoke to my midwife who told me not to worry as the baby just needs to get what it wants.
My activity level has also significantly dropped- I used to train as a powerlifter pre-pregnancy 5 times per week and I'm practically sedentary now due to sickness or exhaustion- I can count how many times Ive been to the gym in the past 16 weeks on one hand.
So with the activity level drop I have actually dropped my calories down from 2300 to 1800 but am not frightened to go over it when I feel I need to. I am just trying to be smart about what I eat.
I plan for 5 veg + 2 fruit daily and then plan for my whole grains. Unfortunately my current cravings are quite carb heavy in the form of Fresh Orange Juice and Fruit Jellies!
As it stands now I have not gained any weight - Im down about 0.5kg since the start.
I think finding a nutritionist is a good call, but i wouldn't expect to be perfect as there will be days you are massively hungry and there will be days you don't want to eat at all.
My advice would be- Get plenty of veggies and fruit in for your nutrients and fibre.
Choose good carbs that will slowly release energy- oats, sweet potato, Wholegrain rice and pasta.
And protein wise, lean meats and greek yogurt, etc.
I keep my fats relatively high too as this is good for the organs- nuts, oils, seeds, grass-fed butter, whole fat dairy.
Good luck xxx
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