Calorie Counting while pregnant

So just to clarify, I don't want to loose weight while prego.  I just want to be highly aware of what I'm eating and gain at a slow steady pace.  I was eating 1500 calories a day before I got pregnant (I'm 5 weeks) and all the websites out there I read say to just add 100- 300 calories a day.  Does this still apply to me.  It seems if I eat at my Burn rate I gain weight like fast.  I was thinking about 1800 calories a day for the first 6 months them maybe more like 2000.

Does anyone have suggestions or ideas?

What is your activity level set to?

Are you weighing/measuring your food for accuracy of calories?

So, you are currently eating your maintenance calories and gaining weight fast?  What is your maintenance calories?  How much weight have you gained. 

Have you talked to your doctor about what an appropriate amount of weight for you to gain during pregnancy would be? 

1800 sounds good for a couple months, but I'd up it to more than 2000. Remember, you're eating for two people now, not just one.

Also, I wouldn't worry about weight too much while pregnant. It's only a few months, and you can lose all you want later.

Make some room in your diet for more protein. Drink whole milk, etc.

My activity level was the one above sedentary, I was doing a lot of exercise.  I do plan on continuing exercising however I have also had a heel injury this week.

I do use measuring cups and a digital scale to measure everything.

I am now eating at what my maintenance calories would be if it was set at sedentary (1800).  Because I am the overweight category for BMI I should gain about 20lbs during pregnancy.

I am the same as you where if I don't write down what I eat then I eat bad.  So it's really more for me, the counting.  Maybe I will aim for 1800-2000, that's a bit more.

except for the occasional hormonal binge-  I think it's the quality of calories you eat vs the quantity of calories you eat.  I'm 26 weeks and I vary 1800-2100 cals per day but I MAKE sure that a lot of that is protein and fiber.  I gravitate more towards tomoato based products (for vitamin A) and leafy greens -  I'll try to eat fortified pasta and whole wheat pasta.  I have been trying to concentrate on getting the most nutrient rich foods in rather than exact cals.  But; I will be honest.  There are days where hagan das calls my name (hey-  there's calcium in ice cream, right?)

I'm looking forward to going back on my more regimented low carb diet after I give birth-  but- until then; enjoy your pregnancy (congrats!!) and enjoy the room you have to occasionaly indulge!!!!

Original Post by tonks_inc:

1800 sounds good for a couple months, but I'd up it to more than 2000. Remember, you're eating for two people now, not just one.

yes, you're eating for two people, but the second person is a very tiny one. especially in the beginning.

hotharmony's right about the 100 - 300 extra calories. before i miscarried i got lots of info on pregnancy and read a lot of books to prepare myself. 100 for the first few weeks, then upping it as you go along. by nine months you should be around 300-350 cals, or 400 if you want to be "safe". i recommend reading What To Expect When You're Expecting.

Thanks I just ordered the book.  I'm so sorry to hear about your miscarriage.

Original Post by tonks_inc:

1800 sounds good for a couple months, but I'd up it to more than 2000. Remember, you're eating for two people now, not just one.

Also, I wouldn't worry about weight too much while pregnant. It's only a few months, and you can lose all you want later.

Make some room in your diet for more protein. Drink whole milk, etc.

I wouldn't obsess over the amount you gain while pregnant but it is unhealthy for both the mother and child to gain an obscene amount of weight.  the risk for gestational diabetes increase as well as the possibility for high blood pressure.  Not to mention you need to be in good shape to push the little sucker out! Gaining weight slowly and reasonably is the best way to go... just make sure your ob agrees... and even though it is only a few months I have known plenty of women who have gained 70+ lbs while pregnant and their health suffered as a result... counting calories would be an excellent way to monitor the quality and the number of calories you are ingesting while pregnant... I wish I would have done it during my pregnancies...

Im currently searching everywhere online, I cant seem to find a website to tell you how many calories you should eat for your height, weight and how far along you are (gap in the market guys!!!).  Something like this, but taking into account pregnancy.

I would love to know what I should be eating, specifically for me.  Everyone just says eat when your hungry trust your instincts, dont worry about counting calories bla bla bla but when you have been counting calories every day for the last four or five years i have no inclination to stop.

Before pregnancy I was 5'6 and 120, lost a bit of weight with morning sickness, but now at 15 weeks I have put on 5 pounds.  I maintained my pre pregnancy weight eating 1250 cals and exersizing a LOT.  I am currently on holiday and seemed to have lost any kind of will power and am now averageing at least 1500 every day and doing minimal exersize.  I must admit that its been more quantity rather than quality, being on holiday and all  but im going to make a better effort starting tommorow!

For now Im nervous about eating that much, but I do expect to raise it again still as I get further along.

Any suggestions for how many extra calories for my size and how far along? Or anyone know any good websites for this sort of thing?

 

Tani, try this website. Once you select "Female" a new box will pop up and allow you to input what trimester you're in or if you're lactating.

My doctor told me to eat normally during the first trimester and then increase to 150 over maintenance in the second trimester and up it to 300 over maintenance in the third trimester. I was 5'3" and 128 pounds pre-pregnancy and burned about 1800 calories daily. I'm not sure that you're eating enough for your height at 1500 calories, even if you are doing minimal exercise. A good rule of thumb is to stay above your maintenance calories while pregnant by 100-300 calories daily.

Thanks, that's a really useful calculator - the one I was using before couldn't distinguish between trimesters, which makes a big difference!

I am still *trying* to eat my maintenance calories for now - around 2000 - but I've been over fairly often. I actually think that's ok, as we're supposed to gain around 5lbs in the first trimester anyway.

I also think you aren't eating enough - 1500 is not enough to support your own needs, let alone your body's much higher needs during the changes of pregnancy and the needs of your baby. You really need to gain weight during pregnancy to have a healthy baby. Bear in mind that if you plan to nurse, breastfeeding can burn around 1000-1500 calories per day, so you'll be creating a killer deficit as soon as the baby arrives.

All the websites I have been to suggest weight gain for a normal weight woman should be at least 25-35lbs.

http://pregnancy.about.com/cs/symptoms/a/weig htgain.htm

http://pregnancy.about.com/od/weightgain/a/ga inweightpg.htm

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhea lth/aboutpregweightgain.html - this last website shows you the distribution of all the weight - much of it goes to things like the placenta and amniotic fluid, and not much of it is actually fat.

Thanks, that website was great, although it claimed I am burning 2279cals a day!!  If I ate that I would get as big as a house!  I have been eating a lot more since I last wrote, am now averaging at least 1600, but ffeel so unhealthy and fat! I have actually put on closer to ten pounds not five! ugggh.  I think my metabolism is just really slow, I keep thinking i should use this time to eat lots and speed it up, but i feel so gross if I eat too much.  Im guilt ridden at 1600, so I couldnt imagine any more.  if you take into account i was maintaining on 1250 plus exersize, add another 300 thats still only 1550.

perhaps its just the quality of food i have been eating....?

1200 is the minimum recommended weight loss intake for a 5'0" sedentary female. By that ledger, you've been undereating by a LOT.

Undereating slows down your metabolism. Your body percieves a famine situation and acts to preserve fats stores.

You can speed up your metabolism again by eating more. You'll probably gain a little weight while your metabolism gets up to speed again, but then it will level off and many people actually find they lose weight once they begin eating more, because their body comes out of starvation mode and begins to utilise fat again.

I am really worried you're underfeeding your body and your baby. Now is not the time to be dieting. Am I correct that you are around 16 weeks pregnant? If that's the case, 10lbs of weight gain is perfectly acceptable, and not something you should be horrified by.

It's also really concerning that you experience so much guilt when you eat, even though you are undereating. Eating, no matter what it is or how much you have of it, is not a crime. We imbue food with moral values it simply does not have - you cannot become a better or worse person through your diet.

I would suggest you try to work on lessening the guilt around your eating. It's so important that both you and the baby get enough to eat right now. The work of forming bones, muscles, nerves, brain cells and other structures that you and the baby are doing right now uses up a helluva lot of energy. If your baby doesn't get enough food, nutrients will be leached from your body first. For example, if your baby doesn't get enough calcium, calcium will be leached from your bones - setting you up for osteoporosis later in life.

Perhaps you would benefit from thinking about your diet in a more holistic manner, something like http://www.intuitiveeating.com/... I have the book by the authors of the webpage and it's a fantastic resource for eating well without dieting.

I also have a lot more healthy body image/eating resources on my profile page if you are interested. It may not be for you, but either way I think it might benefit you and your baby to take a step back from calorie counting for the time being.

Excellent advice as always, Meryl. I agree 100%.

Wow, I just chanced upon this thread and thank you all! Thank you SO much bier- that is a great website! I have been watching my BMI and weight go up on CC and getting totally depressed and paranoid because I am eating what I thought was SO much- but it turns out I am right on target for my stage of pregnancy! Intuitive eating really DOES work.

Makes me feel a lot better and more relaxed.

Hotharmony, I have the same issues as you about not wanting to gain too much weight. But I agree 100% with Meryl.  Guilt around eating is not good for you or the baby. Eat well and enough, and work on relaxing with your body's needs. I have also gained more than five pounds and I am barely in my second trimester.

Theres so much hype in the media about how women should do themselves and their babies a favour by not gaining more than five pounds. Its enough to make anyone panic. The fact remains that some women will gain more and some less and there is a wide range of normal and healthy. As long as you dont go on a junk food rampage for the rest of your pregnancy, you will be fine.

The other thing that helps me a lot is gentle exercise. It helps keep me feeling energetic. I couldnt do much during my first trimester, but I am trying to work in more exercise now- walking, yoga or a gentle cardio or low impact aerobics session.

 

 

Here is one of many websites that show typical weight gains based on BMI.

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pregnancy-we ight-gain/PR00111

Underweight (BMI less than 18.5) weight gain: 28-40 lbs

Average weight (BMI 18.5 - 29.9) weight gain: 25-35 lbs

Overweight (BMI 30 or greater) weight gain: 11-20 lbs

These numbers are pretty consistent accross all websites I've looked at (literally dozens).

Most resources I've looked into say you don't need many extra calories during the first trimester, and then 200-300 extra per day during the second and third trimesters. These numbers are ABOVE MAINTENANCE!! --DO NOT KEEP A DEFICIT!! Eat more if you exercise to make up for the caloric loss!

The most important thing is eating enough carbs, protein, fat and nutrients for you and the baby. A prenatal vitamin is a really, really good idea too.  You need extra protein, but most people in North America/Europe get plenty anyway (at least 80 g /day).

I agree with vanessa10301: quality over quantity. Focus on whole, nutritious foods rather than calories (i.e. skip the artificial sweetners and "low fat" products in favor of fruit, veggies, lean meat, low fat dairy, nuts, seeds, whole grains, etc.).  Again, the tons of websites i've looked at it seem to say the weight you gain by eating whole, healthy foods comes off faster after the baby's born compared to weight gained on "craving" foods and junk.