According to Dr. Richard Nahas, when you’re pregnant people want to be supportive. In that pursuit, some people normalize gaining anywhere from 10 to 100 pounds. However, that’s a wild range and the thought of gaining 100 pounds doesn’t make anyone jump for joy. Let’s check out a few simple tips for gaining weight loss advantages while pregnant.
Tips & Tricks
1. You don’t need to eat for two – A lot of pregnant women are advised to consume as many calories as possible to feed the human growing inside them. However, the baby doesn’t need so much food to grow and neither do you. Unless you’re severely overweight in the first trimester, you don’t need a lot of extra calories to support the baby’s growth.
Most pregnant women need just around 300 more calories every day during the second trimester and around 450 calories added to their diet during the third. That amounts to a cup of yoghurt, a handful of nuts, and an apple or two. Not a lot of food.
2. Eat smaller portions more frequently – During pregnancy, some women experience a drastic increase in appetite and hence this tip may not be suitable for everyone. However, eating in smaller portions more frequently helps you to control weight gain.
Eat a snack or a small meal every 2 to 3 hours to maintain high energy levels, stabilize your blood sugar levels, and keep your hunger levels in check. If you’re still feeling hungrier between meals, try eating fibre-rich veggies and fruits to keep you full. However, it’s always important to not deprive yourself of the energy you need. Consult your doctor about your diet.
3. Include protein and fibre in every meal – Your body takes more time to process fibre and protein and keeps you full for a longer duration. Moreover, they also help you regulate your blood sugar levels. That’s why your diet should be mostly made mostly out of fibre-rich and protein-rich foods.
Try to replace big portions of refined carbs with whole grains, fruits, nuts, and seeds. When it comes to protein, stick to poultry and lean meat along with Greek yoghurt, cottage cheese, and legumes.
4. Get a lot of calcium – During your pregnancy, you need to increase your calcium intake quite a lot for both your and your baby’s bone health. Calcium intake needs to increase to 1300 mg every day during your pregnancy. While the consumption of dairy products allows you to fulfil that requirement, a lot of people are lactose intolerant.
If you’re in the same situation, consume healthy calcium-rich alternatives like calcium, almonds, broccoli, and more. You should also take a prenatal supplement throughout the pregnancy to fulfil the intake of iron, calcium, and folate.
Conclusion
Dr. Richard Nahas suggests that you use the tips mentioned above to maintain a healthy weight without compromising the health of your or your baby. You should also work closely with your doctor to make sure that you’re gaining the right amount of weight.