Baby Diet.

As you all know, I struggled big time with my diet at the beginning of my pregnancy.

And when I say, DIET, I mean what I eat…not trying to lose weight.

Just. To. Be. Clear.

I want to keep my weight in check so I can hopefully bounce back after baby but more importantly I want to make sure me and my baby are as healthy as possible.

I have had very few cravings during these first four and a half months, but in terms of aversions…the list goes on and on. Because carbs were pretty much the only things appealing to me I put on a lot of weight really fast…not good for me or for baby. 

I have since done some research and created a meal plan for myself that has gotten me right on track, and I am now exactly where I am supposed to be in terms of weight gain.

{speaking of, this weight gain calculator has been super helpful}

I’ve received a lot of e-mails from you guys asking what exactly that entails, so I figured I’d share. Maybe this can help you other preggo mamas AND those of you trying to lose weight or eat healthier. 

It’s important to first note that I am by no means a professional and what works for me might not work for you, ESPECIALLY if you have specific dietary needs. So pretty, pretty please talk to your doctor to determine what is best for you {and your baby if you’re growing one}.

With that being said, I’ve done A LOT of research. I’ve read several pregnancy books, talked with my doctor and searched online (only reputable sites, I promise). And, the following system is what has been working wonders for me.

I know a lot of you use MyFitnessPal, and let me tell you it’s just as helpful when you’re preggers as it is when you’re trying to lose weight. The first thing I did was log in to MFP and go in to change my goals.

To start I chose the guided option so that I could find a calorie starting point. 

I entered in my pre-pregnancy weight as my current weight and my goal weight. Then, at the bottom I chose my goal to “maintain my current weight” since obviously I do not want to be losing weight while pregnant. From that I was able to get a calorie goal:

I then went back to the goal-setting page and selected the custom option. 

My doctor recommended that I add an additional 300 calories to my diet during the second trimester and then another 300 during the third trimester. So I went in and added 300 to my suggested calorie goal. I then went through and changed the rest of the goals based on the recommended pregnancy nutrition chart I found on babycenter.com.

I then saved my goals and now have a great way to ensure I am getting all the proper nutrition for my baby. If you have the MFP app you are able to check your daily values which has been a HUGE help! Don't forget to add your prenatal vitamin since that helps with A LOT of the needed vitamins. 

That was the easy part. The hard part was coming up with daily meal plans that included a variety of foods that I could actually tolerate eating. Again, I absolutely cannot make myself eat meat of any kind or any vegetables besides frozen Cauliflower, Peas and Corn (and of course peas & corn are carbs-go figure). 

I won't bore you with all the details since what everyone can and cannot stand to eat varies. But here's an example of a typical day in the life of Kristin & Nugget. 

BREAKFAST:

Tazo Decaf Chai Concentrate & Light Soy Milk

Whole Wheat Bagel w/ Fat Free Strawberry Cream Cheese

Prenatal Vitamin

{450 calories}

MORNING SNACK:

Yoplait Greek Yogurt (Honey Vanilla)

Luna Bar (Blueberry Bliss or Vanilla Almond)

{350 calories}

LUNCH:

Easy Mac

1c. Fat Free Cottage Cheese

Disney Foodle-Apples, Cheese & Grapes (I'm seriously OBSESSED with these things!)

{490 calories}

AFTERNOON SNACK:

Hard-Boiled Egg

String Cheese

{140 calories}

DINNER:

My dinner really varies from night-to-night and is usually pretty random. I will usually make my dinner depending on what nutrients I am lacking for the day. My current favorite is:

Chickpea & Avocado Tacos w/ Spanish Rice and a glass of skim milk. 

{700 calories}

I just take a can of chickpeas and saute them with chopped onion, olive oil, cumin and S&P. The I fill whole wheat taco shells with a couple tbsp of the chickpea mixture, chopped avocado (about half an avocado total), fat free shredded cheese, and taco sauce. 

YUM-MY!

DESSERT:

Smartone's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

-OR-

Ben & Jerry's Mini Cup

{150-250 calories}

I've also made a conscious effort to go on more walks and when I'm spending the day by the pool I've been making sure to actually get in there and swim laps and do my own little version of water aerobics.

It's a lot of work to plan and keep track but I'm willing to put in the time to make sure I'm taking the best possible care of my Nugget. Plus, it's good to form these habits now and hopefully I can maintain them after the baby arrives so I can get back to my super model bod in no time. 

HA!