Preggo 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!

Recent Reads

I've read a ton of books lately and am FINALLY getting around to sharing with you guys my thoughts. 

ROOM

To five-year-old-Jack, Room is the world...It's where he was born, it's where he and his Ma eat and sleep and play and learn. At night, his Ma shuts him safely in the wardrobe, where he is meant to be asleep when Old Nick visits. 

Room is home to Jack, but to Ma it's the prison where she has been held for seven years. Through her fierce love for her son, she has created a life for him in this eleven-by-eleven-foot space. But with Jack's curiosity building alongside her own desperation, she knows that Room cannot contain either much longer. 

Room is a tale at once shocking, riveting, exhilarating--a story of unconquerable love in harrowing circumstances, and of the diamond-hard bond between a mother and her child. 

I LOVED this book! It was a really quick read and it was an incredible story. It was gut-wrenching and heartbreaking but I really loved it and would definitely recommend it! 

WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING

Of course, now that I'm expecting, I wanted to read this book. I thought it was very informative, almost too much so. I skimmed over a lot of it because it goes into great detail on a lot of possible diseases and complications. It's good to at least be aware of them, but I didn't want to dwell on all that could possibly go wrong. 

YOUR PREGNANCY WEEK BY WEEK

This book is very similar to What to Expect but not quite as intense. If you're trying to decide between the two I would actually recommend this one. 

BELLY LAUGHS

This was a great book! Totally hilarious and a book on what pregnancy is REALLY like. Plus hearing it from Jenny McCarthy who is not only famous but GORGEOUS was awesome. It's nice to know the rich and famous go through the same things I'm feeling. 

THE GIRLFRIEND'S GUIDE TO PREGNANCY

Four-time delivery room veteran Vicki Iovine, "the Carrie Bradshaw of pregnancy" (Wall Street Journal), talks to you the way only a best friend can -- in the book that will go the whole nine months for every mother-to-be. Now, in this newly revised and updated edition, get the lowdown on all those little things that are too strange or embarrassing to ask, practical tips, and hilarious takes on everything pregnant. 

This was without a doubt my favorite pregnancy book! Girlfriends beware, if and when you all get pregnant I will be buying you this book! As the description said, it's like reading a book written by your friends about what pregnancy is REALLY like. It is HILARIOUS and totally true! I highly, highly, highly recommend it! 

Even if you're not pregnant, READ IT. It will properly prepare you for what pregnancy is like. 

WHAT TO EXPECT THE FIRST YEAR

Same as the Pregnancy book, it was A LOT of information, not all of which was pertinent. But, it was really helpful in preparing for baby and I will definitely be using it as a resource once the bambino arrives. 

THE GIRLFRIENDS GUIDE TO SURVIVING THE FIRST YEAR OF MOTHERHOOD

Again, I read this one in preparation and again, it was hilarious! I definitely recommend this one too. Just like the pregnancy book it tells it as it is and prepares you for what motherhood is REALLY like. 

FIFTY SHADES OF GREY TRILOGY

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant, and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realize she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana's quiet beauty, wit, and independent spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too --but on his own terms. 

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey's singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success --his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family -- Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring, passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey's secrets and explores her own dark desires. 

Erotic, amusing, and deeply moving, the Fifty Shades Trilogy is a tale that will obsess you, possess you, and stay with you forever. 

OK, so now to the good stuff. I know A LOT of you have read these books or are at least thinking of reading these books. If you have not read them yet, here's my recommendation: read them! These books are now a part of pop culture and if for nothing else read them so you get all the references and jokes going around. With that being said...here's my review of the books.

I had mentioned before that I had a love/hate relationship with the books and it's totally true. I loved that this was a love story different than all the stereotypical Nicholas Sparks type novels (which, don't get me wrong, I love). The books had a darker story line and everyone knows about the extreme sexual content, which was definitely different than any other book I've ever read. The storyline definitely pulled me in and I was dying to know how it all ended. 

BUT, I absolutely HATED the writing. I think these could quite possibly be the worst written books in the history of the world. 

A direct quote from the book: 

"He smirks and cranks his glorious smile up another notch so it's in full HD IMAX."

I almost threw my Nook out the window when I read that, anyone with an OUNCE of literary talent could have come up with a better way to describe someone's smile. I could go on and on about how terrible the writing is, not just the language but the book is SO repetitive. 

I know people are ga-ga over these books, and I totally get why, I just couldn't get past the writing. 

Those of you who have read them, what are your thoughts?

Now I need something new to read. Any suggestions?


ps.
  HAPPY BIRTHDAY
to my not-so-baby-sister who turns 15 today!

Weekend Recap.

It was another lovely weekend and I'm sad to see it come to an end. 

Friday night I went out to celebrate my friend Jackie's Bachelorette Party. 

This was one of those events that I was super bummed to be pregnant during, I left early but if the first few hours were any indication this Bachelorette Party was one for the books! 

Saturday we had our friends Colin & Sharisse and their little boy Brody over to our pool. It was a solid six hours of sunshine, swimming and cocktails, well for everyone except me and Brody. 

 It's so fun seeing Jason with Brody, he's so good with him and it makes me really excited for our little one to arrive. 

Saturday evening we all watched the Celtics sadly lose to Miami. 

Does anyone else despise the Miami Heat as much as I do? After the game, the "adults" continued on with their cocktailing while me, Brody and Bailey watched Madagascar 2. 

Sunday we were once again poolside. This time my mom and Jason's dad joined us. Somehow I got more sun in the two hours on Sunday than the six hours on Saturday. Weird. 

Then Sunday evening we went to our friends Andrea and Eric's for a BBQ. Our friends Pat and Nicci also came with their two daughters Josie and Emma. 

Andrea is also pregnant and due in July! So it was really fun to chat with the ladies about all things pregnancy and babies. 

Emma not sure about feeling the baby.....

 and Emma's reaction to the baby hiccuping....

The best part, however, was watching Josie torment Eric. 

And, Bailey made a new friend. :)

Can I please tell you all how obsessed I am with my camera? I'm really bummed I didn't have it at the pool to capture some action shots of Brody swimming. 

To end the weekend, a picture with my honey. 

I hope you're all  having a great start to your week!

xoxo, 

Preggo Style.

As the belly expands I have to get more and more creative with my outfits. I finally bit the bullet and got some maternity jeans because the ones I had were just no longer working! Aside from that, I really want to spend a limited amount of money on maternity clothes! Heck, I'm going to be able to wear them for like 4 months and maybe never again! 

With that being said I would prefer not to look like a scrub for the next 4 1/2 months. 

I'm really trying to avoid the following: 

via google search

I also have to keep in mind that we have 5 weddings this fall, not to mention all the accompanying bridal showers and rehearsal dinners AND I've got baby showers people!

So, I know I'm going to have to get creative and put some thought in to looking not only socially acceptable but CUTE! If only I could win the lottery and look like any one of these girls: 

via google search

And then there's my preggo style icon:

via google search

Seriously, who would like to donate to the "Kristin Needs Cute Preggo Clothes Fund?"

Anyone?.....

 .....Bueller?

Here's what I'm actually looking at:

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I like the idea of getting a classic "little black dress" that I can wear to multiple functions and then change up with different accessories and shoes. Way easier to get a $20 necklace than a $60 dress, right? 

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I like this one because it has the longer sleeves, which will be good for fall. I could wear it with pumps, boots, leggings, tights, I like the idea of having options. 

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I think this is cute for a summer shower. 

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I love, love, love this for one of the weddings. It's $130 which is more than I really want to spend, but how cute is it?! I may have to splurge.

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I also love, love, love this dress. This would be a good one to transition from summer to fall. 

So what do you guys think? You like? Not so much?

And, you mama's out there...what are your preggo wardrobe tips?