Everyone has heard it… “Dig in! You’re eating for two now” or “Go ahead and indulge. You’re only pregnant for 9 months.” This could not be further from what you really should be doing during your pregnancy. If anything, you should be more concerned about what you are putting in your body now more than ever because that is what feeds your body the nutrients it needs to create another human being. Tattoo this on your brain: being pregnant is not a free pass to eat whatever and however much you want.
When I first found out I was pregnant, I was feeling the normal symptoms of sickness and nausea. The first thing my husband got me were the “typical” feel better items like soup and crackers. They didn’t seem to help. I talked with my doctor and she said those empty carbs weren’t going to help and that I actually needed more protein (and probably sleep). So, I heeded her advice and made sure I had protein for every meal and even when I snacked. Even then, I was still far from the optimal diet.
Then there was a challenge at our gym. My husband said I had no excuse not to participate in our gym challenge focusing on fitness, nutrition and recovery. I was a little PO’ed at him for thinking it was “no big deal” for me to go on a strict diet and exercise when my body was going through so many changes…but then I thought, why the heck not.
We followed a diet very similar to Whole 30 (like Meredith). I thought it was going to kill me because I got sick thinking about food, looking at food, and you can just forget about cooking. I told my husband if he wanted me to do it, he had to cook and most likely clean. He did. I started noticing that not only did I not get sick anymore, but that I also had more energy and did not put on the initial 10lbs that I did in my first pregnancy.
I did not workout as much as I normally would during my first trimester because it just didn’t feel good. Instead, I focused on my nutrition and recovery. I would eat, sleep, take care of our son Jack, and repeat. Now when they say you need to eat more to feed the baby, what they are really saying is eat an additional 300-400 calories a day usually beginning with your second trimester. This does not mean eat a donut. This means eat more protein, veggies, fruit, nuts, etc. Eat more good stuff, not processed junk your body will do nothing with.
What pregnancy eating tips do you have to stay healthy and feel energized?
PROTEIN PROTEIN PROTEIN. I was told this during my 2nd pregnancy and it made a huge difference. I am far from a “good eater” but even when not pregnant this has been something I work on as I can tell a huge difference in my energy level and feelin good if I eat plenty of protein. Great tips….I have to admit that my pregnant self always craved WAY too much drive thru (oh french fries! I love you). Hope to fix this with the next pregnancy.
I’m not going to lie… I have cravings! But then I think of how sick I feel afterwards and it makes it not worth it. Instead I look to make better use of my time… or drink tea.
Ugh! I had terrible morning (actually, all day) sickness with all of my pregnancies for a good 19-20 weeks. During my last pregnancy, my doc had me drinking high-protein (greek yogurt, protein powder and fruit) smoothies in the morning and tons of water. I was still sick, and didn’t eat much of anything, but was able to get out of bed. I craved milk like crazy towards the end of my last pregnancy and as it turns out, had to give up dairy while nursing since my youngest has an extreme dairy sensitivity. Go figure.