Pregnancy

Tips for Avoiding Excess Weight Gain

Is not a secret; being overweight is not healthy for anyone, including those women who want to get pregnant because obesity lowers fertility. However, for those women who are already pregnant, eating healthy food is necessary to avoid weight gain in excess during pregnancy.

An expectant mother needs a well balanced diet and an exercise program to ensure her baby is getting all the nutrients needed for developing. During your pregnancy you do not need to "eat for two" doubling the amounts of meal servings, but getting extra calories from nutrient-rich foods.

However, consuming only 100 to 300 more calories than you consumed before pregnancy is enough to meet your baby's needs and keep weight gain under control. Plan with your health care provider your diet, asking him/her how much weight you should gain during pregnancy, since weight varies from woman to woman and from pregnancy to pregnancy.

It is estimated that a mother-to-be should gain only 25 to 35 pounds on average during pregnancy, however if you are underweight before pregnancy, the doctor will recommend that you gain 28 to 40 pounds, or 15 to 25, if you are overweight. Generally, you will gain about 2 to 4 pounds during your first trimester of pregnancy and approximately 1 pound every week until delivery.

Keeping a healthy diet to avoid excess weight gain is as easy as following a few tips, starting with a nutritious breakfast. Never skip the first meal of the day because that contributes to eating in excess later throughout the day, and after sleeping several hours at night, your baby needs you eat to obtain the calories early in the day.

Plan your meals with healthy snacks, including fruit, carrot sticks, and whole-grain crackers. If you feel hungry between meals you will not gain weight but nutrients. Go shopping for food only on a full stomach and after make a shopping list. At the grocery store choose low fat foods with low sugar content and high in fiber.

Broil, steam or bake your foods, and include more vegetables in your diet. If you have to go to a restaurant ask for dishes prepared with those cooking methods, and if you are going to a party, eat before leaving home to reduce the opportunities to eat more than you need or junk food at this or any other event or outdoors entertainment.

During pregnancy, you will need to drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, and prevent some pre-natal conditions. Drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day prevents dehydrations and the hunger feeling. Finally think about the food you are eating, biting and chewing it at least 50 times before swallowing. The more slowly you eat, the less food you will consume, facilitating digestion and enjoying its flavor.