Weight gain during pregnancy is quite common as a woman’s bodily conditions change drastically due to the hormonal changes.
Several women often face weight gain issues during and after pregnancy.
Although it is mandatory to gain weight during the pregnancy period, you should eat healthily and maintain a fit body to avoid any possible health issues during and after the child’s birth.
Usually, a woman’s body needs some extra calories per day as she advances into the later pregnancy phase.
This is because your body needs some extra food to provide all the necessary ingredients to the fetus. So ideally, a woman gains approximately 20 to 35 lbs during pregnancy. In the case of twins, the weight gain may vary.
Also, the weight gain during pregnancy varies depending upon the body type. Most of the underweight women gain approximately 28 to 40 pounds during their pregnancy; in contrast, overweight women usually gain only 15 to 25 pounds.
Weight Gain During Pregnancy: How to Avoid Excess Weight Gain?
However, you can easily avoid excess weight gain during pregnancy by following some simple tips.
Eating habits:
Often, most of the pregnant women double their food intake thinking that they need to eat for two instead of one. Although your baby needs all the necessary nutrients to grow, it is not advised for you to eat for two people when you are pregnant.
Most of the physicians offer a diet chart exclusively designed for pregnant women. Eating a balanced diet, comprised of nutrient-rich foods, will nourish you and your baby.
As per the diet chart, a woman needs to consume 100 to 300 more calories when she is in her 1-3 months of pregnancy. Slowly, the amount of calorie intake increases as you are in your 6-9 months of pregnancy.
Instead of including some oily and fatty food in your diet, include lots of vegetables, fruits, and nutritious foods like cereals, granola, and protein-rich foods. Also, consider drinking at least 8 to 10 glasses of water every day.
Exercise during pregnancy:
Many women think that they can only do cardio and stretching exercises during pregnancy. You may be surprised to know that you can continue your regular swimming, cardio, yoga, and mild aerobics exercise during the pregnancy period.
Walking and swimming are the two best exercises for all pregnant women. You can also consult with your doctor before creating your daily exercise routine.
The Internet is also the best arena where you can get some useful information and tips to avoid excess weight gain during pregnancy.
Many nutritionists and dieticians offer free newsletters, tips, and guides exclusively for expecting mothers and guide them to avoid excess weight gain during pregnancy.
However, you shouldn’t starve or go on a harsh diet during pregnancy as it may put your baby’s health at risk.
Connect with a good diet and workout program, specially designed for pregnant women.
Such programs will guide you well and provide you all the necessary information that you need to apply to avoid weight gain during pregnancy. It can be a simple exercise technique or a simple food habit that can make a wonder.
For instance, drinking water will help you to minimize weight gain during pregnancy. Hence, following a good resource guide or a diet and workout program will provide you some helpful tips and techniques that you can apply to manage your weight gain during pregnancy.
Keep a mindset:
Weight gain during pregnancy is unavoidable, but you can surely minimize it to avoid health issues after your child’s birth.
Minimizing weight gain during pregnancy is not difficult if you follow a strict diet chart. Keep a mindset that you need to maintain your food intake and control weight gain.
Keep yourself motivated and never take the situation as an excuse for weight gain during pregnancy that will last for the next nine months.
Believe it or not, the weight that you gain during pregnancy will remain the same even after you have the baby. So plan well to limit your calorie intake and continue your exercise schedule all through the pregnancy period.
Tips to control weight gain during pregnancy:
By following some simple tips your weight gain during pregnancy can be minimized easily.
- Stay healthy by following a simple, nutritious, and healthy diet. Always consider eating enough and divide your meal plan into five sub-meal plans.
- Never try to starve yourself as your baby needs plenty of nutrients to nourish and grow. Contact your dietician or healthcare practitioners to get your diet chart.
- Consider eating a heavy breakfast as what you eat in the morning will be utilized all through the day.
- Avoid taking a heavy dinner as our body stores most of the calories at night.
- Include some healthy snacks in your diet and avoid fried cheese, meat, and potatoes. Instead, take yogurt, whole-grain crackers and carrot sticks, fruits, and granola bars whenever you feel hungry.
- Take fresh fruits instead of taking the packaged juice and canned fruits. Such packaged fruit items are high in sugar.
- Even while shopping, you can read the labels and learn more about the nutritional facts. Always check before buying the food items such as ketchup, dressings, juices, and milkshakes.
- Try taking a glass of milk or soy milk that provides essential nutrients to your body.
Avoid sugary foods as sugar stimulates the production of insulin that leads to the blood sugar spike. Hence, you may feel hungry just after eating a sugar-rich substance.
So try including some fiber-rich foods in your diet as such foods will make you feel fuller and helps in excessive fat removal.
Weight Gain During Pregnancy – The Conclusion
As you already know that eating a balanced and nutritious diet is vital during pregnancy, you can stick to a healthy diet regime all through the nine months of your pregnancy.
Also, don’t overlook the importance of cardio and core muscle exercises as such exercises will help you to maintain your weight gain during pregnancy.
Either you can plan to join a healthy diet and exercise program or maintain your food intake and continue to work out all by yourself.
Just by following these simple steps, you can easily manage your health and avoid excess weight gain during pregnancy that may affect your health and cause possible health issues during child delivery.
