How to Prevent Weight Gain During Pregnancy?

Women, mothers to be, whether they are first timers planning a pregnancy, or are closing in on their third trimesters with their fourth child, always tend to struggle with the inevitable weight gain and the ultimate battle to shed the pounds that comes with the territory.

While it’s natural for a woman to gain some amount of weight due to the hormonal changes that occur in her body, it is the insistent food cravings and the constant urges from well-wishers to ‘eat for two’ that lead to a majority of women feeling dejected post-partum when they’re unable to lose the extra rounds of fat they’ve collected over the months. However, unbeknownst to the well-wishers and a majority of pregnant women themselves, too much weight during the course of the pregnancy can actually raise considerable health risks for a mother pre and post-delivery.

Fortunately though, there are definitive ways for you to fulfill your pregnancy cravings, provide adequate nourishment for your growing child, and gain the requisite weight, all in a healthier way. Here’s how:

Begin Healthy

For women to remain fit throughout the course of their pregnancy, it’s essential that they begin that way. If you are in the planning phases, it’s recommended that you visit a consultant OB-Gynae as well as a nutritionist who can help you prepare your body for a healthy pregnancy regardless of whether you’re underweight or overweight.

Keep a check of your BMI and your BMR before and during your pregnancy to help you keep things on track. And if you’re well on your way through you’re second trimester, don’t be dejected or think that you’ll begin your fitness journey post-partum. You can easily change the trajectory to your pregnancy weight gain by making essential healthier adjustments from your very next meal.

Don’t Eat For Two

The most misleading advice anyone can give a pregnant woman is tell her to eat for two. According to research and current pregnancy guidelines, only an addition of three hundred and forty calories is required within the second trimester for a woman to deliver a perfectly healthy baby.

We recommend that you don’t pay heed to the very many well-wishers that surround you. Instead, focus on eating the right kinds of foods which satisfy your cravings and provide the necessary nourishment you require.

Eat and Drink Constructive

Nobody gets a free pass for eating all kinds of junk food without some sort of consequences, not even pregnant ladies with insane cravings. To gain weight in a healthier way, and reduce the risk of dangerous pre and post-delivery complications from arising, we suggest you pay attention to what you eat and when you eat it.

• Don’t starve yourself so that you end up over-eating at your dinner time.
• Break up your meals into small but frequent ones with plenty of healthy snacks in between.
• Instead of fat-laden fast or junk foods select fruits, complex carbs, and lean proteins, healthy fats, and foods with high fiber and water content
• Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration and over-eating, and avoid sugary boxed juices and other unhealthy drinks.

Stay Active

Last but by no means least, the best way to ensure you remain healthy during pregnancy despite the weight gain is to be and remain physically active. Apart from avoiding high-contact force exercises, there’s no reason for you to stop your physical activity once you conceive. In fact, most exercises can easily be adjusted and tailored to accommodate you expanding girth and shifting balance. If you are a complete novice in terms of physical fitness, then we’d recommend that you introduce a light form of exercise such a brisk walking into your regular routine, even if all you can manage is 10 minutes in a day.