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Try adding protein powders to some of your foods and I'm not just talking smoothies (though those are good too). These are a good, healthy way to add put on weight when you're pregnant. There's lots of recipes out there for adding it to regular foods like sauces and soups. This way you're not trying to cram more into your already full belly, but you're getting in more calories and nutrients.
Eating healthy instead of eating a lot of junk/processed foods automatically cuts your calories, but just not gaining weight isn't necessarily a bad thing. The main issue while pregnant is getting the proper nutrition, and then gaining weight is kinda secondary.
There are some healthy foods you can incorporate to boost your calorie count, though. Things like avocados, nuts, full fat dairy (cheese and yogurt included) and complex carbohydrates like whole grains, pasta, etc... are high calorie dense foods. Lots of fiberous foods like veggies are good for you, but naturally lower in calories, so try adding some higher calorie foods to your regular veggies and fruits (e.g. banana with peanut butter, fruit with Greek yogurt, or carrots with hummus).
In all, though, your doctor should tell you if your weight gain is too low and give you some counseling on how to increase your weight. If your doctor's not worried, you're probably doing a-ok, even if you're not gaining on the "normal" schedule. :)
I had the same thing with not being able to eat big meals and had to eat lots of smaller snacks. I made lots of zucchini or pumpkin or banana bread to have with milk. I ussually cook with olive oil instead of butter but we made lots of stir frys because i loved spicy while I was pregnant. Cocnuts are also a good, healthy but filling snack as well as avacados.
Sounds like you are doing jsut fine and you only need to add 250 to 300 calories every day - that is not a lot. Try to add in some good snacks. String cheese, crackers or whole wheat toast with peanut or almond butter, nuts, prunes or other dried fruit, a fruit smoothie, frozen yogurt or ice cream, carrots or celery with hummus. I like to keep cottage cheese with pineapple on hand or ricotta cheese on whole wheat crackers. I also snack on cereal, greek yogurt with granola, half a fiber bar (i love gnu bars), rice cakes, a packet of instant oatmeal when I am at work or some homemade trail mix with nuts, dried fruit, granola and mini chocolate chips.
Hope that helps.
There are unflavored powders out there. Some people notice a taste difference, but it kind of depends what you put it in.
You can add more snacks like yogurt, fruit, veggie & dips. I dont think its bad if you had icecream or donuts every now and then.
I tracked my calories this week and I'm only eating about 1400 and I'm probably throwing up 500 of those :( I really have so many food aversions right now it's quite terrible. I however have started eating pieces of toast with peanut butter, or nutella, or jelly. That's helping me get a few more in. The other tip which a friend (nutrionist) gave me was to eat out more. Which at first I thought was funny, but the amount of calories in a takeout meal are way more in the equivalent I'm cooking at home. Since Im so tired I have welcomed a couple meals out to eat each week.
Thanks everyone!
Here is a good example of what I am talking about..
Today I have had 670 calories so far, and I am sitting here feeling like humpty dumpty. I am so full I can barely move.
I've had:
Breakfast: Whole grain (but light because they taste better to me) english muffin, with 2 tablespoons of full fat peanutbutter and a touch of jelly. Also coffee with 2% milk and a touch of sugar.
Lunch: SmartOnes pasta frozen meal. Not the healthiest, but very tastey and convenient. With water.
So we planned out the rest of my day...
For dinner, I am having chicken with some seasonings, brown rice, and broccoli. Based on the quantity I eat, we estimated about 450 calories there. I will drink water.
That leaves snacks...
Peanutbutter crackers (ritz, pre-packaged), glass of OJ, full-fat yogurt, and carrot sticks. Then a cup of hot chocolate after dinner. This, to me, feels like a lot but I am going to try to get it all in.
This leaves me having only 3 fruits and veggies, yet only a grand total of 1780. Do you think it is ok?
I live on SmartOnes for lunch, but have started adding a "snack" to it. So today was Pasta Primavera with a side of pineapple. Or I'll add carrots, or some string cheese. It's a small change to add a little bit to a lunch and hopefully won't leave you feeling too full.
I've also added a banana to my breakfast - I usually eat it before I shower, then have my cereal after my shower. Mainly so I don't get nauseous from an empty stomach, but it also helps me get an extra fruit serving in the morning.
@heathaah: It sounds okay to me. I have lost weight so far (at almost 16 weeks) but my doctor is totally unconcerned, and said if I don't gain a pound through the entire pregnancy, it is not the end of the world, as long as I keep taking my prenatals, and keep hydrated (which has been an issue with the hyperemesis). Has your doctor expressed any concern? If not, I wouldn't worry too much, babies are the worlds best parasite, they will take everything they need, so if you are cutting yourself short, you will feel it long before it effects the baby. So as long as you are feeling alright I am sure you are fine!
@heathaah: They say you're suppose to have 2300 calories each day which means you're short.
This is where I got 1822. Would you trust it? I'm not sure!
http://www.freedieting.com/tools/pregnancy_calorie_calculator.htm
I will have to ask the doctor I guess. I had been aiming for the 1822.
@heathaah: I know someone mentioned protein powders, but I've been drinking pre-mixed chocolate protein shakes for the last few weeks. I get the ones from costco, and they're really low fat and only like 1g sugar. They taste good and are pretty 'dense' with nutrients.
I know you said no salad dressing, but I got some supplies to make my salads more calorie dense - adding veggies like peas, beets, mushrooms, etc. and protein like garbanzo beans and seeds or nuts. I've found once you pile all the other stuff on, you don't really need dressing (or you can just throw a smidge of olive oil to wet it).
These are my list of go-to snacks. I will have one between breakfast and lunch and one between lunch and dinner. They are generally low calorie, but full of lean protein and/or vitamins that I need:
ETA: The right number of calories that you need to consume varies from person to person, depending on your size and the amount of activity each day. The average non-pregnant woman only burns about 1400 calories (without exercising). (The 2000 calorie diet is really aimed more at men, then women). So, if you ate 2000 calories per day, you would be gaining at least 1 lb each week.
I would say to bump up your total number of calories to around 1,700 and then see how you feel from there. Just make sure that you're making those calories count - stick with healthy alternatives instead of splurging on donuts ;-) (God knows that's the hardest thing for me right now!)
@Ms Mini: "babies are the world's best parasite" This made me lol, but it's so true. DH was wondering how I could be hungry again the other day and I told him I had a parasite... he didn't think it was as funny as I did.
I think you're doing just fine! It sounds like you're very conscious of what you're eating and that you're trying to incorporate some new things. I'm 20 weeks today and have only gained 2 pounds. I believe you mentioned on another post that you're 19 weeks today. I bet you will start noticing consistent weight gain over the next month or so. Just give it some time! :)
@Ms Mini: Your parasite comment reminded me about something I read. It mentioned that the baby will even pull calcium from your bones if you don't get enough during pregnancy. Ahh!
**Also, weight gain may be more of a concern for someone that is underweight
I just went to the ob. I've lost 11lbs at this point, which is good and bad. She said the avg pregnant woman of normal height and weight should eat between 1900-2400 per day. So you're super close at 1822 I wouldn't stress it.
@BabyBoecksMom: when you're pregnant you're burning more.
@heathaah: My hubby tells me all the time that I don't eat enough for being pregnant also. I am 15 weeks and have gained 3.5 pounds (which really is pretty normal).
I don't eat any sort of beef or pork, no white/refined flour, fat free EVERYTHING (milk, soup, sauces) and I have a really hard time snacking. I eat three meals a day but usually don't eat anything in between (some days I do have weird cheese cravings though, so I indulge for those).
I am interested to follow this thread!
My gf went full term and only gained 16 pounds, and 8 of that was the baby. Her doctor told her that as long as the baby grows normal and is a healthy weight ( which they measure by ultra sound) that she didnt NEED to gain weight. She was very active during her entire prenancy however.
A few ways I have added calories (and healthy calories) to my meals are:
- Skim milk with dinner (I used to always have water)
- Beans and cheese on salads (white beans, chick peas, kidney beans) when I used to have none
- V8 - can you drink this or does it count as juice? 1 small can a day is a fully serving of veggies and the soda sized can is 2! They have low sodium V8 too.
- Greek yogurt
- Fiber1 bars
- Hummus w/ pita
I used to snack on more empty calories or didn't really snack at all. Now I make sure my snacks are good ones.
You sound like you are doing pretty well! Maybe try substituting a salad with beans or avacado for lunch instead of a Smart Ones?
I'm having the same issue. My midwife wanted me getting 2700-3000 calories. Which to me seems like A TON. Especially since pre-pregnancy I consumed only 1500-1700. So the rule of adding only 300 more calories didn't apply to my situation at all, it really was "eating for two". It's hard to feel like I get enough calories in, I know I probably average 2000 while trying.
It's good you include peanut butter with breakfast, the protein is good for you and helps you stay full. I have a cliff bar every other day, about 200 calories, but it does have 20g of sugar so I'm not sure if that's okay for you? Maybe you could find another snack bar with less sugar to add in some calories/protein.
I second the avocados, lots of essential oils/fats with good calorie content, one of my favorite "snacks" is caprese salad (mozzarella, basil, tomato and I add avocado, drizzled with balsamic and olive oil) - the oils also help the elasticity of your skin :) Or I make guacomole (tomatoes, onions, avocado, cilantro & lime) and eat it with whole-grain chips (full harvest organic has good chips).
Whole grain crackers with peanut butter is a good snack, trail mix (all the nuts have lots of protein!), almonds, granola, popcorn is actually a really healthy snack and butter isn't as bad for you as they say if you get good-quality, cottage cheese with peaches..
Pasta + cheese dishes are pretty high calorie. Tonight I made traditional spaghetti but added some whole milk with the sauce and it was delicious.
Hope that helps a little!!
I just got really serious about my diet. I start every single morning with a huge handmade smoothie instead of coffee. It has changed my life. In it I put walnuts, local milk, local greens, all the fruits and veggies I have- from sweet potato to spinach to carrots. This is a great way to get all your veggies and fruits for the day and get a burst of energy. I would try to avoid that pre-packaged stuff (but I understand that you are probably very busy). I count protein now- (SO hard to get enough!) and that has really helped me be conscious in a good way. For lunch I had a left over piece of Newman's Own chicken garlic pizza (I was in the studio, had to bring my lunch) and a greek yogurt. For dinner I had a HUGE burrito with tons of veggies and beans and reduced fat organic cheese. I also had a small portion of cottage cheese and a couple left over baked organic aged cheddar chips and (I went wild) and had a chocolate bar. It was 2100 calories.
If you need to add healthy calories I would recommend walnuts. TONs of omega-3s and super high calories- but good calories. If you have a food processor, you can make your own walnut butter. Also, granola- if you like it- is high calorie, protein, and a great snack.
I have heard that it isn't about eating for two as much as it is about eating twice as healthy. i have only been vaugely researching this lately though. FI wants me to have one more and I figure no matter what my baby will have a MUCH healthier diet than I did when I was 18 and prego.
Greek yogurt and Ensure have been lifesavers for me.
I just am not hungry a lot and had rough morning sickness for the first couple months.
Also anything that has peanut butter has been helpful for me (I don't have to eat as much to get decent calories and protein), also baked beans for the protein. When nothing else suits, I go for a box of the powdered Kraft mac & cheese, definitely better than eating nothing.
Veggies have absolutely repulsed me throughout the pregnancy, so I keep up with the prenatal vitamins and when something strikes me as being delicious, I go for it!
Protein shakes are always a good way to add some good calories. I make some in my Magic Bullet with skim milk & frozen fruit- I know my husband adds quick oats to make them a bit healthier. There is a brand called Optimum Nutrition that makes great flavored powders- the vanilla ice cream one is awesome. The Muscle Milk ready to drink shakes are good too if you need something you can bring to work.
@cbee: I also make protein green smoothies, do yours taste good? I never add vegetables, I always add a lot of fruit in order to cover the taste of greens.
I.e. my smoothie the other day was: 2 cups water, 1 cup kale, 1 banana, 1 TB peanut butter, 1 TB almond butter, 1 scoop of love and peas protein powder, 2 cups whole frozen strawberries, 1/2 c oatmeal - and it turns out delicious! And it was about 20g+ protein.
Another typical recipe is: 1-2 c blueberries, 1 cup spinach/kale, 1 cup water, 1 scoop protein powder, and one other fruit, such as strawberries or a banana.
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I have been complaining about not gaining weight, so my sister and I just counted my calories and found that I am not getting enough. But I eat when I am hungry, and often when I am not (and the clock...or the hubs...tells me to).
For meals, I just don't eat a lot in a sitting, so I really can't add too much to them. So it needs to be in the snack/beverage area. That being said, I need to get all my servings of veggies in (low calorie!) and I am supposed to limit my sugars because my PCOS puts me at risk for gestational diabetes (only one glass of juice a day).
I use reduced fat milk because full fat makes me gag. I also eat lowfat soups, but mainly because the kinds I like happen to be low fat (chicken with veggies or rice). I also don't eat red meat, salad dressings, or eggs, which doesn't help when trying to get in calories.
But how can stopping at the donut shop really be healthy??? If my snack choice is carrots or ice cream (etc.), shouldn't I be going with the carrots?
Does anyone have any advice? Thanks!!