How Not to Become a Glutton during Pregnancy

Getting pregnant is a blessing. However, it comes with a lot of responsibility too. You have to be responsible for the health of the other human being growing in you. As a mother, you have to be careful with what you eat. Nonetheless, most of us take pregnancy as an excuse to eat more than is required. We tend to become gluttonous and eat anything that is available without caring about how unhealthy the food. As the saying goes, we become what we eat. Read on to find some tips on how not to become a glutton during pregnancy .

1. Start your pregnancy at a healthy weightIf you are thinking of getting a baby or are trying to conceive, try to keep as fit as you can be. Consult your physician on what your Body Mass Index(BMI) . They can advise you on whether you need to lose or gain some weight. Try to get a healthy weight before conception as this will help make you healthier food choices when the cravings hit.

2. Do not ‘eat for two.’Don’t use pregnancy as an excuse to overeat. Usually, a pregnant woman should only gain between 25-40 pounds. As a mother-to-be, you need to consume 300 extra calories per day. These are equivalent to eating just one fruit or a yogurt container. You should watch what you eat. If that means having to count the calories in your food, so be it.

3. Be physically active
Many times gluttony is born out of boredom. While pregnant you spend a lot of your time in the house doing nothing and food is always available. To overcome your cravings for food, make yourself active. You can try doing a few house chores such as a bit of laundry or cleaning the house. Also, you can do some workouts designed for pregnant women such as walking and cycling. These exercises will not only distract you from your cravings but are also healthy for your baby.

4. Eat healthy foods
Avoid processed foods as well as snacks with high sugar. Such diets usually contain little to no nutrients and will often leave you still hungry and unsatisfied and may result in you overeating. You need a lot of useful nutrients while pregnant including folic acid, calcium, and iron. Remember to take breakfast daily to avoid making wrong food choices during the day. You have to fine-tune your eating habits to get the necessary nutrients. Take a balanced diet daily. Include proteins in every meal or snack. They keep you satiated for longer kicking hunger to the curb. Some of the recommended diets for pregnant women involve taking foods from diverse groups. Some of the food groups include whole grains, dairy products, proteins as well as fruits and vegetables.

5. DrinkDrinking a lot of water and other fluids keeps you satisfied in between meals hence reducing your cravings for food. Being dehydrated is not good for you while pregnant. Also, during pregnancy, women tend to feel bloated and getting constipation. Water aids to keep things moving hence you should take at least 10 glasses of water per day.

6. Make a pregnancy plan
It’s not odd to feel hungry more often than usual during pregnancy. This hunger is what leads to you eating a lot at any time of day or night. However, munching all the time is unhealthy. Many times what you crave is not healthy for you or your baby and will only lead to you becoming gaining even more weight. You need to come up with a pregnancy plan to regulate your eating habits . However, this doesn’t mean you have to ignore your hunger. Take a small healthy meal whenever you feel hungry. Take the meals at regular times every day.

7. Find emotional support
Studies indicate that people whose minds are not at ease or are emotionally unstable tend to eat more. Pregnant women often get mood swings and are emotionally unstable due to the surge of hormones. For this reason, it’s always good to get a source of emotional support from your loved ones. It could be from your husband, friends or family. Talk to them about your insecurities, anxiety , and stress. Sharing your problems with them reduces the load for you and gets rid of the need to de-stress through eating. You don’t have to go through pregnancy alone.

Food plays a significant role in pregnancy. To avoid becoming gluttonous, you have to identify the reasons why you are getting the cravings to eat a specific food that often. Many times the reason you overeat turns out to be because of an underlying issue. For instance, the longing for a particular food may be an indication that your body is lacking some nutrient or vitamin. Eat healthy balanced diets and exercise regularly to keep yourself satisfied and hence avoid gaining too much weight during pregnancy.