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How to Avoid Being Overweight During Pregnancy

Weight gain during pregnancy is probably the main concern of the moms-to-be (let alone of course the health of the baby). “How can I get a rapid weight loss once the baby is born?” and “how can I avoid putting on too much weight now?” are the most common questions in this case. For an answer to the first question, the best thing would be to get ready for the after-pregnancy period, by being familiar with the best fast weight loss tips.

For the latter issue, read on.

A weight gain is perfectly normal during pregnancy. Obviously, the fetus weighs, but also the placenta, the amniotic liquid, and a higher liquid retention are also important factors. Ideally though, this gain should be between 9 and 12 Kg. In this article I will give some tips to keep this gain within physiological limits, and to leave fat out of the picture. First of all, forget the old aunt’s advice to eat twice as much because “now you have to feed two people.” It is one of those hard to die myths, like the one that says that it is possible to know the sex of the baby from the shape of the belly.

Of course, the new life growing inside the womb demands a higher calorie intake but in normal cases it should be between 150 and 300 calories per day (between 40000 and 80000 calories for the whole pregnancy). A higher intake would be necessary if, for example the new mother is less than 18 years of age, or if she had poor-nutrition problems in the past, or if twins are expected. At the beginning of the second quarter of the pregnancy, the proteins intake should be 13-15g higher than usual, and at least 50% of this increased intake should be from animal proteins.

The reason for this is simple: in the new mother’s body there is more and more blood, and this requires more iron. From the second half of the pregnancy, the higher need of iron will have to be supplied via supplements, preferably with folic acid, in order to avoid anemia issues with both the new mother and the new born.

Other crucial nutritional elements during pregnancy are calcium (between 1000 and 1200mg per day) and vitamins (up to 20-30% more than the normal RDI). WHAT TO EAT Complex sugars: bread, pasta, rice, cereals, legumes. Simple sugars should be avoided. Proteins: meat (preferably poultry), seafood, eggs, soy, skimmed milk, legumes Fats: extra-virgin olive oil. Vitamins and minerals: any type of fruit Salt: moderation is recommended, avoid stock-cubes WHAT NOT TO EAT Beverages: alcohol and coffee. Tea and chocolate in moderation. Food: cold and raw meats, shellfish and game. More in general, any type of food that is too hot or too cold, spicy, or smoked, should be avoided.

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