Excessive Pregnancy Weight Gain: Changing Your Lifestyle, Not Just Your Diet

Excessive Pregnancy Weight Gain: Changing Your Lifestyle

, Not Just Your Diet

Listen to any pregnancy nutritionist and they will tell you that excessive pregnancy weight gain is a no-no. In fact, the old saying about "eating for two" has been thrown out of most medical guides. Instead, you will find that most experts recommend that you gain no more than 20 to 30 pounds over the course of your pregnancy.

But rather than focus on short-term solutions to your dieting issues, try implementing the kind of healthy lifestyle changes that should continue long after you give birth. In other words, try to look beyond the next nine months at the healthy changes you can make to improve your wellbeing for the rest of your life.

The Foods You Eat

When it comes to changing the foods you eat, focus on three words: whole, natural, and organic. Making the shift from chemical-laden processed foods to whole, natural foods is one of the most profound shifts you can make for a healthy lifestyle. P

rocessed foods contain fillers, preservatives, additives, and sodiumall of which can contribute to weight gain. These processed foods are usually low on fiber too, and ingesting enough fiber is crucial to keeping weight gain at bay.

Whole foods, on the other hand, provide a host of nutritional benefits to those who consume themthey contain the vitamins, minerals, and fiber that both you and your baby need for a healthy pregnancy.

The Importance of Water

Water should be your beverage of choice during pregnancy, for a variety of reasons.

First, you need to stay well-hydrated throughout your pregnancy, especially if you are experiencing morning sickness.

Second, drinking enough water can combat many of the physical aches and pains that are common throughout pregnancy.

Thirdly, if you are experiencing water retention, drinking more water can flush the excess fluid from your body.

Finally, if you drink enough water you will feel fuller between meals, which can help keep you from overeating and gaining too much weight.

Exercise Is a Must

It's hard to stay active during pregnancy, especially during the first trimester when you may be struggling with morning sickness and fatigue; and the last trimester, when you have gained weight and may find it difficult to move.

But staying active will help you stay fit for the rigors of labor. Regular exercise can also help keep your blood circulating, which will help prevent edema.

If you are wary of exercise, try working out with a buddy so it becomes more of a social event than work. You can also try out new forms of low impact exercise that will keep you hooked.

For example, if you've never tried water aerobics, you might consider it during pregnancy. It's a great way to get a good aerobic workout without the stress on your joints that comes with a traditional aerobic class.

Or you might try a prenatal yoga class, which can help you stay limber and lean for labor.

Stress Reduction Techniques

Pregnancy can be stressful, and learning how to cope with pressure now will serve you well for the rest of your life. Just as you spend 30 minutes per day exercising, you should spend a certain amount of time dedicated to relieving stress.

Some women prefer to pray or meditate, while others like to journal. You may just want to have a cup of tea with a friend, or a nice long phone conversation with your Mom. How about a movie or a manicure?

Learning how to handle stress now will help you with the myriad frustrations of new mommyhood, and will help you stay focused, happy, and on track the rest of your life.

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