Just been reading the warning about obesity in pregnancy from NICE

[Rocklover]

And I'm all paranoid now. I am not obese, but in the overweight category with a bmi of 27ish (put 1/2 stone on since getting pg). My weight wasn't mentioned when I was weighed before my scan, but now I feel terrible that I have been eating things that are bad for me by giving in to my cravings (to help the nausea).

I need to try and eat more healthily now and I'm thinking it's diet food from here on in. Lots of fat free yoghurt, fruit and veg, fish and chicken etc. In fact everything my body doesn't seem to be craving at the moment! I am presuming I may lose weight/not put any more on if I stick to a low fat diet, is this ok in pregnancy? It seems to be what NICE is encouraging.

I wouldn't necessarily choose a low fat diet, often low fat foods are filled with sugar and additives to make them tastier.

I am trying to choose a diet that is full of natural unprocessed foods - lean meat, fish, eggs, lots of veggies and fruit, natural yoghurt, raw nuts and seeds, with wholemeal bread, some cheese...

...and the occasional treat like frozen yoghurt or icecream or slice of fruitcake.

Lots of water and herbal tea and 2 cups of english breakfast tea a day as well.

Am avoiding: crisps, fizzy drinks, salted nuts, white bread, pastries, croissants, sweets, that sort of thing, although if I have a mad craving for it, I might have one once a week. I do think the more you have of that stuff the more you crave it, whereas it is quite hard to O/D or binge-eat on cooked chicken or satsumas or carrots dipped in hummus or guacamole.

I was BMI 25 when I got pregnant having slimmed down from BMI 29. For the first three months I could only eat nursery food like marmite soldiers and boiled egg and really bland stuff.

Good luck and try not to worry too much, if you are worried talk to your midwife.

No no no! Definitely not a fat-free diet! just eat a normal amount of food and don't load up on high-sugar or high salt "treats".

You are actually meant to put on some weight in pg, it's normal - and you are definitely NOT meant to go on a diet while pg!

Don't diet, just eat healthily/normally - you only need to increase your calorie intake by the equivalent of a glass of milk a day while pregnant.

You will put weight on during pregnancy - as well as the baby there's the weight of the placenta, fluid, your breasts, something like double the amount of blood. Plus your body lays down some fat stores.

Oh please don't worry - 29 is not even that high and you are meant to gain weight in pregnancy. Your body makes sure the baby gets everything it needs - how else do you think babies in the developing world where nutirtion standards are low come out perfectly fine? just try and eat sensibly and don't deny yourself trests, pregnancy is hard enough without avoiding the cake! What is important is to keep active - even if you don't feel like it make sure you do some walking each day or swimming.

I am trying not to be freaked out by how much I have put on. Having been on a healthy eating/exercise kick before getting up the duff it was quite hard to suddenly not be able to face fresh veg at all, retching at salads, heaving at fruit which all tasted sour and to only be able to eat beige food! And I was gutted to have to stop all the free weights, but I really did feel awful for the first trimester, weak and faint all the time.

Now the problem is not eating like a horse, so I am trying to keep it healthy and not eat empty calories.

Shhh - don't tell anyone, but I've pretty much grown my textbook pregnancy baby (due any time now) on wagon wheels, orange juice, bananas and frozen peas (still frozen)

Obviously there have been some proper dinners many nights, but during the day that's what I've mainly felt like eating - my appetite for normal food just totally disappeared, and as a consequence I've only put on 4 kilos, and all of that was in the last trimester.

As with any stats, they're fine for a large group, but can't apply to individuals, and for me, eating what my body wanted me to eat has lead to an amazingly easy pregnancy.

Lots of low-fat foods are full of sugar, additives and less nutrients - NOT what you need when pregnant. Eat healthily and try to avoid foods that don't contribute lots of nutrients. Most sweet foods are low in nutrients and only high in cals for example, whereas a bowl of fruit with full-fat yogurt is chocka with nutrients without being a "low-fat" food.

Having said that, I'm having pizza for dinner as both DH and I are feeling awful (overworked, I've been ill, he's been looking after me)!

One thing that is rarely mentioned in guidelines is that everyone is different. Just like everyone's metabolism is different normally. I ate a lot more in the 1st trimester and only put on a couple of pounds, which was all bump & boobs - I lost weight elsewhere! My metabolism definitely changed when I got pregnant. I'm now just trying to eat as healthily as possible, but sometimes it's a case of eating what's available or easy to stop me passing out, throwing up or getting a migraine.

Hello
More MN chitchat on this here in AIBU
HTH

I have been shopping and we are having mushroom tortelloni for dinner, sadly the sauce isn't slimming, goddam it!

I will have to start being more healthy tomorrow, but I am SO hungry now I need food in milliseconds, so chose the pasta instead of a take away lol.

I think the media have missed the point. The biggest concern is the women who are morbidly obese (ie BMI >35-40) BEFORE they get pregnant. There needs to be more education about planning a pregnancy and encouraging weight loss before hand.

Once you're pregnant maintaining a healthy diet and NOT 'eating for 2' is the way to go. And if you want a piece of cake or a bar of chocolate so what!

I've eaten loads and I don't care, was a size 12 am now a 16. Sick of these so called 'agencies' weighing kids and bothering women, go sort the men folk out.

Absolutely, splatt. You mustn't go on a restrictive diet when you're pg (especially not low/no fat as essential vitamins are fat soluble (A, D, E and K) to say nothing of the fatty acids themselves. Fine to slim down before getting pg, but not while you are!

And yes - there is no need to "eat for 2".