Too much sugar when pregnant

[Leleophants]

I've always loved the odd bit of chocolate and was a reasonable size 10 before pregnancy. Now I'm pregnant (20 weeks) I'm so much hungrier so snacking on so much more chocolate! I have at least a few bars a day and have even started buying sweets. I have fruit, nuts and chocolate but it's never enough!

It probably doesn't help my meals are much lazier and more processed as too tired to cook well after work

Anyone got any tips? Also anyone who was reasonably slim before baby end up with problems/a massive baby because of pregnancy diet? TIA

Buy healthier snacks
Stop buying so much chocolate

Lol ok so wanted a bit of advice here! What snacks are other people having?

Also anyone been in a similar situation?

I had the exact same situation, it lasted the full 40 weeks, and at least 6 months afterwards, it was the worst thing I've ever done and Im offically the heaviest I have been in my life. My DD is two now and I have yet to shift the weight. Currently 5w pregnant with DC2 my advice would be do as much as you can to get away from the sugar. Perhaps try fruit as they are naturally sweet, apart from that I've no advice on how to cut the cravings.

With dd I had to have sweet stuff. I found things like low calorie hot chocolate, little pots of chocolate petit filous, chocolate coated rice cakes and those diet ice cream substitute frozen things that are more air than anything else helped the cravings.

Also (maybe this isn’t necessarily recommended....) I’d put a teaspoon of chocolate nesquik into my cereal which was realllyyyyyy good! I put on a lot of weight especially with dd because I felt so sick if I didn’t eat and when I did eat coukd only stomach junk. If you can avoid it then obv do. It’s a beast to work off afterwards.

The problem with eating chocolate, sweets and junk food is they'll cause your blood sugar to spike and crash, which will make you feel hungrier quicker. They're also full of empty calories.

I know It's boring, but try wholemeal bread, wholegrain food options, protein (like boiled eggs), veggies and nuts will keep your levels more stable and hopefully make you feel hungry less often.

Fruit is ok but some fruits will also contain a lot of sugar.

Bulk up on veg / salads / protein. Ignore the cravings for chocolate.

Switch to more filling healthier snacks. Personally for more Aldi’s seeded honey soaked bloomer is a god send. More filling and yet still a little sweetness.

You need to address it by removing the core hunger rather than temporarily satisfying it with crap.

I don't know if this will be of any help but when I was having my DS I went mad for sweets and greatly indulged. No issues with him at all from my poor diet BUT I ended up heavier than ever and still with a major sweet tooth. Eventually I decided to lose weight and the best thing I did was to have something sweet or chocolate every day but only at the end of the day, and spend the rest of the day with healthy food. Knowing I had a treat later made it much easier to get through the day. I ended up losing 5 stone and then bounced up and down the same 10lbs for the next couple of years which is fine by me as I stayed the same size (and took up running etc so my calves got super muscly!)

I'd try not to cut it out but to put it off until the end of the day - then there is less day to fill with chocolate! And also I would buy fun size bars or bags so it wasn't full sized. I'm 19+5 now with #2 and luckily my sweet tooth seems to have mostly gone and I'm now having a crisp baby instead

Pregnancy cravings are just the worst. Anyone telling you to just ignore them and just don’t eat chocolate/sweets are being so unhelpful.

Substitute your sugar cravings for things with sweeteners instead. Buy diabetic chocolate if your budget can afford it. Drink sugar free soft drinks to curb the sugar craving and make sure you tell your midwife/hv/gp as it may mean you need a blood sugar test

Do your best at filling up with small meals throughout the day and whenever you get an intense craving satisfy it temporarily until the baby’s born! Sweet popcorn for example is a great substitute because you can eat it and eat it and not have to worry too much about high sugar intake/calories

I reduced my sugar in take drastically before pregnancy and found the best way to do it was just cut it out completely for a few weeks. I felt really tired but dont crave it now. I only drink water with maybe 1 cordial a week or the odd cup of tea and we don't keep chocolate in the house. I keep cash on me where possible instead of card so if I do go to buy junk I think about it more. switching to wholemeal bread and brown pasta help keep you going through the day as they burn slower. keep satsumas or apples in your bag to snack on and start batch cooking at home so you can reheat meals you have prepared rather than junk food where possible.

I have that problem too. I get HG and went months where I could only stomach sweet carby things. I probably gained 5 stone in my first pregnancy but lost it within 9 months on slimming world.
This time around I did well eating healthily for the first month (started at a size 6/8) and then the sickness kicked in and I felt like eating bland carbs constantly. I got more on top of it from about 24 weeks by using my fitness pal and snacking on fruit, ice lollies (rocket lolly is only 40 cal), protein ice cream (aldi do salted caramel one which is 300 cal for a whole tub!), bars like go ahead or protein bars to keep in the glove box (can't do just three meals a day) and eating ridiculous portions of breakfast like 4 weetabix because I figure it's better than sensible breakfast and starting on the biscuits mid morning.
I've definitely gained too much weight this time again but it's stabilising at least. I don't want to have to spend nine months losing it again this time - baby is due in early September and I promised myself to be back in my skinny jeans by Christmas!

I craved sugar and junk food while pregnant and am now failing to lose the weight post-baby, BUT I don't really care. Enjoy your pregnancy, enjoy the food, and when your baby comes you'll be in mum-mode and you won't be so concerned about your body... coz let's face it, it'll never be great again anyway so you may as well not stress about a few pounds!

Make yourself a snack mix that includes dark chocolate drops (seeds, dried cranberries, unsalted nuts). I found having a handful of this mid morning and mid afternoon satisfied my cravings without piling on weight.

Also there is often more sugar in diet products so you’re better off having a small amount of the real thing!

I feel you OP! I was also a size 8/10 before pregnancy and used to being very displicined, more of a salty tooth anyway. Got pregnant and I'm craving the sweet stuff like never before! I went through a sour candy phase where I literally gorged on it for a week. Easter was terrible as our boss gave us all an easter egg full of candy and chocolate and two coleagues gave me theirs which of course didn't help (too much temptation!) After a midwife appointment that put me back in my place, I am now trying to subsitute all that with healthy snacks that are still sweet - like white greek yohurt with honey, raisins and nuts (for breakfast). I also live in a Mediterranean country so I get my fix from ice cream now and then, but also avoiding buying anything candy-like, and filling my fridge with veggies, fruit, yoghurt helps! Maybe try that, that way you still get the sugar fix but at least it's healthy!

I love ice cream, maybe frozen yoghurt would be a good substitute? Who knows, I ate my weight in chocolate all through pregnancy. I'm still a stone heavier than I'd like to be and dd2 is 4yo now! But given the opportunity to eat without feeling guilty it turns out I have zero self control.

Can you batch cook meals at weekends (things like bean chilli, Bolognese sauce with lots of veggies, curries etc) and stick them in the freezer for later in the week to cut back on the processed meals?

Also, as a PP said, you'll help the sugar cravings if you can get some lower GI foods into your diet. So anything wholemeal and lots of veggies. Breakfast would be a really good place to start - could you do porridge with seeds and a bit of fruit (use whole milk too as skimmed has more sugar in it).

I'm snacking on yoghurt, fruit, Graze boxes (as emergencies - I carry one in my handbag), veg sticks with houmous, toast (sourdough for me but wholegrain would do) etc. Must say that my pre-pregnancy craving for milkybars has actually disappeared (and I don't eat milk/dark chocolate anyway) - isn't it funny how we're all different?!

I’ve been really craving sweet stuff even more since I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes. I was advised to have more fruit for natural sugars and if I want an ice cream drink a glass of milk 🙄. I try to eat more savoury foods such as crisps. I like bananas cause they’re sweet or try sugar free biscuits.

Hard.

I'm a sugar fiend. I am a little worried. I'm trying to come down on sugar in my tea at least. Bit i just crave junk.

I've got myself carrots instead bit it didn't solve the problem. I have been lucky that actually overly sweet things I'm just off but it's just things like Danish pastries or milkshakes or... Crisps.

I've tried to make sure i have some fruit or carrots for a mid morning snack at work. Lunch i attempt a salad or sandwich.

I think past of trying to be good is just not getting the crap to begin with. If it isn't there in the first place you can't eat it.

But i don't make great choices either sometimes. Shop when you aren't hungry. Maybe get some oat biscuit things that will stop you feeling hungry between meals.

There's a nice not very sweet chocolate peanut butter by Meridian which if you put it with a banana is really nice and sweet.

Tinned peaches. Nice and sweet.

I’ve been slim my whole life and people are always shocked when I tell them I gained 23 kilos+ with both my kids (even my friends who knew me pregnant). They don’t beleive it. But I did and both of my kids were lower side of birth weight at 3 Kilos and 2.98 kilos. All the weight came off after each baby. Now pregnant with my third and I assume I’ll gain the same. I’m hoping I’ll have a bigger baby. Bc actually, they sleep better when they are heavier (or so I heard!). Bc when they are smaller, tummy is smaller and then need to wake and feed more often.

I had gestational diabetes with my second baby so had to be very careful with what I ate. Cut out refined sugar entirely and was obviously low carb too. Snacks that I found worked well for me were high protein and high fat so things like cottage cheese with crudités, mushed up avocado with crudités, nuts, hummus, cheese and crackers (heavy on the cheese to cracker ratio), air popped popcorn, apple slices with peanut butter (more peanut butter than apple).

I actually lost weight in the latter part of my pregnancy.

@Mamabear12 high blood sugar levels during pregnancy don't automatically mean bigger babies - it can all too often lead to intra uterine growth restriction.

I can’t stop eating. I’m 9 weeks this week and I’ve already put on half a kg. Is this normal??

I just feel sick so I eat - I panic if there isn’t food nearby. I have a gastric so I don’t know why I’m craving so much food.

Thank you all. I don't care about soft drinks so now if I meet friends I'll just have tap water so that's helping. It's more the chciolate.
Starting a food diary to see if the effort of having to write it all down puts me off too.

The funny thing is I eat loads of fruit, nuts, crackers etc. It's evening when I'm worse, but then my 4am meals have stopped so maybe that's why.

NanooCov I did not have high sugar levels. Unfortunately, they did not know the reason why I made small babies, might run in the family though, as my sister had the same weight gain and small babies. My mom also....

I did not eat loads of sugar, I ate normal foods, but the weight piled on. I am naturally slim build with BMI of 20. I don't restrict foods at all, eat what I want (luckily I don't crave junk much, so eat normal foods like lasagne w veggies, salmon with mash and veggies, salad with roast chicken and potatoes etc). I do not snack on junk foods all day, but when pregnant my metabolism slows and weight just goes on. My boobs also go from a size C to a big E by the time the baby comes and I have LOADS of milk, so that might have something to do with it. My babes, always gain nicely after and quickly move up the charts for weight. I have mentioned to the midwife about having smaller babies, as I get nervous and worry about why this happens.

As for the other poster, if she has high blood sugar, she should definitely cut down. I didn't mean to suggest she continue with the bad diet. A treat here and then is fine, unless you already have high blood sugar, then definitely cut out!