Best way to curb appetite and stop snacking in first trimester

[Mamacita191]

Afternoon all

I am 6 + 1 today and the past week my appetite has increased a lot. I’ve found myself having 3 meals a day (which before I’d normally have 2) and I’ve also started snacking in the day more, whereas before I wouldn’t. It’s hard as a lot of the time it’s chocolate or something. I don’t want to gain weight unnecessarily. I’ve already gained 2lbs. I think this is from bloating/increased breast size though.

Any tips on maintaining a healthy diet and resisting urges?

Thanks

Eating 3 meals a day and 2/3 snacks is normal and appropriate while you are pregnant. If you are hungry it's because your body needs the extra calories and nutrition because it's working hard.

I put on a lot of weight in my first trimester (mostly because I had morning sickness which could only be eased by eating beige salty carbs hourly!) but I put on hardly any weight in my second trimester.

Just go with the flow and eat when you're hungry. Fill up on whole grains, full fat dairy, nuts, fruit/veg. Snacks could be a banana with plain yoghurt and seeds or an apple with cheese or peanut butter on toast. Accept that you eat 3 meals a day and snacks now. Be kind to your body - nourish it. If it needs chocolate, let it have it!

If you get morning sickness, eat whatever gets you through the day and worry about it later when you're back on an even keel.

And stop weighing yourself! The NHS only weigh you once in pregnancy now (at your booking appt) because a) it's nonsense after the first few weeks because of fluid retention etc and b) some women with eating disorders are triggered by putting on weight in pregnancy and will relapse.

2 meals a day with no snacks doesn't sound great. I think I'd be aiming for 3 healthy meals and a couple of healthy snacks throughout the day.

Maybe it's just the wording of the thread but curbing your appetite while pregnant isn't a good idea. Your body is about to undergo a lot of changes and is talking to you about what it needs, just make healthy choices. Enjoy the pregnancy and don't worry about weight gain.

Thanks guys. I think that’s what I struggle with, making healthy snacking choices.

Also, I have queried whether I am slightly obsessive about weight. I’m not sure about an eating disorder, but I’ve always weighed myself daily and panic when I put on a couple of pounds and do everything I can the next day to bring it back down. I’m a healthy weight, 8 stone 8 (now 8 stone 10) and 5’5 so not sure what my fear is. I also have an unhealthy relationship with sugar in that I need a treat every evening after dinner no matter how full I am. And I get obsessive over parts of my body that I hate even though I’m slim.

I do think I need to just let go and let my body take what it needs. I just worry about excessive weight gain and struggling to lose it afterwards. Which is why I want my eating habits to be healthy if I am eating more now. I need to knock this sweet tooth!

Weight gain is healthy and normal. Listen to your body and eat. I ate constantly throughout my first trimesters and put on a stone by just week 10. It then naturally petered out and I put on a further 2 stone through the rest of the whole pregnancy. By 6 months postpartum I was back to the slim 9 stone I was at before I got pregnant (and that was with a lot of eating!). If you feel hungry then it's best to eat.

I’m 24 weeks and have eaten what I want, when I want and have put on 2 stone nearly. Started at 9 and half stone.

In the early days I needed to eat to stop feeling nauseous.

I’m not worried about weight gain, I’d like to think the weight will come off when I’ve had baby like it did with my other two but not going to be hung up on it.

Just eat whatever you need to. If you are naturally slim you will more than likely to return to this once your little one is here with some exercise and healthy eating. Weight gain is healthy you are growing a human!

I had the same and got really nauseous whenever I was hungry. I have split my meals down into smaller ones so when I used to have cereal and toast for breakfast I now have cereal, then toast and tea at 11 a.m.
Healthy snacks are a good idea- I've found dried apricots and prunes to be great, they're sweet, eating about 3 is 1 of your 5 a day and they can help if you're feeling a bit constipated. Also nuts, yogurt, still calories but you're getting some other things you need at the same time.

In the kindest way, it sounds like you weren’t eating enough before. Three meals and a few snacks are normal. You could try things like dark chocolate-coated rice cakes if you want to keep an eye on sugar levels.

@Mamacita191 it is hard to accept the changes in your body when you get pregnant, especially if you've controlled things carefully before. But, it is inevitable. You can either try to be philosophical and go with the flow or spend 9 months wasting energy fighting something you can't change.

Focus your diet now on nourishment - fill your body with good things, even if you wouldn't normally eat them because of the calories etc. Full fat yoghurt, cheese, nuts, avocado etc will all do you and your baby good. And something sweet after dinner won't do any harm at all (unless it's an entire chocolate orange or something!)

And really, put the scales away for the next 9 months. Here is an interesting article about pregnancy weight gain and why it's not a problem (and is in fact necessary!):

www.babycentre.co.uk/a554810/weight-gain-in-pregnancy

If it helps, I put on 6lb in the first trimester with DC2, then nothing else until the late third trimester, and only 13lb in total. I was healthy weight to start, but size 12 so there was some spare fat which the baby obviously lived on! I ate loads more than usual throughout the whole pregnancy, as I was absolutely ravenous. I did try to eat healthy to make sure the baby got all nutrients, but I also ate a lot of chocolate and didn't worry about calories at all.
I'm 4 weeks postpartum now and already lighter than I was pre-pregnancy despite the huge breasts and saggy belly
Obviously I can't predict your body/baby will be the same, but I'm just saying that putting on weight early on doesn't necessarily mean you'll put it on at the same rate throughout, and that sometimes you have to listen to your body. If you're hungrier, eat! Just try to get the nutrients in

I've struggled with eating disorders/ disordered eating and body issues for the past 10 years.

When I first got pregnant, I felt a lot of guilt eating extra snacks and carbs, but if I didn't eat I'd feel really nauseous and faint, so ate everything anyway. I put on 5lb in the first 10 weeks, but then nothing until I was 20 weeks and have gained at a healthy rate since then.

I think once the pregnancy started to feel more "real" to me- IE I'd had a scan and was getting a bump, the guilt over eating lessened and I started eating much more intuitively.

I try to eat as healthily as I can, but sometimes I just crave sweets and chocolates and I give into the cravings. I feel great in myself and have definitely stopped obsessing over what I put into my mouth and the number on the scales.

Be kind to yourself, eat when you're hungry and try to get some healthy snacks in. Your body is doing an amazing job growing a baby!

Congratulations on the pregnancy!