6 things that helped me gain the right amount of weight in pregnancy
Something I’ve heard from some friends & family lately (as I near the end of my pregnancy) is their surprise that:
I haven’t gained more weight (I’ve gained about 35 lbs and I’m about to give birth!!)
I’ve continued to workout throughout
Honestly, the weight gain piece has ONE big component and then a few small components that have really worked for me. (With acknowledgement to the fact that some women’s symptoms can really complicate this part of the puzzle, so I can’t say that I have it all figured out!!)
The best thing I ever did to curtail excess pregnancy weight gain was fix my relationship with food starting in 2022. LONG before I got pregnant. My pregnancy hasn’t felt like a free-for-all or an excuse to eat all the foods “I usually can’t eat” because I was already eating fun foods all the time.
As humans, we deeply crave having something when it’s off-limits... Which is why you may feel like you can’t trust yourself around certain foods that you’ve forbidden! (I talk about that a bit more in this podcast episode)
Healing that part of my mindset really allowed me to eat food without guilt - AND know how to stop myself from overdoing it when it wasn’t serving me. And this is what made such a difference in my ability to lose (and keep off) the 15 lbs I lost in 2023.
But from a more “practical” perspective (because health and weight loss isn’t just mindfulness and thoughts… but tactical action ALONGSIDE helpful thoughts) 👉🏼
These 6 things have helped me gain the right amount of weight for my body during pregnancy:
1️⃣ Keeping easy foods in the house that are supportive of my body and my calorie needs, like… string cheese, Greek yogurt, Fairlife shakes, Costco egg bites, whole grain bread, & fruit (healthy doesn’t mean complicated!!!)
2️⃣ Refilling my water bottle when I wake up and again when I eat lunch, so I’m getting at least 100 oz of water a day
3️⃣ Pausing before indulging in a craving and asking myself how it’ll leave me feeling in 1 hour and 1 day - instead of focusing on what I’ll feel in the next 1 minute only
4️⃣ Being intentional about picking portion sizes and types of foods that leave me feeling good (yes, this took trial and error to learn and practice… and yes, sometimes, it means not finishing my plate!)
5️⃣ Making plans with friends and getting outside the house to make memories and do fun things, so that food isn’t my only source of joy
6️⃣ Focusing on protein, because I know it helps moderate my appetite and minimize my cravings for foods that leave me feeling mehhhh
I believe that my body knows the right weight to gain and I trust that if I treat myself right, I will land there
I trust that my body will communicate with me, but if I don’t pause to listen, I’ll miss it (which is why I’m so glad I’ve spent the last 3+ years learning how to listen!
PS. This approach is what I teach all my clients inside the Rooted Method because it’s not just for pregnancy!! (and it is absolutely the approach I’ll use to return to my healthy weight postpartum!)
