Food While Pregnant: What I Am Eating Daily

Since I got a snarky anonymous comment saying I am restricting my food and not giving my baby enough calories, I wanted to give you a typical day of my eating! I in NO WAY advocate restricting calories when pregnant. Another life is dependent on me eating well and giving it enough nutrition. That responsibility weighs heavily on me and I take it seriously - I would never deprive my child of good health!

I don't calorie track at all while pregnant (and hadn't for a year previously, knowing I wanted to get pregnant) and instead just listen to hunger cues. I eat to satiety or fullness whenever I am hungry, it is how I make sure my child is well fed!

So this is yesterday, a normal day of my own food. I have a day or two during the week where I either A) go out to eat or B) eat socially at a friend's house. Those days often have food that is either higher in quantity or higher in indulgence!

Also note that I start the day with a huge glass of lemon water and try to drink at least the equivalent of 4-5 more glasses of water throughout the day (this is a struggle for me right now since I have to pee every hour, but I am trying to get it all in!)

Wednesday:

Breakfast - a cup and a half of an organic rice-based cereal I get at my co-op, about a cup of flax milk and half a banana

Snack - coconut milk yogurt (fiber rich kind!) and a dozen or so almonds

Lunch: about two cups of turkey chili (made with onions, mushrooms and tomatoes), roasted sweet potatoes with ketchup, and over a cup of strawberries and grapes

Snack at work- carrots with garlic hummus, hard boiled egg and a peach... I also bought a peach tea at work, sweetened

Snack at home before dinner - half a cup of honeydew melon and about a tablespoon of sunflower seed butter (eaten right out of the jar, no shame)

Dinner - two small haddock fillets cooked in lemon and garlic, mashed sweet potatoes, and a huge portion of Brussels sprouts cooked in olive oil with onions

Yet another snack - about 3 cups of popcorn drizzled with butter, salt and Parmesan cheese


Since I am not calorie tracking, I am not sure what that all equals. What I do know is that I was never truly hungry yesterday - if I got a hunger twinge, I ate a snack. I am trying to keep most of my food more Paleo, since that forces me to eat more proteins, fruits and veggies. But I still crash hard if I don't supplement with some grains, so I fit in two servings a day usually.

And I am sure some people will read my food log and think it is not enough and some will read it and think it is too much, or too much fruit, or too much whatever. I don't really care - everyone has their own style of eating, health is the end goal. If you are healthy and strong on your diet, power to you. But the point is that I am eating overall nutritiously, getting in vitamins and minerals and carbs and proteins and fats and fiber, etc. Trending away from empty calories and processed foods (but indulging in them from time to time). I am slowly gaining weight every week, as expected and needed, so I see no reason to worry about my diet :)

My pregnancy is showing for sure, now. People can tell just by looking at me, and have even inquired (wow, they are lucky I AM pregnant and not just putting on weight, or it would be a more awkward conversation - they are ballsy).

Now that I am out of the first trimester, I totally believe I will be able to maintain my health during this pregnancy. The first three months were a little rough, I was a zombie - exhausted, dizzy, lightheaded, and an emotional wreck. I have a bit more energy now and can focus on getting my life in order (or as in order as it can be!) before the baby comes... getting the house and finances ready, making sure I am as healthy as I can be going into labor, etc.

Here's my most recent "selfie"... I am wearing pre-pregnancy pants with one of those belly bands because my pants surely do not button :)

 

So - as a first time mom-to-be, I am finding that this was a little tougher road than I expected. Worrying so much about the little life inside of me, feeling out of control of my own body, watching my body change in crazy ways, feeling like I was failing at doing this all right. But the truth is, I am getting it together, bit by bit. I flailed around for a while, made some mistakes, but it feels good to be on the right track.

I always wanted a child. And my goal was to have a healthy child (let's hope that one comes true!!!) and to give that child a healthy parent. I want to share this pretty world with him/her, and I don't want to be held back or to bequeath on my child the long history of unhealthy and disordered eating that I grew up with.

So to the snarkers or to anyone who is genuinely worried - no fear :) I already love this child beyond words, and I know the best gift I can give him/her at this stage is the healthiest body to grow in that I can. There is no amount of body dymorphia or disordered thinking that would ever let me deprive my child. I am glad I went to therapy, ditched the obsessive calorie counting, and worked on my anxiety well in advance of getting pregnant. It would have been harder to do that work right now, as my body changes so fast and my hormones are going crazy!

That's it for me :) Life is going pretty normally otherwise - nothing new to report on my end. Just looking forward to the weekend (one of the last ones where we have nothing planned... I am going to sleep my face off).

Namaste <3