Indulge or not?

Nancy1250

I keep hearing eat whatever you feel like. Screw salads. Enjoy eating during pregnancy.

Um??? Why does everyone say this to me when I pass the cake or don't want another serving?

Are they right, ladies?

mcfife09

Yes and no. They are right, you should enjoy eating during pregnancy. A piece of cake might taste totally delicious and I think it's okay to relax just a bit when you are making a human - because it's hard work. Moderation, balance, it's key. 

blu-eyedwife

I think, as a culture, women spend a lot of their lives "restricting."  The current standard of beauty certainly seems to encourage being thin/fit, and for many women, that's not our natural state.  So we watch what we eat to try and lose/maintain.

So then pregnancy comes along, a time where you're supposed to be larger, and I think a lot of women feel like that's a green light to stop worry about everything they put in their mouth.  It's a sense of freedom.  And to an extent, that's okay.  I don't think anything in excess is healthy, so you don't need to eat an entire cake, but if you want a piece of cake, and would never have had it prior to pregnancy because you worry about getting fat, then it's okay to relax a bit.  But it's equally okay to not want cake or seconds.  You don't have to overeat just because you're pregnant.

EmeraldCity84

I stopped paying attention to calories but still try to eat the healthiest version of whatever my body/baby is wanting.

Lindsaym5!

I think some women truly enjoy being able to eat what they want and having an excuse to gain weight and they have innocent intentions. Others I feel say it because they gained more than they wanted and misery loves company. I personally did not use pregnancy as an excuse to eat whatever I wanted. I kept in mind that the more I gained the more work I would have to do post baby. Also I knew eating right was best for my baby and would feel guilty eating junk knowing it wasn't healthy. With all that in mind I still enjoyed my fair share of ice cream while pregnant! Everything in moderation.

Reddvl

The thing with me and eating unhealthy is that is fine in moderation, but if I start to indulge too much or too many meals in a row, I just feel disgusting.  It wreaks havoc on my digestion and my skin and my energy levels.  That has not changed when I'm pregnant, so I'm way less inclined to binge on sweets or fatty foods because they still make me feel like garbage -- pregnant or not.  

I'm also mindful of: (a) wanting to make sure I'm getting nutrients for my baby; and (b) being able to lose the weight I put on afterwards.  I'd rather start with 25 - 30lbs to lose than 60!  

DEL14

I've been a lot less worried about having dessert and sweets while pregnant but I don't believe you should just eat whatever you want. There are days when just eating and keeping food down is the main goal. But if you completely let yourself go, it will be hard to get back on track not to mention that what you eat you are feeding your baby. I still try to eat lots of veggies and just enjoy more carbs than before. 

zbeesma86

don't deprive yourself- but don't over do it.

everything in moderation

MissusPearson

I think if you're eating healthy 80-ish percent of the time (pregnant or not) and allow yourself to have those treats the other 20%..make sure you're moving around, exercising, you're doing pretty good. That being said..I do think there are women who use pregnancy as an excuse to eat whatever they want in whatever amount they want, and treat it like a 9 month all you can eat buffet. And than they wonder why they gain 60+ lbs..Of course you need extra calories when you're pregnant, but its only 300-up to 450 (in 3rd tri i believe it increases to 400ish). That is really not a lot extra. You're not 'eating for two' as in a whole other person, we're talking about a small (but growing of course baby.

1A

I over did it with my first, as far as eating anything I wanted and not exercising. Lesson learned. Second pregnancy I ate better and exercised regularly until 38 weeks. This pg I am hoping to do the same. As far as diet, I agree with pp on the 80/20 rule. Morning sickness made that tough at first but I am getting back to that.

babygabe614

Ditto the PPs. Everything in moderation. I'll allow myself a treat here and there, but I don't treat pregnancy as an "all you can eat buffet" as someone else put it. My personal opinion is that, I know I am generally a very healthy eater, I exercise regularly, and frankly I have a million things to worry about right now. Having a piece of pie on Thanksgiving or Christmas isn't going to be something I spend time losing sleep over.

blushingbride_08

You do need extra calories but don't go overboard. The time to indulge is during breastfeeding!