Do I really need 2100-2400 calories per day??
I am 5 weeks pregnant and I am having trouble getting anywhere near the 2100-2400 calories that babyfit.sparkpeople.com says I should be eating in one day. Typically, I get to about 1500 and I feel like I'm eating all the time! I am 5'6" and 165 pounds (28 years old). I try to exercise every day. I belong to a circuit gym, so I do twice around the circuit which equals 34 minutes. I also walk my dog for at least a half hour every day... longer on days that I don't go to the gym.
In a typical day, this is what I eat...
Breakfast: (one of the following)
1 cup 1% cottage cheese w/ fruit & 2 cups skim milk
1/2 c. Fiber One cereal & 1/2 c. Cheerios w/ fruit & 2 cups skim milk
1 cup veggies, 1 egg & 3 eggs whites, 1/4 c. 2% shredded cheese, w/ whole wheat toast (2 slices) and 2 cups skim milk
Lunch: (one of the following)
2 slices whole wheat bread w/ grilled chicken, lettuce, tomato, mustard, with baby carrots and 1 cup skim milk
4 cups romaine lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, 1/2 cup beans, grilled chicken, 2% shredded cheese, oil and vinegar w/ 1 cup skim milk
Dinner: some sort of protein (fish, chicken, lean red meat) with vegetables and whole wheat pasta, sweet potatoes, or brown rice
Snacks: Usually a piece of fruit between breakfast & lunch, a cup of yogurt between lunch & dinner and then some low-fat ice cream or frozen yogurt for dessert
Any insight into what else I should be eating would be greatly appreciated!! Thank you!!
*Erin*
Re: Do I really need 2100-2400 calories per day??
My advice is switch to organic whole milk. It might take some getting used to and you might drink less but you need more fat in your diet. Your baby's brain is made of fat and cholesterol and you need it for those fat soluble vitamins. And eat the egg yolks - that's where all the nutrition is.
Stop counting calories and just eat nutrient dense food, the calories will work themselves out.
Also be aware that drinking milk with iron rich meals will make the Ca and Fe compete for absorption. So mixing the two regularly is not a good idea else you *could* become anemic.
Hi Erin,
I agree. You definitely need to get some more fat in your diet (very important for the baby), and I have read several studies linking nonfat and lowfat dairy to fetal problems... they really recommend whole milk instead. If you can't stomach that (I know I wouldn't be able to!) I would say to try and up the fat content to at least 5%.
GL