Should I Track Calories While Pregnant

Next week Im going to bump up my calories more to hopefully gain at a more steady pace throughout the rest of my pregnancy. This can help prevent too much weight gain along with avoiding gestational diabetes anemia premature labor and a low birth weight baby.

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Know your calorie needs.

Should i track calories while pregnant. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists ACOG if you have a body mass index or BMI in the normal range youll need an extra 300 calories or so a day during pregnancy and about 600 more calories if youre carrying twins. So essentially I recommend the same mindful eating techniques described above for pregnant women instead of calorie counting or eating for two. One fewer thing that most pregnant women need to keep tabs on is counting calories.

In general the first trimester or first three months does not require any extra calories. When considering a healthy diet while pregnant emphasize a balance between food quantity in the form of calories and grams of protein per day. While calorie counting may be necessary or recommended for certain women for example those who have difficulty gaining weight or twin pregnancies its likely not necessary for most pregnant women to be counting calories daily for their entire pregnancy.

Most of that weight gain is probably water weight. That baby growing inside you needs a steady supply of nutrients so going on a calorie restriction right now is not healthy for you or your baby. The number of calories you need while you are pregnant depends on your height body mass index BMI as well as how active you are and how effectively you burn calories.

Pregnancy protein needs climb 25 grams a day above what was needed before you were pregnant for a total of about 70 grams -- the amount found in three eight-ounce glasses of milk or about seven. The first trimester you dont really need extra calories so you just want to be at maintenance calories. I started gaining more than Id have liked during the holidays so I set my target calorie intake at 1700 for the past two weeks and have been able to maintain my weight.

At most pregnant women need only 300 extra calories per day during the 2nd and 3rd trimester. There are numerous apps and online tools that are able to estimate how many calories you should be eating but the best thing to do is talk to your midwife who will be able to advise you on managing your weight in pregnancy. By telling Wholesome that you are pregnant it will set your goal to 27mg for the day.

In the second trimester youre looking at anywhere from 150-300 calories above maintenance ask your doctor and in the third trimester about 300-500 calories. You can even enter your prenatal vitamins for tracking. If your body mass index BMI is in a healthy range between 185 and 249 youll need to eat about 340 more calories a day in the second trimester than before you were pregnant and about 450 more calories a day in the third trimester and possibly more depending on your exercise routine.

Again check with what your practitioner says as Im not a doctor. Eating a healthy diet while pregnant is one of the best things you can do for your baby and yourself. Typically women need about 340 additional calories per day during the second trimester second three months and about 450 additional calories per day during.

And that number WILL vary day to day. Im 17 weeks pregnant now and have gained 8lbs total. The Pregnancy Weight Gain Calculator is a general educational aid only and should not be relied on as a substitute for the monitoring of your weight by.

You do not need to keep track of all the calories you consume during your pregnancy if you eat a healthy and balanced diet stay fit and maintain a healthy pregnancy weight. You can then easily track and measure your progress toward your goal. How many calories should a pregnant woman eat.

Also I think counting calories during pregnancy is a GOOD thing. Your focus should be less on the scale and more on your nutrition health and fitness. With some guidance and awareness you will find this journey manageable and enjoyable too while you wait to welcome your healthy baby.

You can also customize your goals further if your doctor or nutritionist has more specific recommendations. If your weight was within normal or average ranges and you were moderately active before becoming pregnant your recommended daily intake was about 2000 calories a day. It helps you realize when you need to eat more or less and what nutrients calcium and iron particularly you may need to adjust in your diet for optimal pregnancy health.

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