Gaining weight during pregnancy is quite common. There are several reasons for it. One of the major reasons being that you now eat for two people than just for yourself. Having a craving for sweets and high-calorie food is natural at this time. So. expecting mothers tend to satiate their cravings by eating such foods quite often. This can also be the cause of the increase in body weight. Another thing is women become less physically active during their pregnancy. This causes them to put on more weight and become bulky.
Whatever be the reason, for safe delivery of the baby, it is required that you maintain recommended body weight as suggested by your doctor. Here, we are sharing with you a few effective ways as recommended by doctors and nutritionists, by which you can easily avoid gaining a lot of weight in pregnancy.
Begin your pregnancy at the right weight
You can manage your weight during pregnancy if you begin your pregnancy at the right weight. If you are overweight at the time of planning to conceive, then consult with your doctor about it. He would help you out with the ideal body mass index, and body weight at the time of starting your pregnancy. If you find your body weight is high than the recommended level, then implement the below tips to bring it down to healthy levels.
Eat moderately
Have small meals six times a day is an ideal technique to lose weight. The meals you take should contain the required nutrition that your body needs on a daily basis. You only need 340 more calories in 2nd trimester and 450 calories in 3rd trimester to assist in the growth of your body. Get assistance from your doctor on how to obtain excess calories by incorporation of healthy foods into your diet.
Choose foods that are loaded with nutrition and satiate your cravings for carbs-rich and sweet. Dry fruits, fiber-rich seasonal vegetables, and fruits, peanut butter, homemade cheese, healthy beverages, and lean protein sources could be the perfect addition to your diet. Grapefruit, apple, oranges, berries, plums are not just high in water content, but also loaded with fiber that relieves you from frequent snacking and constipation.
Stay hydrated
Drinking water is very essential for the healthy functioning of the body. Water is a natural cleanser and detoxifying agent. It helps in reducing your hunger and prevent constipation. The ideal water requirement of a pregnant woman is eight to ten glasses daily. You can also drink healthy beverages such as green tea, coconut water, buttermilk, etc. to keep yourself hydrated throughout the day.
Engage in some movement
In addition to controlling your diet, you should also focus on doing some light and pregnancy-friendly stretches. Engaging yourself in gentle moves, and light exercise can loosen up your muscles, and even shed those excess calories too. Regular light exercise for a few minutes a day will secrete happy hormones, and energize you. You can start off with simple walking. Consistency is the key. By making it a practice, you will observe that you are succeeding in bringing down your current body weight to recommended levels gradually and safely.
Avoid sweets and junk food
During pregnancy, a woman can feel cravings for sweets, and junk food. Both these types of food are loaded with calories and have negligible nutrition. Identify foods that are nutritious and also help in gratifying your cravings. In place of ice-creams and sweets, opt for dates, raisins, jaggery, and other healthy sweet foods and dishes made from it.
Flavored Greek yogurt, fiber-rich smoothies made from seasonal fruits, oats, cardamom, and curd are good options to consider. Replace junk foods, with crunchy nuts, almond butter, peanut butter, roasted cashews, etc. Stay away from carb-rich foods such as white bread, rice, noodles, pasta, and white sugar. Opt for complex carb foods such as quinoa, whole wheat flour, multigrain flour, brown rice, etc. that will keep you fuller for a longer time period and assist in weight loss naturally.
Eat more foods that boost metabolism
One of the key reasons to gain weight is a slower metabolism. The digestion system fails to digest the food properly that gets stored in the form of unwanted fat in the body. Such fat accumulation, in turn, results in weight gain. In pregnancy, the metabolism of the body becomes weaker naturally.
To avoid weight gain, you need to try consuming things that boost the metabolism of the body. Drinking warm water and lemon in the morning on an empty stomach is a good way to speed up metabolism, and cleanse the body. This tip also helps in relieving constipation. Another way to increase metabolism in the body is by drinking 2 cups of green tea daily.
Eating complex carbs like oats, also help in aiding metabolism. These foods digest slowly and stay for a longer time in the stomach so the body keeps on working to digest them. This keeps the metabolism in action throughout the day.
Conclusion
Maintaining the right pregnancy weight can be quite challenging, but it is essential for a healthy delivery. By following these tips, and adopting a healthy lifestyle will make it easy to attain your weight management goal.