How to Control Pregnancy Weight Gain

When it comes to getting pregnant, most moms-to-be fear the inevitable: WEIGHT GAIN.

Yeah, it’s something that is just going to happen whether you like it or not. I cannot promise you how much weight you will gain during those 40 weeks of pregnancy, but I can assure you that you can control the rate of your weight gain as much as possible.

With my first pregnancy, I gained 30lbs total and birthed an 8lb 7oz beautiful baby boy. Now, I am 19 weeks along in my second pregnancy and I have only gained around 6lbs or so (so far). With my last pregnancy, the majority of my weight gain came at the end and I am pretty sure I am on the same path as the last time!

Most doctors recommend that you gain anywhere between 25-35lbs during pregnancy-no more and no less. But every woman should gain a different amount. Why? Because we are all different! For example: overweight women should gain less than the recommended amoutn while underweight ladies should gain more in order to support their pregnancies.

One HUGE benefit of controlling your weight gain during pregnancy is that you will snap back into shape a lot faster than you would have if you’d binged and sat on the couch the whole time. Here’s a photo of me back when my son was 1 week old. I had a little soft belly for a while, but before I knew it, my abs were back.

If you do not try to control your weight gain, I promise it will be super easy for it to get out of control. However, on the flipside, try not to become obsessed with the weight you are gaining. During my first pregnancy, I weighed myself nearly daily, but this time around, maybe weekly since I know that I am putting good food into my body and putting in hard work in my gym 5 days per week. Other than that, I have zero control.

So, how do you control your pregnancy weight gain, exactly? Well, not much differently than you would if you weren’t pregnant! Here are my tips to gaining weight at a slow, steady pace:

• Eat 5-6 meals per day. No, not large meals, but small meals. You could also do 3 main meals and two snacks. You want to make sure that you eat lean protein at every meal/snack as well. This will help to keep you feeling full for a longer amount of time throughout your day. Lots of my pregnant clients love my 4 week clean eating meal plan!
• Workout at least 5 days per week for 30 minutes. It is best to do a combo of weight training and cardio, but if I had to pick one that you should be doing more of during pregnancy to control your weight gain, I would have to say that cardio is key. During pregnancy, you gain extra body fat due to those lovely hormones and what burns fat? CARDIO, baby! However, you do not want to neglect weights for 40 weeks and let your muscles turn to mush. You won’t be happy with what you are left with when you give birth. I know I wasn’t! So this time around, I do 45 minutes a day (30 min cardio + 15 min lifting) 5 days a week.
• Know your calories! This is the most important tip of all-you have got to get a grip on how many calories you should be consuming per day. The recommended amount is about 100-300 extra calories per day during pregnancy. Use this calculator to help determine your needs.

Remember: you WILL gain weight and that is absolutely OK! As long as you eat a clean diet and get moving often, you have done everything in your power to obtain a healthy weight gain range.

Your trainer and friend,