Week one weight????

[SingAmanda]

Started paleo a week ago and gained 1.5 lb- I'm preg (21 weeks) so I don't know what is what but up- doctor weighed me today so I know

To this point it has been 1/2 lb a week and all the sudden I'm up so much... I feel worried I am doing it wrong or eating too much -any experience here

Ps usually people start paleo and lose a bunch of water week 1 ... Did I gain water and weight?

What do you mean I can't chronicle each day - today

2 eggs

1/2 banana

Almond butter

1/2 avocado

Apple

Tuna and chicken

Salad

2 tbsp salad dressing

Sweet potato

Veggies - carrot cucumber beans tomato

1/2 pummelo

Chicken

Tomato paste (craving)

V8

Pickles

Green beans steamed

1 oz coconut

[SugarcubeOD]

Hi;

 

Congrats on your pregnancy!

 

I just had a quick look at your intake and you're definitely not eating enough for one adult woman, let alone an adult woman who is growing another human.

 

Have you seen the meal template?  It's linked below in my signature.

You don't have any vegetables with your breakfast and 2 eggs is a bit shy of an adult person's protein requirements (when eating eggs as your sole source of protein (almond butter is a fat, not a protein) it's as many as you can hold in one hand without dropping.  I'm positive you can do more than 2.

 

For snacking, which is fine since you are growing a baby, you want to make it a mini meal of at least two of the three food groups (protein, fat, veg).  Fruit on it's own is a sugar bomb that is not going to make you feel very good in the long run.

 

Your lunch has sweet potato which is great but when you're eating salad, you need a veritable wheelbarrow full just to make a moderate amount of actual food once chewed.  Be sure that either your salad has a lot of non leafy veg in it (broccoli, peppers, carrots etc) or it's enormous... like HUGE.

 

Your last meal (?  or is that snacks) is sort of all over the place.  We don't recommend drinking your food (V8) because it messes with saiety signals and even tho it's 'vegetable' juice, there is a LOT of sugar in that. 

 

I know that you think that you're eating too much if you're gaining, but the reality is that you're not eating nearly enough and your body is smart. It's currently thinking that it's famine time (because you're really not eating very much) and since it's also growing a baby during this famine, it's going to hold on to every. last. morsel.  You are far better off to stop weighing coconut and salad dressing and start eating legitimate quantities of food.  Up those vegetables to 3 cups at every meal, eat generous portions of protein and cover it all in delicious fat!  I know it seems counter intuitive, but trust me, it's what your body wants and it's what your tiny human needs to be able to grow in there!

 

The other thing is that I think you should let your doctor know that if they feel the need to weigh you, to go ahead but to not tell you the weight.  It is extremely unnecessary for you to be tracking weight down to the half pound weekly while you're pregnant. Trust your body and feed it... 

[Seafarer]

^ What she said. Exactly. Question though... are you doing Paleo or Whole30? Do the W30.

 

Congrats on the baby!

[AmyS]

I agree with the others. Also, I'm not clear whether your doctor expressed concern or whether you just felt concern. It's not at all realistic to expect to gain a set amount exactly the same, week by week, throughout your pregnancy. Doctors weight-shame women in many circumstances, and pregnancy is a big time for weight-shaming. Don't put up with it. If you yourself believe something is wrong, please be reassured. You're fine, you just need to eat.

 

Eat. Really.

[MrsStick]

Just wanted to add here (I'm currently 30w pregnant so I know what you feel like a bit) that weight gain isn't a steady thing during pregnancy. Your body will not gain exactly 1/2 lb per week for your second trimester and 1 pound per week third trimester. What does happen is you might gain 2 pounds one week in the second trimester and none a few weeks later. I was a little bummed at my 28 week appointment because I'd gained 4 lb in 2 weeks...but at my 30 week appointment I'd only gained 2. Also, depending on how tall you are the "projected weight gain" per week might be off. If you're taller than the average woman then you're going to gain more weight overall. Your body is larger and your baby will likely be bigger too.

 

Your baby will grow in fits and spurts and your body will add things (milk ducts, amniotic fluid, increased blood volume, nutrient stores for when baby comes) irregularly also. So your weight in this last week may have gained a pound over what you expected...so what? You're growing a human.

 

I will note that you're eating fruit at every meal, which is a sugar-heavy way to get calories. I tried to limit fruit to 2 meals per day and not dinner at all because I'd just go to bed after digesting it instead of doing something active and using that easy energy.

 

How do you feel? Do you feel good? Second trimester you should have plenty of energy (though without knowing the age of baby 1 you might be a little worn out from chasing him/her around) and be feeling overall good. Are you hungry shortly after meals? I have found that I need a lot more fat while pregnant than I dreamed of eating before. I have literally found myself considering eating soft butter with a spoon but thankfully haven't gone that far. I've added a lot more fat to my meals and the desire has gone away. Listen to your body and take care of yourself. Remember to eat veggies at every meal (white potatoes are the only ones I can stomach at breakfast right now but they're better than nothing) and know that you're doing a good thing by nourishing your little one!