Don't eat for two???

Question

I've heard that just because you are pregnant you shouldn't eat for two. To just eat healthier and what not. I am 15 weeks pregnant and am always and I mean always hungry!! I know that I should watch what I eat but if I am craving something should I just eat it?? This is my first pregnancy..so I am a little confused....any advice???

Answer 1

If you are hungry, then by all means eat. All that means is you dont need to be eating for 2 full suzed people when the baby is only 4 inches big or so. Like dont go out and have two doublehamburgurs, two fries and two large shakes. Eat when you are hungry, stop when you are full. I find that eating smaller portions throughout the day helps me. And I'm talking ALL throughout the day. I do try to choose healthier foods like cut up veggies or fruit or string cheese. Just eat reasonably and you will be fine. (but a burger now and then is a OK too! :)

Answer 2

I ate what I craved (mostly Taco Bell) and was able to stay well within the recommended weight gain. However I only ate that maybe once per week. I tried to eat healthy the rest of the time.

I am now 8 weeks pregnant with my 3rd child and still eat what I crave. I find if I don't it drives me nuts and that's all I think about. Then I eat other stuff that I don't really want and in the end I eat what I was craving. If you crave peanut butter cup ice cream (a recent craving of mine) have 1 scoop and not the whole carton. If you want McDonald's french fries (another craving) get the small size and don't order the hamburger or soda (unless you are craving that as well). Usually that will take care of the craving and you can go on with your day.

Pregnancy is hard enough. Sometimes you just have to have your cake and eat it too.

Answer 3

First of all... the ladies I worked with kept telling me that I was eating for two, and I should whatever I wanted, and no, I wasn't gaining too much weight. I gained 57lbs doing what they said! For some reason my doctors never tried to curtail my weigh gain and I took a year to lose the extra. The basic rule of thumb is to eat 500 calories more than you normally would. Which is like a pb&j sandwich and a glass of milk. Now, on the cravings thing - I know - I CRAVED AND CRAVED AND CRAVED wendy's chicken nuggets with sweet and sour sauce and hot buffalo wings (beyond me why!) but 57lbs later... you get the idea. Yes, eat when you're hungry - but eat smart. I found a site since I've had my daughter called babyfit.com and it's all about healthy eating during pregnant. It's worth a look. But no, you're not eating for two, you're eating to build one - eat properly, eat smart. The baby's not going to get any nutrients from that pack of oreos!

Answer 4

Be very careful what and how much you eat.... The weight will sneak up on you and the more you gain, the harder it is to lose....

Don't starve yourself though.... Stock up on healthy snacks like carrots and celery, and apples and bananas and etc..... And when you are hungry eat that... It is ok to splurge occasionally... but don't do it too often...

And it it true eating for two is not what you should do.... alter your diet a little and fill it with health stuff, and then eat some more of that...

Talk to your doc... they can recommend some things to you...

Some times when you are craving something it is your bodies way of telling you that something is lacking in your diet... EX: You want ice cream because you need more dairy in your diet... Get it???

Good Luck....

Answer 5

"Eating for two" doesn't mean that you should double your intake of calories and nutrients, by far. You're supplying a developing baby, so of course you need to eat more, and healthy options.

If you're craving something, eat it, but in reasonable proportions. Craving cheesecake? have a small peice. Grilled cheese sandwich? Try making it with 'real' cheddar, not that Kraft slices crap, and whole wheat toast.

Sparkpeople.com has a pregnancy section, I highly advise checking it out. It can help you keep track of what you're eating, and what you need in terms of nutrient intake and calories. I found it very helpful during my first few months, until I got used to eating more.

Keep in mind recent research that has shown a correlation between weight gain and obesity/other health issues in the kid later on (3 yrs, I think it is). Today's guidelines of how much weight to gain seem to be a little on the high side. That's not to say that everyone who gained 60 lbs in their pregnancy is going to have an obese child -not at all, so please don't snark at me with "I gained ninety pounds and have a skinny daughter"! It's just a risk factor.

Answer 6

It's more about health. You really only need about 500 extra calories. If you have cravings, feel free to give in...in moderation. You will get stretch marks and gain alot of weight if you just eat whatever you want when you feel like it. Try to snack on fruit, which will help you stay regular as well. I buy Italian ice, which is only 100 calories, but it is sweet and cold and tends to work. Your cravings will be fine as long as you don't wolf down McDonalds, Krispy Kreme, or buckets of ice cream :)
You will feel better along the way, too, if you don't go overboard. I gained 30 pounds in my first pregnancy, but my sister gained almost 55. That's alot of extra weight. Think about that as you reach for Ben and Jerry's :)
But if you are hungry, eat!

Answer 7

You don't need to "eat for two". You only need an extra 300 calories a day, which is basically two bowls of cereal or maybe a bagel (just for an idea). You don't want to pack on anymore weight than you need to (25-35 lbs. is average).

In the past, doctors encouraged women to gain weight, but now we know excess weight gain can lead to complication and health problems.

If you're hungry, drink more water. A lot of people mistake dehydration for hunger pangs. Also, staying hydrated helps with the fatigue.

Instead of eating 3 meals a day, stretch it out to 5-6 mini-meals so that you're never "starving". You can probably eat your fill of fruits, veggies, and nuts. That should help curb your appetite without loading your diet with fats or sugar.

Answer 8

Well, I ate for two (or three lol) when I was pregnant, and ended up gaining 80 pounds, I was massive. It has taken me 2 years to lose all the weight. Try to eat as healthy as possible, but give in to cravings sometimes, don't deny yourself treats. Try to eat healthy snacks, and drink lots of water. Have the occasional bowl of ice cream or whatever you are craving just don't go overboard like I did. Good luck with your pregnancy.

Also try to go for a walk every day, it is good for you and the baby!

Answer 9

Yes, Eat what you need to.
Be grateful that you can eat, I didn't feel hungry when I was pregnant and could barely eat for me- not through sickness, because I was never sick, but my daughter must have been lying on my stomach because I felt full all the time!

There are enough things to be stressed about during pregnancy, don't let this be one of them!
Eat what you like when you like. Don't think that you can't eat en extra serving of something now and then, but you are growing a completely new person! Allow yourself the occasional indulgence, it won't hurt!

Answer 10

If you're hungry eat something healthy, don't eat something just because you crave it. You can end up with problems like gestational diabetes if you pig out excessively on processed sugars and stuff.

You will end up eating more than when you're not pregnant but if you eat very healthy food (fruits, veggies, nonprocessed real food) it will go where it needs to go rather than storing up as fat.