[Follow up to last week's post "Working out for two"]

Woo-Hoo, you're pregnant!  Now that you're eating for two, you can have all the pizza, burgers and ice cream you want!  Right?  Wait...no?  Sorry to burst your bubble but this is so not true.  Trust me, I wish just as bad as you that it was true and that we could just have pregnancy as a grace period of indulging in our favorite foods with no worries.  

Truth is, each trimester requires different calorie intake depending on our pre-pregnancy weight.  If you're at a normal weight range you won't necessarily need any additional calories unless you were on a strict weight-loss diet then yes, drop the weight-loss plan and instead just focus on choosing nutritious foods.  If you were overweight to start with this is definitely not the time to try losing weight; instead, just cut down on the junk food a bit and try opting for foods packed with nutrients that will help your baby grow healthily.  If, on the other hand, you were underweight to begin with, you might want to start consuming a bit more calories than you normally do.  Which ever your specific weight range though, don't be too hard on yourself these first three months.  The average weight gain for first trimester is up to 5 pounds but since it's also known for being the hardest thanks to the dreaded fatigue and morning sickness some women even lose weight instead of piling on a couple extra pounds.

Once you enter your second trimester and hopefully the unwanted pregnancy symptoms begin to fade, you will need to increase your intake by about 300-350 calories a day.  This would be the same as a bowl of oatmeal with skim milk and a banana.  By your third trimester, calorie intake should be boosted by about 500 a day (from pre-pregnancy consumption) to make sure baby is getting all the necessary nutrients.

According to Ohio State University, women at a healthy weight should aim to gain 25-35 pounds during their pregnancy.  Overweight women should gain between 15-25 pounds and underweight women should target for a 28-40 pound weight gain.  With all that said, occasionally give in to your cravings (I definitely do!) and just enjoy the blessing of being pregnant.  'Til next time lovelies!