WeightManagment – Fernandez Hospital

Being pregnant is one of the best feelings a woman could experience during her married life. And it is natural for women to gain weight during pregnancy. Some are even already overweight when they get pregnant. But in both cases, women should not try to lose weight or use weight loss /restrictive diets during pregnancy. It is an acceptable fact to gain weight within permissible limits during pregnancy.

In order to remain strong and active, the mom-to-be should focus on healthy and right type of foods in appropriate quantities. Being pregnant does not literally mean eating for two! Only a small increase (+350 Kcal) in food intake is required from the 4th month of pregnancy. So you need not eat a lot or eat whatever you want! It’s the quality of the diet that’s more important than the quantity eaten. Gaining too much weight will lead to complications during delivery.

The baby in the womb should receive all the vital nutrients for healthy development. So, it is better to follow the diet chart given by your doctor or nutritionists. This will let you and your developing baby get the required nutrients without gaining too much weight.

Foods necessary during pregnancy without adding too much calories:

Food enriched with high fibre such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains etc. These vitamin rich and low calorie food fill you up for a longer period of time.
Fibre-rich foods make a good snack an d can be taken at regular intervals reducing your cravings for high-calorie food.
Having plenty of berries, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes and spinach will add lots of nutritive value without adding calories.
You can opt for snacks made from whole grain or legumes/beans – either boiled, roasted or sprouts.
Have skimmed milk which will help to reduce your calories as four to five servings of milk is extremely necessary.
Skinless chicken breast, fish and egg whites are low calorie non-vegetarian food items.
Water is an ultimate diet beverage which helps to keep you hydrated without adding calorie to your daily intake. You can make it enjoyable by adding a slice of lime, fresh basil or a cinnamon stick.

Avoiding the following will let you stay fit and healthy:

Avoid artificial sweeteners in your food or drink and try to have foods with natural sweeteners.
As most drinks are high in calories, read the ingredients list before consumption. This way you will avoid high calorie drinks.
Try to avoid deep-fried vegetables and gravies as they have high-calorific value.
Avoid junk foods, cakes, cookies, chips, ice-creams, soft drinks etc. It is better not to bring home such products during pregnancy.

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