"An excuse to eat what you want"

[Lawhra]

Why? What makes it acceptable to get overweight just because you're pregnant? I have seen this said many times and just don't understand

I am not out to offend, just want to know people's opinions on why this is the case for them?

For me, I do not think having a baby is an excuse and I'm trying to make sure I do not fall into that trap as I will end up miserable. I want to be feeling good during and post pregnancy. I used to cycle and run regularly and eat a balanced diet. I still eat well but walk instead of run and cycle, nowhere near as effective!
Now don't get me wrong, I have days when I will have a naughty dinner and dessert but I don't go overboard.

I understand for some it is a case of only being to face certain foods as I had this whilst suffering morning sickness, eating crap was all I could face and I gained 11lbs pretty quickly. Now though I can eat as I did before.

I get tempted by bad foods and sometimes seeing someone else say "you're pregnant, enjoy it and eat what you want" I think yeah, they're right! Then I realise that actually no they are not and we should encourage each other to be healthy. Treats are fine of course but not to the excess.

I want some support to be healthy, not "go for it, get fat".

Sorry it's long. Needed to get that out!

 

[special_kala]

I dont understand that idea eithier. Being pregnant isnt a excuse to eat tons of food

you dont even need extra calories until 3rd tri and even then its only the equivalent of a banana and glass of milk

 

[SamiraNChris]

I agree with what you are saying but unfortunately i have stopped the carlorie counting since being pregs! i still eat my fruit n veg but also have let go a bit when it comes to what i eat!

but i can go back to being strict again after!

 

[kimberalex]

I have to agree with samiraandchris I havent at all been calorie counting but then again i havent been eating loads of crap luckily I ve been craving healthy things this time like salads...jacket potatoes and green giant corn on the cob (seriously addictive)...I still have the odd junk food when i feel like it but tbh its puts me off and i NEVER ate macdonalds even when i wasn't pregnant have been craving their milkshakes though!!

I eat better when Iam pregnant compared to when Iam not but at a size 14 my midwife still tells me am morbidly obese even though baby and its acsessories in there weigh pounds!!!

I mean there is two extremes like that lady on one born were she didnt have a bump and midwife could hardly feel the baby or pregorexics...

TBH i have only had NON pregnant people say eat what you like when your pregnant...never a fellow pregnant lady..I wouldnt say it to anyone either xxx

 

[special_kala]

I dont think people should worry about their weight when pregnant, a bit of extra chocolate is nice every now and then but some people do seem to take it to the extreme at least in RL

 

[DragonMummy]

It's nice not to have to watch what I am eating for once - I have PCOS and if I breathe near a cake shop I put on half a stone which is a pain in the arse. But actually pregnancy has adjusted those hormones so I seem to be putting on more slowly now I am pregnant than before! I think a lot of women mean it's nice to not be dieting and being over cautious about food intake - to relax about what theyre eating. But I know what you mean - some just use it as an excuse to fill their faces with any old shit. Fine if thats what you want to do but it does increase chances of GD not to mention the old moment on the lips lifetime on the hips saying! Oh well, they'll be griping in a few months when they have 5 stone to shift after having baby!

 

[jocelynmarie]

I give into my cravings more than I would if I was not pregnant, but I don't view it as a free for all either. I'm not going to stress about what I eat, there's enough to worry about and my doctor is thrilled with my slow weight gain.

But just like with everything else, I think we all have different opinions about this subject

I for the first time in a very long time am happy with my body, which is the weirdest thing as I'm growing a giant stomach!!

 

[quirk]

I don't eat just anything, I try and eat healthy foods, but I do eat a massive amount to what I used to eat. I have been through the eating problem/illness, which included regular starvation and has caused long term problems. Leading up to my pregnancy, I was eating the healthiest I had done before and ate 2 child portion meals a day and that maintained a slightly chubby weight, as I messed up my metabolism some time ago. I could easily ignore hunger pangs and was used to this, but I find that the hunger pangs in pregnancy are much, much stronger. I tend to eat 4 meals a day at the moment and plenty of snacks in between, mostly fruit of course. But if I sit back and think about how much I am eating, it's quite sickening to me and I store fat so easily. I do look awful and I'm not looking forward to what I'll look like at the end of my pregnancy, but I can't think about it too much, because I will get ill again, which would include not receiving enough vitamins. Most of what I put in my body is very healthy, so the only bad outcome I think, that will happen at the end of this, is that I will have a healthy baby and I will look fat ...which I can sort out afterwards.

I also went through a few weeks at the beginning of my pregnancy, where the only thing I could keep down was crisps and cola. - Thankfully, I kept the vitamin tablets down most days.

...That said, I do think you should do all you can to give healthy to your baby, which includes not filling yourself with junk food ...I do that bit of course.

 

[natalie85]

for me i have struggled with finding what i want to eat on a day to day basis and have found food a nightmare!! some days i want cake and thats all i want other days i want grapes its weird and when i try to have anything other i feel sick?!?! I don't want to put loads of weight on, but i have plans to do so much walking with baby when she is here i am not so worried about losing weight!!!

 

[lau86]

i guess for me its not that i've stopped caring about my weight i've just relaxed things slightly. i was very nauseous during first trimester (never sick) and lost my appetite, so i think when it came back i probably ate a bit more?? i would say i am more conscious of sugary things now than before tho because i hav another person to think about. i am 18 weeks now and have not gained weight yet so i am pleased with how i am doing. i agree with jocelynmarie tho, there is enough to worry about without stressing over my weight which is why i tend to eat what i want!

 

[Bexxx]

I've always eaten what I want.
But I mean, if it got to the point where I was going to be overweight then I would be more concerned about my eating.
Pregnancy is when you should be watching what you eat, we're growing little people!

 

[Siobhan14]

I agree, I am tired of people saying "this is the one time in your life you can eat whatever you want!". I actually feel even more pressure to eat healthy!

 

[sweetpea01]

I agree, I am tired of people saying "this is the one time in your life you can eat whatever you want!". I actually feel even more pressure to eat healthy!

I think some people want us to gain a ton of weight. I can't afford to gain alot since I am already obese before pregnancy but I have noticed that some people still say ..."go ahead, your pregnant..enjoy." I think some people find enjoyment in seeing others gain weight, especially us pregnant women.I think it is a jealousy thing to tell you the truth. I'm sure this is not with everyone but with some. I don't listen to them and still try and eat healthy as I can. Some days are better than others.

 

[babyhopesxx]

When pg with my DS i put on about 3-4 stone (didn't actually weigh myself so it's a guess) i thought oh well i'm pg i can eat what i want and will lose the weight after i've had baby.

How wrong i was, i never got back to my pre pregnancy weight even now he's 5 and a half and i wouldn't recommend putting on loads of weight while pg to anyone!!!!!!!!!

This time i'm being more careful and not going overboard. I still eat junk food every now and then. But i'm trying to not put on too much weight this time, although it's hard because i'm constantly hungry

 

[fieldmouse]

Do you think people are being serious when they say "it's an excuse to eat what you want", though - I don't, I just laugh and assume it's a joke! I would have thought most people would realise that you can't actually completely overeat just because you're pregnant... I started off really sick for the first 14 weeks so wasn't at all bothered about what I was eating when I could actually manage something. Now I'm getting my appetite back I'm certainly not going to calorie count but I am trying to cut down on cakes, biscuits and that type of unhealthy food and stock up more on healthy things - I'm not going to restrict myself completely but I did figure out the other day that I'd had something sweet every day for the last 2 weeks and thought I'd better put a stop to that!! I'm also noticing the last few days that my appetite has suddenly really increased. Meals that were filling me up a week ago aren't touching the sides now. Is this normal?! My appetite was quite pathetic for the first few months so maybe it just feels odd to be hungry again?!

 

[special_kala]

If anything my diet gets better when im pregnant as i make more effort to eat healthy and drink water..my coke addiction suffers too.

 

[MoonMelody]

I'm particularly frustrated, as I've been exercising and watching my food intake, but I'm still putting on loads of weight! It's extremely depressing and discouraging.

 

[Lawhra]

Thank you for all the replies ladies. It seems most have the same thoughts as me but I know there are some out there who do follow the 'I'm pregnant I'm allowed' approach. Of course depriving yourself or dieting is not healthy in pregnancy and yes the weight can be lost after, but it will in no way be easy.

I get really hungry but make sure I snack on fruit/veg or low fat healthy snacks, it takes a lot of willpower though!

I feel for anyone who suffers with any kind of eating disorder, that must be super tough.

My sister once said about being overweight "I've had two kids". I had to really bite my tongue. That has nothing to do with it. She is overweight because she eats unhealthily and does not exercise.

I agree with what you are saying but unfortunately i have stopped the carlorie counting since being pregs! i still eat my fruit n veg but also have let go a bit when it comes to what i eat!

but i can go back to being strict again after!

I live in the same part of the world as you

I have to agree with samiraandchris I havent at all been calorie counting but then again i havent been eating loads of crap luckily I ve been craving healthy things this time like salads...jacket potatoes and green giant corn on the cob (seriously addictive)...I still have the odd junk food when i feel like it but tbh its puts me off and i NEVER ate macdonalds even when i wasn't pregnant have been craving their milkshakes though!!

I eat better when Iam pregnant compared to when Iam not but at a size 14 my midwife still tells me am morbidly obese even though baby and its acsessories in there weigh pounds!!!

I mean there is two extremes like that lady on one born were she didnt have a bump and midwife could hardly feel the baby or pregorexics...

TBH i have only had NON pregnant people say eat what you like when your pregnant...never a fellow pregnant lady..I wouldnt say it to anyone either xxx

Size 14 Morbidly Obese? Are you kidding me? That sounds ludicrous!

 

[Lawhra]

I'm particularly frustrated, as I've been exercising and watching my food intake, but I'm still putting on loads of weight! It's extremely depressing and discouraging.

Sadly sometimes during pregnancy more weight than expected goes on despite good habits. A friend of mine gained a fair bit despite not overeating. I am terrified of that happening to me.

 

[SiBelle]

TBH i have only had NON pregnant people say eat what you like when your pregnant...never a fellow pregnant lady..I wouldnt say it to anyone either xxx

Same here, and I will definitely keep that in mind. It's like people enjoy seeing a pregnant lady indulge! I've had people bring me donuts and passing me food because "she's pregnant, she's gotta eat!".