THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO MAINTAINING A HEALTHY WEIGHT DURING PREGNANCY
Pregnancy is wild, isn’t it?
One day you’re marveling at the tiny human growing inside you, and the next, you're wondering if your jeans will ever fit again.
Gaining weight is part of pregnancy, but the question that is most often asked, how much is too much? And how do you support the body through pregnancy for optimal outcomes in post partum recovery?
Let’s talk about it.
Weight Gain in Pregnancy: What’s Normal?
Your body is literally building a baby, so some weight gain is necessary. The essential weight comes from things like a growing placenta, amniotic fluid, extra blood circulating, growing uterus and breast tissue. What is typically stated by doctors is this:
If you were underweight before pregnancy: Aim for 28-40 lbs.
If you were at a healthy weight: 25-35 lbs is ideal.
If you were overweight: 15-25 lbs should do.
If you were obese: 11-20 lbs is usually best.
But listen—these are just general guidelines. Every body is different and it’s important to focus inwards on your personal situation to know what supports and recommendations are best to hone in on.
One thing I will always share is that the more you can align your body internally before pregnancy, the higher chance of a smoother pregnancy and post partum recovery. What I mean by this is by gathering some insights into your gut health, nutrient status, blood sugar and thyroid function, you can support your body with a better functioning metabolism and therefore have a better chance at feeling ‘in control’ surrounding your weight throughout pregnancy as well as recovering easier post partum.
Here are some tips and reminders as you move along in your pregnancy journey.
1. What you do before your pregnant, matters!
Whenever someone reaches out about their fear surrounding gaining too much weight while pregnant, this is my first point I tackle. How much weight you will gain while pregnant has a lot of factors, however, one of the biggest ways you can mitigate weight gain is having a healthy metabolism prior to becoming pregnant. This means, you are not in a calorie deficit and are eating enough food, you have support your gut health, your blood sugar is balanced, you have worked on your detoxification, and you work hard to get enough sleep and manage stress.
When you are metabolically in a good place prior to going into pregnancy, you will have an easier pregnancy all around, I promise! If you want to learn more about how you can improve metabolic function and master your metabolism, read here.
2. Eat for You, Not for Two
You don’t actually need double the calories, just double the nutrients. Think quality over quantity:
Protein: Eggs, chicken, fish, beef, turkey, other seafood, quality dairy, plant based protein powder—keeps you full, helps keep blood sugar stable to support energy and cravings and of course supports your baby’s growth.
Quality carbs: Rice, oats, lentils, beans, potatoes, squash, quinoa— whole food carbs for quality fiber and nutrients.
Fruits & veggies: Vitamins, minerals and antioxidants for health and immunity. Need help finding ways to eat more, check out a past blog I wrote about How To Eat More Fruit and Veggies?
Healthy fats: Avocados, nuts, grassfed butter/ghee, seeds, olive oil—because your baby’s brain needs it (and you do too).
And yeah, cravings happen. Oftentimes though, those cravings are your body talking to you. Like did you know that under eating protein may have you craving sugar more? Or how about that craving for chocolate, it might mean you are low on magnesium. Even cravings for crunchy or salty foods can tell us some nutrient shifts that could help you as well. Making a simple rule to eat the ‘indulgent’ thing after or along side a protein rich meal may be a helpful guide to help support blood sugar balance, and therefore eliminate some potential cravings that can reside because of an imbalance in blood sugar.
Another tip is to think with the idea of 80% nutrient dense foods and 20% the other stuff, this tends to help create a healthy balance around food vs statements like “I can’t have that” which can cause more of an all or nothing experience with food or binge eating tendencies to arise.
And lastly, notice trends. Do you find that after every meal you need something sweet? Or how about reaching for sugar at 2pm every day? Or do you have the post dinner munchies? Trends are really helpful in deciphering what is going on within to know what behavioral and nutritional shifts to make to elicit better control around food and therefore more optimal outcomes with weight management during pregnancy.
Also, you can grab my free guide to incorporating phytonutrients into your day-to-day HERE.
3. Move Your Body (In Ways That Feel Good)
Exercise during pregnancy isn’t about “staying fit”—it’s about keeping your energy up, preparing the body for an easier labor and delivery and supporting your body’s joints with strong muscles to provide stability and help alleviate pregnancy discomforts from a growing belly. Here are some ideas:
Walking: Simple, effective, and fresh air does wonders. Focus on core bracing on your walks and using your glutes to propel you forward.
Prenatal yoga: There are lots of great instructors who help you feel into your body and support breath and connection to it throughout your pregnancy.
Strength training: My personal favorite, keeping you strong and supporting yourself metabolically as well!
Whatever you choose, just listen to your body. Some days you’ll feel unstoppable, other days you’ll need a nap instead. Both are okay.
4. Mindful Eating > Mindless Snacking
Pregnancy hunger is real, but it’s easy to snack without thinking. Try this:
Drink water before you eat—this can help you eliminate the mix up of thirst for hunger.
Eat slowly—digestion starts in the mouth, by chewing thoroughly and eating slowly you will greatly help your digestion which may help eliminate excess bloat and help you check in about your true hunger as you eat.
Avoid distractions—put the phone down, focus on your meal. Too many times we eat mindlessly and aren’t actually hungry. Have you noticed this too?
Small, frequent meals—helps keep nausea in check. And make sure these mini meals are centered around a protein to help blood sugar stay balanced.
If you need help understanding what your body needs, don’t hesitate to reach out for help.
5. Stay Hydrated (Yes, Even When Peeing Every 5 Minutes)
Water is your best friend right now. It keeps digestion smooth, prevents swelling, and helps deliver nutrients to your baby.
Aim for a minimum of 80oz of water per day (more if you’re active or it’s hot).
Don’t forget to add some electrolytes and minerals.
Carry a water bottle as a reminder.
Load up on water-rich foods like cucumbers and oranges.
And yes, the constant bathroom trips are annoying—but think of it as extra movement for the day.
6. Sleep & Stress: The Secret Weight Management Tools
Stress impacts sleep and sleep impacts stress. And let’s not forget how real pregnancy exhaustion is. So make sure to intentionally support both by:
Prioritizing sleep—7-9 hours, is the golden ticket. Include naps if they feel helpful too. Need more tips about how to improve your sleep, read some of my tips here.
Creating a bedtime routine—limit tech, turn down the lights, slow your brain, body and breath with breathing, meditation, reading and skin care.
Utilizing your morning routine to help your cortisol rhythms—how you start your day, and what you do throughout your day will impact how well you sleep. Flow with them, not against them. Start your day with light in your eyes, hydration, movement and a protein rich meal.
Actively manage stress—notice when in your day you feel your heart rate pounding faster, brain moving quicker than you can keep up and any anxiety feels. Use that awareness to stop for 5 minutes and practice some deep breathing or meditation.
When you’re well-rested and calm, it’s easier to make healthier choices.
6. Trust Your Body
Pregnancy is a unique journey for all. So many things that feel downright weird, odd, and funky can be very normal in pregnancy. And how you set up your body before getting pregnant will play a big role in how you feel while pregnant.
While weight gain is part of the journey, there are a lot of things you can do to mitigate excess weight that doesn’t feel good. Myself and my coaches have worked with dozens of women throughout their fertility journey, in pregnancy and while navigating post partum and we can both relate and empathize with the beauty and struggles you might be feeling.
Remember to nourish yourself in food and self care, move when you can, and be kind to yourself. Your body is literally growing a human—that’s amazing.
You got this. 💛