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Pregnancy Diet for Overweight Women

5 min read
Pregnancy Diet for Overweight Women

You’ll find a comprehensive pregnancy diet for overweight women, who’ve been told to eat healthy food during this time. We help you figure out how to balance meals, what to include, and what to stay away from“ Being pregnant is a time when a woman has to be careful about her movements, how much activity she does in a day, and above all what she eats. There are certain foods that require women to stop eating all together, for fear of harming the baby. Therefore, for a mere 9 months or less, in some cases, you need to concentrate on the welfare of your growing baby, and being moderately fit, body wise, to help you during on the day of the delivery. It may not be easy at first, but reminding yourself that this will serve not just you, but your baby, should help you stick to what is healthy, and ditching what is otherwise not. We look into what foods are good for you to eat in a pregnancy

diet for overweight women, what isn’t healthy or advisable to indulge in, and how experiencing weight gain is a part of the process.

Weight Gain During Pregnancy It is natural for one to have food cravings during pregnancy, but it is your job to make sure that what you’re eating is healthy, and not junk. Putting on weight during pregnancy is absolutely normal as well, and by eating the right food, you help your body gain weight where it should, and not build up on unnecessary fat. As you lose all that bad fat in your body by going on a healthy diet

, the weight that is there, will be due to other factors. These are.

Weight Gain Chart

Reason

Weight

Blood supply

4 pounds

Baby weight

8 pounds

Amniotic fluid

2/3 pounds

Fat stored for breastfeeding and delivery

5/9 pounds

Placenta

2/3 pounds

Increased uterus size

2/5 pounds

Tissue in breast

2/3 pounds

Diet for a Healthy Pregnancy

It is crucial to watch what you eat as you progress through one trimester to the next. Here’s how you can help yourself to stop piling on the unnecessary calories, that will come about from unhealthy eating.

Low Fat Milk Products

It is important to opt for low fat/non fat milk products, that include besides milk, even yogurt and cheese. It will help you cut down on those unwanted calories, where you have to up your portions of this, to about 3 to four servings in a day. So when you drink a glass of milk, have one during the day coupled with low fat cereal and fruit, then have a non fat/low fat yogurt as a snack during the mid day and then eat some brown toasted bread, with low fat cheese at sundown. Any foods that you eat should be fat free – check behind the product to make sure it isn’t whole fat.

Eat Food Made at Home

It is important to avoid outside food made by another’s hands, to be on the safe side when dealing with bacteria and germs. Go to a very hygienic restaurant in that case, if you want to down some gourmet food. Stay clear from delis, or small joints that have fast food options, and greasy food.

Go Easy on Salty Foods Don’t overindulge in salty foods, since this causes the body to retain water. Try out these, meal ideas for pregnant women

while cooking.

Healthy Cooking Methods

It is important to cook foods without frying or deep frying. Opt for healthier options like roasting or baking. It will help you stay clear from oily foods, and charred meats from grilling.

Salads Eat a good healthy portion of leafy greens, peppers, a dash of chili flakes, garlic, cheese and anything that you find as a great add on. This will fill you up nicely, and serve as a good way of providing everyday minerals and vitamins, that the body needs. Also remember this healthy diet during pregnancy

can include the use of proteins like eggs (not raw) and organic chicken.

Avoid Packaged Foods Besides healthy foods like milk products that come packaged, don’t overindulge in preservative-soaked foods, like tinned fruits and vegetables, soups, ready to eat meals and so on. Make everything from fresh produce, and put these eatables together from scratch. It will give you a whole lot more of the healthy stuff than something that contains harmful additives. Look into these foods to eat while pregnant

, for help in knowing what’s good for your system and baby.

Drink Plenty of Water

Your body will constantly expel water, making you run for the toilet frequently. Make sure you drink at least 8 glasses of water in the day, in order to keep your body hydrated at all times.

Going Brown Make sure you eat carbohydrates like breads, in their healthier brown versions, or in whole wheat. If you like eating rice, opt for brown instead to add on healthy elements, and benefit from a better alternative than white rice. Couple brown bread with non fat, unsalted butter, and use seasonings of your choice. You can also indulge in capers, since spicy food is given the green light in a pregnancy diet

for overweight women, to increase your metabolic rate.

Exercise Pregnancy exercises are important to include during this time, and requires certain easy to do exercises, that don’t have any strenuous moves. Brisk walking and swimming are healthy options to keep extra weight off, but consulting with your doctor is advisable first, on what kind of exercise is all right to do.

Foods to Include During Pregnancy Now that a good pregnancy diet plan

is put forth to you, it is now time to find out which foods are okay to eat when having meals during a diet.

  • Fruits and veggies

  • Organic chicken

  • Sweet potato

  • Cod

  • Non fat cereal

  • Shrimp

  • Cashews and almonds

  • Low fat dairy products

  • Probiotic drinks

  • Whole grains

  • Pollock

  • Legumes and beans

  • Olives

  • Olive oil

  • Low fat, unsalted butter

  • Occasional dark chocolate

  • Catfish

  • Low fat ice cream

  • Pickles

  • Chilies/capers

  • Crackers Foods on Red Alert During Pregnancy These foods are best not eaten, and should be avoided during the nine months of your pregnancy, in order to help the baby grow into a healthy infant, and cancel out chances of birth defects. These are the foods to avoid while pregnant.

  • Raw food (meats of all kind)

  • Milk or any other liquid that hasn’t been pasteurized.

  • Unwashed vegetables and fruits.

  • Avoid fish high in mercury, like tilefish, shark, king mackerel and swordfish.

  • Cheese that hasn’t been pasteurized.

  • Raw eggs

  • Caffeine

  • Alcohol

  • Carbonated/aerated drinks.

  • Pate

  • Smoked seafood

  • Eggnog Please remember that the previously mentioned diet plan for pregnancy, cannot be altered with the foods you cannot eat. I understand how hard it might be for you to avoid these foods, especially when your cravings are at an all time high. Just think of your health, and the baby’s, and it should give you a strong motive in following through on your diet. I hope that you follow the help given in the pregnancy diet

for overweight women, and see the results unfold as the months fly by. Have a healthy tomorrow.

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