Indian Diet to Gain Less Weight During Pregnancy in First , Second and Third Trimester

Our body is a magnificent art work by God. During pregnancy the body adapts itself to nurture and nourish the baby. The pelvis of the mother increases to fit the baby, blood volume and blood flow increases,   the nutrient supply to the baby becomes primary function of the body. But it is often accompanied by nervousness of what will happen to my body now? This Indian Diet to Gain Less Weight During Pregnancy, will relive you from some of your fears.

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The expectant mother experiences low hemoglobin because of increased blood volume. The blood glucose and albumin levels drop causing water retention in body. The gastrointestinal motility reduces, leading to constipation, acidity, heart burns, nausea and vomiting. The major physical change observed is weight gain.

Most dreadful thought is, will I lose my weight post-delivery? Will I be as fit as I was earlier before my pregnancy? The answer to your question is “yes”. The only care one should take is to gain appropriate weight without compromising the nutrient supply to the mother and the fetus. This Indian Diet to Gain Less Weight During Pregnancy will help you in achieving this

 

Causes / Culprits for Excess Weight Gain:

1. Eat for 2:

This is the typical notion observed in Indian homes. The food fed is all high in fat and sugar. The top favourites are the laddoos, badam milk and loads of other dryfruits.

2. Cravings:

All the mid night cravings for junk street food, ice-creams and cakes lead to unwanted weight gain.

You may be interested in reading – How to control food cravings 

3. No physical activity:

Yes, pregnancy is a biggest stress to the body. But unless advised, zero physical activity reduces the metabolic rate of the body, piling up fat deposits.

Indian Diet to Gain Less Weight During Pregnancy

To go on a diet and losing weight during pregnancy is not advisable. Instead, choose a correct food at a correct time, with an occasional indulgence will do the trick.

Appropriate caloric intake in combination of exercise keeps the mother and baby healthy.In first trimester you needs only 50 – 100 calories extra than normal. Additional 200 calories in second trimester and 300 calories in third trimester is advised.

Healthy food choices:

• Select whole grain cereals like whole wheat flour, broken wheat, brown rice, whole wheat pasta, jowar or nachni. The high fiber content in whole grains relieves constipation and gives feeling of fullness. The crackers like toast, khakra or bread, used to treat nausea should be made from whole grain cereals.

 

• A power packed food group like dals and pulses fulfills the daily protein requirement of the body. Overeating of pulses may lead to flatulence and give discomfort to mothers. Thus, use cooked pulses and dals in moderation.

• Consume at least 3 – 4 servings of low fat dairy products. Milk and milk products like curd, buttermilk or paneer nourish the body with calcium, phosphorus and proteins.

• Dry fruits such as walnuts dates and almonds are better choices over cholesterol raising dry fruits like cashew nuts and pistachios. The omega 3 in nuts maintains hormonal balance,reduces the stress levels, blood clotting and nerve transmission in mother. The fetus also benefits by improving the cognitive function and immunity post-delivery.

 

• Low fat lean cuts of chicken, low fat fishes and egg whites are superior options than red meat. Non vegetarian food supplies the first class proteins, iron, omega 3, calcium and traces of vit B12. All these nutrients boost immunity and maintain gut integrity.

 

• Include plenty of varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables throughout the day. Minimum of 5 – 6 servings will provide adequate vitamins, minerals and fiber required during the pregnancy. Icing on the cake is these are low in calories and fat too. The sweet tooth craving can be satisfied with a sweet fruit like a mango or a banana.

• Use restricted amount of oil, ghee and butter. If taken in excess can lead to variety of health issues. A MUFA rich groundnut oil or rice bran oil or olive oil can be used in moderation. 15 – 20 gms of visible oil is enough for the day.

 

Foods to exclude:

• High fatty fried foods tend to increase weight. It also aggravates the acidity and raises the discomfort for the mother during pregnancy.

• Calorie dense desserts are spiked with extra sugar and fat. This leads to weight gain and increases the stress on the body.

• Avoid junk food. Too much of simple sugar may lead to high birth weight baby. The baby can have chances of suffering from cardiac or endocrine disorder.

• Having unhygienic street food exposes our body to harmful microorganisms. Unhygienic food further compromises the immunity of the pregnant mother.

 

Occasional Indulgence:

This Indian Diet to Gain Less Weight During Pregnancy does not ask the expectant mother to stop indulging in her favorite food.  Seldom intake of the most craved food is “OKAY”. Know your calories, your requirements and the food you are eating. Reducing the portion size will help in avoiding weight gain. Couple the high calorie food with a nutritious salad or soup or stir fried veggies. Keep at least 2 hours gap between last meal and sleep timing.

Exercise and workout:

After seeing the Indian Diet to Gain Less Weight During Pregnancy, Its time to talk about exercises. A simple walk for 30 minutes will help the mother to keep mother’s metabolism in check. A person who has history of a sedentary lifestyle can gradually start with a walk of 10 minutes and increase it to 30 to 45 minutes. Total of 10,000 steps will help maintain the weight and body functionality. Meditation is the best stress buster for pregnancy.

Expecting mothers with history of regular workouts before pregnancy can continue with their exercises. The only restriction will be to avoid any extra weight bearing exercises which harms the baby.

End note:

Nothing is impossible.Indian diet to gain less weight during pregnancy sums up to  a little care and caution to help the expecting mothers to go through their pregnancy with minimum difficulties. Keep in mind, a perfect balance of “eat”, “sleep” and “exercise” is the key to maintain ideal weight.