I plan on getting back into a weight loss routine very soon after this baby is born. I know Ill still need to eat good foods but I plan on eating fairly low fat. I dont plan on being strict- 25% give or take calories from fat should be sufficient. Ill discuss it with my midwife at my next appointment. With my last child I did not lose any weight while breastfeeding. He was completely breastfed- no formula at all so one would expect to shed the baby fat very quickly but there was a problem- I couldnt control my eating. I would start each day by trying to eat light, Id maybe eat a banana or a packet of oatmeal and by 10:30am I would be literally starving. So almost every single day I would eat several large pancakes with butter and boysenberry syrup, then at noon Id eat lunch, have snack around 3, dinner around 6, snack around 8, snack around 10 and finally to bed. God only knows how many calories I was consuming but it was a ridiculous amount Im sure! I was really low on fruits and veggies and high on fat and carbs. I slowly packed on the pounds even though I was nursing. This time I am armed with knowledge. Knowledge that I need to eat a big hearty low fat breakfast and have a nutritious low fat snack waiting when that hunger hits. If I can get to lunch time eating well then the rest of the day generally goes very well. Lactating burns about 500 calories a day! But that doesn’t mean you can eat anything you want in whatever amount you want. Still watch that fat and those calories. Make sure you are eating healthy food but in a smart amount, don’t let yourself get so hungry you over eat. I got into that habit everyday and it really took a tole on my health and it took a lot of miles of running and months (years!) of watching what I ate to lose that fat I put on during the pregnancy and postpartum period.
My morning sickness has been giving me one heck of a run for my money but Im still trying to make healthy low fat choices. Im pleading the 5th on the cheesies the other morning. Ive loosend my standards of 20% fat from calories or less. Some days there isnt anything that sounds good to eat, but peanut butter has always seemed okay to me no matter how I am feeling so Ive been eating peanut butter fairly often, a few times a week. I guess its worth it, its a good source of protien, which I need a lot of. Im exhausted and my blood volume is very low so I need protien and iron. That is also where I have started to splurge. I was eating very very little red meat because even lean cuts are high in fat. I grilled steaks the other day and my husband is grilling some kind of cut of beef tonight. I definatly cant eat steak like I used to though!
Im still craving healthy foods, its pretty remarkable and I have to wonder if its because of eating low fat prior to getting pregnant. My ‘worst’ craving has been cheese. Mostly Brie cheese, which pregnant woman cannot consume. I am practically dreaming about Brie. So wierd. Cheese has been up there on my most recent cravings along with tuna. With my other pregnancies I was craving junk like cake, brownies, cookies etc.
My weight this morning was 156.0lbs, The day I took my pregnancy test I think I was 156.6lbs. So my weight gain is minimal.
Ive been eating low fat for a couple of months now, and while it hasnt resulted in some miraculous weight loss I do have more energy to exercise and I have lost several inches. Ive also found that I dont miss a lot of the fat I used to eat. I do miss peanut butter and greasy pizza a lot but thats really it. I definitely feel better than I have in years, Im going to continue eating low fat and once I have a little knee issue resolved I can get back to exercising regularly. I am also going to look into weight watchers to see if it is compatible with eating low fat. From what I understand of the points system it makes counting calories much much easier!
Okay, now that the shock has worn off for those who know me, no- I am NOT becoming a vegitarian, but I have noticed I tend to skip the meats that I make for my family unless its skinless chicken breast. I made pork chops for my family this evening and they didnt even tempt me. Instead my meal consisted of brussel sprouts with spray butter and baked new potatoes with ‘fake’ gravy. I used a generic brand of powdered gravy mix to make gravy for the potatoes, fat free and tasted decent to boot. I have noticed my kids are eating less meat as well, but they still love their McDonalds cheeseburgers, so I have no worries about them getting enough fat in their diets. I seem to reason with myself over higher fat food, if its REALLY worth it or not. Most times when it comes to meat, its not worth it. This is coming from a reformed low carb/atkins follower. My how things change! My love of crispy bacon wont change though, thats pure hell to resist when my husband fries up an entire POUND of the artery clogging goodness. Thankfully for my badonkadonk butt he doesnt cook often.
Ive been following a low fat diet now for a few months, about 4 I think and its been a pretty smooth transition partially because Im pretty open to fruits and veggies. My kids are also really good about fruits and veggies. The first step I took when I switched to consious low fat eating was to start almost each day with a banana, cereal and milk. I find if I start the day with a piece of fruit it makes me want more through out the day. I also love to snack on dried pineapple, which can be really expensive. I buy it in 5 pound bags at a wholesale type store at about half the price as at the market. Buying frozen is an great way to incorporate more fruits and veggies into your diet. Ive recently rekindled my love for brussel sprouts. Yes…thats right. Brussel Sprouts. Steamed with a bit of salt and butter buds…YUM! They are pretty pricey fresh, in my local grocerie store they are about $3 a pound. So I buy them frozen for about half that. Dont be afriad to try something that you havent had in a while- or ever. Just dive in, google their cooking method and you are off and running. I try to spend the most time in the produce section when I am shopping, it helps me grab extra ’stuff’ that maybe I would have overlooked with a quick rush through there.