Will Power - 1, Cravings - 0

I feel like I need to preface this whole post with saying that I am totally okay with gaining weight while pregnant. It's necessary, it's normal, and it's no big deal. But I overdid it with Beatrice. I gained 48 lbs and I felt miserable. In the last months, my knees hurt, I struggled to breathe, and I got a lecture from my OB at every visit. I was out of control with overindulging and it made me feel like a loser. This pregnancy, I want to do things differently. I want to listen to my body and eat healthy choices. If I still gain 48 lbs doing good things for my body, I can deal with it. But I at least want to try to do things differently and not give in to every craving. So says the woman that just made a hotdog at 3 in the afternoon because she was craving one...


I finally stepped on the scale after last week's foodfest. I gained 2 lbs. In a week. And before you say, "the baby needed it," keep in mind that the baby weighs a little under 6 ounces this week. My weight gain did not go to the baby. It went to my new chin. For a moment, I saw myself spiraling into the out of control eating I did with my first pregnancy. I decided that 2 lbs wasn't too far gone to change my habits so I talked to my doctor about healthy snacks and she gave me some great ideas.

Instead of sitting down during Beatrice's nap time with a box of Girl Scout cookies, I eat a piece of cheese and a hard boiled egg. When I was in elementary school, I begged my mom to boil me an egg for my lunchbox everyday. My lunchbox smelled terrible and my friends didn't want to sit next to me when I ate it, but man those eggs were good. The key is eating protein throughout the day so my blood sugar doesn't plummet. And I don't eat at every sign of hunger. I will drink a big glass of water and if I'm hungry still, then I grab some almonds or an apple. I eat the usual 3 big meals and have 2 small, healthy snacks in between. I feel great. But the best part? I think it's working. I dropped those extra 2 lbs and have maintained my 5 lb gain (total) for this pregnancy.

I have a friend who's pregnant now and is 10 weeks ahead of me. She has gained 5 or 6 lbs in all. Pregnant women who gain a normal, healthy amount of weight make me a little green with envy. Not only do I want to be cute, I want to feel good too. I learned the hard way that gaining 48 lbs in a matter of months is really hard on your body. It is uncomfortable and unhealthy, according to my doctor who cracked the whip on my expanding hide every month. My newfound commitment to self control is not about dieting, but being in control of the state of my health. I don't want to be a bystander to this pregnancy and blame the weight gain on cravings. I have will power and I am going to use it. And if I still gain a ridiculous amount of weight, I'll be okay. I will know for sure that that's how my body handles pregnancy: by gaining a 3rd grader. But I will never know until I try to do things differently and take my doctor's advice. We will know in a few months. Hopefully, the score at the top of this post will be the same.