5 Tips For Staying in Shape During Pregnancy

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When it comes to pregnancy, our society has given a no-limit, all-excuses fly, don't-tell-her-what-to-eat pass to women. For some reason, when a woman is growing a human being, it's OK for her to give in to every single craving, over indulge and watch her body become a shapeless mess. Yes, I know, trust me! I've been there. I ate way too many chicken sandwiches and crepes during my first pregnancy and gained too much weight (while doctors said nothing). This time around it's very different - I diligently watch what I eat, exercise, don't give into cravings and keep on top of my fluid intake . Here are some of my tips for keeping the weight gain under control.

1. Drink Water. Drinking plenty of water (not juice, not smoothies or lattes, just plain old water) will keep all those extra calories away from you. A few calories here, another there and drinks can add up to a hefty amount of your daily calorie intake. Stick to water. If you can't do plain, infuse it with fruits and citrus, which is a great way to detox your body of all the unhealthy stuff, without causing damage to the baby.

2. Cut Back on Salt. When people think pregnancy cravings, they imagine ice cream and cupcakes. I'll take smoked salmon and clam chowder any day over the cakes and pastries. It's my weakness. Salt retains fluid and makes you thirsty, causes edema and unnecessary weight gain. I have cut back significantly on amount of salt I put into my food (husband always complains that everything is under salted - good for me though). I don't salt my scrambled eggs if I know I'll be putting ketchup over them and avoid overly salty snacks like chips, salted nuts and cheese.

3. Skip One Complex Carb a Day. I love my bread as much as the next girl and can't live without potatoes but I have been trying to go one meal without any kind of complex carbohydrates (fruits don't count). If I know I will be having mashed potatoes for dinner, I won't have toast with my breakfast. If have croissant for lunch, I will skip starch during dinner time and load up on salad and protein.

4. Eat Healthy Snacks. I fall off the wagon plenty of times, but my day to day go-to snack is plain yogurt loaded with fruits, or simple granola (not the one drenched in chocolate or peanut butter). Also, I'm a big lover of fruits so I load up on those whenever I feel hungry. The key here is not to treat fruits as free pass, they still have calories and sugar. Have just a little bit to satisfy your craving and make sure to drink plenty again.

5. Do Some Kind of Moderate Exercise. When I say moderate, I mean, get up and walk, park further away from the store and take stairs instead of elevator. Every time an opportunity to move arrives, take it and welcome it instead of complaining about having to get off the couch. Either it's palates or simply taking a walk around the neighborhood, move that booty more rather than less. You will thank me later. 

I don't deprive myself of any certain food group but eat everything in moderation. If I have a pistachio cupcake, I have just one and don't add sugar/honey to my tea. If I buy smoked salmon, I don't salt the eggs and have only 1/2 of the toast. It's all about portion control. Every day, every time you sit down to eat or open your cupboard think how is it going to benefit your body and what exactly are you putting inside. Trust me, it's a lot easier to keep the weight off than try to loose it when the baby arrives and you have absolutely no time for yourself. I learned it the hard way so take it from me, instead

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