3 Steps to TONE DOWN Your Appetite
How's your appetite? Ferocious or tame? If you're anything like me, you might agree that "tumultuous love affair" is the most accurate description of your relationship with food! I can honestly say that for the whole 10 months of my pregnancy - I drove my poor husband crazy.
Just as I was gaining weight, so was he losing weight from running around! I couldn't go anywhere without food and needed to eat every 2-3 hours.
Often I'd feel like I wasn't hungry or interested in food whatsoever, and then suddenly - BANG - I was ravenous and needed food IMMEDIATELY.
Now I was pretty lucky in that I craved mostly healthy food.
But for my best friend (and probably thousands of other pregnant women out there!), a ferocious appetite and poor food choices led her to gain unwanted and unnecessary pounds.
So, if you're feeling a little "out of control", here are some of my insights into hunger - they'll save YOU from those unnecessary extra pounds...
1.
Quench Your Thirst First Hunger is not necessarily always hunger for food! Often we interpret the growling that we feel in the pit of our stomach as hunger when in actual fact it could very well be thirst (I call this phantom hunger!) Although it feels like hunger, it's really fluid that your body's craving.
And during pregnancy your body needs a lot of fluid (especially water!).
I'd aim for a MINIMUM of eight big glasses a day.
Tip:If you can't stomach water, try adding a little fruit juice or lemon to give it more pizzazz! 2.
Mind Over Stomach As I'm sure most of you already know - hunger is not always physical.
Sometimes those hunger pangs are driven more by sight, smell or memory rather than a physical need.
When you feel these cravings (most often "junk food" one's!) coming on, work through them by distracting yourself with an activity or opting for something on the healthy side (like a yoghurt with chocolate sprinkles rather than a chocolate bar).
3.
Balance is Best Eating unbalanced meals will cause you to get hungrier quicker.
When you eat only one of your food groups (like a big bowl of pasta), you will get hungrier A LOT quicker than if you were to eat a balanced meal (pasta, chicken, vegetables).
For every meal, combine either a vegetable or fruit (preferably vegetables) with a protein and carbohydrate (for all of you questioning carbohydrates out there, I mean a HEALTHY, whole grain carbohydrate such as whole oats or brown rice!).
A wholesome BALANCED meal may consist of salmon, roasted potatoes and steamed vegetables or a steamed chicken and veggie burrito (for those of you on the run!).
Trust me, eating this way will help you moderate your portions, keep your hunger at bay and ensure that you and your baby are getting proper nourishment.
Just as I was gaining weight, so was he losing weight from running around! I couldn't go anywhere without food and needed to eat every 2-3 hours.
Often I'd feel like I wasn't hungry or interested in food whatsoever, and then suddenly - BANG - I was ravenous and needed food IMMEDIATELY.
Now I was pretty lucky in that I craved mostly healthy food.
But for my best friend (and probably thousands of other pregnant women out there!), a ferocious appetite and poor food choices led her to gain unwanted and unnecessary pounds.
So, if you're feeling a little "out of control", here are some of my insights into hunger - they'll save YOU from those unnecessary extra pounds...
1.
Quench Your Thirst First Hunger is not necessarily always hunger for food! Often we interpret the growling that we feel in the pit of our stomach as hunger when in actual fact it could very well be thirst (I call this phantom hunger!) Although it feels like hunger, it's really fluid that your body's craving.
And during pregnancy your body needs a lot of fluid (especially water!).
I'd aim for a MINIMUM of eight big glasses a day.
Tip:If you can't stomach water, try adding a little fruit juice or lemon to give it more pizzazz! 2.
Mind Over Stomach As I'm sure most of you already know - hunger is not always physical.
Sometimes those hunger pangs are driven more by sight, smell or memory rather than a physical need.
When you feel these cravings (most often "junk food" one's!) coming on, work through them by distracting yourself with an activity or opting for something on the healthy side (like a yoghurt with chocolate sprinkles rather than a chocolate bar).
3.
Balance is Best Eating unbalanced meals will cause you to get hungrier quicker.
When you eat only one of your food groups (like a big bowl of pasta), you will get hungrier A LOT quicker than if you were to eat a balanced meal (pasta, chicken, vegetables).
For every meal, combine either a vegetable or fruit (preferably vegetables) with a protein and carbohydrate (for all of you questioning carbohydrates out there, I mean a HEALTHY, whole grain carbohydrate such as whole oats or brown rice!).
A wholesome BALANCED meal may consist of salmon, roasted potatoes and steamed vegetables or a steamed chicken and veggie burrito (for those of you on the run!).
Trust me, eating this way will help you moderate your portions, keep your hunger at bay and ensure that you and your baby are getting proper nourishment.
