Everyone know the “eating for 2” in pregnancy is utter bull. It is widely recommended you don’t need to eat anymore than normal until the last trimester when you need an extra 200 calories a day. Yep, I have preached this many times.
So why the hell have I probably been eating for 3 (and no, there isn’t twins in there!) for the last 3 months?! Hannah at Budding Smiles made me smile (hehe) with her eating post and I’m glad it is not just me!
The first trimester of this pregnancy I have been the hungriest I can ever remember in my entire life. I was the same with the gremlin but it feels worse this time. Initially, eating helped with the nausea but as this has passed a bit, the raging hunger has taken over.
I find I cannot concentrate. Food is the only thing on my mind for the majority of the morning. This has been really hard when working. I have a good breakfast; boiled egg, 2 slices of toast and a small pile of almonds and raisins. If I wake feeling particularly pukey or heady I’ll have an apple as well. This is around 6.30-7am.
By 9am in the office I am twitchy. If I’m off work and going to the gym or something, I have to nibble again before going. Tuesday, I had eaten my almonds, apple, a couple of crackers and a Dairylea Dunker before 12pm. Granted, these are not worst, most unhealthy foods but spending my whole morning staring like some crazed loon at the clock, waiting for my lunch is getting quite trying!
I remember learning at one of my metabolic conferences that your insulin (which acts as the key to the lock on your body’s cells and allows glucose (sugar) update for energy) is very sensitive. You are anabolic when pregnant (building new life) and your body needs to respond to this and the food you give it. I was surprised to learn when my blood sugar was tested, 1.5 hours after lunch it was 3.7. This was under the bottom end figure of 3.8, My insulin must be working like crazy, hence the drop in blood sugars and insatiable hunger. Well this is my theory! One of my consultants who I work with informed me progesterone also has a bit part to play in this.
I will eat anything at the moment:
Spicy soup and salads:
Curry on a plastic plate from the canteen at work:
Thai salmon curry:
Indian Take-aways:
Pizza Hut heaven!!
I’ve loved fresh fruit and hubby was making me popcorn at night to try and stave off the nausea:
I didn’t gain any weight in the first trimester but now at over 14 weeks it is starting to come on finally.
The body is a very clever thing and I do trust my internal hunger and need to eat. If I didn’t the nausea and generally feeling would just be overwhelming. It is tricky to stick to healthier options and I have found I have craved more salty foods like cracker, salt and vinegar peanuts, olives and jalapenos. One of my favourite snacks in the first few weeks was Ryvita, chive Philadelphia and jalapenos on top!
I’m wondering if the hunger will pass. I’m hoping so as much as I love my food, packing for work has been a bit of a mission!
What about you? Did you eat like a horse during your pregnancy?
Yes!! Although more so with Alfie but I had those cravings too,salty and strong flavours and then I developed an obsession with hot and spicy pizzas with jalapeños which I never did before! #binkylinky
Author
I could eat one of those pizzas now!! x
I was so poorly during the first and majority of the second trimester with the girls then in the last I had no space to eat as I had two little monkeys squashing everything!
Hope the pregnancy is going well xx #wotw
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Oh bless you…it’s hard work! x
My wife suffered from awful morning sickness up until about 22 weeks…it just never seemed to end. So, after it cleared she certainly made up for it. The thing is, your body tells you when it’s hungry and needs feeding so, so what if your hungry every hour on the hour! Make the most of it and enjoy all of the delicious food. It’s made me hungry just looking at your photos haha. Best wishes for the rest of your pregnancy.
When I was pregnant with Logan I ate all the time I was just so hungry. Ppl kept saying u dnt need to eat for two but I just ate to my appetite. I think when ur pregnant ur body tells u what u need. I had difference cravings at different times. 1st trimester I craved Krispy Kreme doughnuts 2nd trimester I craved meat any kind of meat dispite my iron levels being really good I also craved milk all the way through too.
I like to think the hunger means u got a healthy bubba growing
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I know snap! It’s so hard! I think you just have to go with it and try to be healthy 🙂 x
I definitely remember feeling really hungry both times although the things I craved were very different – with Jessica I wanted all the cake (I remember going out to eat and skipping the starter so I could justify having two desserts!) and with Sophie I craved pork pies (not the healthiest thing either!) Glad to hear you’re managing to keep to the healthy options though!
Yep! Like you, it was to stave off the nausea in my first trimester (I loved Haribo Tangfastics with my second!) but I do then remember snacking all day long with both, mainly fruit so not too bad, but I was so hungry! Hope it passes soon for you x Thanks for sharing with #WotW
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OOh I liked those as well at the start. It’s hard work all this eating!! Thanks for hosting x
You have so much knowledge which probably helps and honestly I think listen to your body! I def ate tonnes, especially in the first trimester to stave off nausea, and for me dry crackers was my nausea respite of choice! I went off loads of food when I was pregnant with Monkey and all I wanted was carbs and no matter how I tried to be healthy with fruit and veg I kept piling on the pounds. Second time round I crave sour sweets all the time but actually didn’t put on anywhere near as much weight! But I am finding it harder to lose this time! Xx
I was really sicky all through with my first boy so I didn’t really over eat.
This time round with little man number 2, I ate everything! But mostly craved melons, I had shares in the supermarket with those lol 🙂
Have a great weekend x
Gosh I can relate to being very hungry indeed and I’m sure if I eat another piece of bread I’ll look like it! I’ve had to swap my usual cereal for something that doesn’t give me that instant kick of sugar even though I only ate Cornflakes and/or Rice Pops before being diagnosed as a fussy, diabetic, pregnant eater. Good luck in your pregnancy.#WotW
Never mind a horse I ate like a pig when I was pregnant with both my girls….lol
I remember with my youngest I loved parsnips and gravy and ate plate fulls for breakfast, lunch and tea.
It looks like you are eating a lot of healthy food…Well done you x
I am an actual beast this time!! It’s actually eased off slightly in this final couple of weeks, but I puff up and down like a puffer fish thanks to my need to food! I love food generally but can pace myself and make good choices, not this pregnancy! With Toby, all I wanted was fruit and veg, I went off meat completely and anything greasy made me heave but now anything goes haha Roll with the lovely your body is doing something miraculous and I figure that racing around caring for 2 kids will soon make any weight come off!xx
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haha i love that work beast! It’s funny how you have been different; I think I have been the same but not remembered! I reckon the weight will definitely just drop off x
Aw congrats on your pregnancy! Only just saw yesterday 🙂 Exciting times (and enjoy all the food!) #justanotherlinky
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Thanks so much Becky x
You are not alone! I ate like a small dinosaur through both of my pregnancies. In fact I gained around 3st in total each time! Luckily I lost it all both times (phew). At least you are eating good and nutritional food, and you’re eating because you’re hungry. If baby wants it baby must have it! :0)
Dawn xx
#justanotherlinky
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haha the imagery!! Bless glad you gained and lost ok! I think you are right the baby must be hungry x
I was talking just yesterday with a friend about food in pregnancy and we were saying how we just ate! Haha! I was sick in both my first trimesters so couldn’t eat much but then I just ate and ate. Unfortunately I put on the weight too! #binkylinky xx
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It’s so funny eh? The sickness for me just made me eat more! my weight is starting to come on now x
I bet you have a gorgeous little bump xx
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It’s coming along nicely! x
Oh yes I found myself having to have two weetabix for breakfast or I would be starving before lunchtime. As nothing else seemed to keep my hunger at bay. Xx #wotw
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Yep I have to eat all morning too…eek x
Your food looks delicious I was the same with Mini M, just wanted to eat, eat, eat #binkylinky
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hehe it’s good to know!! x
Yes! I found I didn’t crave sweet things so much, but could put away pasta dishes that would generally feed four people. Someone said that if you have a huge appetite it’s a sign you are carrying a boy, which of course was right in my case, but I’ve heard of people being really hungry when having a girl, so probably just a myth.
My appetite never really went down, but then again I’m still breastfeeding here at 14 months. Luckily with exercise I’m back to pre-pregnancy weight, so I can’t really complain. I did find that the craving for especially chocolate returned in a big way when Caspian was born and I started breastfeeding. I try and eat good things, but not always easy.
Best of luck with your pregnancy, can’t wait to follow it all and hope the nausea goes soon.
Nadia – ScandiMummy x
#justanotherlinky 🙂
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🙂 x
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ooh maybe it is a boy? I’m so not as sure this time. I dropped my weight last time pretty quickly and yes eating healthily when hungry is hard!! x
Oh God I’m hungry now seeing all these pictures I definitely found eating helped with my sickness and like you, despite knowing I didn’t need extra food I used pregnancy as an excuse to eat my own body weight in Hagan Dazs #justanotherlinky
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hehe sorry! It’s a great excuse to eat as you are so hungry!! x
I don’t think I ate anymore than normal when I was pregnant, but I’ve heard of others that do. I guess you gotten feed the baby! Thanks for linking up to the #BinkyLinky
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Lucky you hun and you had 2!! Thanks for hosting x
I remember eating so much that even when I am keeping my pregnancy a secret before people found out. Specifically my mother haha. Its not that I dont want to tell her but its those thing that I want to be sure first that it will stay before I tell it to someone. But how can you hide stuff from your mother haha esp when you (me) are eating like a horse!
It is a phase for me. I just really wanted so much food I think because I am really thin in the start of my pregnancy.
#wotw
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hehe that’s funny! Mothers just know eh? I bet your body wanted to pile a bit on x
Yep this was me with all of my pregnancies! I have never felt hunger like it, I felt physically sick through hunger most of the time, I would even wake up in the night with the worst hunger pains and have to go downstairs and eat something! My raging hunger never wore off, the whole time I was pregnant, and we found ourselves doing a tour of the local all you can eat buffets on a weekend, ha! Thankfully the hunger did go afterwards, I’m not sure I could have maintained that level of eating long term, but it was fun while it lasted!! #binkylinky
Author
Yep I wake sicky in the night! haha I bet those buffets were heaven. I know: I think trying to keep up long term would be so tricky xx
Hi Sarah, I remember when I was carrying my son the smell of meat cooking would make my stomach turn (which was a nightmare as we had a bar and sold meals) and the only thing that helped was salty crackers. On the whole I can’t remember wanting to eat too much whilst pregnant, but whilst I was breast feeding I was always felt hungry and drank loads of fresh milk (I’ve always drunk too much milk) and ate enough porridge to empty the magic porridge pot!
At least by listening to your body, it will tell you what you need. Hope your hunger soon passes.
xx
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That must have been so hard!! I wish I liked milk as it would be so filling. I’m trying just to do as my body says for sure! Thanks x
I have not been pregnant recently (I don’t think I have) but I never stop eating which I quess makes me a greedy sod. Seriously wonderful post Sarah Thanks for linking to the #binkylinky
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haha I know you love your food! xx
I had hideous morning sickness – day and night and all the way through. The only thing that got me through it were Cadbury’s Double Deckers. I’ve not touched one since giving birth – two and a half years ago! You are so good to be so disciplined. Keep going. #justanotherlinky
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Bless you so hard! I bet you are well off Double Deckers..my auntie lived on those too x
I battled constant hunger in my pregnancy with my son. Oddly enough, as hungry as I was, it was almost as if I couldn’t find a single thing I wanted to eat. Every day was a battle between me being absolutely starving, and completely nauseous at the thought of eating, well…anything!
Honestly, I think if you’re hungry, you should eat! You’re obviously making awesome food choices and, like you said, you’re growing a person! <3 #justanotherlinky
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That must have been so hard bless you! Thanks so much for the lovely comment x
Popping back from #justanotherlinky. Thanks for linking up xx
You do make me laugh! I feel like you and I’m not even pregnant. I honestly think it’s the hormonal changes and the tiredness that make us crave the food. Let yourself go lovely, you’ll snap back. Enjoy it and embrace the excuse to eat for ten. I sure did! x
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hehe that made me laugh too! x