How To Diet While Pregnant - Monitoring Your Weight

Diet and nutrition are vital components of keeping you and your baby healthy during your pregnancy. Knowing how to diet while pregnant affects the health of your baby both inside and outside your womb. There are several diet plans available for pregnant women. However, pregnancy diet plans are not a "one size fits all" kind of thing. There are still pre-pregnancy factors that you have to take into account when planning your diet.

One such factor is your Body Mass Index or BMI before your pregnancy. BMI pertains to your weight in relation to your height. This will determine whether you are of normal weight, underweight, overweight and so on. Knowing this information will help you adjust your diet according to your special needs.

How do you take your BMI though? The only data you need are your weight prior to your pregnancy and your height. The formula is actually very simple and you can do it by yourself. Simply take your weight in kilograms and divide it by the square of your height in meters. Alternatively, to make things faster and more convenient for you, there are numerous BMI calculators available online with a simple search on the web.
The resulting value will have an assigned description to determine your weight status. You can check it below:

• Below 18.5 is Underweight.
• 5 to 24.9 is Normal Weight.
• 0 to 29.9 is Overweight.
• Above 30.0 is Obese.

If you are of normal weight, you can follow the regular prescribed diet for pregnant women. There is also an expected rate of weight gain that you can use as a guide to monitor your diet. As a whole, normal pregnant women are expected to gain 25 to 35 pounds (11.2 to 15.9 kg) for the duration of your pregnancy. You need to add 300 calories more to your pre-pregnancy daily calorie requirement. Progressively, it is recommended that you gain 1 pound per month on your first trimester. For your second and trimester, you should gain 1 pound weekly already. That means per trimester, you are expected to have 3 lb -12 lb - 12 lb weight increase.

If you are underweight though, expect to be advised by your doctor to add more than the standard 300 calories and your expected weight gain is also higher. You might be advised to gain 0.5 kg per month or week instead of the usual 1 lb or 30 to 40 lb in total. As such, you should adjust your diet plan to provide you more nutrients. Conversely, obese women are expected to gain less weight at around 15 to 25 lb. Be sure to consult your doctor first though, to ensure that your diet is adjusted according to your specific personal needs if you are under these special circumstances.

Also, be warned that the sudden increase in your weight (greatly more and faster than the expected), warrants a check-up with your doctor. The same could be said for sudden weight loss. Both suggest illness and should be consulted with your physician.

Arnold Basken is a pregnancy diet expert. For more information on how to diet while pregnant and an absolutely free ten-part email mini-course on the 10 facts to achieving a happy, healthy pregnancy, visit http://www.pregnant-women-diets.com.

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