For those who asked about the carb conscious diet to which I will have to strictly adhere for the remainder of the pregnancy, this post is for you. If you're just checking in, then that's ok- it's a new post, so it's for you, too! I'm a multi-tasker like that.
I have my first meeting with my endocrinologist and dietitian tomorrow, but I remember with crystal clarity exactly what is now expected of me for the next three months. I used this diet through the final trimester of my first pregnancy, and I actually used it again a year and a half ago, when I realized that my normal everyday non-pregnant weight was sneaking up on my first pregnancy third trimester weight. (Yikes!)
It's actually a great meal plan for any one without preexisting conditions (though of course, if you are out of shape (or even if not), you should always, always, always see your doctor for a check up and an all clear before changing your diet or exercise routine). Cutting out refined and simple sugars and carbs will obviously boost your health and help you lose weight, but when eaten regularly as suggested- proteins, green leafy veggies, and a controlled portion of carbs will also balance your blood sugar, so you won't be experiencing those all to common "crashes" during the day.
From what I remember, the first week or two is pretty rough. Your taste buds are used to SUGAR! Your body is craving that sickly, sweet caffeine fix! And, of course, your body is busy getting rid of toxins in response to the newer, healthier energy choices. I also remember being HUNGRY. As in really hungry. As in "no seriously, I think my stomach is actually digesting itself in an attempt to ensure survival." I discovered that it was because I was SO focused on carbs (both because that is what you count and because I was coveting ever morsel), that I really neglected the fact that I could have almost unlimited quantities of protein and dark, green leafies! Also, WATER! Hydrate, people! This helps keep that feeling of fullness. Other good news for me is that this time around I have a finely developed taste for hot green tea, and green tea is wonderful for improving blood sugar.
You're now thinking, "well this is all great, but what do you DO?" It's actually very simple. You need to eat six evenly spaced meals a day. Your meals will be smaller. This is a good thing. By having several smaller meals evenly spaced, you are able to get the calories you need without inundating your body with large volumes of carbs to process (I'm looking at you, breakfast skippers and enormous lunch and dinner stuffers!)
The "formula" is very simple

Breakfast: 15g carbs
Snack: 15g carbs
Lunch: 30g carbs
Snack: 15g carbs
Dinner: 30g carbs (some allow up to 45g for this meal, but I never went that high- mostly out of fear... remember I was doing this in order to avoid having a whoppingly large baby that I was responsible for getting from inside me to the outside world!)
Snack: 15g carbs

Ok, great. We know how many grams of carbs we can have, but what does 15g of carbs actually mean? Well here are some great examples:

15 grams of carbs equals one of the following=

1 slice of regular sandwich bread
1/2 cup of beans
1 cup of milk
1/2 cup of hot, cooked cereal (like oatmeal)
1/2 cup of starchy veggies (sweet potato, peas, corn)
6 saltine crackers
1 SMALL piece of fruit

Also, a lot of those oh-so-popular 100 calorie snack packs are often 15 grams of carbs, just check the nutritional label before you buy. Also, a quick tip here: you get to subtract fiber from the carbs! This means if a given product has 20g carbs, but also 5g of fiber, your net carbs equal only 15g! I know! Exciting right?

Once again I reiterate: the carbs are not all you can have at each meal. They are just limiting the amount of carbs. This means you can (and SHOULD!) still fill your plate with a plethora of yummy lean meats or eggs to get protein (which will help keep you feeling full longer because they are digested so slowly) and lots of dark, green veggies (which will fill you up as well). Making sure you get enough of these other two is crucial in not feeling hungry all the time, nor becoming nutrient deficient.

It's not easy at the beginning. It's usually a big change in the way people eat (our nation tends to eat 65% carbs at each meal which is enormous because they are only eaten twice a day- lunch and dinner). Your taste buds will feel neglected, your belly will rumble, and you will psychologically crave the comfort of a good cupcake, but it really is worth getting through that first week or two. The two best things about changing to this diet were the massive increase in energy/decrease in mood swings that I felt, and my new ability to really TASTE foods. All of the processed, sugary, HFCS-filled gunk that we usually put in our body completely dulls our taste buds. After a couple of weeks, you will bite into a (SMALL!) apple and your world will be rocked by the amazing flavor that you can now enjoy!

Summation- it's not for everyone, but it is healthy and you WILL notice a change! After meeting with my specialists tomorrow, I will be working hard to create health, carb controlled meals, so check back if you are interested in recipes, or just following along while I whimper through the first two weeks of withdrawals. That in itself should provide some amusement!

Thank you to all of the well-wishers out there! It's so awesome to have a cheering section when making a big change! And please let me know if you do decide to try out the diet! We can commiserate! ;)

 


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