Prevent Excess Pregnancy Weight Gain During the Holidays

The holidays are a rough time to prevent weight gain for anyone but it can be particularly challenging during pregnancy! Obviously, pregnancy is not the time to go on a diet. Still, you can avoid excess pregnancy weight gain during the holidays if you practice moderation and follow a few simple tips.

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Tips to avoid pregnancy weight gain during the holidays

The basic rules for avoiding pregnancy weight gain during the holidays really aren’t much different than any other time of the year. The only major difference is the temptation! With all those cookies, parties and holiday feasts, it’s a lot harder to avoid overeating during the holidays. Check out our tips to keep your holiday eating under control. Make sure to talk to your doctor before changing your pregnancy eating habits.

  • Lose the “eating for two” excuse. Seriously, no one is buying it! Your baby is not a second full-grown human. She doesn’t need you to go back for seconds and thirds to make sure she has enough to eat. If you keep telling yourself that you’re eating for two, it’s like you’re giving yourself permission to completely overdo it.
  • Let someone else bake the cookies. You really shouldn’t be standing on your feet all day baking up a storm anyway, so remove the temptation of sampling from each batch by letting someone else do all the work.
  • Fill up before heading out. Don’t go shopping or visiting on an empty stomach! While this rule applies to everyone trying to prevent weight gain, it’s especially important during pregnancy. Why? Because everyone is already always trying to feed you when you’re pregnant! It’s easier to say no if you’re full. Otherwise, when they start waving those Christmas cookies under your nose, you may cave!
  • Don’t fall victim to stress eating. Avoid holiday stress during pregnancy as much as possible so you’re not tempted to console yourself by chowing down on extra goodies. If you are feeling stressed, find another outlet. Overeating will just make you feel worse, especially if it causes excess pregnancy weight gain.
  • Allow yourself a few goodies and really savor them. Look, no one is saying you need to swear off all yummy treats. The holidays aren’t the same without a few goodies. Allow yourself a reasonable amount of treats each day. Make them count. Do you really want to blow your allowance on, say, bell-shaped chocolate? You can get chocolate any day of the year in other shapes. Go for those special goodies that only come out during the holidays.  Eat slowly and enjoy every bite.

What’s the big deal about excess pregnancy weight gain?

Wondering why you should be concerned about too much pregnancy weight gain? Aside from the fact that it makes losing weight after giving birth so much harder, it also puts you at risk for complications! We’re talking diabetes, preeclampsia and other potentially dangerous issues here! So do yourself a huge favor, avoid packing on the excess pregnancy pounds during the holidays.

Another great way to prevent excess pregnancy weight gain during the holidays is to engage in prenatal exercise. I’ve put together a selection of videos to help you stay in shape while pregnant. Check them out!

What do you do to prevent pregnancy weight gain during the holidays?

5 thoughts on “Prevent Excess Pregnancy Weight Gain During the Holidays”

  1. I love this post. I was pregnant with my third baby during the holidays and thankfully I didn’t gain too much weight with him. I agree pregnancy isn’t the time to lose weight but it also isn’t the time to eat everything in site. I tried to limit my cravings and took things in moderation. Thankfully, I had a food aversion to most of the sweets during my pregnancy.

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