A Weighty Matter

I'm finished with my first trimester and I ended up "officially" gaining two pounds.  Unofficially it was actually one pound as I had consumed excess sodium the day before my last office visit and I'd dropped that extra pound later in the day.  Given my starting weight, it wasn't necessary for me to gain anything at all in the first trimester.  Regardless, I'm pleased with my weight gain thus far and soon I'll begin to work on gaining around one pound per week.

Weight is a tricky thing for some women and it certainly is with me.  It's hard for me to just relax and let go of my standard "diet" (meaning my normal way of eating) even if I'm pregnant.  Understand that I would never risk the health of my baby over my vanity about weight by dieting while pregnant, but I also would never treat pregnancy like it's forty-weeks of all-you-can-eat buffets and gorging on junk food. 

I'm never as disciplined with my diet as I am when I'm pregnant and I think that's why I have found that I don't pork up when knocked up.  Though Weight Watchers makes it clear that one shouldn't follow their plan while pregnant, I make sure to follow the WW Good Health Guidelines about water, fruit, veggie, dairy, and vitamin intake because it is a healthy way to eat and live.  That's not to say that I don't splurge sometimes because I absolutely do.  It's true that there's nothing I love more than a good hamburger, but it's not like I eat that way everyday and I see value in enjoying treats every now & then. 

My problem lately is dairy, both milk and cheese.  Even yogurt, to a lesser extent, is offensive to me at the moment.  I wouldn't ordinarily care about my dairy aversion, but pregnant women do need quite a bit of calcium and dairy products are the most efficient way to get that valuable mineral.

I have had so much trouble consuming dairy that I've had to get creative about where to get calcium because there is only so much broccoli and dark leafy greens one can take.  Where have I been getting calcium?  Milkshakes, frozen yogurt, and ice-cream.  Nothing like getting my dose of calcium with a hefty serving of fat and sugar, huh?  Yeah, it's really not the best way to go about getting calcium.

I may have been able to get through the first trimester with my weight gain essentially right on target, but I'm pretty sure that I won't be able to claim the same for my second trimester if I don't get exit the ice-cream train and get back on the non-fat milk bus.  How do you like to get your calcium?  Any ideas and suggestions would be most appreciated!