3/14: 125.3 pounds

This is Mom's Monologue about her big fat ****:
Yup, I am gaining weight. (Two days ago, I weighed myself and I was at 124.6). It is not clear though if this is due to the baby or a change I've made in eating habits.

Last year, I was on a major diet, and I lost about 15 pounds. Today, I am still about 12-13 pounds less than I was last year (even with child). Until about a couple of weeks ago (before I knew about the little tyke), I was still following a lot of the old diet guidelines, making sure that I kept my intake of carbs and fat in rather strict proportion to my intake of protein. (I was following the Zone Diet, which really does work for shedding off extra pounds!)

Now that I know I am "hatching" an egg inside me, though, I've been lest strict about following the previous proportions. Mainly because I want to focus more on consuming more grains and vegetables - which, according to the diet I was on - were pure "carbs" (translation: something to strictly limit). The old diet was great for losing weight, but I am not convinced it will be good for nourishing a growing fetus properly... (It puts no emphasis on consuming the right amounts of vitamins or minerals, for example.) In any event, since I've committed myself to exercising more, I'm hoping that I'll still be able to manage my weight and keep "in shape" - despite my decision to change my eating habits (and eat more carbs).

Speaking of diets though, I have noticed one thing. I AM definitely hungrier lately - to the point where last night, I woke up in the middle of the night (around 5 am) with my stomach growling. That has never happened to me before. I couldn't get back to sleep until I had gone on a snack run... I also notice that I feel better (less morning sickness) when I have something in my stomach ... So, eating - and eating healthy - is the name of the game these days.

Incidentally, this is an interesting chart that I copied directly from baby2see.com, which has an interesting weight gain calculator and tips on what type of eating/weight gain is to be expected and healthy. I think this chart is interesting because, as Pops was asking me recently, how much can that baby weigh at this point? Why would you be gaining weight already, if the baby is so small still? At the time when he asked, I didn't know the answer - but I knew there must be one. The chart explains where the other weight gain comes from; apparently, in addition to the baby itself, the mama gains weight increased body fluid, blood, breast growth (ooh!), etc. etc.:

Where do the pregnancy pounds go? Maternal stores of nutrients and muscle development 7 Pounds Increased body fluid 4 Pounds Increased blood 3 - 4 Pounds Breast growth 1 - 2 Pounds Enlarged uterus 2 Pounds Amniotic fluid 2 Pounds Placenta 1.5 Pounds Baby 6 - 8 Pounds Total 26.5 - 30.5 Pounds Source: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists On a Trimester Basis: First trimester: 1 pound per month (4lb) in the first 12 weeks. Second trimester: 1 pound per week for the next three months (12 - 14lb) in total. Third trimester: around 1 pound per week (10lb) over the last 12 weeks. But remember, these are average figures for large numbers of women so just because your weight gain pattern is different, it doesn't mean anything is wrong.