Here's How I Gained the Exact Recommended Weight For Pregnancy

I'm a big fan of food logging and have kept a pretty detailed one for the past six years, including a weekly weigh-in. During pregnancy, I knew I would need extra calories, but I wanted to make sure they were coming from a nutrient dense food sources. I added 300 calories to my daily caloric goal, and did my best stay in range throughout my pregnancy. At the end of the week, I would take a few minutes and review my nutritional data, see if I was lacking on any major nutrients, and make a plan on how to do better the following week. Keeping track of my calories has always been one of my most important tools for maintaining a healthy BMI, and I found it to be just as effective during pregnancy.

Although I would prefer to run, I was put on pelvic rest for my first trimester. By the time I was cleared to exercise, running felt a little "off" for me, so I transitioned to using an elliptical when I was at the gym and walking outside when I was home. I wore my fitbit daily and made an effort to get 10,000 or more steps everyday. There were days I was exhausted, but the fresh air and endorphins I got from the exercise helped me keep going. I recruited my husband to walk with me in the evenings and it was also a nice time for us to chat and catch up on each others days.

By making an effort to keep moving almost as much as I did pre-pregnancy, I experienced minimal swelling and less sleep issues than anticipated, which I'm sure helped keep my metabolism functioning at a high level.

Luckily I like to cook, so continuing to do so while pregnant didn't require a huge change in habit. Smoothies, kodiak muffins, and salads with protein were some of my go-tos over the Summer, especially when I needed a cold drink post-workout. I don't cook anything especially complicated, but I always make a point to get 3-5 servings of fruit and vegetables everyday and avoid processed food as much as possible.

When you prepare your own food, it also makes it easier to log and track calories because you know exactly what you're eating. I aimed to eat out only once a week, and I didn't treat restaurants as a "splurge." I continued to make an effort and order similarly as to how I would eat at my own dinner table.

It's normal for stress and anxiety levels to rise during pregnancy, and I was not immune to the worrying that comes along with preparing for a new baby. By checking in with myself and taking 10-20 minutes a day to meditate, I was able to stay calm, focussed, and relaxed when I felt my emotions spinning out of control.

Being in-tune with my mind and body has always been a part of my well-rounded daily habits, and I find myself craving healthier food immediately after a meditation session. I truly believe meditating everyday helped me keep my pregnancy cravings in check and eliminated the "stress eating" I sometimes experience.

I teach pilates classes on a regular basis, but the majority of the moves I teach require you to be on your back, which isn't recommended after the first trimester. Since I wasn't allowed to participate in my own classes, I needed to find a substitute to keep my core and body strong during pregnancy. I turned to online pre-natal yoga videos as a solution to keep my body flexible, toned, and in shape during my pregnancy. I experienced minimal back, hip, and shoulder pain throughout my pregnancy, and along with burning calories, the daily yoga helped keep me in peak physical form so I was able to continue being active in other ways as well.