Having read from someone that she was trying a no-carb diet for a few weeks so she could lose some weight for a wedding, and hearing her say after 1 week she lost 5 and a half lbs, it got me thinking. I also came across this article in the Daily Mail which was an interesting read.
Now at the moment I am almost 21 weeks pregnant. So I'm not about to do anything stupid and compromise the health of myself or my baby. But I've been researching on the internet about a no/low carb diet in pregnancy. My initial thoughts on this are "oh my god, how am I ever going to be able to cope without ANY carbs??" The thought for me is so daunting. No potatoes. No bread. No rice. No pasta. No sugar. No cereals. No fruit! Bread and potatoes in particular for me are a HUGE part of my diet. Sugary snacks, like biscuits, chocolate, sweets, even yoghurts, are my vice. But at the same time I eat a large amount of fruit, and the thought of omiting FRUIT from my diet just seems insane! Fruit is healthy, full of vitamin C, a nice healthy snack!
I decided to do some more research, what sort of low carb diets pregnant women followed. Most include fruits. Phew! But still, even with fruit, this is a diet that is SUCH a drastic change I cannot imagine being able to stick to it, it would be a fad, something I saw as a quick-fix and then bam all the weight comes piling back as I revert back to my beloved bread, potatoes, pasta, sugar.
I think the secret is to not introduce an "all or nothing" diet straight away. And by diet I mean a diet of food that I plan to eat and enjoy, not a diet in the traditional sense of the word, Atkins diet, south beach diet (whatever that one is!), peanut butter diet, etc etc.
Having done some research, starchy carbs don't really contain any vitamins and minerals essential to nourish the body. Their purpose is to release energy in a certain way. Omitting just bread and potatoes from my diet will be tough at first but it still leaves me with plenty of options. I can still have pastas, rice and cereals. Breakfast will be easy, I love my cereals (although I will miss my toast with jam!). Lunch will be harder, I love to make a sandwich for lunch, quick and easy! Dinner will require some change too. No chips/mashed potato, no more jacket potatoes! But pasta, spag bol, shepherd's pie minus potato topping, curries with rice, salad as a side, all still available.
This change will prompt me into eating healthier I think. Salads for lunch, or maybe a soup. If I get a good repetoire of recipes under my belt (out come the old salads/soups recipe books!) I think the amount of vitamins and minerals going into my body will increase, I will be feeding myself and my baby better foods important for his/her growth and nourishment, and hopefully helping myself curb weight gain, and set in place good eating habits for the future to help me lose weight after the baby is born. I am not looking for a fad diet. I am looking for a diet that will see me eating better for life. I am going to try and avoid it taking over my life. When I have tried to lose weight in the past I have been obsessively stepping on the scales every day (or the wii fit as it makes me feel bad when I miss a day!) this time I can see myself stepping on maybe once a week, or once a fortnight, or hell, even once a month.
I am looking forward to seeing a change, and feeling changes within myself. Of getting down to a healthy weight range so I can feel more confident in myself and treat myself to nice clothes without worrying if they make me look even fatter than I already feel. I want to set a good example to my son and my other child who I will meet in October. I don't want to give him a food or weight complex, so I won't be weighing myself regularly and I won't be getting upset if I gain a lb or two from day to day.
This is something I feel very positively about. And more importantly, it's one step at a time.
