Sunday, January 13, 2013

The Game of Healthy Weight Gain


I was on a happy vacation when I discovered I was pregnant. I started on a very shaky ground when I also discovered that I was 5 kilos over my lowest weight (which was 65 kilos).There I was standing on the weighing machine, staring at the number 70, the ground underneath me not only shook but also moved is an understatement.

The below picture is NOT taken during my pregnancy. This photo is taken around 2008 when I was 86 kilos and growing.This picture was a reminder of what I have been fighting all along and what can I become if I am not careful about my pregnancy weight gain. What I was, what I am and what I can be were the three questions I always kept in mind.


I embarked on the journey of my life time where my aim was NOT to lose But to gain weight.

My pregnancy journey in short.

First Trimester - There was nothing much I could do in this period. I was not allowed to exercise. I felt terrible nausea and was on bed for sometime due to vomiting. All I could manage to eat was bread and butter and I lost few pounds.


Second Trimester - Sunshine returned in this trimester. I felt hungry, I liked few foods and I returned to my senses. On an average I was supposed to eat 300 calories above my normal intake. I invested my time in eating home cooked healthy and nutritive meals and I returned to my 30-45 minutes exercise routine. I followed the rule of eating at home during the week and indulging my craving on weekend. By the end of this trimester I gained 6 kilos. I weighed 76 kilos.



Third Trimester - In my 7th month I experienced hunger as I never experienced it before. I was hungry most of the time. I ate and ate and ate. The only rule to eating policy was to eat at home and not eat free calories like biscuits, chips, ice creams instead I ate mutltigrain roties, sprout bhel etc. I gained most of my weight during my third trimester, towards the end I was 84 kilos. A gain of 14 kilos was considered healthy by my doctor.



Diet that I followed : I am a very lazy creature and I tend to eat any thing that is easily made and quickly consumed. I kept my meals as simple as possible.

Breakfast-  5 soaked almonds were must. My breakfast was usually veg/egg sandwich with a big cup of tea. I did craved for Sago/Sabudana so I used to make microwavable sabudana khichadi which consumes less oil. If I felt like eating poha or upma, I added lots of veggies to it.

After 2 hours- Apple or a banana

Lunch - 2 roties with sabji and raita. It was a conscious decision on my side not to eat rice every day. I kept rice for the craving days.

Evening - Handful of walnuts with tea. Depending on my hunger I would either opt for a multigrain roti OR sprout bhel with green chutney.

Dinner- Same as lunch


I ate nutritive filling meals and there was nothing very fancy about it. Simple rule, eat whatever you want but make sure to eat low calorie version.

I chalked out few rules for myself which I followed to the T in my pregnancy.

1. Better to be Silly than sorry - I always consulted my doctor regarding my doubts which included my questions about weight and exercise. Keeping your doctor in loop is not only good its common sense. No question is too small NO doubt is too silly.

2. Diet Busters- Most people advised me "Not to Diet" during pregnancy. I really don't understand what does NOT to diet stands for. When I lost weight I ate healthy and never stayed hungry and I refuse to call this lifestyle as dieting. During my pregnancy my rule was to eat healthy food. When hungry I could have easily opted for a samosa, burger, french fries BUT I chose to eat roti-sabji, fruits and eggs, which are not only filling but are also healthier.

I have seen people (and I am sure most of us have) who eat tub of ice creams, chips, loads of fat just because they are pregnant. There is nothing wrong in indulging yourself but with my weight issues I just could not afford to be a part of frequent indulging philosophy.

3. Call of the carvings - I wanted to enjoy my pregnancy by eating all the sin food BUT I also wanted to be in the healthy weight range. So I made a rule. Week days were strict home cooked meal days and cravings were to be addressed on weekend. I made a list of my cravings and every week I enjoyed one craving guilt free.

I felt like eating vada pav every single day, had I done that I would have easily crossed my weight limit, instead I ate it on weekend. I never for once felt deprived during my pregnancy, if craving is there then it will be fulfilled on weekend. The guilt free craving encounter kept me motivated to eat as healthy as possible during the week. Just because I was pregnant did not mean that I had a "all that I can eat" free pass.

4. Late Night Tiffins - My hunger level started to rise during my second trimester.
As my late night hunger pangs started, I used to quickly go and have a big tomato cheese sandwich. After few days I realized that I cannot do this on daily basis, so I came up with late night tiffins. I kept a box of roti-sabji, litti,vermacili ready in the fridge. As long as it was tasty I was happy to eat it at night.




My night time tiffins helped me to avoid instant 2 minutes noodles, chips, biscuits, namkeen, cheese and bread and what not.

5. Exercise- My habit to exercise before pregnancy helped me to stay active during my pregnancy. It was a personal decision, which was made solely on my research, to pack my bag and go to gym. Throughout my second trimester I did treadmill and elliptical at low speed. I did 30 -45 minutes of cardio workout.

The reason I opted for treadmill was that I felt( and it is solely my opinion) that treadmill provides a smooth walking space, there are no sudden jerks and surprises. Elliptical and treadmill both are considered pregnancy safe.

While exercising I was super conscious about my body indications. I did not let my body dehydrate and over heat. I never once pushed myself, if I felt tired I would immediately stop exercising.

I was asked to stop exercising after my 7th month which I did but I was active doing my house work and doing shopping for the baby.

6. Knowledge - It always helps to understand things. We live in an era of easy knowledge and I see no harm in making use of this knowledge. I read as much as possible about healthy weight gain and exercise during pregnancy. All the articles and books that I read helped me to shape my path. Knowledge is the most powerful tool that we can use in our weight loss journey.

7. De bunking the myths - I have seen people eating junk in the name of pregnancy. One common belief is to eat whatever you feel like, I did that too BUT I also kept a tab on the frequency of such treats.

During my last days of pregnancy, there were suggestions to drink ghee with milk, so that the baby comes out easily. The thought of such deadly combination and the amount of fat it will accumulate was horrifying. I am fortunate enough to have an aunt( who is a gynecologist), she told me that the place where the baby comes out and the place where ghee and milk are digested are different. There is no connection between loads of ghee and easy baby.

Some suggested that keeping brick of ice cream in the fridge is a sure shot cure for acidity, I agree but it is also a sure shot way to gain fat.

I stayed clear from such myths, in case of any doubt I consulted my doctor(and my aunt).

As a simple rule, where my weight and diet during pregnancy was considered I did not listen to anyone except my doctor.

8. Maternity Clothes - I refused to buy clothes tagged as Maternity. My fear was that because these clothes are so comfortable I might keep wearing them.

I opted for large size clothes. I bought really few of these dresses because there was no way I was going to keep them after my pregnancy.

Just after my delivery I could not fit back in my old clothes and I just had handful of dresses to wear outside. I refused to make any new purchases for my new big size. Wearing few clothes over and over again was just my way of reminding myself of what I was trying to change, what will happen if I did not work towards my vision and what awaits for me if I work a little hard to chase my dream.

I never had a pregnancy wardrobe(apart from extremely few large size clothes) and I do not have a post pregnancy wardrobe as I fit right back in my old dresses.
The best part about healthy pregnancy weight is that you lose almost half the amount right after delivery and with little effort you can lose the remaining.

Remember, when you are dealt the cards you don't like then the only way to play the game is to give your very best shot and to play as if you can never lose.

You might also like to read - The Last Laugh

30 comments:

  1. U rock shiva,,,,wat an excellent write up.....I always get inspired by u but wl never hit gym n never stop eating wrong:(

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Sireesha Puppala,

      Thanks a ton for liking my write up.

      Lots of love to you

      regards

      Shiva

      Delete
  2. Vow, Shiva, truly inspiring and amazing I am sure you are going to be a role model for many young mothers out there ! take care and be the same always !!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Soulsearchingdays,

      Thanks for liking the post. I hope finger crossed that weight loss happen the way I want it to happen BUT sometimes it gets a bit tough with the baby, I try to do my best.

      Lots of love to you.

      regards

      Shiva

      Delete
  3. wow shiva....very inspiring story...all new mothers will benefit hugely from this!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Neha,

      Thanks for liking the blog post.

      Lots of love

      regards

      Shiva

      Delete
  4. Awesome post Shiva!!! But you looked so beautiful in your 1st trimester n 2nd trimester pics that i couldnt have guessed you were 70 /76 then...
    You truly make our lives so much easier by such eye opeening posts...keep writing..
    You rock!!!!

    Pragnya

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Pragnya,

      I started showing towards the end of my second trimester :). Thanks for the appreciation.

      Lots of love to you.

      regards

      Shiva

      Delete
  5. i have been reading ur blog for sometime now and I am inspired and how, thanks to ur blog I have also started my weight loss journey and I am 7 kilos lighter! All thanks to u... ur my inspiration... Congrats on the baby and I am super glad that ur back to blogging ! :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear My3shenpy,

      Wow, I am so happy to hear that my blog motivated you to lose 7 kilos, that is the whole purpose of this blog.

      Thanks a ton for the appreciation and the wishes.

      Lots of love

      regards

      Shiva

      Delete
  6. Shiva..Congratulation on being a mommy ! I am silent admirer and you are my inspiration. Whenever I am tempted by a fad diet craze I come and see your blog and how you did it with walking and eating right. You lost the first 15 kgs by walking right ?
    Also can you post the recipe for vermicelli shown in the pic... it looks sooo tasty

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Saumya,

      Thanks for the wishes and the appreciation. When I started my weight loss back in 2009 I lost 16 kilos only by walking. Walking is one fantastic exercise and it always works.

      I will definitely post the vermicelli recipe, just give me some time.

      Lots of love

      regards

      Shiva

      Delete
  7. Replies
    1. Dear Rajani,

      Thanks for the appreciation.

      Lots of love

      regards

      Shiva

      Delete
  8. How do you manage to be so awesome?! You're really inspiring! Oh and since you're my online-weight loss-friend, i want to share with you that I have lost 15kgs since I started reading your fantastic blog.

    Thanks for being an inspiration, Shiva. Your baby boy is truly lucky to have an educated, intelligent, and motivated mom like you.

    Lots of love and hugs

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My Dear Ruchi,

      Thanks a million ton for such lovely beautiful words. Your comment made me smile the whole day. I am so happy to know about your weight loss. Its a wonderful feeling to know that my blog helped you in whatever small way in your weight loss journey.

      Lots and lots of love to you.

      regards

      Shiva

      Delete
  9. Wow Shiva...very inspiring. Thanks so much for sharing.
    However, a questions: How did u loose weight postpartum? With all the stress and sleepless nights and breastfeeding?
    Maybe this calls for another post? He he he...
    Swapna

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    Replies
    1. Dear Nodieting,

      Thanks for liking the post. I am going to write everything about my postpartum weight loss, the only thing is that its taking time to write, click photos and manage the baby. The baby has the knack of asking for my attention as soon as I sit to write. Will upload the article soon.

      Lots of love to you

      regards

      Shiva

      Delete
  10. Hi Shiva,

    Hope you remember me, I was following you in indusladies and had msged you frequently.. My heartfelt wishes your motherhood and hope you are really enjoying your new phase in life :)

    Im now pregnant with my second baby and weigh 69.5 kg and in my first trimester, as mentioned in your blog, I have also stopped exercising in the first trimester and your blog clarified my doubt as I was thinking of doing treadmill n elliptical from my 2nd trimester.
    In the 3rd trimester did u do any exercise? Also how did u reduce your 14 kg pregnancy weight...I mean did you do any light exercise or any specific routine you followed.. Your insights would be really helpful to me

    Lots of Love
    SunSug

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hi Shiva,

    My heartfelt wishes on your new phase of life..hope you are enjoying ur motherhood.

    If you could remember me, I'm SunSug, we had shared msgs in induslandies. Im now pregnant with my second baby (7 weeks) and I have stopped my exercises but I'm still 69-70 kg. you had rightly clarified my doubt on tread mill n elliptical. Could you let me if you did any exercise in the 3rd trimester. How did you lose your 14 kg pregnancy weight??? Any specific exercise & diet??? Your inputs will really help me now!!!

    Once again my wishes!!!

    Regards
    SunSug

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Sunsug,

      What a wonderful news. Congratulations Girl.

      I exercised only in my second trimester. Doctor asked me to stop exercising during my 3rd trimester. I lost my pregnancy weight mostly with home cooked diet as I was not allowed to exercise for 2 months. Will write a post about it soon.

      Lots of love to you.

      regards

      Shiva

      Delete
  12. Wow! that was really inspiring. My PCOS is not at all helping me have a healthy body weight. I am trying to stick to your suggestions in this blog for past 5 months but no changes so far. Sometimes it becomes really frustrating. Hope to stay motivated with your blog entries.

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  13. Dearest Upasana,

    Yeh sometimes it does get frustrating. Be regular with your PCOS medicines because they help in weight loss. All the very best to you. I am very glad to know that my blog motivates you.

    Lots of love to you.

    regards

    Shiva

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi shiva,

    I am a huge huge fan of yours. I dont miss any of your article mentioned in indusladies. I recently found your blog outside indusladies. You are a great inspiration for me.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Yummy Mummy,

      Thanks a ton for the appreciation :).

      Lots of love to you.

      regards

      Shiva

      Delete
  15. Hi,

    I chanced upon ur blog & I just love it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Shaivi,

      Thank a ton for loving my blog.

      Love

      Shiva

      Delete
  16. Hi Shiva ..

    Congratulations on yur pregnancy .. is it a boy or girl?? I am new to ur blog .. and also new to blogging and aspiring to loose some weight .. !! your blog is very useful .. thanks for your efforts ..!!

    Love
    Subhadra

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hi Shiva,

    You are truly an inspiration. I am getting goosebumps when i read your experience. Food is one thing people easily slips at. I am the living example of it. I will be like from now on i will eat healthy and be focused on losing weight, It will go one day where i will starve myself with oats porridge, breads and carrots. Then the next day i will be like tempting my hubby saying can we go for burger can we go there can we have that and being fond of food himself always agree with me. I will happily fill my stomach and when wiping my hand in tissue i will start feeling guilty and say From Tomorrow. There were too many failed missions. Period.

    The day i came across your blog is the luckiest day in my life. All your posts are so good and you amaze me by how well you know about what you are doing and the way you do it. The way you fight cravings without giving up. Your blog crashed all the wrong ideas i had all my life. I have started to change my lifestyle with your blog as reference. And this is the first time i am trying for good. whatever i have tried in the past to lose weight were complete craps.

    thank you so much for sharing every little detail which led you to the success.

    You are Great!!!

    Salutes and Hugs to You...

    Luv,
    Neethu

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Neethu,

      Thanks a ton for this wonderful appreciation. You made my day. I am very happy to know that my experience and my blog are helping you in your weight loss journey.

      Lots of love and hugs to you.

      regards

      Shiva

      Delete

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