Hello dear Happy Eaters!
I don’t know whether some of you remember me, but I was active on this forum a few years ago.
It helped me find balance and I was in a really good place with food (no restrictions/ no obsession/ no binges) and exercise (barely any exercise) for years!
Everything was going well, I got marrie in September 2021 and a few weeks later I got pregnant. We were super happy! But then, the pregnancy started messing with my head. I started gaining weight despite eating to my hunger cues as usual and it freaked me out! It was like I could not trust my body anymore. Clothes started feeling tight and my body image went downhill as my belly started growing.
I am currently 7 months in (due at the end of May) and it’s getting harder and harder to accept myself with this huge belly. I also went back to weighing myself every couple of days and the number on the scale keeps going up, up, up (obviously).
I want to be 100% transparent: I have not gained that much weight objectively (5-6kg in 7 months, which I think is like 11-13 lbs). My gynecologist keeps telling me that I could be gaining more and it would still be really healthy. I was also thin (not underweight but slim) to begin with so maybe I’m supposed to gain more. I am not restricting per se, in that I always eat something if I‘m hungry because I don’t want the baby to suffer from my craziness, but I am definitely focusing a lot more on what I eat and also not really allowing myself as many “fun foods“ as I was before.
So I guess I was not as much of a “happy eater” as I thought! Or rather, I was a happy eater because I was still maintaining a figure that I liked.
So this brings me here: is there anyone who experienced something similar during pregnancy? I know I should not be focusing on my body but I can’t help it. I am afraid to look at myself in the mirror and I can seem to find a way to accept this new body
It’s great that you’re eating better and feeling better. I can sort of relate in that my husband and I did a couple years of “healthy” low-fat vegan after his cancer diagnosis. In hindsight, it was totally fear-driven and not so healthy. Gobs of plants, but we were basically starving. Tired, weak, muscle loss, brain fog, hair falling out, nails splitting. Putting back ALL foods and eating in a more balanced way was a miracle. We’re both strong, healthy and happy again. I’m glad to hear you’re experiencing the benefits of better nutrition. It’s funny (or not) how many times I’ve needed to relearn this lesson.