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Eating for two: nutrition for athletes contemplating motherhood - The Pregnant Exerciser Section

American Fitness, Sept-Oct, 1993 by Nancy Clark

Although many active women have dreams about becoming a mom, they also have nightmares about the effect pregnancy will have on their bodies. Competitive athletes, in particular, worry about gaining too much weight and being left with excess fat in addition to a screaming child that distupts their active lifestyle. If you're contemplating parenthood, the following information may offer a helpful perspective.

Good nutrition should not be called upon in the midst of pregnancy as one calls a fire truck in an emergency. Women should eat well every day to firtify their bodies with the nutrients needed for health during pregnancy. For example, a woman who enters pregnancy with low iron stores (a situation common to female athletes) may end up anemic. Pregnancy is tiring enough--why add more risk of fatigue? Start early with a diet rich in iron and all other nutrients. Then, during pregnancy, you'll have one less adjustment to make.

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For two-thirds of pregnant women, tastes change, tolerances change, morning sickness can last all day and night. Menu planning becomes problematic, as does lack of energy to cook (to say nothing of exercise). Whereas some women breeze through the nine months, others count every day. The euphoria of getting pregnant may quickly come to a halt when you're confronted with the reality of it all. Again, that's why you should start eating healthfully today to prepare your body for an unusual/sub-optimal eating experience.

Assuming you are able to tolerate a nice variety of wholesome meals, the primary focus should be on calcium-rich foods--four servings a day of low-fat yogurt, milk and cheeses, lots of dark green or colorful vegetables, citrus, whole grains and protein-rich foods. Women who have not eaten red meat for years may find themselves hankering for a hamburger. Others crave chips, as if their body is asking for salt. For a helpful nutrition book, I recommend Miriam Erick's D.I.E.T. During Pregnancy ($14, Grinnen-Barrett Publishing Co., P.O. Box 779, Brookline, MA 02146).

The fear of getting fat which surrounds most active women can intensively during pregnancy. Remember, you can be pregnant without being fat. There's a big difference between the two. Approximately 24 pounds gained can be accounted for by the weight of the baby (seven pounds), placenta (two-poinds), amniotic fluid (three pounds), uterus (three pounds), breast tissue (two to three pounds) and water, fat and blood volume (six to seven pounds). Athletic women who are underweight to start commonly gain more weight. Overweight women may gain less.

Some women who gain excess fat during pregnancy ask for it. One dancer commented, "Since I was going to get big, I relaxed with food and got good and big. I'd eat pintfuls of ice cream at night, so it's no wonder I gained 60 pounds." Often women find the life changes that accompanying pregnancy stressful and turn to food for comfort and/or energy. However, most active women who eat approximately and use food for fuel, not a source of comfort, gain (and then naturally lose) the appropriate amount of weight.

Nutritionally surviving pregnancy is part of the story. Surviving motherhood brings its own challanges. When the baby cries, your world stops. So do normal eating habits. You may have no time to sit down and eat a meal. Fatigue, stressful adjutments and lack of energy to shop or cook can take their toll on the quality of your diet.

The frustrations that accompany motherhood, perhaps more than pregnancy itself, can interfere with weight loss plans and even contribute to weight gain. After all, you're home all day and food is readily available. You may soothe yourself with "drugs" such as candy, cookies and other high-fat treats. Your intentions to exercise may get confounded by physical exhaustion or lack of time. Paying a babysitter so you have exercise time can be a lifesaver.

Life has reasons. For the new mother, the first post-pregnancy year may not be the reason to be as lean or athletic as desired. You were pregnant for nine months, and you may need nine months to return to your pre-pregnant physique. Surveys of women runners suggest, however, most returned to running five weeks after delivery, and were at pre-pregnancy weight in five months.

There can be a lean life after pregnancy!

Eating for two: nutrition for athletes contemplating motherhood - The Pregnant Exerciser Section

American Fitness, Sept-Oct, 1993 by Nancy Clark

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