Pregnant and Can’t Gain Weight? Here’s What I Did

Early pregnancy weight gain did not come easy for me! Learn how I gained weight in my first trimester with horrible morning sickness.

Did you recently find out that the heartburn you’ve been experiencing is actually an early pregnancy sign?

Finding out you’re pregnant is a wonderful feeling! Personally, I had a difficult time getting pregnant but when I finally did, I became pregnant with twins!

#blessing!

When I became pregnant I was eating more of a Keto diet as a way to lose weight before I became pregnant.

So, once I became pregnant I was ecstatic that I could potentially eat what I wanted – healthy, of course.

What I found, however, was that my morning sickness was horrible!

I woke up dry heaving and the thought of eating did not sit well with me.

As well, I suddenly had a sensitivity to smell and couldn’t tolerate the smell of food!

I didn’t want to lose weight, but how could I gain that early pregnancy weight in the first trimester when I was nauseous all day?

Check out the six things I did for weight gain in the first month of pregnancy.

1. I Made a Morning Sickness Kit

When you first become pregnant, normal women are expected to gain around 3.5 lbs. (or up to 5 lbs. if you were underweight prior to pregnancy).

I had morning sickness all the way up until my second trimester. And even then, I would get bouts here and there towards the end of my pregnancy.

I guess it’s true that when you’re pregnant with twins, it’s double….EVERYTHING!

Since I was working – at an elementary school with kids – I had to act like everything was normal.

I had to have a plan to nourish my body, gain weight and combat morning sickness.

To help me ride the nauseous waves during the day at work, I stashed the following in my desk:

  • Preggie Pop Drops – having something to constantly suck on helped me concentrate on my work.
  • Sea Bands – I wore these to work, at home and while I slept. These bands have pressure points and whenever I felt nauseous I would press down on those points as a way to distract myself.
  • Sour candy – I found sour candy also helped me keep food down

For more help, here are more ways to relieve morning sickness.

2. I Ate Small Meals

Having many small meals throughout the day helped me increase my appetite and keep the morning sickness at bay. I would snack on these biscuits during my breaks at work and then eat a sour candy.

This combination helped me keep my food down during work.

I also found that drinking water helped with the consistency of the food I ate. I suddenly had aversions to certain textures and water just made it easier to swallow.

3. I Ate Salty Foods

I did not have many cravings when I was pregnant, but one thing that I found helped with gaining pregnancy weight was salty foods.

I did my best to eat healthy, but I also knew that I had to eat something in a day!

Some foods I ate readily in my first trimester were:

  • Saltines
  • Avocado with Real salt
  • Pretzels
  • Nuts

4. I Drank Smoothies

My husband was getting concerned that I wasn’t eating. I would snack here and there all day and by bedtime what I ate barely constituted a meal. So, he suggested I try a smoothie.

I wasn’t sure if I’d drink it, but he made sure to put in healthy fruits and dairy so that it would keep me full in the day.

My husband also put in Coconut oil as this is a healthy fat and would help me keep full when I skipped meals.

Some of my favorite types of smoothies were:

5. I Had Boost Shakes

The smoothies I made at home worked well, but when I was working or out running errands, I found that using Boost Shakes gave me the calories, protein and vitamins for a meal replacement.

While these shakes aren’t the healthiest, I didn’t rely on them but used them once a week or when I was too tired to make a smoothie.

6. Gave Into My Cravings

I didn’t have too many wild cravings when I was pregnant, but since I was dieting before I became pregnant I was still restricting what foods I was eating. But, I knew I had to be healthy and eat a well-rounded diet of carbs, fat, protein and vitamins/minerals.

My biggest craving was ice actually! I need to have ice in my water ALL. THE. TIME!

And once the morning sickness was more tolerable, I was able to eat more food!

Common Pregnancy Questions On Weight Gain

1. How Much Weight Should You Gain in the First 20 Weeks of Pregnancy?

You should have gained 1 to 5 lbs in your first trimester. After that, it’s expected for you to gain 1 lb. per week.

Remember, you’re not eating for two (or three in my case)! You don’t need to add extra unnecessary calories to your diet. Just eat healthy meals that cover all your nutritional needs.

2. Can You Lose Weight While Pregnant?

It is possible. I may have lost some weight when I first became pregnant. Pregnant women should eat no less than 1,700 calories and for a while I was eating small meals that did not add up to that caloric amount.

That is why I had to start drinking Boost Shakes and high-calorie smoothies to get my weight up during the first trimester.

In total, pregnant women with twins should gain between 35 and 45 lbs.

3. How Can I Lose My Weight After Pregnancy?

If you decide to breastfeed, you’ll start to lose weight naturally, but there will be a time when the weight doesn’t come off soo easily. What worked for me the first year postpartum was walking.

I would take the stroller out and walk for an hour or two a day. It was spring and summer and I enjoyed stroller walking my twins (plus, it helped with getting their naps in for the day since they had a hard time napping in their crib).

Here are more tips to lose the baby weight.

4. Is Weight Gain a Sign of Pregnancy?

Not unless you missed your period or have other symptoms of pregnancy. Typically, you don’t gain that much weight in the beginning so any weight gain you experience could be bloating before your menstrual cycle or from eating too much salty food.

Early Pregnancy Weight Gain

I know for a lot of women, gaining weight in the first trimester was no issue. But, for me, being pregnant with twins, I had to gain up to 6 lbs. in the first trimester and it’s harder to gain weight when you feel awful!

I also didn’t want to eat unhealthy food all the time. I relied on healthy fats, good carbs and nutritious food like pasta, chicken spinach Alfredo, sweet potato and turkey and other healthy meals.

If you need more ideas for dinner meals, check out my list of vegan meals (you won’t miss the meat)!

Over to you – are you finding it hard to gain weight in your first trimester? What is working for you?

Please pin me!

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