In this case, 1+2 is not equal 2. In many cultures, pregnant women are encouraged to eat more since there is a baby growing inside of them. 1+1= 2 right? So many people believe when you are pregnant, you need to be eating twice as much since you need to gain weight and also supply for your baby.
The recommended amount of weight gain is 11-33 lb during pregnancy. If you are gaining less than 11lbs then your baby may be underweight and premature. If you gain more than 33 lbs, it will be harder for you to move around with all that extra weight, you may set yourself for gestational diabetes and/or high blood pressure, and it will be harder to lose all that extra weight post pregnancy. I know people who gained 50-70 lbs during pregnancy and unfortunately, it was really hard for them to get back to their pre-pregnancy weight since it took months and a big commitment and lots of sacrifice.
The truth is eating for two means your baby also gets some of whatever you eat, it does not mean you need to uptake twice as much calories. Your baby needs about 300 calories a day. If you count your calories or into reading food labels, then you know 300 calories can be a small portion meal or just a snack. Refrain from overeating and packing up extra weight.
I would like to hear about your perspective. What do you think? Please comment and let me know!
Images retrieved from:
Babyhood: A to Z 
