Way Too Much

First of all, I know I said it's a weekly blog, but you all knew I meant "AT LEAST weekly", right? I write a post during the weekend but I when I get some thoughts that I want to share I sure as hell ain't gonna wait a few days to do it. So anyway, another twice-a-week post for you.

I'm growing too fast. Way too fast. I've read a lot about it... I admit I'm nutrition-obsessed! I actually read about carbs, proteins and fats, I read which ones make my blood sugar higher, what happens when blood sugar rises, what makes the body metabolize fats and so on. I've read countless articles and during a few months last year I actually wrote down all I ate and I counted my daily calories and nutrition. I gave up on that. I decided that my metabolism is too complicated for simple mathematics. 2000 kcal during a day would be too little on one day and too much on another, even if I seemingly had the same kind of day.

I have a theory that there is a very simple rule to eating the right amount of food: I have to wake up hungry and my breakfast has to be nutritional and chosen beforehand.

It works. It really does. I always eat the same thing, but I'm always hungry in the morning so it tastes so good. Actually that's why it's always the same thing - food tastes so good in the morning that I would eat too much it my breakfast hadn't been decided earlier. Well, for a while last month, I woke up in the mornings not feeling hungry at all. I ate out of habit. Somehow I didn't sense it as a sign that I had eaten too much during the previous day.

OK, too much yapping, not enough picture-posting.


Before-picture. This picture was made one week before the countdown begun, so basically it's -1 weeks pregnant (although the count-down doesn't start with the actual conception.)


This one was taken on 27th of December, 21 weeks pregnant. Stomach is kinda flat, but definitely big. I had gained 6.5 kg during pregnancy.


This one was taken today, 15th of January, 24 weeks pregnant. I know it kinda looks like it's all just the shirt, but no, it's all me! People tell me I look very pregnant so far from due date. I have gained 8 kg during pregnancy!!!!

Shocking, I know. Some women gain 8 kg during the entire pregnancy but I have over 3 more months to go. Textbooks say that it's normal to gain 12-15 kg. Today I spent some time reading Estonian forums to see what people really gain and the average was around 20 kg! When they give birth, they only lose 7-10 kg. And all the rest of it - OVERWEIGHT! Half the people lose the excess weight during breastfeeding, but those who gain over 20 kg usually don't manage to lose it all. Some women only gain 10 kg during the entire pregnancy, lose half of it with childbirth and are forever stuck with the other 5 kilos. Some women gain over 30 kg and end up stuck with 10 kilos that just won't go away. Rare women lose more weight than they had before they got pregnant.

Actually some of those 8 kg I've gained has definitely changed my bra size and I wouldn't really mind being "stuck" with that forever.

I didn't gain weight at all in the beginning until I suddenly gained 7.5 kg all in less than 2 months. I'm actually very worried about getting too heavy so the last couple of weeks, since I noticed the weight trend, I've tried to go back to my pre-pregnancy menu. No cookies, no candy and I have to feel hungry when I wake up. During those two weeks I've gained only 0.8 kg, which is a very good start. My rapid growth has stopped and I'm actually growing slower than textbook average. I don't think I should start LOSING weight when I'm still pregnant, but I am very resolute about not gaining much over the next weeks. If I gain one kilo during the next 3 weeks, I'll be back in the "normal weight gain chart". I'd like that very much. Lets see if I have enough willpower to say "NO" to mac and cheese... aaahhhh mac and cheese...

PS! I can really feel the baby moving in there. I like the comfort of knowing it's still alive, but it feels kinda weird like someone is digging their way OUT with a dull spoon. And they're doing it 3 times a day for a few minutes each time. One pretty persistent bugger. I hope I give birth before she succeeds!