During my first pregnancy, I gained a lot more weight than I should have and didn't manage to lose most of it. This is probably because I struggled to gain weight during the first two trimesters, and so my doctor put me on a healthy-fat diet filled with plenty of avocados and fruit smoothies with whole milk, etc. Then, my weight just exploded! So for this pregnancy, I've been pretty careful about what I eat. I have been eating lots of healthy foods - especially fruits and veggies - and although I eat lots of small meals, I never stuff myself. I also am very careful about the sorts of foods I eat. I have a child now and so many of our fruits and veggies are organic, and I do not touch high-fructose corn syrup or any of the other substitute sweeteners. I have had no cravings (never did in the first pregnancy, either) to speak of, although I've felt plenty of food aversion. Unlike the first pregnancy, I did not allow the food aversions to keep me from eating. And my weight-gain has been very steady and reasonable!
But last week, in my 32nd week, I found myself attacked by food cravings like I had never experienced before! I don't just want what I crave - I NEED it. And it's not strange foods like the pickles and ice-cream that people joke about - it's sweets. Chocolate milk, cake, and doughnuts dominate my desires. The fresh fruit is no longer cutting it, and even fruity ice creams and such won't do the trick. I have tried not keeping the sweet breads and chocolates in the house, but I will wander around the kitchen searching for something to satisfy my sweet-tooth, and I find myself hungry and restless if I can't find something. If I do keep the foods in the house, I can go through 4-5 glasses of chocolate milk a day, 2 doughnuts, and lord only knows how much cake! I cannot seem to control my eating when the sweets are available. I have never been much of a sweets person (my downfall has always been salty) and I have no idea how to deal with this! I still have at least four weeks to go and most possibly another 7-8 weeks! I cannot eat like this for the next two months. Does anyone have any advice about taming the cravings? Or about satisfying the sweet-tooth without resorting to "diet" sweeteners? Thank you!
EDIT: Just wanted to add that I was just tested for Gestational Diabetes a couple of weeks ago. My scores were perfect - not even a little high. I have also had my thyroid tested. It seems these are just cravings! Thanks!
Thank you so much for your advice! I have consciously and significantly upped my protein intake, and it HAS helped considerably! Thank you again, because I had no idea! I still crave sweet things, but more along the lines of a regular craving, not as though my body needs it desperately! I can stop at one glass of chocolate milk now! The protein has helped me control my desire for sweet things, which in turn has helped me correct my diet. Thanks again to everyone!
I would put whipped cream in between two graham crackers and freeze them, tasted like an ice cream sandwich, but not as bad as regular ice cream. I have also read that an increase in sweet cravings is sometimes a result of not enough protein. Maybe try to eat more protein at mealtime and see if cravings subside at all.
The South Beach diet has some recommendations for pregnant women. One thing I would suggest is to try to limit your sweets until later in the day so your blood sugar isn't going up and down so much - that's what causes a lot of the cravings. For example, if you can have something like eggs for breakfast and whole wheat toast, cheese, (think protein and good carbs) or throw some veggies in a omelet and wait to have fruit until later in the day, that can help. If you can go without carbs for your first meal and just have something like a veggie omelet, that's even better! I find that if I can start myself out on the right foot like this, I don't have the sweets cravings as much throughout the day. In general, having lots of vegetables (beans too) can really help fill you up and keep away the cravings because it takes your body longer to digest them and doesn't spike your blood sugar.
Of course drinking a lot of milk is also good when you're pregnant and a great way to get some more protein.
They also say to eat a snack before you get hungry - a protein with a veggie is really good or a fruit and protein combination. So, celery and hummus or cream cheese, fruit with a piece of cheese, veggies with bean dip, etc. You could also have whole wheat crackers (the higher the fiber the better) with a dip or topping that has a lot of protein and not a lot of sugar.
Now, when you do have something sweet, SB diet recommends that you have something really, really, good - not some crummy candy bar you found lying around but some good quality chocolate, or homemade pie, or whatever it is that you really want. They suggest giving yourself a small serving (even just a few bites) and really savoring each bite and taking the time to enjoy it.
Just wanted to add that I agree with the person who said you may want to rule out gestational diabetes just to be on the safe side since you normally don't have cravings like this. Your doctor or a nurse can probably even just ask you the right questions over the phone to see if it's a concern.
Have you tried fruit smoothies with honey? That may help some. Also, I read a long time ago that sugar cravings sometimes mean you are dehydrated, so maybe more water could help. Couldn't hurt anyway! Good for you for eating so well for you and the baby. I'm on my fourth and am doing better than the others, but not as well as I was pre-baby.
I am not sure if this will help but I have heard that if your body is craving sweets then you are actually not getting enough protein. I am of the mind that, when pregnant (or breastfeeding), that if your body is craving something that strongly then there is a reason. Try adding a little more protein and healthy fats into your diet and see if the doesn't help the cravings stop.
Have you tried GoLean Chocolate Kashi bars or Organic Chocolate Soy milk? They do not have "bad" sugars in them and help you stay satisfied without going overboard. When you eat sweets with refined sugars, since they have no nutritional value , they just make you crave it more and more.
Check those out, it works for me:)
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I tell all of my clients, if you're craving sweets, you're NOT GETTING ENOUGH PROTEIN. Protein slows down insulin release and you don't crave the sweets. It's a chemistry thing.
When you crave sweets, eat a boiled egg, cheese, some nuts, cottage cheese, etc FIRST. You'll be surprised how much less you want the sweet stuff.
Try to get protein AT EVERY meal and/or snack - 5-6X daily. i.e. Boiled egg and fruit for breakfast, apple or peach and nuts for snack, 1/2 turkey sandwich w/ avacado, tomato, etc. and some green beans at lunch, string cheese and some baby carrots for a snack and then salmon and a salad at dinner. TRY TO GET PROTEIN AT EACH interval. It raises metabolism AND keeps your chemistry in balance.
If you're craving sweets, then you may not be getting enough protein in your diet. I went through the same thing in my 1st pregnancy (Dr. Pepper and anything chocolate!!). I really made sure the 2nd time that I really got enough protein-and then some. I developed pre-eclampsia with my 1st but not my second. Hope this helps and congratulations!
I had severe HG with both of my pregnancies and craved fruit pies at the end of my first. Lost 20 lbs in the first trimester and still wound up at 50 pounds above pre-pregnancy weight with pregnancy #1.
I am in week 39 - and I lost 15 lbs in the first trimester and am now up 17 pounds. In the last couple of weeks - I want the chocolate bars at the grocery check-out. Instead, I bought the snack-size (Halloween size) from the candy aisle and let myself have one per day. That way I am still getting the chocolate fix, not eatting other garbage and controlling what I eat. Not sure if that would work for you - I've very disciplined and don't eat more than one per day.
Good luck!
You sound like me with both of my pregnancies! I would try healthier renditions of cravings but in the end would eat so much of that plus what I actually wanted I found it easier to eat what I was craving and stop there.
Try dual satifaction combinations...
Chocolate milkshake = chocolate and icecream craving taken care of and maybe have one large one sipped throughout the day.
Piece of pie = satisfieds baked good craving plus chocolate/whipped cream/sweet fruit (depending on what kind of pie).
You might want to check with your OBGYN as well to rule out gestational diabetes and or a thyroid problem (sweet cravings are common in both).
Fiber can help a lot as well and Fiber One makes a lot of tasty products that feel naughty but are not as bad and the fiber fills you up longer and faster. I lived on cereal when I was pregnant. I ate it morning noon and night the last 2 months of pregnancy. I would rotate through 3 kinds and add different fruits each time but that was my sweet tooth savior, plus it gave me protein with the soy milk and bulked up my fruits.
HANG IN THERE!!
