Hi A.,
I am a doula and childbirth educatoe so I teach this alot! I TOTALY the weight loss aspect of your concern. But think like this:
The food you put in your body is the building blocks of your childs health.
Yes, you need to gain weight, but its not all WEIGHT. Your placenta will weigh approx 1-2lbs, 2lbs in amniotic fluid, 7-10 pounds of baby and your blood volume expands by 50% by the end of your pregnancy. You will rpobably keep a bit of extra water weight as well which will dissipate over the first few weeks post partum.
What you need to focus on is putting good, healthy and nutritious food into your body to grow a healthy baby AND healthy mom. A baby will take from you all the nutrients he/she needs and leave you depleted so while your nutrition is imperative for baby, its even more so for YOU!
You only need about 300 calories a day more than you were eating before. That could be an extra yogurt and 1/2 peanut butter sandwich on whole wheat bread. Try to get in 80grams of good protein a day as well. Protien grows baby brains, give him/her a good start!
My favorite resource is theo www.blueribbonbaby.org this is the Dr. Tom Brewer diet for pregnancy. He tells you up front that you will gain 30-40 pounds on his diet, but you need to remember that fat storage is also necessary for breastfeeding. And biologically we are programmed to keep a bit of fat on our thighs and be-hiney because our ancient ancesstors would have needed that fat to help their milk ome in in a time that good food was scarce.
If you just eat whole, nutritious, mostley unprocessed foods and meats, you will do fine and your pregnancy weight will be much easier to loose, especially if you breastfeed than of you grow a baby on junk and fast food.
Take good care of your body & Baby!
K.
Certified Birth Doula
Lamaze Childbirth Educator