Being a fitness trainer, over the past few decades I've seen quite a few new mothers join the gym in an effort to regain their figure after childbirth. God bless them for working at getting back in shape. But, my friends and I observed an all too common phenomena which could have made their recoveries so much easier had they avoided it. They were eating way too many calories from nutritionally void junk foods! We saw this scenario in the gym so often that we began to refer to this as a weight gain pregnancy.

Many of these mothers approached me for exercise and diet advice. From conversations I had with them, I realized that most were very aware of the additional nutrition needed during pregnancy for both themselves and their babies. And, most of them took precautions to eat nutritionally packed meals along with prenatal supplements. The culprit they seemed to have in common was the additional calories consumed in junk foods.

So the dilemma was in getting most, if not all, of their calories from highly nutritious low calorie foods. And, having the discipline to avoid the foods that have little or no nutritional value. Not only would they be able to avoid the dreaded weight gain pregnancy, but this is the healthy path for both mother and child.

Now, discipline often needs a friend, so here is what you are going to do. Purchase a book with a glycemic index and calorie count of foods, and check what you're eating. Oh, and that’s before you put it in your mouth.

Count Your Calories
It's generally accepted that you really only need an additional 300 calories a day during pregnancy, especially in the second and third trimester. You will be surprised at the difference in the caloric content between the right foods and the wrong foods. You can eat more of the right foods, not to mention their nutritional value. Again, refer to your book and don't be a weight gain pregnancy. I must add here, that any artificially sweetened low or no calorie product is basically poisoned gas. Stay far away from it.

Avoid Refined Sugars
Keeping your blood sugar level is always important to good health. This is especially so during pregnancy. Refined sugars spike your levels, then drop them way down, effecting your energy and moods. It also creates a vicious cycle. You will be less likely to freak out and binge if you can keep your blood sugar level. Eat small meals throughout your day, refer to your book and don't be a weight gain pregnancy.

Substitute Old Goodies With New Goodies
When you're dying for that piece of candy, eat frozen grapes or dried fruits. Instead of spooning in that ice cream, mix some fresh berries and nuts into non-fat frozen yogurt. Stay the heck away from soda pops. Instead, mix 100% fruit juice with mineral water. Go from processed to natural. Make this a habit and you won't be a weight gain pregnancy as they are known in the gym. Try it; it really can be satisfying and effective.

MAYDAY
If you are about to commit homicide if you don't get that box of brownies. And you really don't care if you become a weight gain pregnancy at this point, set yourself aside one day out of the week to have a "cheat day." Whether it's Sunday or Tuesday, choose no more than one day a week to indulge yourself. Don't go overboard, I'm not saying it's OK to binge. Know that it will come again in just six more days. This can be a great way of helping you eat clean, or cleaner, for the rest of the week as well as keeping you sane.

Pregnancy can and will change your body, but there is so much you can do to regain or even improve your figure after childbirth. So, avoid a weight gain pregnancy, be strong now, and you will be so much closer to getting back into shape after you're baby is born.

Copyright 2008 John Franco. John Franco has been directly involved in the Health and Fitness Industry for close to thirty years. To learn more about weight gain pregnancy and take the mystery out of how you should be eating to permanently strip fat, increase energy and maintain good health, visit http://www.fatfreemommy.com and claim your Free Guide, "Learning The Secrets That Weight Loss Companies Don't Want You To Know."