Questions About Pregnancy & Lactation
Q: Hi Rachel, I am 14 weeks pregnant and pure vegetarian, can you please suggest me some nutritional meals to include in my daily life?
A: Hi,
When you say you are pure vegetarian do you eat dairy foods, soy, eggs or fish products? As there are many types of vegetarian diets, choosing meals are very different for each one.
A vegetarian diet is based on plant foods, but there are different types of vegetarian diets including:
Vegan vegetarian : only eat plant foods
Lacto vegetarian : eats plant foods as well as dairy foods
Ovo-lacto vegetarian : eats plant foods as well as dairy foods and eggs
And some people who follow a vegetarian diet report they eat fish.
Obviously cutting out a major food group such as meat and meat products, can result in a lack of essential protein, iron and zinc in the diet if you do not choose wisely. These nutrients will need to be replaced by other foods including wholegrain bread and cereals, lentils, pulses, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and dairy foods.
If you also choose not to eat dairy foods (milk, cheese and yoghurt), you could potentially have a low calcium intake and a diet very low in protein. So you will need to include enriched soy products, as well as nuts, seeds and a lot of green leafy veggies to meet your calcium and protein requirements.
I would suggest you have a check-up with your GP and a visit with a dietitian who can give you specific individual advice
Good luck with the pregnancy.
Q: I am breastfeeding my 4 1/2 month old baby and would like to lose some weight. Can I reduce my calories and include exercise in my day without reducing the quantity and quality of my milk. Cheers, A.
A: Hi A,
Thanks for your email. That is great that you are breastfeeding and to be honest it’s one of the greatest ways to help you lose weight after the birth of your child. Your child is obtaining nutrients from your breast milk which is vital for normal growth. At the same time the production of breast milk which is rich in essential fats, protein, carbohydrates helps burn up energy (kilojoules) in your own body.
As Dietitians we recommend that all people trying to lose weight should aim for a realistic goal. It’s no use trying to lose 5kgs in one week, as your will find that you are unlikely to keep it off. Aim for around 0.5-1kg per week. It’s seems like a very slow process particularly if you have 10 or more kilograms to lose, but you are more likely to keep the weight off the slower you lose it. It is very hard when you see women in the media losing incredible amounts of weight in short periods of time. You have to remember they have a team of people (personal trainers, chefs, nannies) helping them every single day. Plus their weight loss may not necessarily be healthy.
As for changing your diet and reducing your calorie intake you must be careful not to restrict your diet to deplete your own vitamin and mineral stores. You should avoid cutting out any foods groups and ensure you are meeting your required amounts of meat, dairy, bread, cereal, fruit and vegetable products every day. The quality or quantity of breast milk should not alter terribly much, but you may become nutrient deficient yourself if you are not careful. For individual advice about your diet it is best to ask an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD).
Q: I had a baby 18 months ago. I still have 20-30 pounds to lose the last of my baby weight, but mostly it is in my belly, my question is how to spend up my metabolism to help lose this belly fat? Thanks J
A: Hi J,
Losing weight after pregnancy can be a real problem for many women. My first question would be where do you fit within the healthy weight range? If your pre-baby weight is below the healthy weight range then having a few extra kilos on board will not do you any harm. If you were within the healthy weight range or over weight then you need to calculate how much weight you need to lose for health and wellbeing.
Weight loss is simple; energy in (food and drinks we eat) has to be less than energy out (exercise, day to day activities). When you are eating a lot and exercising a little, then you will gain weight, but if the opposite is true, you should be losing weight. If you believe you are eating well then perhaps you need to look at your activity levels. Are you exercising regularly? If the answer is no then increase activity slowly and try to include 30 minutes of activity into your daily routine 3-4 times a week.
Unfortunately, there is no such thing as spot reduction to lose weight in specific areas. If you are losing weight you do not get to choose where it is lost from. What you can do though is exercise to tone the “flabby” areas. If you are a member of a gym ask one of the instructors to help you with some toning exercises. Otherwise, ask a sports trainer or physiotherapist for a few exercises to aid overall tone and shape.
All the best J
A: Hi,
When you say you are pure vegetarian do you eat dairy foods, soy, eggs or fish products? As there are many types of vegetarian diets, choosing meals are very different for each one.
A vegetarian diet is based on plant foods, but there are different types of vegetarian diets including:
Vegan vegetarian : only eat plant foods
Lacto vegetarian : eats plant foods as well as dairy foods
Ovo-lacto vegetarian : eats plant foods as well as dairy foods and eggs
And some people who follow a vegetarian diet report they eat fish.
Obviously cutting out a major food group such as meat and meat products, can result in a lack of essential protein, iron and zinc in the diet if you do not choose wisely. These nutrients will need to be replaced by other foods including wholegrain bread and cereals, lentils, pulses, fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and dairy foods.
If you also choose not to eat dairy foods (milk, cheese and yoghurt), you could potentially have a low calcium intake and a diet very low in protein. So you will need to include enriched soy products, as well as nuts, seeds and a lot of green leafy veggies to meet your calcium and protein requirements.
I would suggest you have a check-up with your GP and a visit with a dietitian who can give you specific individual advice
Good luck with the pregnancy.
Q: I am breastfeeding my 4 1/2 month old baby and would like to lose some weight. Can I reduce my calories and include exercise in my day without reducing the quantity and quality of my milk. Cheers, A.
A: Hi A,
Thanks for your email. That is great that you are breastfeeding and to be honest it’s one of the greatest ways to help you lose weight after the birth of your child. Your child is obtaining nutrients from your breast milk which is vital for normal growth. At the same time the production of breast milk which is rich in essential fats, protein, carbohydrates helps burn up energy (kilojoules) in your own body.
As Dietitians we recommend that all people trying to lose weight should aim for a realistic goal. It’s no use trying to lose 5kgs in one week, as your will find that you are unlikely to keep it off. Aim for around 0.5-1kg per week. It’s seems like a very slow process particularly if you have 10 or more kilograms to lose, but you are more likely to keep the weight off the slower you lose it. It is very hard when you see women in the media losing incredible amounts of weight in short periods of time. You have to remember they have a team of people (personal trainers, chefs, nannies) helping them every single day. Plus their weight loss may not necessarily be healthy.
As for changing your diet and reducing your calorie intake you must be careful not to restrict your diet to deplete your own vitamin and mineral stores. You should avoid cutting out any foods groups and ensure you are meeting your required amounts of meat, dairy, bread, cereal, fruit and vegetable products every day. The quality or quantity of breast milk should not alter terribly much, but you may become nutrient deficient yourself if you are not careful. For individual advice about your diet it is best to ask an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD).
Q: I had a baby 18 months ago. I still have 20-30 pounds to lose the last of my baby weight, but mostly it is in my belly, my question is how to spend up my metabolism to help lose this belly fat? Thanks J
A: Hi J,
Losing weight after pregnancy can be a real problem for many women. My first question would be where do you fit within the healthy weight range? If your pre-baby weight is below the healthy weight range then having a few extra kilos on board will not do you any harm. If you were within the healthy weight range or over weight then you need to calculate how much weight you need to lose for health and wellbeing.
Weight loss is simple; energy in (food and drinks we eat) has to be less than energy out (exercise, day to day activities). When you are eating a lot and exercising a little, then you will gain weight, but if the opposite is true, you should be losing weight. If you believe you are eating well then perhaps you need to look at your activity levels. Are you exercising regularly? If the answer is no then increase activity slowly and try to include 30 minutes of activity into your daily routine 3-4 times a week.
Unfortunately, there is no such thing as spot reduction to lose weight in specific areas. If you are losing weight you do not get to choose where it is lost from. What you can do though is exercise to tone the “flabby” areas. If you are a member of a gym ask one of the instructors to help you with some toning exercises. Otherwise, ask a sports trainer or physiotherapist for a few exercises to aid overall tone and shape.
All the best J
