For the first trimester, I survived essentially on simple carbs, Gatorade and soda. Ugh, as someone who does enjoy more healthful foods, it was depressing that these were the things I could get down and keep down. Occasionally I could get some fruit down the hatch but pretty much no protein or vegetables. I learned from my first pregnancy to listen to my body because if I tried to force down what most would consider healthy foods, it would backfire and my nausea would be even worse and I would often vomit. Despite not eating much healthy stuff, I did end up losing a few pounds in the first phase (not intended), simply due to having a very low appetite and eating was honestly a chore. I ate because if I didn’t I’d feel worse, but food in general hasn’t been very enjoyable. My taste buds continue to be off, which I’ve learned to accept from having experienced this, but I can eat a bit better (some protein, etc.) as of late. So the NoS framework has come back to mind now that I'm not in straight survival mode, for health reasons and obviously not for weight loss/control. I do have to eat more frequently than say 5 or 6 hours, but I try to keep NoS in mind as I do want to minimize permasnacking and sweets. I am sort of combining it with intuitive eating, since I have gotten good at listening to my body. When pregnant, I find that at least for me, my body is quite choosy (it’s an annoyance but it is what it is…typically I am not picky at all). I do still have nausea at this point, it’s just not as constant.
I am very much looking forward to after the baby comes, for many reasons of course, but included in that is I look forward to having a “normal†appetite again! With my son, as soon as he was born my appetite was back to normal and I could eat in a more NoS friendly way (I prefer “mealing†and having heartier foods spaced out, but while pregnant it doesn’t always work so well), which helped me feel so much better and certainly helped with my energy since I did breastfeed. At least for me, newborn exhaustion is way more manageable than pregnancy exhaustion. The hormones are no joke!
![Wink :wink:](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)