Sometimes Pregnancy Can Get You a Little Off Balance...

How much weight is normal to gain during pregnancy? 15 lbs? 30 lbs? 60 lbs?

It all depends...the amount of weight that you need to gain depends on many things, including: pre-pregnancy weight and BMI.

If you start as Underweight(BMI<18.5)..........................you should gain 28-40 pounds
                           Normal weight (BMI of 18.5-24.9)...............................25-35 pounds
                           Overweight (BMI of 25-29.9).......................................15-25 pounds
                           Obese (BMI>30)..........................................................11-20 pounds

During the first trimester, most usually don't need to increase their daily calorie intake, unless you started out underweight (BMI of <18.5). However, according to MediResource Clinical Team, during the second and third trimesters, you will need an extra 200-300 calories every day. Something to keep in mind is that 200-300 calories is not that much. Eating an extra piece of toast and a banana would be sufficient or having some pumpkin bread and a glass of milk. You are eating for two, but the little one needs significantly less than most women think or would like to think.

Gaining weight is normal but as a reference you should gain only about 5 pounds in the first trimester, and then 3-4 pounds per month until delivery. So how do you balance energy needs?

Exercise

Yes. You guessed it, EXERCISE! Many pregnant women simply do not do enough of this. Why? Well it may be because of many reasons, but mainly because they don't know what is safe and they don't want to hurt their baby. The rule is..if you could do it before you were pregnant, you can do it now. So if you couldn't run a marathon before you got pregnant, don't try it now. 

 You should do:                                                          It helps you:

• Walking                                                             * Boost energy
• Swimming                                                        * Sleep better
• Low-Impact Aerobics                                 * Reduce discomfort
• Dance                                                                * Prepare for childbirth
• Yoga                                                                  * Reduce stress and lift your spirits
• Stretching                                                        * Improve self-image
• Weight Training                                            * Get your body back faster after childbirth

All this information can help you to understand how much energy you need. If you just can't control those cravings and you end up eating more calories than you need, exercise is a great way to help keep energy in balance. 

Sources:
Normal Weight Gain 
Benefits of Exercise
 Safe Exercise