My dietician appointment

I made an appointment with a dietician a few weeks ago, before I knew I was pregnant.  I wanted to go to her, as I know a few people that have been to her and gotten great results with weight loss - but also, she does various blood tests to check all your levels, and adjusts your eating plan according to that, and I quite liked the idea that she would tell me what will work best for ME and my body and my needs.

I decided to still go, as I really want a healthy pregnancy, and the guidelines could still be applicable.

It was really interesting and insightful!

She says my cholesterol is fine, glucose is fine, iron is fine.  Insulin is fine - but she can see that I am "sensitive" to carbs.  Vitamin D levels are a bit low.  She said my thyroid is fine, vitamin B12 is fine too.

The secret, she says, is when to have carbs, and which carbs.  She's advised that I only have carbs at lunch time, or as a snack (a low GI rusk) before 4pm.  She's also quite strict with regards to not cheating, if she says no cheese, she means, no cheese.  No cheats. Eeeeeeee!

The guideline she has given me looks something like this:

• Breakfast: 2 eggs with veg, like tomato, mushrooms, green pepper, onion.  OR 1 cup baked beans.  OR 1 cup cooked oats with cinnamon and honey (only have oats on days that I exercise.)

• Snacks: Biltong, droe wors, cup-a-soup lite. 1 rusk

• Lunch:  Soup, without meat, can have veggies, beans, lentils. 1 slice of low GI bread with fat free cottage cheese and/or tomato.  OR 1 slice low GI bread or 3 Ryvitas with tuna (lite mayo) or cold meat or avo or fat free cottage cheese.  Salad with tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, green peppers etc.

• No cheese.

• Supper:  Grilled fish (no batter), calamari, tuna, sole, hake, salmon, steak, stirfry, chicken, ostrich. No batter or skin. 
• NO boerewors, ribs, schnitzel, prawns.
• Focus on veggies: asparagus, brinjals, mushrooms, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, gem squash, tomato, lettuce, baby marrows, patty pans, spinach, spring onions, celery, peppers, carrots, peas, etc.
• Choose one of following carbs for suppertime (optional):  butternut, sweet potato, beetroot, rice, baby potatoes, corn.

• Sweets:  Jelly babies, wine gums, marshmallows, liquorice, 75% dark chocolate (2 blocks)

• Cook-in sauces - look for low-fat options, must have less than 3g fat per 100g.

• Avoid white breads, pasta, potatoes, biscuits, chips, cakes, pastries, creamy sauces, butter and margarine.

• Drinks:  water, rooibos, herbal tea.  Sweeto in water for a sweet treat.

And that's that!  Sounds strict, but does sound do-able.  I'm starting right now.

She wants to see me again when I'm 14 weeks preggies to reassess.  She says there's no reason that I should pick up more than 8kg during pregnancy.  Sounds good!

She also wants to put me on two supplements, a vitamin D supplement, and a chromium supplement, which she says will help lots with my choccie cravings.  I told her I'll first find out from the gynea whether it's fine or not.

And then she sells a whole lot of ready made healthy frozen meals, rusks, biltong etc - I bought a few goodies to get me started.

Yay, I feel good, here's to a healthy pregnancy!
xx