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@PixieStix: I'm discouraged by my weight gain this pregnancy too. I started at 160 and I'm up to 205 at 34 weeks. Last pregnancy I went from 155 to 195. I ate simple carbs for most of this pregnancy because its all I could stomach. Now I have no room, so I'm eating small healthy meals, but water retention is still making me gain weight. I'm just looking forward to going for long walks with a stroller and getting back into an exercise routine. Breastfeeding was a godsend for me and initial weight loss, so I'm counting on that again to lose the beginning bulk of it. I will still need some hardcore workout time to get the last bit off.

I wouldn't worry too much. Like others said just make good choices, dont have too much sugar, and try to walk as much as you can.... I gained most of my baby weight earlier on then I feel like it was just a slow gain at the end as the baby got bigger. It luckily came off fast (faster the first time!)... but I tried not to worry too much. I feel like it can be out of your control sometimes! Good luck

I gained so much weight in my first pregnancy, it was a lot of swelling and fluid and I did have a big baby but still, it was so hard to carry around. I've gained very little this time, it was slow to start and never really took off- one reason might be that I have gestational diabetes this time. So I would recommend that you try following a modified GD diet and include light exercise. I don't follow the diet super strictly because my numbers are good and spikes are rare. I concentrate on balancing carbs and protein and have added a lot of vegetables. It seems like a common sense way for any pregnant woman to eat, I just needed the push to do it.

I'm not advocating for eating whatever you want whenever you want, but I wouldn't worry a ton about it. Try to make good choices and incorporate as many nutrient dense foods as you can so you and baby are both getting lots of good stuff in your systems, take a walk at the end of the day, etc., but don't beat yourself up too much. Just make small changes and tackle any left over weight after the pregnancy AND after you've had some time to settle in post-partum. Be gentle with yourself.

This is my third pregnancy. With the twins, I gained 35 lbs total. With my single boy, I gained 38 lbs total. With my current pregnancy, at 20 weeks, I'm still down several pounds because I've been sick a lot, but I'm sure by the end it will still be 25+ pounds gained. You would think I would have gained more with a twin pregnancy than with my single one, but I ate pretty much the exact same way with both pregnancies and actually worked out more with the second one and I still gained more weight that time. That's why I think while you should try to make good choices and not go crazy with "eating for two" or just eating junk all the time, your body will gain different amounts with each pregnancy and it will all be okay in the end!

@PixieStix: Good job! Definitely DO NOT go hungry. Just do your best to make good (and filling) choices! Protein goes a long way for me. Today I'm eating: whole grain toast with PB (Breakfast), crispix with banana (snack), quesadilla with salsa and avacado (lunch), cohabit (snack, if needed), and pasta with ground sausage and broccoli in garlic sauce (dinner).

I would try to relax and be kind to yourself. Maybe try to make some better food choices if you can handle it and do some light workouts, but don't beat yourself up if you can't. My first pregnancy, I went nuts trying to be super healthy and keep weight gain to a minimum, but I still gained 35 lbs (which is a lot on my 5ft frame) and it caused me a lot of anxiety. I ended up losing it all without too much trouble, although it took a bit longer than I wanted so I beat myself up during the initial post-partum period too. My 2nd pregnancy, I still ate mostly healthy and worked out, but I let myself relax more about food choices and the weight gain in general. I ended up gaining the exact same amount. Post-partum, it has again been coming off slowly but I am trying to not worry about it. I am 4 months post-partum and 3 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight (and about 10 from where I'd like to be).

I know it's unhealthy when women gain like 100 pounds during pregnancy, but I do wish there wasn't so much emphasis on keeping weight gains limited because I feel like some women's bodies probably just naturally put on more weight during pregnancy and the whole weight gain thing causes everyone way too much stress in general.

@PixieStix: I tell myself that I fall into that group too (although luckily since I kept my gain just at the max recommended, nobody reprimanded me too hard). Nobody believed me that I even gained as much as I did. My babies were both totally average sized. I pushed my first out in a half hour and my second out in minutes.

@catlady I agree. Definitely some people just gain more/some pregnancies gain more. I think as long as you're eating (reasonably) healthy and listening to your body, it's probably okay. I gained 40 with my son, I'm pretty thin and it freaked me out, but to be honest I think my body needed that extra weight for the pregnancy and breastfeeding!

@babybunnylove: hummus, pita, avacado, pita chips, pretzels, granola bar....

I was like you (working out really consistently before getting pregnant), and then because of a wicked 1st trimester (and some of my 2nd). I've worked out maybe 3 times in 5 months. Ugh.

With that said, I've been really conscious of walking when I can, making good food choices (now that I can eat more than carbs), and trying not to give into cravings (eating frozen mango instead of ice cream). It's been hard. Like others have said, just try to take it one day at a time and do better when you can.

The weight gain thing is just a general marker. Everyone is different. My midwives waited to shame me last time until after I delivered, lol. My 65 year old midwife was like, "We don't generally use BMI as a marker, but this says your obese, so you need to lose 15 pounds."

@PixieStix: Awww...dont be so hard on yourself! You obviously don't need to go on a diet or anything but maybe look into mindful/intuitive eating. It's basically about following your hunger cues and eating/or not eating when you need to.