Eating for Two -- What a Lie

For any of you who are pregnant, I'm sure everyone has advice for you. The neighbor, your coworkers, your mom and mother-in-law, your siblings, friends... even the nosy lady at the grocery store. And with that advice come so many wives tales. One in particular is that you are now eating for two.

This, to me, is the worst one of all, because it encourages women to scarf down 4,000 calories a day. That's a lot of calories. My hubby doesn't even eat that much when he's in training - and he eats a lot of food in training.

What To Expect explains that you should only be eating an extra 300 calories a day during the 2nd and 3rd trimesters. In the 1st trimester, you should not be eating any extra calories, unless you are underweight or the doctor orders it.

To figure out how much you should be eating daily go to http://theboyfrienddiet.blogspot.com/2008/09/your-daily-calorie-requirements.html. Then add 300 calories to that amount to see what your recommended daily caloric intake should be.

It's important not to overeat when pregnant, not only so you can bounce back to your pre-pregnancy weight after the baby is born, but also to ensure the health of your new baby. So when everyone is telling you to eat for two, just smile politely. You know the truth about eating "for two."