By Heather Lopez

I remember those days of my 2nd pregnancy when I really wished I could eat for two, but found out that I would just be eating around 300 calories more. Okay, I thought to myself, 300 calories is like a really good indulgent snack such as a piece of chocolate cake. I could work with that. But then I saw the prenatal nutritionist. Dunt, dunt, duh.... You guessed, no chocolate cake. In fact, my nutritionist put me on an even stricter diet than before I was pregnant and I believe she was having me eat LESS. She was probably so strict because my first go around with pregnancy involved me gaining 58 pounds.

I figured, she knows what she is doing, and tried to adhere to her guidelines: No Whites (Rice, Potatoes, Bread, Starches); Make a fist to determine portions; eat only half a bagel instead of a whole one; drinks lots of water; eat fruits and vegetables; limit my olives and cheese intake (which were my cravings) as they are high in fat; etc.

Funny, this time around I had more issues with my blood glucose levels and I still gained around 38 pounds. Like my first pregnancy, I lost most of the weight within a week. It makes you wonder how much genetics play into the scenario. My mother had 4 kids, gained a ton of pregnancy weight and lost it immediately after each birth. It also makes me wonder on what would have happened if I did not follow the plan. I could've developed gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, and gained even more weight. So one piece of advice I offer you is:

Hands OFF the Chocolate Cake!!!! Pick up a piece if fruit instead.