Macro Counting Through Pregnancy

One of the most frequently asked questions we get at Stay Fit Mom is, “Can I count Macros Pregnant?”

Today, Stay Fit Mom Ninja Camille shares her personal experience with counting macros prior and then through pregnancy. We hope that she’ll inspire and encourage you!

Tell us a little bit about your story and who you are and then also how you stumbled upon Stay Fit Mom. 

I am 35 and a medical Speech Language Pathologist. I am soon to be a mom of 4; ages ranging from 7, 4 and 2 with the youngest due here in just over a month! I have been married to my husband for 10 years and we’ve survived 2 deployments together. The most recent deployment was from August 2020-October 2021. I found SFM in August 2020 right around the time my husband was about to leave and when I was about 5 months postpartum with my third. My sister had been following Krista and Tracy on Instagram and kept sharing so we both decided to jump in with the back to school challenge and into 1:1 after that. I took a short break on my own and came back to Coach Lee Ann in June 2021. I’ve been doing 1:1 since then and don’t see myself going anywhere!

What’s your diet background and how does SFM compare to your previous experiences with dieting? 

I’ve done a variety of dieting, mostly just under eating, but, I’ve also tried keto and intermittent fasting. SFM has been great, especially for when my husband was deployed I felt like my nutrition and exercise was one thing I could have solid control over. Having him back, it’s now just a perk and the benefits (sleep, energy, etc) far exceed the two seconds it takes to track my day.

How long have you been counting macros with SFM? Tell us about your macro counting & coaching experience prior to getting pregnant.

Coach Lee Ann has been great! Very supportive and helping me to understand the process. It is hard to reverse and still hard for me to see past the scale at times but the pictures and support are so helpful. I went through a reverse when I initially started and again when I came back after my short break. Then, a cut prior to my husband coming home from deployment and back up to maintenance prior to getting pregnant. 

What made you decide to keep at it during pregnancy? How has this pregnancy been different from your others?

I enjoy the food freedom and how I feel! I am satisfied and I can still allow myself to not feel like I am “dieting.” I am seeing muscle changes even while pregnant which is so exciting and I credit it to my macros. This pregnancy I’ve gained the least amount of weight and still feel mostly like myself. Pregnancy is not the time to be concerned with weight gain but I feel this pregnancy I am not feeling like I need to reward myself with food or “have a treat” or better yet, “eating for two.” I can just fit it in my numbers and move on. My energy levels have been great considering I have 3 little ones and a belly to tote around! For reference I have gained 30-35 with my prior pregnancies and have gained about 15 so far this time around. I have a little longer to go but don’t imagine I’ll double that number. I have previously battled fatigue and blood pressure issues with my other pregnancies and feel as though those have been kept at bay for the time being!

What are the biggest challenges you’ve had to overcome when it comes to Counting Macros Pregnant?

Protein was a big challenge in the beginning, but Coach Lee Ann lowered that for me and has been great at listening to my feedback/my body. My chicken aversion is gone so I’m back to usual programming with my meal preps. I pretty much live off the Greek pita bowls!

What advice do you have to other women that might be nervous to count macros during pregnancy or while trying to get pregnant?

Stick with it!!!! So far, it’s been so worth it. The energy I’ve had this pregnancy compared to others has been enough for to be as consistent as I can! I’m excited to see how sticking with the macros postpartum feels. 

What keeps you signing up for coaching over and over again with Coach Lee Ann?

She is a great support system! It’s hard to hear consistency is key, but she is great at reminding me! I really appreciate that she takes the time to acknowledge and actually read what I write to her and not just throw numbers at me to stick to. She is encouraging and I feel like we’ve established a relationship despite never having met in person (yet!).  I’m determined to make you guys recruit me so I can coach and meet you all!

What does your family think about all of this? How has it impacted them?  

My husband is super picky and thus, my kids are trending in that direction. I’m able to tweak the meals Krista shares and pick what they eat. Anything else I just make for a yummy lunch!

We hope Camille’s story inspired you! If you liked this post you might also like Counting Macros Pregnant.

Things to Keep in Mind When Tracking Macros Pregnant

1. Your macros will be increased – Depending on where you are at in your macro journey when becoming pregnant, your coach will probably lower your protein intake. Eating your body weight in grams of protein each day can be tough when pregnant! So that alone makes hitting your numbers easier. Also, this usually means more carbs! Like I mentioned above, we want you to limit your carbohydrate intake while pregnant but not eliminate it! Diabetic counselors will recommend you eat around 50% of your caloric intake from carbs. So increasing my carbs and fat and lowering my protein a bit has made hitting my macros quite easy! I don’t feel deprived and I can still enjoy treats. 
2. Know that you don’t have to be perfect – Learning to give myself grace while tracking these last 9 months has been awesome. When I was counting my macros before becoming pregnant I usually hit 6-7/7 days a week. But aiming for 5/7 days a week now has been perfect for me. I have learned to hit my numbers most of the time and not feel guilty about when I don’t! As long as you go into this knowing you will NOT be perfect and allow yourself a little more freedom then you can be successful! 
3. Be in tuned with how you feel – My favorite part about staying active while pregnant and counting my macros has been how I feel. I have energy and self confidence! And I can honestly say I had neither of those with my first pregnancy and most of my second. Part of that is because I am eating ENOUGH. I know that if I wasn’t counting my macros then I probably wouldn’t be fueling my body and my baby properly. 
4. Don’t focus on the scale or pounds gained – We tell all of our clients this all the time but that is something you really need to remember while pregnant. Medical providers suggest a weight gain of 30-40 pounds during pregnancy. However, as long as you stay active and are eating well balanced meals, don’t pay attention to the scale. I know this time around that I will bounce back and will lose the baby weight. It’s not a matter of “if” but “when” and I am excited for that journey!