Day 29. Protein in the Preconception Diet

Today's weight: 212.2! 
I guess that 214 was a serious fluke.

Total loss: .4 lbs I am determined to break the 212 barrier this week and not yo-yo back.

Today's summary

Woke up at 6 and went on a walk, about 15 minutes, to wake up and get my body going.
Breakfast: egg sandwich
Morning snack: coffee.  I know - not a snack but with the amount of creamer I put in my coffee it qualifies as a serving of dairy.
Went to the library downtown and went for a walk over the bridge.  About 2+ miles, with pushing a double stroller up the bridge - twice.
Lunch in the park - split a foot long, roasted chicken breast sub with my kids.  They got one whole breast and all the cheese.  I loaded the sandwich with lettuce, spinach, tomatoes and cucumbers.


Then went home and put the kids down.  After naps we walked down the street for a play date.
We walked home and ate dinner.
It was a frozen pizza.

Here is where I went wrong:

• Too heavy on the simple carbohydrates.
• Not nearly enough veggies.
• Should not have done pizza.  That was just pure laziness.
• Didn't have a light afternoon snack to curb the hunger so I wouldn't have eaten too much at dinner.
• Didn't count my calories.

Here is what I did right:

• Fit in cardio exercise throughout the day.
• Drank a lot of water.
• Didn't have any carbonated beverages.
• Got in my lean protein, eggs, water, and some green vegetables

Starting over again tomorrow.

The Importance of Protein in the Pre-Pregnancy Diet
I am not a nutritionist, nor am I an expert of all things pregnancy related.  I am, however, a master "Google-er".  I was wondering why protein was so important in pregnancy and a preconception diet.  I found some interesting things.  For example, if you do not get adequate protein in your diet, it may be difficult to conceive in the first place. 

I have cut and paste just a few excerpts from some websites that offer some information on the topic.  Since I am a fledgling blogger I feel completely comfortable cutting and pasting and not actually doing substantial research on a topic.  If you are planning on conceiving or are already pregnant, I encourage you to embark on a little research of your own to find out exactly what you need in your diet and what you need to take out.  Our bodies are meant to run like fine-tuned instruments and we have to keep them tuned up.  If you want your body to run like a Ferrarri, you have to feed it like one.

—    Lean protein-rich foods such as chicken (skinless preferred), eggs (opt for the omega-3 variety), lean cuts of beef, pork, and buffalo, fish (though skip varieties that are high in mercury) and seafood. Why lean on lean? Because saturated fats (like the kind found in marbled meat) can be fertility unfriendly. In fact, some research has shown that swapping out one animal protein serving for a plant protein, such as quinoa or beans, can give your baby-making campaign a boost. Just don’t overdo the protein (as you might on a high-protein diet), since too much of this good thing can actually flummox fertility.
http://www.everydayhealth.com/pregnancy/getting-pregnant/pre-pregnancy-diet.aspx

Protein Matters

During pregnancy and lactation, your need for protein significantly increases. Protein is necessary for development of all new cells. For the duration of pregnancy, experts recommend that protein intake be a minimum of 60 grams per day. Women having twins or a multiple pregnancy need even more. Protein is required for the physical growth and cellular development of your baby. It is also required for the placenta, amniotic tissues, and maternal tissues. Further, a woman's blood volume increases by 50% during pregnancy, and protein is needed to produce new blood cells and circulating proteins.

http://www.storknet.com/ip/nutritional_health/nutrients/protein_matters.html

Both of these websites had pretty informative articles.  The second one had a good chart outlining some "protein boosters" to fit into your diet.

Happy Monday everyone!