The Brewer Diet for Pregnancy « Back to Group Discussions

[jodieanneanton]

Hey ladies,

Are any of you using the Brewer diet for Pregnancy? (http://drbrewerpregnancydiet.com/id96.html)  Why?  Why not? (If not, what dietary changes to you make during your pregnancy?)

Once my hardcore nausea subsides, I usually try to use the Brewer Diet as a guideline but have a hard time getting the extra protein in addition to the 2 daily eggs that it suggests.  I suppose I could add Cheese to everything...something I enjoy doing anyway... But I am trying to get through this pregnancy without gaining a super ton of weight! (I started this pregnancy 30 lbs heavier than I was at the beginning of my 1st two pregnancies.  Any suggestions, tips or tricks? :)

[hyde]

Whoa- does that actually work out to the ginormous amount of food it looks like (from brief skimming), or does it seem like less when you're doing it? Serving counts stress me out.

Aside from that, looks yummy and healthy. If I am able to go back to what I was doing pre-pregnancy, my eating will probably generally follow this pattern minus category 6, or at least way reduced- I was off grains completely and would like to be again.

[Lauren82]

If you don't want to gain a ton of weight, refrain from eating bread, pasta, cereal and sweets.

Hyde, I was eating Paleo before pregnancy and that went straight out the door. I hope to get back to it after  the nausea and food aversions subside. Right now I can't even stand to look at a vegetable and the thought of all of my usual staples seem yucky.

[jodieanneanton]

I am not super concerned with weight gain... just would rather stay closer to 25 than my usual 35 because I already have those extra "fat stores!"  :)  I can def lay off the carbs a little now that my tummy is feeling a little better

Hyde, Each serving of protein is 1 oz of meat or some kind of substitute (bean/rice or nuts).  Lately, though, meat has been making my stomach churn... except for pepperoni.... I would kill for some of that! lol.  Protein is the main "group" I am having trouble with, though.  I am not hard core about this plan, just use it as a guideline.  I just print out a checklist and put it on the fridge.  As I eat something, I check it off on the list.  When I don't know what I want to eat (like for a snack), I look to see what I am low in and try to choose that.  By the end of the day, I generally have most things checked off... except the protein, of course and maybe I am usually missing one or two servings of whole grain.

[hyde]

Originally Posted by Lauren82 

If you don't want to gain a ton of weight, refrain from eating bread, pasta, cereal and sweets.

Hyde, I was eating Paleo before pregnancy and that went straight out the door. I hope to get back to it after  the nausea and food aversions subside. Right now I can't even stand to look at a vegetable and the thought of all of my usual staples seem yucky.

Yes! I was basically Paleo but with dairy (no milk, though)--as soon as m/s hit (HA, testimonials claiming that Paleo prevents it) that went ALL THE WAY out the window. I've been able to sneak in meat and the odd veggie tucked into a sandwich, but on their own, no way. Eggs, meat.. forget about it. Not being able to cook the staples, nevermind eat them, has really thrown me for a loop. We ate sauteed tofu from the Vietnamese place four nights out of five last week. Ha!

I'd love to check in with you (and anyone else in the same boat!) as our bodies begin to allow us to get back on track. :)

[hyde]

Originally Posted by jodieanneanton 

Hyde, Each serving of protein is 1 oz of meat or some kind of substitute (bean/rice or nuts).  Lately, though, meat has been making my stomach churn... except for pepperoni.... I would kill for some of that! lol.  Protein is the main "group" I am having trouble with, though.  I am not hard core about this plan, just use it as a guideline.  I just print out a checklist and put it on the fridge.  As I eat something, I check it off on the list.  When I don't know what I want to eat (like for a snack), I look to see what I am low in and try to choose that.  By the end of the day, I generally have most things checked off... except the protein, of course and maybe I am usually missing one or two servings of whole grain.

Sorry to double-post.. saw this as soon as my other reply went through. 1oz isn't too bad (under normal circumstances.. right there with you on the meat troubles!). What about hummus for protein? I don't know about you, but I could knock out an eighth of a cup a couple times over- combine with either 6 (pita) or 9 (carrots)? (I'm so excited that I can think about food right now without turning green.. I'm sure I'll pay for it tomorrow.)

If you're able to eat that range of foods, I can see where it would be GREAT to have a list like that.. I lost count of the number of times I've been dying to eat something but with no idea what to do about it.

[jodieanneanton]

oooo hummus! Good idea.  I could totally do that! Better than eating the carrots plain and adds extra protein serving! :) 

[domermommy]

The Brewer Diet is a good starting point, but I think the main thing to take away from it (at least, according to my midwife) is to aim for around 75-80 grams of protein a day.  I'm "dairy-limited" (I wish I were dairy-free but I'm not disciplined enough yet), so I'll be getting my protein primarily from meat/non-dairy sources and also adding protein powder (from non-dairy sources) to smoothies, etc.  DH and I are trying to make more veggie-based smoothies and shakes to up my vegetable intake (I was a very picky eater but have been working on it over the last five or ten years.)  If you have any good recipes, let me know! :)

[goin' green]

I did Brewer during  my last pregnancy, but was gluten free at the time also.  So I did eat rice, legumes, etc.  Now, we are a mostly paleo family, but along with some of the other ladies, I'm having a really hard time with my normal foods right now, but am being gentle with myself and just making sure I eat. 

The important thing to remember too, is that we really don't need a lot of that extra protein right now.  Worry about it more during tri 2 and 3 and you'll be fine.  I still gained 48lbs with my last pregnancy (which was the same as my first, but with that I had PIH (pregnancy induced hypertension, forcing an induction) and horrible (HORRIBLE!!!) edema.  But, I didn't look the same last time and felt fabulous.  Zero problems, and was still contentedly pregnant right up to the point of birthing.  

This time around, I hope to be mostly paleo (though we do a little dairy, but NO grains or legumes) through tri 2 and 3 and therefore I don't expect to gain as much.  There is tons of research out there now about how the carbs and sugar is really what puts on the weight, and isn't any good for our bodies anyhow.  I know so many people who have switched to a paleo lifestyle and lost tons of weight and fat.  

[BRC_MacKenzie]

I did Brewer with my last pregnancy and will try again - as soon as ms is over. I give myself a break and don't even care about what I'm eating as long as I con tolerate it and it stays down.  My husband keeps encouraging me to eat eggs and veggies but I give him a death stare and he stops. Its not that eggs are so bad going down, nor are salads but they really are the worst things coming up.

Last time I started around 18-20 weeks (yes, that is when I finally kicked the multiple bouts of vomit a day) and will probably do so again. At first it seemed like a lot of food but by the end, I didn't have a problem with it.  I found that the serving sizes were smaller than I thought so at first I was under counting. That works to your disadvantage if you are a weigh loss dieter but to your advantage if you are trying to get all those servings in.I focused mostly on the protein and vegetable part but my craving was cereal and milk so getting grains wasn't really an issue. I also did fruit/hidden veggie smoothies. 

I will say that I gained 45 lbs with baby #1 but I also had a lot of trouble with too rapid weight loss after the pregnancy (losing 2+ lbs/week and getting dizzy, confused, if I didn't eat every hour) and the weight was mostly gone by 4-5 months so I think my body knew I was going to need that and I won't be concerned if I gain that much or more this time (I'm starting at a lower weight since I'm nursing still). 

[goin' green]

I agree.  I think I just naturally gain a lot while pregnant.  I kind of freaked out about it last time, only because my weight gain with my 1st was SO crazy (and again, was so heavy edema - I had so much water in me I lost 36 pounds in the first 3 weeks!!!), but as the weight came on and I didn't swell up or look much heavier, I just learned to relax about it.  I also crave red meat like crazy once I start nursing, so I like to think that my body is packing on some of what it needs for that.  

[Lauren82]

Originally Posted by goin' green 

This time around, I hope to be mostly paleo (though we do a little dairy, but NO grains or legumes) through tri 2 and 3 and therefore I don't expect to gain as much.  There is tons of research out there now about how the carbs and sugar is really what puts on the weight, and isn't any good for our bodies anyhow.  I know so many people who have switched to a paleo lifestyle and lost tons of weight and fat.  

I agree. I have witnessed amazing body/health changes from ditching the grains. I ate paleo before my last pregnancy too but totally fell off the wagon for my entire pregnancy. I gained around 45 pounds, definitely not water weight as i dont swell. I went right back to paleo when i gave birth and lost all the weight in 6 weeks. My doctor was amazed. I also had no pp anxiety and sleep issues that i usually get.

but yeah, it is hard during the first tri. I am part of a couple online paleo/ primal groups and its really rare to find a pregnant mama that sticks to it 100% in the first tri. I have been eating so much rice lately and bloating up like a blimp. 

[goin' green]

I hear ya!  I haven't been *too* bad (worst thing is some girl scout cookies - doh!) but I'm eating quite a few tortillas.  Flour tortillas is one of those things I REALLY miss on paleo, and I'm wrapping eggs and sausage in them for breakfast, quesadillas for lunch, etc.  Sigh.  I know it will get better.  I was doing gluten free cereal/milk for a few days and man - I really notice how much of a difference a *little* dairy and a *lot* of dairy have on my tummy!  

[Lauren82]

Originally Posted by goin' green 

I hear ya!  I haven't been *too* bad (worst thing is some girl scout cookies - doh!) but I'm eating quite a few tortillas.  Flour tortillas is one of those things I REALLY miss on paleo, and I'm wrapping eggs and sausage in them for breakfast, quesadillas for lunch, etc.  Sigh.  I know it will get better.  I was doing gluten free cereal/milk for a few days and man - I really notice how much of a difference a *little* dairy and a *lot* of dairy have on my tummy!  

If you like them, you could try the corn tortillas instead. If I eat too much wheat or have too much milk, I get the runs. Cheese and greek yogurt don't have that effect on me thankfully.

So for breakfast I tried to eat some grass fed beef stew meat and pasture butter with my jasmine rice and it ended up coming back up in the kitchen sink. So here I sit with a bowl of cocoa pebbles and milk.

[goin' green]

I have, and we do at times, but I really LOVE the wheat.  I only like corn tortilla chips....with yummy guacamole.  We've traded those out for sweet potato chips.  :-)