Don’t worry about gaining a few pounds during your pregnancy. It’s normal. You can shake those extra pounds off after you give birth. The food you take in should be rich in vitamins and minerals. The additional calorie intake that you must have must be between 200 up to 300 a day. There are certain meals of the day that you can’t live without but during this period you should avoid caffeine, sugar and alcohol. They may cause unwanted side effects to your baby. Your gynecologist may recommend some additional vitamins to take in each month. Make sure that you follow their advice carefully.

The eating-for-two theory should not be taken literally. It doesn’t mean that you have to double your consumption of regular meals. It only means that you have to choose the food you take in and make sure that it has all the nutrients that you will need to share it properly with the baby inside your womb. Take fiber-rich foods every day. Take 11 servings of grain, 2 to 4 servings of fruits and vegetables, 4 servings of dairy products and protein. Make sure you have everything covered in the food pyramid. During pre-natal care, the first few months will require an additional intake of folic acids. Your doctor will provide you the pre-natal vitamins so make sure you take it regularly. Eating properly will mean that you and the baby will both gain the required vitamins and minerals. If you eat too much of each food type and the baby gains more than required, it will be risky for both you and the baby.

Make sure that you also observe at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. It doesn’t mean that you go for strenuous exercises; just do some light calisthenics that will strengthen your cardiovascular system. Some good exercises to take are walking, swimming and light aerobics. As long as you observe your overall health, you are sure that after nine months, you’ll have a perfectly healthy baby that you will nurture for the rest of your life.

Perhaps the single largest mistake that dieters make is adopting an all or nothing attitude. These are the dieters that scour the pantry and the refrigerator removing anything that could be seen as a potential source of temptation. They embark on a dietary regimen that is nearly impossible to maintain and believe that all is lost the moment they stray from the strict guidelines of their diet.

While this may work for some in the short term, it sets them up for failure, frustration, and ill will towards the entire dieting process. The important thing when it comes to dieting is the goal. Your goal is to shed pounds. There are many ways in which this can be done that do not require starving yourself or punishing yourself in the process.

Another great mistake when it comes to dieting is selecting a diet plan where you eat the same thing every day. Despite our human need for structure and routine we tend to enjoy changing our lunch routine on occasion. Select a diet or new nutrition plan that allows you to enjoy a wide variety of foods rather than one that limits you to the same meal or meal selection day in and day out.

This basically includes three levels of consideration:

1. Balance-A balanced diet must contain carbohydrate, protein, fat, vitamin, mineral salts and fiber in well proportionate quantity. Carbohydrates are the source of energy so these play an important role in balanced diet. Intentional inclusion of all foods from fruits to vegetables and meats to grains.

2. Moderation- portion control, small quantity at regular intervals. I had to laugh when I heard the results of a 5-year study costing millions of dollars the government ran to find out why the population of the US is getting heavier. The results…they determined we eat larger quantities! ‘Super Size it!’

3. Variation – wide variety in foods,means higher chances of complete nutrition. And variety in your workout routine means a greater chance of sustaining it.

Below is a list of common diet mistakes that will undermine your attempts to lose weight.

DON’T restrict your intake to less than 1000 calories a day, unless you are under the supervision of a doctor. Restricting your intake that severely can lead to serious health complications. It also will convince your body that it’s starving and slow your metabolism so that it conserves your stores of food. In other words – your body will kick into gear to hold onto your fat so you don’t starve to death.

DON’T cut out one or more entire food groups, including fats. Your body needs an adequate intake of all nutrients in order to stay healthy. In every food group there are ‘good’ and ‘bad’ choices for weight loss. Stick to the good ones, and you’ll see your weight dropping without compromising your health.

DON’T fast for extended periods without medical supervision. For the same reasons that you shouldn’t restrict your intake of calories to less than 1000 a day, you shouldn’t embark on a fast that lasts more than 48 hours without a doctor’s supervision.

DON’T purge. Purging, whether by emetics, diuretics, vomit-induction or laxatives robs your body of more than the nutrients that you’re getting rid of. It’s unsafe at any speed. You can end up with far worse problems than a few extra pounds.

DO see your doctor before starting a serious diet. He or she can recommend a visit to a nutritionist to help you design a common sense weight loss plan that will naturally evolve into a healthy eating style that will last a lifetime.