It is COUCH DAY!

Plus I get to go to the doctor and hear the baby’s heartbeat!

Plus I’ve reached 24 weeks, which means that my baby would have a chance of survival if it were born today. Still a totally terrifying thing to think about at 24 weeks… but today marks the day when survival looks better and better for each day I stay pregnant! (Stay in as long as you’d like, Baby Boy! I’ll make it as comfortable for you as possible!)

Plus it is Friday! And this weekend is looking fabulously wonderful!

Optimism!

So I feel like I’m losing control. Of another thing. I mean… there are a lot of things out of my control right now. Being pregnant has a way of making that happen. But I have another thing to add to the list:

Eating.

I just can’t stop.

Even as I write that, I feel silly. Because of course I can stop. If any of the things I’ve lost control of can be brought back under control, its eating.

Gaining weight while pregnant is a must. But by any measure, I’m ahead of the game on the weight gain timeline. And it scares me how easily that has happened. Because I know better.

But instead of being sad and mopey, I’d like to try to take action instead. Because, as we all know by now, plans make me happy!

The plan:

• Fewer cookies/sweets, for obvious reasons.
• More protein, to stay fuller longer (was already trying to eat more protein, but mom suggested maybe I still wasn’t getting enough. Worth a try! Thanks, Mom!)
• Stop having “just a little more” because it tastes good. Ask myself if I am really hungry enough to justify it.
• Drink more water. I haven’t been going overboard on other beverages, so I don’t need to replace anything with water. I just need to drink more water. Everything I’ve read says that this will help me with cravings, feelings of fullness, and keeping my weight gain at the healthy levels. Hydration is good!

Short list. Easy plans. No need to go crazy here. Just minor adjustments to get my weight gain to a steady, healthy pace so I don’t end up 80 lbs overweight after the baby comes.

I feel better already. Plans are my crack. Maybe next time I feel like eating because it tastes good instead of because I’m hungry, I’ll pause and make more plans instead. Making plans is better than food.