Week 22: Weigh in

Before I found out I was expecting, I had heard all of the warm and fuzzy things you hear about pregnancy — how you’ll glow and how it will be one of the most beautiful and cherished times in your life.
And, then, I got pregnant.
Now, the more months I spend “with child” — I’m going on 15 now — the more I realize that Mother Nature’s main objective in pregnancy is not making me more beautiful. It’s making me resemble a weather balloon.
This is unfortunate on a number of levels. But, mostly because feeling like a cross between a zoo exhibit (think: hippopotamuses) and the Goodyear blimp just isn’t that much fun. Shocking, I know.
Though the scale still says I’m a-okay and on track with my weight gain (I’ve gained about 12 pounds in 22 weeks), I’m a little more than petrified that I’m going to “blossom” out at the end, like I did with Jacob. By the time he was born two weeks late, I had tipped the scales at 200 pounds. (Phew. It took some serious gumption to put that in writing.)
From start to finish, I put on over 40 pounds with him, and it was an entire year before I felt like I finally had my pre-baby body back. (Two months later, I was pregnant again.)
This time around, I am really, really wanting to stick closer to the 25-pound mark. Although I know that obsessing about the number on the scale isn’t something any pregnant gal should be doing, I want to feel healthier this pregnancy. And, with an almost-two-year-old to chase after, I’m going to need all of the mobility and energy I can get!
Still, when those ice cream cravings hit, I’m worried I’ll melt (ba-dum-ching!) and the weight will pile on despite my best intentions. So, help a sister out and do tell: How do/did you keep your pregnancy weight under control? All tips, tricks and mama-to-mama real talk is welcome!