Dear pregnant women: 'You're using your cravings as an excuse to get fat'

This super-fit mum insists that your body can be ignored when it’s crying out for double-choc ice cream. We’re not so sure.

Eating excessively during pregnancy used to be a rite-of-passage for mums to be, but no more. Pregnant personal trainer Sharny Kieser says women need to stop whinging and resist cravings.

Sharny Kieseer made headlines last year when she and personal trainer husband Julius called overweight people ‘fat and lazy’. They are now turning their focus on pregnant women by calling for them to stop using pregnancy as an excuse to get fat.

At first glance their comments seem like a deliberately inflammatory diatribe designed to attract people to their fitness blog. However Sharny is speaking from experience. She’s currently pregnant with her fifth child and recalls her previous four pregnancies as a time of excess and laziness.

"For the first four pregnancies, I got so fat because I let my cravings control me. For this one, I wanted to see if I could control them. And I have," she writes.

Now, for this fifth pregnancy, Sharny is determined to stay lean and strong.

She says ignoring cravings is key. By stay aware of the fact pregnancy amplifies cravings, you can put them in perspective and not give in.

Sharny also explains that cravings during pregnancy is your body's way of trying to tell you that you are deficient in something. For example, if you crave ice you need iron.

Sticking to an eating plan also helps her gain minimal weight. "I make sure that I control my eating for the day. If I stick to my eating plan as a priority, not missing any meals, I find that cravings just disappear. I eat 3-4 meals a day, mostly salad and vegetables with one serve of meat, no sugars or grains or processed crap. Everything I eat is mainlined directly to my baby, so I visualise him/her as a little baby and imagine feeding him/her what I am feeding myself - which makes it a lot easier to resist the chocolate cravings."

So far Sharny is doing a good job of resisting her cravings and is hoping to see it through. Her first four pregnancies left her with 30 kilo weight gains that she had to try and lose while looking after her new babies.

The self-labelled 'fit mum' says eating healthy food regularly is also a great way to minimise morning sickness.

There's definitely something to be said for healthy eating and exercise during pregnancy but we can't help but think hers is an extreme case.

She has written a book called Never Diet Again.

Did you worry about your weight while you were pregnant, or is it a time to relax your rules?