Staying in shape while growing a human..

Is this even possible?

I laugh at myself after what I now consider a “workout”.  But you know what? I do it. I have to remember that healthy momma equals healthy baby. Also, I want it to be easy for me to bounce back into pre-preggo shape faster than a microwave minute.

So what am I up to these days in the fitness department? Well, I’m not going to lie, I can be doing so much more (came to this conclusion after googling images/blogs of super mommies on the internet…don’t do this to yourselves).

Here were my health stats PRIOR to finding out that I was going to be a vessel for human life:

Weight– 120lbs at 5′ 4″. I am always teetering between 115lbs and 120lbs…I was on the “heavier” end (haha) because I got pregnant during food season a.k.a. Holiday Season!

Workout routine: I had a membership to my local YMCA which is now been terminated due to baby budgeting. I was at the gym seriously 5 days a week. I always made time for at least a quick 30 minute workout. I was an elliptical machine freak. If anyone decided to ellipticize near me, well, let’s just say  that I made a competition out of it. Pathetic, I know. I loved seeing people look at me like I was crazy (or about to fall off from going too fast).  2-3 times a week I did medium weights and leg workouts. Basically, I was what doctors considered pretty darn fit.

Diet:

I am a health freak, but not vegan/vegetarian/anything that requires LOTS of attention haa 🙂 Sorry Veggie friends. It just seems like A LOT of slicing and dicing.  My daily diet consisted of salads and lean meats and fishes galore! I live right near a Whole Foods, which has the biggest and best salad bar in the world!  I always made a huuuge salad that last me throughout the day until dinner. I always included lean meats/fish on it. I never use salad dressing. I’m weird and love the taste of greens. Sometimes I’d splash a bit of white balsamic if I felt “crazy”. I love fruit and eggs and normally for breakfast would have a variation of that with some Ezekial flourless bread as toast. My dinner was sometimes another big salad or some kind of protein/veggie mix. I was undoubtedly a health nut. I still loved my desserts, though. I always had to have SOMETHING sweet. Mostly dark chocolate or black licorice..mmmm!!! But, that was my diet, y’all. NOT anymore haha.

So there’s that.

Oh- P.S.  Darren and I were super social bugs. We drank out 2-3 nights a week. Not anymoooore! 😦 Well, no cocktails and wine when we are out!

**I’ll post a couple before baby photos for y’all to see where I was comin’ from, and where I plan to get back to after baby and before summer 2014**

OK….So that was BEFORE and this is now! :

Weight: 122 lbs as of last OB appt. Gained 2 lbs first trimester! I’m certain as I type this that I’ve gained another couple lbs. I would put money on it. I’m supposed to gain 25-30 lbs over the course of the pregnancy. I should be catching up this trimester! I FEEEEEL like I’ve gained 10 lbs however. It doesn’t feel pretty y’all.

Workout Routine:  Hahaha. Routine. What a funny word that escapes me. At least it did the first trimester. I have been gaining my energy back the last 2 weeks, and now my friends, I am feeling like I might be starting a “routine” this month. The first trimester all I did was like three 30 minutes walks/week. Without my Y membership, I kinda lost my mojo. I did weights..never. I lost that. I was fearful of hurting myself. I wish I didn’t worry so much that first tri. I would have jogged instead of walked! New mammas are so uninformed. I thought slight jogging could hurt my baby. Well, this last week I started very light jogging again. Still, mostly a walk/jog situation. I do this 5 times a week now, and about 45 minutes each time. I now lift weights 3 times a week…lightly. I do less weight. 8 lbs instead of 15lb weights. Smaller sets, too. AND GIRLS!!….I’ve been lunging like a crazy fool. Leg lunges and lifts all day everyday. haha. I am trying to keep my appendages in shape since I can’t control the middle section. OH, and kegals. Tee hee hee.

 Diet: Compared to what I ate like before I found out I was preggo, I feel like I’ve just lost control. Again, the first trimester is tricky. You have to give into your crazy cravings or else you will just…want to die. I don’t know how else to put it. Darren always made sure I was taken care of. Poor guy. I ate lots of eggs and fruit for breakfast, and then throughout the day I would derail into an abyss of junk, sugar, starch, and transfat. Which is why I am surprised I only gained 2 lbs. Those little walks must have helped some. Well, let me put this out there : I never ever ever ever eat fast food. I have on road trips and that is it. So that helps me out. I did drink a fair amount of water,too!

The second trimester I’m gaining some clarity and losing the cravings. My aversion to salads has gone away. I am back to salad heaven, but I’m still managing my slight cravings for sweets. Diabetes runs in my fam, so I’m extra mindful. My diet consists of any of these …eggs/fruit/nuts/greek yogurt/granola for breakfast. Salads and veggies with avocado dip for lunch.  Almonds/pistachios/pretzels for snacks. Water. LOTS OF IT. Dinner has been on and off healthy. Some nights we get lazy and order something..anything. But, we have been at home cooking a whole lot more. So, lots of lean protein/quinoa/some fish/veggies for dinner. We’ve been mixing it up. Like I said,  3 nights out of 7 we are NOT caring about healthy and we have just whatever we want.  Desserts…..slowly cutting them out (minus figs and dark cocoa and frozen yogurt)!

I hope that this helps preggo babes like me feel like there is a light at the end of the first trimester tunnel. I also am adding another post after this of my fave brands of food that I’ve been munching on. Just remember..you’re normal. Everything you’re doing is *hopefully* normal 😉

Remember- only 300 extra calories/day is all baby needs! That’s like..a banana and a yogurt! Perspective..ahhhh! Keep a food journal if you must.

And stay active somehow. Those little walks can help tons!

xo

Here’s me the summer before baby!photo-36 photo-35

3 thoughts on “Staying in shape while growing a human..

  1. You are kicking much booty, Tams!! Listen, there is a study that was recently published at Vanderbilt that links a carb/sugar heavy diet to RSV in babies. They seem to have found an indisputable link between the diet during pregnancy and RSV (a nasty virus you don’t want to deal with). The carbs/sugar can prevent their immune systems from setting up correctly. Don’t call yourself a health “nut.” We need to turn this parabola of poor health around. Our children are slated to mark the official decline in human lifespan. In other words, 30 is the new 40. It’s going to take some social consciousness to turn that around!

    • Thanks, buddy! I totally agree about everything you wrote…and I’m glad you shared. Howevs…I didn’t say being a health nut is bad! Girl, I LOVE being a health nut! But, I get your point. It should be classified as “normal diet behavior”. I’ll be a health nut all day long..errrrday.

  2. You rock, lady. The first trimester is pretty phenomenal since your body is working extra overtime you probably lost weight & gained baby. It’s a funny thing this baby growing biz. Anyways, you are killing it. My work out consists of mall power-walking with a two-year old on my back, chasing said 2 year old, cleaning the house or the occasional prenatal yoga when I can find a sitter. Definitely not breaking much sweat on this side of the screen. It doesn’t sound like you are having any crrrrazy cravings, I mean, dark chocolate? That’s good for you! I have been wondering if this little Miss is french because all I want is Brioche & croissants! So wrong. So bad. So delish.

    Love following along your journey..you’re going to have the most gorgeous babe at the end of your pregnancy!

    xo,
    hb

Leave a reply to Hillary Cancel reply