Fit Pregnancy Tips -- First & Second Trimester

While it would be really easy to just sit on the couch, veg, and indulge in all your favorite cravings your entire pregnancy (believe me this is a daily temptation for me), I believe that taking care of your body during pregnancy plays a huge part in having a healthy pregnancy, as well as, an easier post-partum recovery. I'm currently 6 months pregnant with my first child and have made a big effort to try to have a healthy pregnancy. I wanted to share some of my "fit pregnancy" experiences so far and the lessons I have learned along the way. I can only go off my experiences thus far and some of you may not find this to be a credible source since I have not actually gone through a full- term pregnancy, delivery and post-partum period yet. But like I said, this is my advice based on my experience of pregnancy so far and this is what is working well for me!

1. Exercise before pregnancy. The biggest thing my OBGYN told me concerning exercise during pregnancy is that I was allowed to continue doing the exercises I had already been doing, but I was not to start anything new that would be too strenuous on my body. Luckily, I had been working out before pregnancy, so I was able to keep up a pretty active exercise routine. Unfortunately, pregnancy isn't the time to start anything new which might limit you if you weren't very active prior to pregnancy. My best advice is if you plan on getting pregnant any time soon, try to develop an exercise routine now. It doesn't need to be anything too demanding, but something that you will be able to keep up during your pregnancy.

2. Continue exercising during your first trimester. I was very nervous about exercising once I found out I was pregnant. My biggest regret is that I stopped running immediately after finding out I was pregnant. Being a long-time runner, giving it up completely was a big deal for me. I was just too scared to mess with it and was terrified of hurting the baby. If I had to do it again, I would have continued running just with less intensity. That being said, I did continue to do the elliptical at the gym, lift light weights with more repetitions, and go on long walks and hikes. It was very nerve-racking exercising in the first trimester for me and it might be for you as well. It's important for you to keep up what you had already been doing knowing that your body is used to the intensity and can handle it. Also, if you stop exercising in the first trimester, it's going to make trying to get back out there in the second trimester a lot harder. Stay consistent with your routine and your body will naturally adjust to exercising during pregnancy.

3. Stay active in your second trimester. Exercising in the first trimester was a breeze for me once I got over the fear of hurting my baby. I didn't experience any morning sickness, wasn't overly exhausted, and didn't have a belly. It basically felt the same as it always had. The challenge came in the second trimester when my belly got bigger, I felt more pressure on my stomach, and I lacked energy. What I soon learned is that for me staying active is key to feeling good and having energy during the second trimester. Not only did it give me more energy, but staying active has also allowed me to feel good during my second trimester. It has helped me feel like the weight I am putting on is healthy weight because I know I'm taking care of my body and my baby by staying active. I quickly learned that staying active doesn't mean I need to always be at the gym. I have found alternate ways to get out there and move around that don't always include much intensity and are low-impact. I go on walks a lot. I even started walking some days during my lunch break just to move around and get away from sitting at my desk for 9 hours straight. Sitting still for a long time isn't great for pregnancy and just caused me to get sleepier and my muscles to tighten. I also go on hikes and walk trails often which allow me to get in a good workout with much less intensity and stress on my body. Some days I just focus on doing basic tasks like cleaning the house, folding the laundry, and going grocery shopping which may not seem like a big deal, but they still help me get up and moving around. All of these things combined keep me active and feeling good. My best advice for the second trimester is to stay active despite your lack of energy and be creative with how you stay active. I try to do something active at least 5 days a week, but I usually only go to the gym 2 days a week. The other 3-4 days a week I just try to make an effort not to come home and sit on the couch all night which after a 9 hour work day and commuting is very tempting!

4. Take the time to rest and listen to your body. With everything I said about being active in mind, also remember how important it is to take the time to rest during pregnancy. We are growing a human inside of us and that's hard work! Some days it might be a good idea to take a nap instead of hitting the gym, believe me your body will thank you! Just like with any workout regime, it's also important to remember to have rest days where you give your body a break. For me, that usually means having a couch day where I do sit and veg, take a nap, and don't worry about having to get up and do anything. While trying to have fit pregnancy, it's so important that we listen to our bodies. Some days while working out, I take it down a notch because I can tell my body is tired or I'm feeling more pressure than normal. If you know you would benefit more from sleeping in than going on a walk, it's important to get that rest. Don't push yourself past where you know is a healthy point for you and that comes with listening to your body and taking the time to rest and relax. Remember that having a fit pregnancy isn't about losing weight. It's about taking care of yourself and your baby which includes rest and not pushing yourself too hard.

5. Recruit your husband in your pregnancy fitness journey. Exercise and healthy eating is always much easier with a partner than doing it alone. Get out there and walk with your husband! This has become a favorite activity for me and my husband. We love going on walks together a few nights a week. It allows us time to talk about our days and get in some low-impact exercise. We also love to go hiking on local trails around our house. We bring our dog and make it a family affair. That way I'm not having to sacrifice limited time with my family, but instead it becomes a fun family activity. If you can recruit your husband to stay active with you, it will make exercise much more fun and enjoyable -- you might actually want to do it!

6. Eat everything in moderation. My last point has to do with the thing pregnancy ladies love most: FOOD! There are so many lists out there of things you should be eating and things you shouldn't. When you are tired or not feeling well, you just want to eat what you want and not have to worry about where the carrot sticks are. There's also the huge topic of pregnancy cravings. You may not want healthy foods and may be craving anything but. So far I have tried to stick with the concept of everything in moderation. I don't have some strict, perfect pregnancy diet, but I also don't give in every time I want ice cream (and good thing because that's like 3 times each day). This has worked really well for me! I'm on track with my weight gain, but I don't feel like I'm depriving myself at all. I do make an effort to eat healthy, but I usually eat something small each day that feels like a treat (usually something sweet :) ). Sometimes I have days where I just eat all the junk food I want, but not every day. The key is to try to stick with an overall healthy diet and then when an unhealthy craving hits, you don't feel guilty for giving in. It's also important to remember that although you are pregnant; gorging yourself with food isn't the best option. It's easy to justify it, but not good for you or your baby. Try to stick with everything in moderation and I feel like you will be very satisfied!

Those are some of my fit pregnancy tips! Every pregnancy is different and what works for one person may not work for another, so definitely keep that in mind. I have also been extremely blessed with a healthy pregnancy so far and am able to carry these tips out, but I do realize that based on different circumstances it's not always possible. Please let me know if you found these tips to be helpful and if you would like me to do another fit pregnancy post in the future (I'm thinking something along the lines of "My Favorite Fit Pregnancy Foods). Also, if you have any advice on having a healthy pregnancy and how to take care of your body during pregnancy, I would love to hear it! Hope you all have a wonderful week!

 

My Week In Pictures

Good afternoon and happy Monday! Sadly, it is no longer the weekend and we are entering into a brand new week. Last week had its ups and downs, but overall, I survived! I wanted to share parts of my week with not only words, but also pictures. We all know that many times pictures capture certain emotions that words lack.

Iron Infusion

The week started off a little scary because I had an iron infusion scheduled for Tuesday afternoon. I had recently been told I had exceptionally low iron levels and that I was also anemic. They suggested I get an iron infusion right away. I worked half a day that day trying to pretend like what was to come wasn't a big deal. For those of you who don't know, I am TERRIFIED of needles. Because I have had hypothyroidism for 14 years, I have had my blood drawn triple the amount of times as most of you, yet I still just hate needles. That fear coupled with the fact that I had been informed of all sorts of reactions I could possibly have during the procedure made me very anxious of this whole iron infusion process. I was blown away by the amount of phone calls, texts, messages, prayers, love, and encouragement I got that day. I also had 3 visitors during my 5 hours at the hospital. The nurses told me I was popular :) I was so appreciative of everyone's support and I truly believe the prayers made a difference because the procedure was flawless. Other than the fact that it took a while for it to get started, there were absolutely no complications during the procedure. I had no negative reactions and felt completely normal when I left. I consider myself lucky being that one of the side effects is anaphylactic shock. All that to say, everything went just fine and I'm very thankful! 

 

 (My husband had class all day and a paper to turn in, so I wasn't expecting him to be able to make it to my iron infusion. He surprised me and showed up despite of all his obligations. I was a happy camper when I saw his face!)

 

Relaxing Saturday
Saturday was very relaxing and we actually got to sleep in! Those who have a 9-5 type job know the joy of not setting your alarm clock on Saturday morning. Nothing quite captures the extent of relaxation that was going on in the Gale house like this photo below. We also had lunch with my mom, did our taxes, went to see the movie Noah with our youth group, finished A LOT of laundry and watched Tangled on Saturday. It was a good day. Truth be told, Saturdays just might be my favorite day of the week.

Homeowners
Last week was also filled with the new homeowner joy of getting things organized, spring cleaning if you will.  I was very motivated when we first moved in, but during the busyness of life, I lost track of all the things I needed to get done around the house. Josh and I spent about 2 hours last week just cleaning, hanging things up, putting up our new bird feeders outside, decorating and like I said, just getting things organized. We had music playing throughout the house and it was actually kind of fun. I tackled a ridiculous amount of dirty laundry over the weekend and felt like Superwoman by the time I had washed, folded, and put everything away! The accomplishment will be short lived, but I'll enjoy the "clean" feeling while it lasts. I also bought a really cute Easter wreath from Kroger, of all places. I'm trying to get my house in the Spring (cleaning) and Easter spirit! :)

 

Chef Brittany

Not sure if any of you remember, but my goal for 2014 was to learn to cook. I am proud to report that after 3 months, I have definitely improved! I am continually making new things and actually cooking as opposed to microwaving all my meals. I have one happy husband, that's for sure! This week I made a few different things including Hobo's, gluten-free brownies and crockpot buffalo chicken. They were all a success and I figured I would include the recipe for crockpot buffalo chicken since it turned out so well.

 

http://thefrugalgirls.com/2013/09/crockpot-buffalo-chicken-recipe.html

 

 

I think that about wraps it up for this week! Although life has its challenges, I find that when I review my week the good outweighs the bad (every time). I feel like I'm in a really good place right now in my life and I'm just so thankful for all the awesome support I have around me. Until next time!

 

"I Need To Be Skinnier"

I haven't written too much about health on this blog, but being healthy and in shape is a big part of my life. I've had my ups and downs with weight over the years. I've gone through very healthy and somewhat unhealthy phases. If you are a woman reading this, then I feel like you will be able to relate on some level. Women constantly worry about weight and appearance. The older we get, the worse this obsession becomes. I see so many women going to extremes to achieve their goal weight or a certain look. It makes me sick to watch. I'm here to share my personal health journey and hope that it will inspire some of you to see that leading a healthy life doesn't have to be all about counting calories and spending countless hours in the gym. It takes some self-love and dedication to not becoming skinny, but becoming healthy (physically AND mentally).

From the time I was young, I have always worried about weight. I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism at age 11 and was considered overweight for my age at that point. Before my diagnosis, I just thought I was rapidly gaining weight and can remember being conscious of what I put into my body at an early age. In the 3rd grade, I started drinking water instead of juice. I tried to eat more fruits and vegetables and to cut out sweets. I was already trying to "diet" because I didn't like how I looked. After I got on the right medication, the pounds began to shed and I got back to my natural weight.

I was on the track and cross county teams in middle and high school, so I was constantly running. That definitely helped me stay in shape in my teens, but I still stayed close to the scale to constantly check my weight. I have always eaten fairly healthy and had a love for healthy foods. I also have a love for sweets. So when I got to college, I was amazed by the plethora of food I saw everywhere. I had a 24/7 access pass to the dining hall and went out to eat Waffle House in the middle of the night regularly with friends. The pounds started coming back on. I didn't realize it at the time, but I was my heaviest in college. I would work out regularly, but I would also binge eat and go to bed extremely full on a regular basis. I overate and believed I needed way too many calories to keep my body going. I was truly uneducated about what being healthy really meant.

My senior year of college after Christmas break, I decided I needed to go on a "diet". My weight was at an all-time high and I wanted to get down to what I had been in high school. I started eating healthy and working out, but I was a bit obsessive about it. I went to the gym 5-6 days a week in college and felt like something was off if I wasn't there. I thought I needed to be there in order to not gain weight. While this isn't a crazy extreme, my mindset was unhealthy. A few weeks before graduation, I reached my goal weight. But looking back, I didn't do it in the healthiest way. I wasn't consuming enough calories and was pushing myself to the limit. I believed that if I just ate less, then I wouldn't have to work out as much and I could still be "skinny". While that was true, it was difficult to maintain. I gained some of the weight back after graduation and it was hard to step on that scale.

When I got engaged, I started losing weight again, not on purpose this time but because of stress and busyness. I began eating slightly less calories but also letting myself indulge. I didn't feel like I was depriving myself anymore. I was working out, but only 3 days a week, nothing extreme. It was through that method and putting less focus on weight than I ever had, that I got to my skinniest and healthiest state. Pretty ironic, huh?

I'm not saying this method works for everyone, but I can say that I have been able to maintain a weight I am very happy with while still being healthy for almost a year and a half. I work out, but I don't live at the gym. I eat healthy, but I also eat unhealthy sometimes. I am not constantly counting calories. Everything in moderation is my new personal slogan. I have seen a change in my body and my mind by putting less emphasis on the scale and more on being a happier person all around. I am happier, healthier, and skinnier when I take the pressure off of myself and decrease my intensity with trying to be thin. I changed my focus and it worked.

I was inspired to write this particular blog after constantly seeing women who hate on themselves and who put every ounce of their being into reaching their goal weight. Even if you look on Pinterest, there are a million recipes on how to make things differently to cut calories. I think healthy choices are very important, but eating a little less of something with a higher calorie content and feeling satisfied instead of deprived is okay too. Don't get caught up in everything "diet" and "skinny". Eat a piece of cake, just don't eat 5. Depriving yourself is NOT the solution to a healthy life, but loving yourself is. Everywhere we look; there is pressure to be smaller, to push ourselves, our bodies, and our minds to the extreme. Moderation is key. Lifestyle changes are more effective than diets. Eat in moderation, workout in moderation, and dedicate your time and energy to being thinner in moderation. The scale may not look different, but that doesn't mean that you aren't getting results. Throw the scale out if you have to in order to focus on being healthy (physically and mentally) not skinny. You will be a much healthier and happier person in the long run.

Berry Spinach Smoothie

One of my favorite healthy go-to's is my berry spinach smoothie. It's full of vitamins and nutrients, but also tastes delicious and is very refreshing. I eat it often for breakfast, but it is really good any time of the day. If you are like me, then you may struggle to get the proper amount of vegetables in your daily diet. A lot of people are very turned off by the idea of putting veggies in their smoothies, but it's one of the easiest ways to get your vegetable intake for the day. You can't taste the veggies at all, but you are still reaping all of the health benefits. This smoothie is extremely easy to make, filling, and chock full of nutrients. It is also low in calories, coming in around 200 calories for the entire thing. 

Below are the ingredients I often use in my smoothies, but you can switch things up and make it your own. I find that berries work well to disguise the vegetable taste, but this recipe is by no means exact. You can change up the measurements and ingredients based on your personal preference. 

Ingredients: 

1. 8 oz. Diet Cranberry Pomegranate juice (5 calories)

2. 1 serving Activia light yogurt (60 calories)

3. 1 small handful of carrots (20 calories)
4. 1-2 cups of spinach (35 calories)

5. 1 cup berries: blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries (90 calories) 

Blend all together and prepare to enjoy a delicious and healthy treat! 

Note: I do not use ice in my smoothies because I tend to use frozen fruit, but ice would be good to add if you prefer your smoothie to be chilled.