How I lost the baby weight!

How I lost the baby weight.

I think that when most women get pregnant one of their biggest fears other than the health of the baby is how their body is going to change and how much weight they are going to gain.

If you have been on a weight loss journey before the pregnancy I feel that the feelings and fears are far worse. When I had my first two pregnancies I gained 65 and 70 pounds and no one told me different with my first pregnancy. People just let me be with my first pregnancy and I honestly, I PROMISE YOU I HONESTLY THOUGHT that I would go back to 105 pounds after the first baby. I was pregnant by myself meaning I was the first of my friends to get pregnant so I was riding this one solo. My mother told me that I was all water weight and I had no reason not to believe her she to me, was an expert. She was right but not completely. I was left with 30 pounds after I lost the water, baby, etc. My second pregnancy went back down to 135 within 6 months of beating my butt at the gym doing the Body For Life program and eating a ton of chicken and broccoli. I actually hate chicken and broccoli now that I am more educated on healthy choices.

With my third pregnancy, I was well educated on health and fitness and had my healthiest pregnancy. I gained 45 pounds and had to work for 10 pounds of weight loss. I was scared that I was going to go back to my old ways and that I was going to get to 135 again and stay there. My body set point must be 135 because when I lost the weight that is where it stopped and I had to start fighting my body to get the weight off.  I can tell you that it was a journey and it was frustrating but worth getting back into my pre-pregnancy jeans. I am now at my pre-pregnancy weight 127 but I would like to get back to my 120 pounds that I was before I went on this binge at a wedding I went to the year I got pregnant with Molly. I never bothered to lose the weight because I knew I was going to get pregnant and that I did 2 months later.

How did I lose the weight??? 

I ate real food. I am not one to label myself to anything but I ate mostly Paleo. The only times I strayed was for my weekly pizza happy meal habit with occasional breadsticks.

So what did my meals consist of?

Chicken wings, chicken thighs, steaks of all kinds, seafood, homemade broth, all kinds of vegetables, sweet potatoes, potato, rice occasionally, pork of all cuts but mostly tenderloin it’s the most juicy cut and an occasional chicken breast thrown in there but I am not kidding when I tell you I hate chicken breasts. I did also eat chips and candy but in moderation and NOT every day. I also threw in some popcorn there. **I would have rather lost weight eating the things that I enjoy than depriving myself for however long and being miserable** That my friends is the secret to weight loss slow and steady = stress free long lasting weight loss

I did Beachbody workout programs. I did do Crossfit as well but only for about a month. I was getting exertion migraines and had to stop. I did Body Beast right after but, my arms started to get REALLY big (I am a super petite person and my arms were nearing 11 inches while the rest of my body was shrinking LOL) and I didn’t like that so I started the 21 Day Fix Extreme recently and I am loving the portion control and workouts and for the first time doing the 21 Day Fix I am not hungry! I feel that I am fine tuning the last bit of my weight loss.

I allowed myself time.

There were moments when I got really frustrated. Here are a few memorable ones! 

I couldn’t do all the moves to my workouts because of my Diastsis Recti.

My running sucked, I started back at a 12 minute mile from running a 9 minute mile.

I couldn’t lift 20 pound weights anymore.

I was doing Body Beast and my inches and weight were stuck for three weeks. With the exception of my ever growing arms I was stuck at a plateau.

**I didn’t realize what pregnancy did to a fit body because my last 2 pregnancies were lazy**

After you have a baby you must remember that inside things are happening and your body is healing. As much as we would all like it to happen losing the baby weight is not as easy as some super celebrities make it out to be. I wanted to have all the weight off by Christmas but I found that to be too soon for a goal time even though I was close, I was putting too much pressure on myself and changed it to a year after the baby was born. I did that because realistically that’s how long it takes for the body to recover from pregnancy. Now here I am at 8 month post fitting into my pre-pregnancy jeans but also knowing that I am not finished yet. I need to create the buffer I had of 120-125 to better suit my body.

This is pretty much how I succeeded. I took my time I was patient for the most part with plenty of impatient days and when I least expected it………last night, my pre-pregnancy clothes fit. No matter what journey you are on patience is the key and keep remembering why you are doing this which I hope is optimal health.

I realize this was a long post but I certainly hope that you read through it and if you need help please ask. I would love to help you out in any way that I can as long as you have the motivation to push through.

Come on baby!

39 and a half weeks pregnant. Time seems like an absolute eternity right now. It's amazing how fast my pregnancy went by up until this point. Time literally just STOPPED, PAUSE, JOKES ON YOU!

 I am at home with my son and it is rainy outside so he is stuck in the house bored and I am in deep thought and getting rather frustrated wondering when this baby is coming. I am also waiting on my doctors appointment tomorrow so it seems that all I am doing lately is waiting. I am home from work because I am supposed to be resting because I thought I had signs of preeclampsia and the midwife that I had said I looked really super tired and needed to sleep. It turns out that my swelling and headaches were just the heat. Here in Mass it literally went from 57 degrees to 80 in the matter of a day. Oh the joys of living in New England right? 

I have found myself going on baby boards, reading birth stories, and googling all kinds of things to induce labor ha ha. I try not to but my mind is consumed with when it will happen and how other women went into labor etc.  I am starting to get rather stir crazy but there is nothing really that I feel that I can do to take my mind off of this labor thing other than go shopping and at that I can't buy anything because I don't fit into anything and honestly don't need anything ha ha. I have opted to exercise so this morning I did T25 Cardio, Turbofire Upper 20, and I plan on getting on the elliptical for 40 minutes to see if we can naturally get this thing started.

I am starting to hate due dates and every single email that I get that says the baby can come at any time now. It gives you this false sense that the baby will be here early when most times babies come "late" not really late but after their due date. I am not trying to be bitter but as someone who is near the end of this LONG 200 + day journey in pregnancy knowing that you are so close but still in some sense so far away really makes you cuckoo! I am happy that she is still baking and growing and gaining weight I just wish she would come and see hello to her family too! LOL

I am trying to live by God's rule of everything in his time but when you have such a life changing thing happening to you it is really hard not to obsess about it. I mean my belly is right there staring at me and contracting and it is getting painful and every time I THINK something is going to happen it doesn't ha ha. OH MAN this is torture and I am purely doing it to myself. I know when the time comes to go into labor there will be a time where I want to rewind and wonder what the heck I was thinking about WANTING to be in that much pain but I am ready to embark on the new journey God has put us on but am so ANXIOUS I don't want to wait. I am sure that as maybe a mother reading this you can relate.

Well I am off to go ahead and get that 40 minute elliptical workout in so that I can shower and get on with the rest of my day whatever that may entail. Pray for me please!!! LOL

39 week bump date!

39 weeks huh? Whew it has been a long ride LOL. Time has literally just STOPPED and I feel like every minute is an hour and every hour is a day ha ha. I am ready to meet my baby but not ready to get her out! You would think that after having 2 kids previously I would be ready for this well no. I would love to be a first time mother because then......well, you don't know what to expect now that I have done this two times I know what to expect, what is the worst and how frankly I don't want to do it again LOL. Such is life right?

How Far Along: 39 and 1 day.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: 42 pounds womp womp :( 2 lbs over my max weight gain that I wanted :(

Food Aversions (and "no nos"): Paleo is still going well for me but I find that I have to keep a packed pantry because when I run out of food is when I reach for the grains and lunch has been a pain and the ONLY meal I have grains with so after going through this for 2-3 weeks now I can see where the pitfalls are and how/where I can change things. I don't have any aversions though.

Cravings: COLD things!

How I Feel: I have officially turned into a bag of buttholes! I can't walk for longer than 20 minutes. I went on the elliptical yesterday and I got lighting crotch for about an hour and had really sharp pains above my  pubic bones there were NOT contractions. Swelling has begun! UGH I have cankles the size of TEXAS seriously I am glad that I only have 1-2 more weeks of being pregnant LOL. It has been a blessing, with my other two I swelled at like 20 weeks so we will call this a win LOL. 

Maternity Clothes: Yup. I am pretty much wearing the same three outfits so laundry has increased to twice a week now so I can have something clean. My son told me that my shirts weren't fitting me anymore and started laughing at me LOL so I guess it's time to hibernate until after the baby gets here right?

Movement: She is everywhere and everywhere all the time. She is more into rolling now and that is how I feel her movements now. Mostly though she moves when I am super relaxed.

Sleep: I am sleeping but the doc put me on sleep rest. She said that I had to rest more so I got a doctors note for a few days of sleep :)

What I Miss: Running. I am seriously missing running this week. Runners are EVERYWHERE and I "hate" them all LOL. I just want to be me again :) 

What I'm Looking Forward To: Seeing what this baby looks like. In the short term though we have a special trip planned for our little to go on a 2 hour train ride! I am SO excited it has taken EVERYTHING to keep my mouth shut about it! 

Favorite Moment of the Week: Hmmmm lets see.........getting through my sons graduation! No baby came and I was praying really hard for her not to come. She is now free to come whenever but I have the strangest feeling that I am going to be over due and I hate that for myself LOL. 

 

37 week bumpdate

I am not the biggest fan of my "fat face" right now.

It's pretty amazing how fast this pregnancy went by and how now.....well it feels as if I am at a complete HALT. These weeks are dragging! I knew that they would as this is my third baby and the anticipation of holding my child gets worse. I am also having a little girl and I want to know that she is still in fact a she and to see what my little girls look like ha ha. Everything is going well and this pregnancy has been the BEST blessing ever and I am not sure if I am ready for it to be over or if I am willing to hang on until she is ready to come out if that makes sense.

I have been seriously blessed these past 37 weeks. I remember when my husband told me that he was on board to have our little baby and how we started trying right away. I remember being worried about our baby being ok during our anatomy scan because we had to go back because they missed a few things. I remember crying and being in disbelief that we actually made a little girl! I mean WE DID IT! God made my dream come true! (I must remember that when we go through our trials when she gets older). I stayed in control with my eating habits and exercised MOST of the pregnancy. It has been blissful. Yes, I am uncomfortable, YES I am tried of looking at my bathroom walls because it seems I am there more than anywhere else at this moment. This is what pregnancy is though. I am giving myself to my child while she grows and gets nourished by me. I would LOVE to run for miles again and see my skinny legs and muscular arms but I want my baby more. I want her to be healthy and have a wonderful start to this wonderful, crazy, fun thing called life. I choose to focus on the positives of this pregnancy before all else. :)

I used to be the one that hated being pregnant always wondering what the heck is all this that people talk about loving?!?! HA HA! I wasn't "doing it right" I didn't nurture myself I destructed myself and my body responded but still gave me beautifully healthy and wonderful babies! Thank you God for my wonderful blessings! So, enough of my babbling! Let's get on to the bumpdate.

I had my 38 week appointment today. Nothing great happened. LOL I refused to have my cervix checked because really what is it going to do? I am either going to be really excited and then bummed because no baby has come lol or really bummed that my body isn't "doing" what it is supposed to when in reality it is. It's keeping my baby safe and sound in the womb until she is ready :) SO I refused it. Next week though we will be getting it checked as it becomes protocol.

How Far Along: 37 weeks and 5 days.

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I am at 39 pounds depending on the day. I am pretty much at my max pregnancy weight that I wanted to hit. I have been really watching what I have been eating so I think that really helped out a lot.

Food Aversions (and "no nos"): I have been slowly transitioning to Paleo that has been a challenge because I want to eat junk but 2 out of my 3 meals are Paleo and it's been pretty nice. I have been cheating already though as I know that in 2 weeks it will be strict nutrient dense diet to lose those pesky pounds.

Cravings: Sweet things.

How I Feel: Overall I felt pretty great in week 37. I only worked out 3 times this week so far so I can attribute that to the nesting I have been doing and the fact that once this week I had the dreaded pregnancy insomnia SO I was tired but actively cleaning and straightening things up around here. My husband and I pretty much arranged the whole house and we are liking the house more than we did when we moved in which is a blessing because we are stuck in our home for 2 more years. It's a great home but a split floor plan is NOT for us. All I can say is never again! 

I have also been in more pain in the pelvic area and have to rest more often when I do move. Things are SLOW for me right now and it's a tad bit frustrating.

Maternity Clothes: Yup. I am pretty much wearing the same three outfits so laundry has increased to twice a week now so I can have something clean.

Movement: She likes to ninja kick my sides because that is where her legs are, I am not sure which is more painful the rib kicks my little one gave me or these side kicks she is giving me. She takes my breath away and my husband always thinks I am going into labor LOL. Maybe I shouldn't giggle so much about it because that's how it may happen one day!

Sleep: I am sleeping but feeling more tired and lazy as the days go by.

What I Miss: Running. Lifting weights and just being a strong individual that doesn't need help for everything that I do. It's really a pain to be so dependent on my husband and SO tired all the time. I want to have the energy to play with my son at the park and not have to just sit there. It's really frustrating for me.

What I'm Looking Forward To: Seeing what this baby looks like. In the short term though we have a special trip planned for our little to go on a 2 hour train ride! I am SO excited it has taken EVERYTHING to keep my mouth shut about it! 

Favorite Moment of the Week: Ummm Friday coming soon?? Seriously nothing too notable happened this week. I am thankful for the uneventful week but there is nothing that sticks out to be like WEEEEE it was a great week 

Little bits of my mind

Over the course of these past 9 months 10 months 36 and change weeks LOL whatever you want to call it I have had time to not only think about the new dynamic of my life but about me and where I want to be in my life. I wrote recently about being so busy as a matter of fact to busy that I have since humbled myself and have fallen into this mother nurturer role and I like it.

I feel so relaxed and at peace knowing that I don't have to do anything but come home, cook for my family, and spend time with them and catch a show here or there or sit back, relax, and ENJOY reading a book. I am learning to love my little world, the very one that I wished for and the very one that came to fruition for me. I am at a good place in my job, we are comfortable financially, and there is lots of love to go around. I can sleep better and simply I am not thinking about the next thing that I have to do but I can just.........breathe. It's a wonderful feeling to come to a place like this in life and just ENJOY it. Isn't that what we all work for? I am grateful for this period and pregnancy in my life at this specific time.

Lately, I have been obsessed with pregnancy and baby and the expansion of our family which doesn't really lend to much to talk about in the health and fitness realm of my life because truly......I am not living in daily and I am not really at a point in my pregnancy where I can push limits rather....I should be resting and enjoying; which is exactly what I have been doing.

My nutrition has been that of a pregnant woman ha ha ha! I have gained weight gracefully, and I have indulged but it has been a struggle NOT to eat 7 bowls of cereal a day or to get all my vegetables in ha ha. I have been exercising 5-6 days a week still but the workouts have been slower and without that much impact at all. It's been mostly the Slim and Toned DVD and walking on the elliptical or around the neighborhood since it's nice out now. This pregnancy has been by far the BEST one I have had physically and mentally and I hope the postpartum feeling is the same!

My thoughts these days are more centered about getting back into shape after the baby and how my body is going to bounce back. I wonder what my child will look like, how much hair she will have, and what her temperament will be once she gets out into the real world with us. Part of me wants to deliver her NOW and parts of me are really scared about labor! I don't want to do it but it is consuming my daily life. Baby talk is really all a pregnant woman as pregnant as I am can think about other than being frustrated with how many times a person can seriously go to the bathroom! LOL

I have plans for the blog and I am sure that it will be centered around me getting back into shape with lots of family memories added in there that can hopefully inspire others! I can't wait to share more about my life and what I have been up, so that I can keep a memory of my life with my children and my journey through health and fitness.

35 Week Bumpdate!

 

How Far Along: 35 Weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I am at 39 pounds depending on the day. I am pretty much at my max pregnancy weight that I wanted to hit. I didn't want to go over 40 but I am getting close so we shall see what happens. With the heat came more swelling so lets hope that is where it came from LOL

Food Aversions (and "no nos"): Anything healthy even though I am eating it. I am finding myself eating more like a 5th grader than the healthy person I know I can be.

Cravings: Cake and bread

How I Feel: I feel good but starting to get the tired feeling again now that I am nearing 36 weeks. Braxton Hicks have been a pain in the ASS! I mean seriously a pain.They start feeling like labor and it freaks me out because I am totally not ready for her to be here yet. She still has some baking to do and I am selfishly enjoying uninterrupted sleep. Ok I lie I do get up to pee 3 times a night but it's only for 3 minutes compared to 20 LOL. I am not ready for labor either I am still scared of it so I am not at the GET THIS BABY OUT OF HERE phase yet. I am sure it will come but for now all I want to do is sleep and want the Braxton Hicks contractions to chill the heck out! 

Maternity Clothes: Yup. I am pretty much over them! 

Movement: We are into the rolling stages of the movement with an occasional jab here and there but over all she is pretty zen in there because she has no room ha ha ha. 

Sleep: I am sleeping but feeling more tired and lazy as the days go by.

 

What I Miss: Running. I see people running all the time and I envy their speed and I envy their ability to move faster than 2 miles per hour HA HA HA! I also miss my strong body. I have so many aches and pains and I am so lethargic that I almost have forgotten the strength I once had.

 

What I'm Looking Forward To: Seeing what this baby looks like. In the short term though we have a special trip planned for our little to go on a 2 hour train ride! I am SO excited it has taken EVERYTHING to keep my mouth shut about it! 

Favorite Moment of the Week: Getting my servicewide test score for the next rank at work. I got a good score and I proud of that since I didn't really study for the exam! I don't know if it is enough to compete for the next rank but I know that it was enough for me to feel proud of and I am super happy with how well I did :)

33 week Bumpdate

How Far Along: 33 Weeks

Total Weight Gain/Loss: I am at 32-33 pounds depending on the day. I am almost to the point where I want to say EFF it! But I also feel like this is where it all matters so I don't want to blow it! 

Food Aversions (and "no nos"): Vegetables, I wouldn't really say it's an aversion but I have to make a conscious decision to eat them or I won't. I am back to loving carbs and heavy foods which isn't awesome!

Cravings: Hmmm Crackers, chips, cake, donuts

How I Feel: I came down with a cold last weekend which really put me OUT. I felt totally drained of any energy that I had which the exhaustion that I feel now that it is over well lets just say that I am not complaining about being tired ha ha. My pelvis is starting to ache more and my workouts have been suffering from them meaning I am not working out as much but that was also due to the fact that I didn't pack my lunch at ALL this week. FAIL! You can tell just in my step counts for the week on my fitbit that exercise was kind of the last thing on my mind. 

Maternity Clothes: Yup. I am pretty much over them! 

Movement: She is moving and shaking in there and it hurts but we are almost done baking her so I can deal for a little while longer. I am SO thankful that she isn't a rib kicker, she is a side stretcher. 

Sleep: I am getting it and i am so happy. I get up 4-6 times to go to the bathroom a night but go right back to sleep with no issues. I am glad that I don't have the insomnia that I did with my second kiddo which is really awesome and I hope that it doesn't start LOL

 

What I Miss: Hugging my husband. We do this awkward side hug, not a fan. I want to hug my kiddo too and bend over! I tried to hold the seat for him yesterday while he was practicing riding his bike on two wheels and um yeah it was almost a fail too ha ha. 

 

What I'm Looking Forward To: Seeing what this baby looks like. In the short term though we have a special trip planned for our little to go on a 2 hour train ride! I am SO excited it has taken EVERYTHING to keep my mouth shut about it! 

Favorite Moment of the Week: Buying the rest of the things that I needed for Little Ms. 

What this pregnancy has done for me

The state that I am currently in has certainly changed the direction of this blog, but I would rather it reflect part of my life rather than just fitness. I love fitness and I love that people come here and can leave educated in the realms of health and fitness but I also want to document me too. 

 Pregnancy has lately been an everyday topic in my life and as you can tell for a woman as she continues to grow it becomes more and more a topic of conversation. This pregnancy has been a total eye opening experience for me and I can tell you that it is because I am a more mature woman and this is the last pregnancy that I will ever have so I made it a point to embrace this closing chapter of my life. 

I recently have been obsessed with watching pregnancy vlogs on youTube and reading birth stories on others blogs as labor and delivery now that I am at 33 weeks has become something that is coming in the very near future. I am getting everything ready for the baby, getting the closet ready, finishing the purchased of things that I will need for when she is here and then it is just a waiting game. 

I have learned many things in this pregnancy (I always hated being pregnant before this one) that have really humbled me as a person. I have learned that I can be healthy no matter what it is simply a matter of choice and mind over matter. I learned to listen to my body and when I am tired to seriously listen to myself because taking care of me in the form of rest is essential for me to be a good person all around to all people in my life. I have grown closer to my husband by telling him the things that are wrong and I have leaned on him to help me around the house more often. I don't have to do everything for this family I should let others be involved as well. 

 I have also learned to just let things go. Success has been something that I have been craving since my divorce and I thought that at one point that adding more to my plate would help me to succeed. I took on photography and coaching and everything under the sun like being a fitness instructor and really.......I am successful where I am. I have a job that pays me well, that allows me to be with my family, and I have a family that I need to take care of. Being pregnant has really forced me to slow down and to look at things differently which makes me happy because I finally have peace and balance in my life. I mean we are not all perfect and some days are hectic and crazy and being tired doesn't help (darn you third trimester!) But I have come out on top in just sitting back and looking at my blessings as exactly what they are. 

My baby brought me peace of mind and I know that she will drive me crazy but she has helped realize that we all just sometimes need to stop focusing on what is happening tomorrow and focus on the present and smell the roses. Being pregnant has humbled me in a way that I could not have even imagined that it would have. Now, don't get me wrong I am still a strong willed person but I now know that I don't have to do everything in order to be everything to everyone and money isn't everything. Thank you my little one and God for bringing this wonderful new way to light in my life!

32 Week Bumpdate

Baby Growth:  By now, your baby weighs 3 3/4 pounds and is about 16.7 inches long, taking up a lot of space in your uterus. You're gaining about a pound a week and roughly half of that goes right to your baby. In fact, she'll gain a third to half of her birth weight during the next 7 weeks as she fattens up for survival outside the womb. She now has toenails, fingernails, and real hair (or at least respectable peach fuzz). Her skin is becoming soft and smooth as she plumps up in preparation for birth. (Source: Babycenter.com)

My Symptoms: I have been very tired and I have been out of gas by 6 at night. The only thing that keeps me going is that my husband lets me sit down and read (he doesn't let me but he very generously picks up the slack like dishes and bath time). I have been going to be between 8:30 and 9 during the week and staying up until 10:30 on Saturdays which is much like my first trimester. I am not AS tired as I was then but it's pretty similar.

I have been feeling VERY swollen even though it doesn't seem like I am. My fingers and ankles get the brunt of it but I am nowhere near Kim Kardashian in that department. I have been drinking lemon water to help alleviate it but it doesn't seem to be helping as much as when I wasn't pregnant but helps me feel better overall. 

Weight/Belly: +32 pounds and I feel every single pound of it and I am starting to feel EVERYTHING. My belly has gotten noticeably bigger it makes me happy to know that she is growing in there but in the same respect it is making for more uncomfortable sleep. During the day I am just fine with my preggy belly :)

Maternity Clothes:  YES! I went out and bought 2 more shirts to go with my leggings because the belly is starting to make all of my shirts mid-drift shirts and while that is the style now don't nobody want to be seeing that mess LOL and I don't want to be showing it either.

Movement: Very much! She is starting to jab a bit harder now which still surprises me but makes me happy too. She is getting stronger in there! She is way more active at night than during the day and I am praying that changes when she pops out! I do not want to be up all night with little Ms.

Sleep: It's been going. I have been getting up to pee more often and it is getting to be really bad. I am averaging 3-4 wake ups at night. I stumble to the bathroom and sit there with my eyes closed LOL. I am just reminding myself that it is just my body preparing me for the babies arrival. I am really tired during the day but I find that I wake up a bit after I workout which is a big relief and I know that once the baby comes I will be able to gain some energy from my workouts later on.

Workouts: I have been walking 3 miles 4 days a week and doing the Slim and Tone Pregnancy DVD 2-3 times a week. I did do Upper Fix from the 21 Day Fix with a girlfriend from work and it was nice to be able to lift again so I may throw that one in this week as well for a better upper body workout I am not a fan of the Slim and Tone one for just an upper day. I have been averaging a 6 time a week workout.

**BBL Update: I was not able to finish the 30 day challenge because of my SPD which really stinks! I can't wait to be able to lift my legs again LOL I know that sounds so crazy but I did the High and Tight workout and it was excruciating to do the leg lifts :( I am totally going to have to do that challenge after I have my little. *******

Cravings: Cake cake cake cake and can I say Cake! I don't seriously DO NOT like cake that much but cakes and donuts have been something I have been obsessing over!

Goals for the Next Week: Not to eat JUNK food! I have been indulging WAY too much!

30 Week Bumpdate

Baby Girl: Your baby's about 15.7 inches long now and weighs almost 3 pounds. Her eyesight continues to develop, though it's not very keen; even after she's born, she'll keep her eyes closed for a good part of the day. (source:Babycenter.com)

My Symptoms: This week and last week has been really exhausting! I have been tired tired tired. I can't ever get enough sleep and I find myself maxing out on my caffeine intake because I HAVE to stay awake due to the demands of my life and my job. For those of you out there that do get to nap APPRECIATE IT!!! I sure wish that I could! 

I for sure feel weaker, my workouts have been slowing down. I made it to the gym 4 times last week which was really good and I walked at least 3 miles every day. My toning has been lacking because my husband and I have been just so busy and tired that getting 20 minutes of toning in seems like trying to fit in an hour! It's bee pretty lacking. 

Heartburn has made its way in and so have nasty cravings. I try to resist them but most of the time I don't and portion out what I want to eat. I have also been very moody and don't really want to talk to anyone. People annoy the UH HM out of me but I try to smile and keep going but inside I just wish to be left alone. :( Sad I know, I am seriously a pretty good social person, not lately though. 



Weight/Belly: I am up about 30 pounds now. I am starting to swell for nothing which really stinks but I try to keep that down with lemon water and watching what I am eating and that has proven to be really really hard lately. Everything has salt in it!


Maternity Clothes: Yes, they are starting to fit tight which really stinks because it's so late that buying anything sounds dumb but I did give in and bought 2 pairs of workout pants because I really needed them.


Movement: Yes She is still hanging out REALLY low! I always have to use the bathroom but she can keep on moving. I feel a bond with her every time that she moves! It's been an interesting experience with this little one. I am trying to enjoy every moment ache and pain knowing that she is a  complete blessing to our lives and it is my last pregnancy.

Sleep: I have been getting sleep but it is broken with going to the bathroom and we will just say that make up has been my best friend ha ha ha! I have mastered a 5 minute face routine LOL. I SO desperately need it. One of the girls I work with told me that I looked absolutely exhausted (I wasn't wearing makeup!)

Cravings: This week mangoes and cakey things have been my serious craving! 

Best Pregnancy Moment This Week: Passing my glucose test!!!!!!

Goals for next week: Eat more vegetables, eat less junk food, pack my lunches for work every day this week! 

Thoughts: I can't believe that I am so close to seeing my little baby. It is absolutely amazing to me! I can't picture her but I can. I imagine what she looks like and how we are all going to adjust to a little GIRL in the house! We couldn't be more excited! 


 

30 Day Brazil Butt Lift Challenge while pregnant - Day 1

We all know that I am pregnant and if it wasn't obvious I will post some pictures.

Breakfast from a few days ago.

Get ready to kick your booty!

I wanted to partake in a challenge for 30 days of Brazil Butt Lift. It is a low impact workout that will help me feel like I did workout. I would have done it sooner but I had let my sister borrow it and I was waiting and hoping she would return it while I was pregnant so that I could do it LOL. 30 days of BBL! Whewwwww! I don't know what exactly I am getting myself into but after today's workout and carrying an extra 23-25 pounds sheesh it is going to be a feat that's for sure LOL.

I am going to document every day by logging what I am eating as well as every week giving up something that is unhealthy and I will let you know how that process goes! 

I am doing this because I would really like a challenge and I feel like I have been really relaxed  with my eating and I don't want to pile on the pounds in the last 12 weeks of my pregnancy like I am probably on the road to doing. I don't want that to happen so I have to be proactive and present in everything that I am doing instead of being mindless and giving in to every craving or wanna be craving that I have.

I am going to go with the combination plan since I really don't have an aim to any change of shape ha ha ha! I WILL be skipping the ab workouts but will do all the other ones. I feel like giving myself this challenge will also help me with another type of challenge group that I am working on that I am super excited about presenting!!!!!


So today I had BUM BUM it is a 25 minute workout that is body weight and cardio based and I sweat like an animal LOL. It was nice to get such a good workout in, in 30 minutes. I feel great after having done it even though I waited so long to get the darn thing done! 

My meals for today were........(if I eat anymore today I will update it in tomorrows blog post.)

Breakfast: 3 scrambled eggs, 5 mango slices, 1 piece Ezekiel bread with 1 TBS peanut butter and 2 tsp jelly.

Snack: 1 banana and Chocolate Vegan Shakeology with water.

During my 2 snacks I was taking my son to the airport to go back home so eating airport food was not on my agenda! Nor on my wallets!

Snack: 2 handfuls of salted roasted almonds.

Lunch: Panera Bread Turkey avocado BLT on sourdough 1 bag of kettle chips and a pickle water to drink. 

Dinner: Chicken soup with brown rice.

I plan on giving up CANDY for 7 days!!!!!!!! Jesus help me!

That is all I have for today!

Week 27 Bumpdate

Baby Girl: At 13.6 to 14.8 inches and 1.5 to 2.5 pounds, she's not just getting bigger, she's getting smarter.

My Symptoms: This week has been great but so many things have changed it seems like. It seems that I am going to be going through this weekly. I have been feeling more tired but energized all at the same time. I am off this week and sleeping has been phenomenal. Not having to wake up at 5:30 AM has been such a blessing. I just got back from my awesome Bombshell Retreat and boy did they wear me out! ha ha! I came back SO tired I didn't think I could be that tired again but 12 hours of sleep in 2 days will certainly throw you for a loop right?!

Let's see. I am tired but not all the time, I am getting out of breath faster. The stairs are my nemesis and there are only like 10 of them LOL. My workouts are suffering and I have been having to slow down BIG time but I am ok with that.

Weight/Belly: I am up 22-23 pounds depending on what I eat and when I eat it but I am ok with that. I am going to try and keep that down. With traveling and all that, eating has not been a priority meaning healthy eating has not been. My belly is well I feel like it couldn't grow anymore but we all know that it will ha ha!


Maternity Clothes: Yes, I am wearing them but I still fit into my yoga pants and I bought some Small and Medium Tami's from Old Navy so I wear those around the house a lot. I really only wear maternity when I am leaving the house which is rarley ever so I guess I am mostly in reg clothes! :) 


Movement: Yes she is moving and kicking me but she really likes to hang out at the bottom of my belly she rarely comes up above my belly button and I am counting my blessings for every day that she is not all up in and around my ribs.


Sleep: I have been getting up to go potty every night now which really stinks BUT I am sleeping well. Next week it may be a different story ha ha. 

Cravings: Still raisins and mangoes. Vegetables seems to have left but I only really eat them around dinner time. 
  Best Pregnancy Moment This Week: Having everyone I didn't know at the retreat tell me how great I look for being pregnant. It is nice for people to be real with you.

Goals for next week: Eat more vegetables :) 

Thoughts: I can't wait to see my girl. I can't wait to hold her and kiss her all up. I really want to relax more than ever but all I can think about is her and what she is going to look like and how everyone is going to be reacting to the new bundle that is joining the family. I feel so blessed that I am having a great pregnancy and despite some of the discomforts I am enjoying taking care of this little one in my belly!

Postpartum Plans

I have been pretty obsessed with my post pregnancy plans. It happened to me when I was pregnant with my second child. I was tired of being BIG and carrying all that weight. I was also pumped because my husband bought me an iPod and I went out and got myself some new sneakers and all that ha ha. I was READY but still had a baby in there. Now, it seems that I have the same itch ha ha. The only exception is that I want to go back to my normal workouts! I still have a long time to go but I am really excited to get started toward my new body.

I recently registered for the 2014 Wine and Dine Half Marathon that is now SOLD OUT. That thing sold out in a week! You better believe that I was on my phone on the treadmill at 12:00 on the dot buying my ticket and my husbands after party ticket! I wasn't going to miss out on this adventure. In December I already knew that I wanted to register for this half marathon. I put it on my goal board and it is going to come true ha ha. I just hope that I will be strong enough to do the damned thing come November as I am only going to be between 4 and 5 months postpartum ha ha.

I also plan on doing P90X to tone back up. If anything I will do the 3 lifting days and the Yoga day and leave the rest to pounding the pavement. I think I should be ok there with that, if it becomes too much than I will re-evaluate and take it from there.

I also plan on walking as soon as I feel up to it even it is a mile or half a mile or so just to keep my body moving. I couldn't imagine being so active for 9 months of pregnancy to just do nothing for 6 weeks. That's not to say that I am not going to rest relax and enjoy my teeny baby, but I am not going to be sedentary the whole 6 weeks either.

For my diet......I don't really know. I think I am just going to keep it VERY clean and not worry about calories and all that, but more about eating as healthy as I can as I plan on pumping my milk for my baby. I am going to cut out all the junk food and indulgences that I have been having on a daily basis and go somewhat on a detox of that stuff and just eat good, green, and healthy :)

We shall see what the future hold for me. This plan is best case scenario as we all know life doesn't always go as planned but I am happy to finally have a road map planned out for me.

Week 25 Bumpdate

My baby this week: The average fetus measures about 13.6 inches to 14.8 inches and weighs about 1.5 to 2.5 pounds (from thebump.com).

My Symptoms: This week I have been feeling SUPER tired. I can feel the third trimester rearing it's little freaking head around the corner. I can't believe that I have a little over three months left with this little baby in my belly. I can't wait to see what she looks like but boy oh boy am I feeling like this pregnancy is going by way too fast. This week overall I have been feeling very overwhelmed with the obligations that my husband and I have, work, and preparing for this baby has gotten me feeling out of sorts. It's not so much that we need to get a lot of things for her, it's the lack of things that we need that have me feeling frazzled and forgetful about it. Nesting has really hit me hard. I re-did our living room and today I cleaned up the basement which is a task that I have wanted to complete for weeks now and it is FINALLY done and organized :) 

Weight/Belly: I am up 20 pounds and I have not worked out as much this week. I did the treadmill twice this week and a barre class. I had a photography shoot this weekend so I just went ahead and didn't workout Friday because I was on my feet all day and today is my rest day. Tomorrow I will commence my Barre classes. I was doing Barre3 but I realized that I had to modify too much so I gave in and bought Suzanne Bowens Slim and Tone and her Long and Lean workout to do. I am going to do the 4 days a week alternating each with 30-45 minutes on the elliptical. My belly is doing well it is just getting big. There are no stretch marks or anything to tell you about :) 


Maternity Clothes:Yes I am wearing them. I recently bought 2 new dresses and a pair of leggings to wear. I think that is all I am going to buy LOL. I just need a few things for when I get so big I don't know what to do with myself and something to wear this summer after the baby is born that is comfortable. So far I only have 4-6 shirts, 3 dresses, 2 pairs of jeans, 1 pair of leggings. That's not too bad I suppose.

Movement: OH YES My little mamacita is moving like CRAZY and I love it. I can see her through my belly now it's pretty cool and creepy to see at the same time LOL

Sleep: I am sleeping well overall. I just wish that I could sleep some more! I am starting to have the third trimester effects hit me and I am TOTALLY not ready for that! ha ha!

Cravings:Raisins and mangoes are my thing right now. I have also been shunning vegetables again. I am going to have to start making my smoothies again ;)

Best Pregnancy Moment This Week: I didn't really have one really. All I wanted to do was sit in bed all day and relax and we were so busy that didn't happen. I am ready to just chill and relax and have super nice weather all the time!

Goals for next week: Ok seriously! Get my registry done workout every day this week and relax a bit more! 

Thoughts: I am truly enjoying my pregnancy and I am SO excited that I get to have one more little baby in my life. I am seriously blessed by all the love and kind words that have been offered for my baby and I. I am TOO excited to have a girl and can't wait until she gets here so we can hangout. I am a bit worried about the dynamic that we will have in the house and it will take some getting used to and I feel like it is normal to have these feelings. I cannot wait! 

Pregnancy Woes

Last week I really did it when I messed up my pubic bone. Really it wasn't something I did it was just a result of the exercise I was doing. Needless to say when the doc told me to slow the hell down I put my head down and walked away. 

I have a serious Type A personality and being told that I cannot be superwoman anymore seriously irks my life. It was almost as if you had told me that I was going to be in a wheel chair for the rest of my pregnancy. Now, I am being dramatic but that is comparable to how I feel about the whole situation. What has happened to my pubic bone is the relaxin hormone that rushed through my body relaxed my hips too much and my pubic bone is starting to separate and is causing me pain which in turn means no squats or lunges that is going to separate my pelvis. Really, it is not all that bad but I was following a program that had compound movements and it threw me for a loop. 

Needless to say I went on the hunt for a workout that I could do. I had purchased Barre3 workouts for my pregnancy but felt so good that I continued my regular routine. So I pulled them out and started doing those this week after letting my flare up with my pubic bone clear up for a few days. 

I really like the program but don't feel like I am getting TOO much out of it only because I am still getting used to the movements but I think I might just get Suzanne Bowens barre workout for pregnancy, to see if that works better for me since it is meant for pregnant women so I don't have to continue to modify EVERYTHING that I am doing. I have also purchased the 10 minute solution pilates workout to do on days where I need something different. I have 4 months until this little lady pops out so that's still a lot of time for me to stay active :) I am also walking 30-45 minutes per day either on the elliptical or the treadmill. I tried the treadmill today and I didn't really like the way that it hurt my ligaments so I will probably be doing more of the elliptical work :) 

Being pregnant and staying fit is proving to be quite a challenge but one that I am glad to take because I sleep better, I am not gaining weight like crazy, and I feel better about my self and it is good for the baby as well. I am really happy that I have continued with my workouts while still being safe and taking care of my little one. I am just having a hard time toning it down when I am used to going so hard all the time :) 


 

Bumpdate Week 23

I was recently inspired to do my own head shots from a group of coaches that had their done and realized that Hey I can do those myself. SO I did and what a treat for my self confidence! I have been pretty scared of the camera because my past pregnancies have been pretty brutal to my self esteem but that is another post for another day. Here is my week 23 Bumpdate!


How far along: 23 Weeks


Symptoms:  I have been feeling really tired and hungry this week. My schedule has been off and after all the snow storms, spring break, and being off one day here and there since Christmas I am ready for a routine. My body seriously craves it.  I have had some serious pelvic pain this week and it hurts so bad I almost cried, I knew it was coming because I had it with my second I just never thought it would happen this fast.......oh the joys of pregnancy LOL

Weight Gain: 16 pounds

Cravings: Sweets, I crave them more and more often now, I try to eat fruits and most times it goes away but there are sometimes where I just give myself that sugar :)

What's Up With My Body:  This week I pushed it REALLY hard in the workout department. In my mind if I have more time I can do more and obviously my body told me that is NOT the case. I have really severe pelvic pain. I have taken a rest day today and I already feel better and I WILL be taking it easy on my workouts by walking for my cardio and then lifting some very light weights to keep my muscles from turning to mush. I am going to see how my body reacts to that and adjust until I find something that works. I had this pelvic pain with my second and I hope it doesn't get worse and I can manage and not let it flare up again like I did this week. Other than that it's a bunch of trips to the bathroom and feeling the weirdness of pregnancy ha ha.

Movement:  This is the week where my little has gotten SO strong, I can see her move through the outside of my belly now and my husband can really feel her too. I love that she is getting stronger despite my pelvic pain. Feeling her move is a bit awkward because it's so new but I crave for her to move when she is sleeping or just relaxing.

Things I Need To Do: I need to make a registry and check my pump and make sure that I have all of the pieces so that I can order the parts I need in case I need new ones. I need to figure out my eating because it has been a bit CRAZY ha ha.


Workouts:  I have done Chalean Extreme and did the 21 Day Fix workouts which is probably what killed me this week in regards to my pelvic pain. So for Week 24 I am going to ONLY stick to Chalean Extreme and see how that works and if that doesn't work than I will maybe do the Pregnancy Project or Barre and see how that works. I am also going to add 30-45 min of walking during my lunch break to get my cardio in.
Best Pregnancy moment: Feeling my baby get stronger was one of the best moments of the week. I am eager to meet her but glad that she is getting bigger and stronger. I love that my husband was able to feel her too! That made me extremely happy as he has been waiting awhile to experience this pregnancy with me. :)

Thoughts: Honey take it easy! This is the last time that you will be pregnant so ENJOY the ride. Don't push too hard and remember that you are not superwoman and your body will let you know when you have pushed too hard. Sit back relax and enjoy the ride do some work but just because you have time doesn't mean you have to push. Read a book or watch some television.

Goals for next week: Find a workout that helps with the pelvic pain. Check out my pump and order the parts and get my registry done this weekend.