The Hunger Solution

Apparently, the way to keep from waking up at 3am in the morning from hunger if you're pregnant is to eat something right before you go to bed!  Isn't that was health and fitness professionals are always saying, eat right at bedtime?  (*snark*)

No wonder us preggos gain so much weight, we're stuffing our faces as we lay down to rest!  However, it does keep me from being awake in the middle of the night and sleep is so precious in these few months before a new little one makes it's presence known.  So my strategy will be to eat something light, but worthy (like an english muffin with a bit of peanut butter) along with a glass of milk before bed.  Let's hope I get my energy back to restart my daily walks!

I'm Just So Hungry!

What is it about pregnancy that brings on ravenous hunger?  I distinctly remember this with my first pregnancy, casually telling my husband that I was hungry, and within minutes ripping his head off because I was so hungry I wanted to eat his arm.  I can't remember if this was just a certain trimester or the whole pregnancy, but I remember it!

So far, this has only hit a few times, and not quite as intense as I remember with the first pregnancy.  But last night was a new experience.  After our long weekend out of town, we treated my mom and stepdad to a big dinner of grilled steak, roasted potatoes and roasted asparagus - Major Yum! - for taking care of our dog for us.  I definitely ate until full, though I didn't overstuff myself.  By bedtime, I was telling my husband how I already felt hungry again, but I went to bed.  By 4am, I was up and out of bed, rummaging in the kitchen, looking for something light enough to satisfy the hunger, but let me go back to bed.  Two hours, two whole wheat english muffins and a cup of lo-fat yogurt later, I was finally satisfied enough to be able to go back to bed!  

I really wanted some fruit and cottage cheese, but we didn't have anything that fresh since we've been out of town.  I know that protein would have helped satisfy me, but didn't even think to put peanut butter on those english muffins until I was already done.  Another reason to keep a well-stocked house of lots of low-fat proteins and low-glycemic carbs - which, of course, would be easier to do if I was ever in town to keep a well-stocked house without it all going bad!

Working Out While on Dr's Order's to Rest

I'm now at 11 1/2 weeks pregnant, and I continue to have sporadic spotting.  Even though ultrasounds continue to show that everything is going perfectly, I'm on doctor's orders to take it easy.  She specifically said "No Stroller Aerobics!" which is my main form of both aerobic and strength training exercise!  For the past few weeks, I wasn't worry about it too much, and fully enjoying the reasons to rest!

However, here I am now, and while I'm in major "Wow!" over not gaining one pound, I realize that I'm getting really squishy!  Translation:  I'm losing muscle mass!  Yikes!  So rest or no rest, I need to find ways to keep active while keeping the activity to a minimum.  How the heck do I do that??

Well, I'd love to hear any ideas, but here are some that I've come up with.

1.  The Exercise Ball.

I need to bring mine up from the basement, which is currently undergoing some remodeling to make room for baby.  It's time to bring it to the living room, and do some easy stability moves that will help me keep toned without over-exerting myself.  

2.  Embracing Housework

WHA??  Ok, not that I love cleaning house, but if you're familiar at all with the FlyLady (check out her site if you're not), you learn that you can do a weekly once over in your home in about an hour - racing against the clock!  If I gotta clean anyway, I might as well make it worth my while!  The idea is that you make a short list of chores, and do the best you can in 10 minute segments, actually setting a timer and racing against it.  The house is clean on the surface, and you get a decent, meaningful workout doing what you have to do anyway.  No Heavy Lifting allowed!

3.  Assisted Squats and Lunges

I don't know about you, but squats and lunges raise my heart rate fast, and I can find myself overdoing it fast!  So if you need to take it easy, grab the back of a chair or couch with one hand, go slow and get squatting.  These are great moves for pregnant moms anyway, and you'll still reap many fitness benefits even though you're not doing them at full strength.  

4.  Take a Walk

Unless you're on Full Bedrest, there's no reason you can't take a simple walk.  It's better than sitting on the couch any day.  For me, that means putting my little one in the umbrella stroller, and taking a walk around the cul-de-sac.  If I'm feeling ambitious, we can drive to the park, give Momma a walk, and then let the little one burn off some energy on the playground when we're done.

Ok - so these are just off the top of my head, and I'd love more ideas if you have them!

Life Takes Hold

There's no excuse for lack of posting, only my perfectionism to blame.  The fact is this pregnancy, and my May schedule of one family event after the other, has left me with next to no energy to even come on the computer to type a simple post.  That, and my desire to have all my posts be ground breaking and full of information - well, that's just silly, because this is supposed to be a blog about a real mom facing real challenges (Like Life!!) while trying to lead a fit and healthy lifestyle, right?  So if I'm struggling, I should be on here talking about it, and not worry about giving all the best analysis of the latest fitness news!

So anyway, I worked out for the first time in two weeks on Monday - and it was awesome!  I had SO much energy in the few hours afterwards.  And then exhaustion set in, as it does every day in this first trimester of pregnancy!  And I slept the rest of the afternoon!  Yesterday, Tuesday, was a small birthday party for my son with his playgroup friends, which wiped me out!  Today....recoup and regroup!  The crazy schedule is coming to an end, only one more family event this weekend, and then we're done.  In the meantime....

I'm happy to report that I've been too tired to stuff my face, and at 11 1/2 weeks pregnant, I've not gained one pound.  I have noticed, however, that I'm a bit squishier, most likely due to the lack of exercise.  Some of that was doctor-ordered, but everything's looking better now, so I'm hoping to get back to 3 days a week of good cardio, at least two of good strength and two of yoga.  

So I promise to update every day, even if it's just my daily struggles.  That's what I started this blog for!

Get Yourself a Workout Partner

A not-so-secret symptom of pregnancy is feeling like crap!  My nausea has been up and down so far, but the exhaustion is constant.  I hadn't left the house in over three days, so overwhelmed with tiredness, and feeling like the pit of my stomach was in my throat.  Blech!

But something got me out of the house today, and it certainly wasn't my overwhelming desire to be fit and healthy.  It was knowing that I obligated myself to lead a Stroller Aerobics every Wednesday morning.  I missed last week because of physical concerns with the pregnancy (which turned out to be nothing.)  So while I wanted to stay on the couch (again) today, I put on my workout clothes, ate some toast to soothe the belly, and grabbed my ginger hard candies.  I wanted to turn around a million times, but once I saw my friends there, I knew I had made the right decision.  I did ask someone else to lead the group, but I was there.  And even crazier is that I felt great once it was all over!

Having someone or a small group to workout with is such a huge key to your overall success.  It's a painful truth, but we have no problem letting ourselves down.  But the flip side is we find it terribly hard to let others down.  So one way to ensure your commitment to yourself is to find a reliable outside person to commit to.  

Some things to keep in mind:

• Choose someone who is reliable, not someone who will be skipping out for a million reasons or will be talking you into a trip to Dairy Queen instead of a morning walk.
  
• Keep your workout location convenient for both of you, as this will eliminate excuses for not showing up.  
  
• It's helpful if you and your partner are of similar physical shape - so that one isn't ready to run a mile while the other is barely walking around the block.
  
• Remember that you're getting together to workout, and to push each other to achieve better health - any conversation is bonus!
  

If you don't automatically know who to ask, here are a few ideas:

• Ask neighbors, friends, church members if anyone is interested - you may be surprised who is looking for the same thing as you.
  
• Check out Meetup.com to see if there's a local workout group in your area.  If not, consider starting one if you're feeling ambitious (this is how FitMommas of St. Peters was started.)
  
• Try to match up with a fitness partner using a site like Exercise Friends, or posting an ad on Craigslist.
  
• You can always post a small flyer at the local library or grocery store bulletin board.
  

Hopefully once you find a partner to commit to, you'll find it easier to commit to yourself as well!

Just Who Will You Be?

Last week, I mentioned in my How To Be A Better Mom post the new Maria Shriver book, "Just Who Will You Be?"  Well, my copy arrived via Amazon today, and I have to say, it's an inspiring little read.  And I do mean little!  It took me about 35 minutes to read, but she packs a nice punch in those few words.  

It's not life shattering, but eye-opening.  Knowing what we know of the Kennedy family, it's refreshing to hear from one of the more famous and successful ones that everyone struggles with their identity.  We all feel lost at times, but to hear that from someone so seemingly put together is not scary, but comforting.  There's no such thing as having it all, and it's OK to constantly change and figure out who you are.  

I encourage any woman of any age, especially if you find yourself at a crossroads (which for me is every other week!).  You won't find the answers, but may feel more comfortable asking yourself the questions.

20 Worst Foods in America

Yesterday, I revealed pretty much the only thing you need to know about losing weight - well, OK, I might have oversimplified, but I postulated that simply eating less food and learning correct portion sizes is key to overall weight loss.  It must be on the minds of many, as I found an interesting link on the Yahoo page to the 20 Worst Foods in America, written by one of the authors of "Eat This, Not That."  (Anyone read this book yet?  May be an interesting read...)

Take the time to read through each of the 20 foods and you quickly see that I wasn't just whistling Dixie about the ginorous portions that we've become accustomed to in restaurants.  I love those quick, fresh-Mex places for a good burrito, and always thought that the grilled chicken burrito was a good way to go - who knew that Chipotle's version packs in just under 1200 calories!  YIKES!

So even when you think you're choosing something somewhat healthy for you, remember to stop when you're full, and don't feel compelled to finish every bite.  And if you suspect that something's atrociously unhealthy, rest assured that you're 100% correct, and opt for something a little less detrimental to your health!