Every time I sat down to write this week’s blog, I didn’t know what to say. I have literally started this one over 10 times, erased it and then started again LOL I know one thing that I would like to share is that it has been an amazing week. My eating has been fantastic and workouts have been intense and consistent. I just feel good!
I am so thankful for the little life that is forming inside me. It literally blows my mind every time I think about what is going on behind this growing stomach of mine. I love that my husband is getting so excited about our baby too! There was one night this week when I was home kind of late after finishing a cardio class. I remember crawling into bed after my shower and feeling relieved that I didn’t have to move anymore. My husband came into our room, bent over, kissed my tummy and said, “I love you Champ!” That moment was a special one. The cool thing is that this is only the beginning of many special moments.
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Friday, January 6, 2012
15 weeks...
There were so many things that changed in my routine when I found out I was pregnant. Of course there were the obvious changes like water retention, lack of energy, etc, but there were many supplement and food changes as well. My doctor recommended that I stop taking all supplements including my protein powder, BCAA’s and glutamine. Those things were STAPLES in my everyday life LOL I didn’t know what I was going to do! I had to get creative about how I was going to get more protein and nutrients in my food. My tastes also changed a bit! I went from loving chicken to not wanting it at all…same thing with most fish. I guess that’s a good thing with the fish because I should only be eating it sparingly anyway.
I really missed my protein shake in the mornings before my workouts so I figured out a way to still have a shake, still get my protein and add in some extra antioxidants and vitamins! It’s a little shake that packs a big punch…
Mango-Blueberry Smoothie
You need: ¼ cup OJ, ½ cup non-fat plain greek yogurt, 4-5 frozen no sugar added mango cubes, ¼ frozen no sugar added blueberries, a little water if it’s too thick!
What you do: Stick it all in a blender and mix it up until smooth. ENJOY!
This smoothie really helps with extra energy before a workout. I love it!
I was telling you how I haven’t been wanting chicken lately. Yesterday, I experimented with a veggie wrap for lunch. It was delicious! It doesn’t have a ton of protein (I had to make sure I got a lot at dinner and breakfast) but it’s full of fiber and nutrients!
Hummus Veggie Wrap
You need: 2 Tbsp hummus of choice (I like plain or garlic for this wrap), ½ zucchini (sliced into rings and sautéed in a TINY bit of olive oil), ¼ red bell pepper (sliced thinly), handful of shredded carrot, ¼ avocado smashed, sliced red onion to taste, 1 wrap size tortilla (I like the spinach one)
For dressing: 1 tsp olive oil, 2 tsp balsamic vinegar, 1 squirt brown mustard, juice of ¼ lemon
What you do: Sautee zucchini and put aside. Lay wrap out on plate and spread hummus all over wrap, kind of like you were putting sauce on a pizza. Layer veggies down the center starting with zucchini, then red bell pepper, then avocado, carrot, and onion. Make dressing by putting all ingredients in small cup or bowl and whisking together. Pour dressing all over veggies in wrap. You don’t have to use all the dressing. Fold in the side of the tortilla and wrap it all up. Enjoy!!
Hopefully you can enjoy these recipes sometime!
I really missed my protein shake in the mornings before my workouts so I figured out a way to still have a shake, still get my protein and add in some extra antioxidants and vitamins! It’s a little shake that packs a big punch…
Mango-Blueberry Smoothie
You need: ¼ cup OJ, ½ cup non-fat plain greek yogurt, 4-5 frozen no sugar added mango cubes, ¼ frozen no sugar added blueberries, a little water if it’s too thick!
What you do: Stick it all in a blender and mix it up until smooth. ENJOY!
This smoothie really helps with extra energy before a workout. I love it!
I was telling you how I haven’t been wanting chicken lately. Yesterday, I experimented with a veggie wrap for lunch. It was delicious! It doesn’t have a ton of protein (I had to make sure I got a lot at dinner and breakfast) but it’s full of fiber and nutrients!
Hummus Veggie Wrap
You need: 2 Tbsp hummus of choice (I like plain or garlic for this wrap), ½ zucchini (sliced into rings and sautéed in a TINY bit of olive oil), ¼ red bell pepper (sliced thinly), handful of shredded carrot, ¼ avocado smashed, sliced red onion to taste, 1 wrap size tortilla (I like the spinach one)
For dressing: 1 tsp olive oil, 2 tsp balsamic vinegar, 1 squirt brown mustard, juice of ¼ lemon
What you do: Sautee zucchini and put aside. Lay wrap out on plate and spread hummus all over wrap, kind of like you were putting sauce on a pizza. Layer veggies down the center starting with zucchini, then red bell pepper, then avocado, carrot, and onion. Make dressing by putting all ingredients in small cup or bowl and whisking together. Pour dressing all over veggies in wrap. You don’t have to use all the dressing. Fold in the side of the tortilla and wrap it all up. Enjoy!!
Hopefully you can enjoy these recipes sometime!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
14 weeks...
Happy New Year!
It is January 1, 2012 and I couldn’t be more excited! I LOVE the new year! I always feel like it’s another new beginning and another chance to get it right. This morning was wonderful. I slept in late, had an egg white and tomato bagel for breakfast and made a new vision board.
It was super convenient that today is my rest day, so instead of running off to the gym, I pulled out a few old workout magazines and started looking for motivational pictures and phrases to update my vision board. I was looking specifically for pictures of fit mothers! While my previous board had everyone who inspired me, mom or not, this year I wanted to feature ONLY mom’s with fit bodies.
As a culture, we are surrounded with reminders that we cannot get back to pre-pregnancy shape after having kids. I personally have had many people tell me that it “can’t be the same” or “you will never look that good again.” While I know these people don’t intentionally mean harm, they are feeding into the belief and sad reality that most moms just don’t look as great as they did before they had kids. But, that DOES NOT have to be YOUR reality or MY reality!!! I am fortunate to know and know of moms who have birthed 1, 2 and up to 7 children and still, after all that, they have worked back to even better than pre-pregnancy shape. I choose to focus on those women and ignore everyone else.
Back to my vision board, I found a few pictures this morning of amazing mothers to add to the pile that my husband found for me! I was filled with hope and excitement as I cut out all the pictures and phrases. I started thinking about my goals as a person and a competitor as I thought about the stories of the mothers on my new board.
I will have a baby. I will look better than ever after I have my baby. I will compete again in 2012. I thought 2011 was awesome…hahaha Can’t wait to see all the amazingness that will come in 2012.
13 weeks...
Someone told me that the second trimester is the BEST ever. While my first trimester was super smooth compared to the many horror stories that I have heard, I did feel like a walking sleeping exhausted person and was eager for that to wear off.
Week 13 was the beginning of the change for the better. I felt my energy increase in my workouts and during the day. The other cool thing was that I wasn't ALWAYS hungry anymore LOL I had a few days in there were I actually felt like myself and that was good. I decided to try a different set up for my workouts and cardio somewhere in the middle of week 13. I have been totally honest about having trouble doing my regular 50 minute to 1 hour lift and then also getting in my cardio for that day. On the days I did both, I was more fatigued and exhausted to the point that it affected my day. I decided to try this new formula- 35 minute lift followed by 30 minutes of cardio intervals. I wrote my plan out and experimented with it over the next 7 days.
The new plan was a complete success! It's amazing how a little change can have huge results. I went from discouraged, frustrated and uncomfortable in my skin to confident, excited and challenged in a week! The other cool thing is that I am SUPER sore LOL soreness for me, means I worked hard and did something that challenged my muscles. All good stuff :)
My BEST workout this week was my Leg Day with a Quad focus. Here it is, just in case you want to try...
Close Stance Smith Machine Squats- 6 sets, 10 reps per set, heavy
Leg Press (feet shoulder width apart, toes slightly turned out)- 6 sets, 10 reps per set, heavy
Leg Extension- 4 sets, 12 reps per set
Walking Double Lunges w/weight- 3 sets, 20 steps per set
Week 13 was the beginning of the change for the better. I felt my energy increase in my workouts and during the day. The other cool thing was that I wasn't ALWAYS hungry anymore LOL I had a few days in there were I actually felt like myself and that was good. I decided to try a different set up for my workouts and cardio somewhere in the middle of week 13. I have been totally honest about having trouble doing my regular 50 minute to 1 hour lift and then also getting in my cardio for that day. On the days I did both, I was more fatigued and exhausted to the point that it affected my day. I decided to try this new formula- 35 minute lift followed by 30 minutes of cardio intervals. I wrote my plan out and experimented with it over the next 7 days.
The new plan was a complete success! It's amazing how a little change can have huge results. I went from discouraged, frustrated and uncomfortable in my skin to confident, excited and challenged in a week! The other cool thing is that I am SUPER sore LOL soreness for me, means I worked hard and did something that challenged my muscles. All good stuff :)
My BEST workout this week was my Leg Day with a Quad focus. Here it is, just in case you want to try...
Close Stance Smith Machine Squats- 6 sets, 10 reps per set, heavy
Leg Press (feet shoulder width apart, toes slightly turned out)- 6 sets, 10 reps per set, heavy
Leg Extension- 4 sets, 12 reps per set
Walking Double Lunges w/weight- 3 sets, 20 steps per set
12 weeks...
AHHHHHH! At this moment, I feel defeated.
This week has been rough, but I want to start with something positive. The week began with a wonderful doctor’s appointment where I heard Champ’s heart beat for the first time. OH, “Champ” is the baby’s nickname for now. I can’t believe how much the baby grew from 8 weeks to 12 weeks! Crazy. The next day, Jelani and I jumped on a plane to Oklahoma City to visit his family for Christmas. The plane ride messed me up and I had my first barf moment. Not pretty, but kind of funny now that it’s all over. I felt pretty good for the rest of that day but the next morning I had an impromptu barf session on the side of the road. We found out the hard way that Champ does not like when I eat apples. Back to the positive…we have a great relationship with a gym in OKC, so we had access to a great facility for the week. The first 2 days of the trip, I felt strong during my workouts but today I am feeling really discouraged.
I knew I felt a little off this morning, but I decided to go with Jelani to the gym anyway. Well, I lasted about 10 minutes into my lift before the weak feeling hit. I switched to the recumbent bike thinking that would be easy since I was off my feet but that only lasted 5 minutes. I FELT SO WEAK…and also felt the frustration building. I’m having really hard time with moments like those where I feel like I can’t do all I want to. It doesn’t help that I also feel huge right now. I lovingly refer to my thickness as my “video girl” body. Apparently, I am still attractive because I have been randomly asked out on dates more than ever before (hahaha). Still, that doesn’t help with the feeling that I am too big for my skin.
Eating has been hard. I have not gone crazy but I am eating more and I am always hungry. I know that I have to make a few changes so that I can feel good about my body and grow my belly instead of my whole body! On one hand, I do not want to be too hard on myself (I tend to do that) but I DO want to be honest and realistic about doing my best during this pregnancy. I don’t think I have put my best foot forward lately in every area. I know once I give my best, I will feel great about this process, my body, my ups and downs and my baby.
It’s time to just get real and do it.
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