Welcome to the World

I’m a little (okay, a lot) late in posting but on November 10 at 1659, hubby and I got to meet our son! I have to say, as much of a whirlwind as it’s been with the holidays and still trying to stay on top of school, being a mom is pretty amazing.

   
 
I haven’t officially been cleared to workout yet but I’ve been trying to eat a balanced diet (admittedly a little lenient with desserts until the leftovers were gone…) and stayed as active as possible as I recovered. Little man will be four weeks this week so I’m planning on starting some light exercises until I get the final clearance at 6 weeks. I will do my best to post as I make my way to get back in shape!

Maternity Update

Well, tomorrow I hit 38 weeks. Which basically means little man could come any time… or he could wait another 2-3 weeks. I’m not great at the waiting game but I am trying to cherish the time left as a young married couple- before we officially turn into a young family.

Last weekend hubby and I celebrated our 3rd anniversary up in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We had a great time but I have to admit the hike was a lot more challenging than I thought it would be. It’s basically only thanks to the patience of my husband and some encouragement from others on the trail that we made it to the top. I do have to say though, we still beat the average time listed on the trail guide so… I consider it a win.

We also took the time to get maternity photos taken and I have to say I love the work by Living Radiant Photography! They’re based out of Baltimore and if you’re looking for a wedding or anniversary etc. photographer, you need to check them out. Here are just a couple that I love (I had such a hard time narrowing it down…)

So all in all, the pregnancy is going well. From a fitness point of view, I’ve gained a total of 20 lbs and have continued with physical therapy (so core and glute strengthening) throughout the pregnancy. Due to palpitations and difficulty gaining weight though, my other workouts have been limited for some time now. I’m looking forward to getting back to it but I know it will be quite the process to regain my strength and stamina.

Protein Pumpkin Spiced Pancakes

Hello again! I know I’ve been quiet for some time now- I’d like to say it’s going to get better but with work, my new school schedule, and the baby due next month… I’m just going to be realistic and say I plan to keep posting for fun/as I can but unfortunately can’t make the blog a priority right now. I do post regularly on Instagram and Twitter so you can always follow me on there!

This morning was my Saturday so I took advantage and made Protein Pumpkin Spiced Pancakes. Last year I posted Pumpkin French Toast but pancakes just sounded better this morning. I combined two recipes I found and played with ratios a little bit, one is Jamie Eason‘s and the other is from Dashing Dish.

This recipe makes about 3 servings.

You’ll need:

• 1 scoop vanilla protein
• 1.25 C oats (*I did 1C oats with 1/4 C almond flour)
• 1/2 C pumpkin puree (NOT pie filling)
• 2 egg whites, 1 egg
• 1-1.5 C unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1-2 tbsp sweetener of choice (stevia, ideal, coconut palm sugar)
• 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp all spice

1. Put all ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth
2. Let batter sit (it will thicken a bit as it sits) while you heat up a lightly greased griddle on the stove over medium heat
3. Scoop approx. 1/4 C of batter onto griddle/pancake and cook until you see bubbles in the middle- flip and cook on other side (approx. 3-5 min/side)

**I only used 1 tbsp of coconut palm sugar and then used pure maple syrup to top/sweeten.

Picture from Jamie Eason’s LiveFit Recipe

Welcome to Gymnastics: We Teach Kids How to Fail

Failure is only final if you give up. I grew up as a gymnast and cheerleader and then coached for years. I love this post.

JAG GYM Blog

Okay, hardly my best tag line ever.

I would not recommend you use this in your future marketing plans.

But it is true.

As the school year kicks off and many new and returning students come into our gymnastics academies, embrace and own one of the things we do best: we teach kids how to fail.

Sure, at gymnastics classes, from our littlest athletes who are just learning to walk to our teens who are about to take off for college, we do many good and wonderful things. And one of the best things we do is teach kids how to fail and fail and fail.

And I love it.

No I am not some sort of sadist who derives great pleasure in watching children struggle and suffer.   But I know that failure is a natural part of life and the learning process and far too many of us are…

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Slow Cooker Chicken Chili

As part of my attempt to gain some weight I made sure to get my meal prep in this week. I stocked up on yogurt and snack bars and then made some steak, veggies, and a delicious chicken chili. I pretty much combined the Jamie Eason’s Turkey Chili recipe and this Chicken and Sweet Potato recipe based off what I had in the house. It looks like a lot of ingredients but I think I had everything combined and cooking in my slow cooker in about 20-30 minutes. I never cook my chicken for more than 4 hours in the slow cooker but I know most recipes call for 6 hours on low, just make sure it’s cooked all the way through.

You’ll need:

• 1½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breast (I used 3 large chicken breasts)
• 1 (15 oz can) black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 oz can) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (15 oz can) diced tomatoes
• 1 cup low sodium chicken broth (can sub water)
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tbsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 2 tbsp yellow mustard
• 2 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 – 1 tsp salt
• Optional: 1-2 tbsp brown sugar (I didn’t use it and the chili definitely has a kick!)

1. Place 1 cup liquid and diced tomatoes in crock pot
2. Add in chicken, rinsed beans, spices and onions
3. Cook on low for approx. 3 hours, shred chicken and place back in chili.
4. Cook on low for another hour.

Optional toppings: Plain yogurt, Sour Cream, Cheddar Cheese, Fresh Cilantro

Arm Day

I got put on call at work today, which means I can get some things done around the house but have to be ready to get out the door within about 10 minutes if I get called to get to work on time. To make sure I didn’t irritate my back I stuck with an upper body workout for this morning and, if I’m lucky, I’ll take the dogs out for a walk once it cools down.

This workout will definitely get you a burn whether or not your pregnant- just make sure you’re lifting heavy enough. If you do need some modifications (either as a mom to be or a beginner), you can do most of this sitting if you need to or, of course, go down on your weights and increase your rest times.

Side note, since being pregnant I make sure to do at least 1 or 2 sets of 20 squats in my warm ups (squats and kegels ladies… for real) and I end my workout stretching out my hip flexors and doing at least 1 physical therapy exercise to loosen my back.

The workout

3 sets:

• 12 Straight leg Deadlift to upright row
• 12 Bicep curl
• 12 Monkey Rows (**with any type of row, keep your shoulders down and back and do not lift too high. Going too high is not better and puts you at very high risk for injury. If you aren’t familiar with rows or are unable to keep good form, sub in any other shoulder exercise. Tons of options can be found at Bodybuilding.com)

3 sets:

• 20 Lateral to front raise
• 15 triceps dips on BOSU

2 sets:

• 12 Hammer curls
• 12 Push ups

3 sets:

• 12 overhead tricep extensions

23.5 weeks post workout

For Two Fitness Capris

If you follow me on Instagram you may have seen that I received a new pair of For Two Fitness Capris to review this past week…

23 weeks in my Dedication capris

 When I first put them on I was a little nervous that the material was too heavy but I must admit, as I got into my workout, I changed my mind. The fabric is soft and the moisture wicking material is so great! I was able to comfortably finish a barre inspired leg workout and honestly didn’t want to take these off! I love that the waist band can be worn rolled up or folded over as my belly grows and that the material moves with me when I work out.

The only thing I will say is that I normally would have ordered a size S but the XS fit perfectly. Just something to take into account when you go order your own pair!

Bottom line: The more products from For Two Fitness I try, the more I like the brand and am so thankful I get to be an ambassador for them.

Also loving my “Body by Baby” tank

If you’re interested in ordering your own pair of dedication capris they can be found at Amazon or, of course, on the For Two Fitness website.

Clean Bulking

I found out Friday I have not gained any weight over the past month and my total weight gain for the pregnancy is about half what it should be. Oops.

I’m sure there are people out there thinking that I shouldn’t be complaining or that they wish that was their problem. And I get that. But here’s the thing; not weighing enough can be as harmful in pregnancy as gaining too much weight– to be fair, mainly if it starts effecting baby’s growth. For now, they’re re-adjusting my work schedule so I can get on a regular sleep routine, giving me weight goals to meet and checking on baby’s growth in another week or so. My doctor never made me feel stressed or like I’m doing something wrong and really took a team approach for how to increase my weight without just adding junk into my diet.

So, how am I going to add on weight?

I’ve already switched to little/low impact cardio and am focusing on body resistance and light weight training… so that part’s different than when actually bulking.

I also had two wonderful cheat days this weekend for my birthday that included gluten free pasta, brownies, Mexican food, french toast, cookies and more cookies. Despite a decent hike Saturday and short workout yesterday, by the end of two days this is how I felt:

While it was fun for a day to eat whatever I wanted and I think the normal sleep schedule will be the biggest help; I’m now on the hunt to add in healthy higher calorie snacks each day.

Here is my list so far:

(thanks to everyone who already added suggestions)

• Cheese sticks
• Almonds/nuts
• Nut butter– peanut butter, almond butter
• Greek Yogurt– no more non-fat
• Adding in a protein shake
• A little extra oil while cooking

And to be honest, I still have some cookies and brownies left over 😉 What are some clean snacks you could add to the list?

**For the record, baby is moving like crazy and I’m confident a normal sleep schedule and some extra protein shakes will fix the weight fairly quickly.

Total Body Workout

The past week or two my back has been really bothering me… probably in part because I haven’t been able to get into physical therapy and obviously in part to the growing belly. Due to that, some days my workouts have just been all my physical therapy exercises and some trigger point work. Today though I incorporated my PT exercises into a total body workout. My modification for this workout was just doing lighter weights and longer rests so, pregnant or not, this should give you a challenge!

3 sets:

• 15 squats to cross punch
• 15 lateral shoulder raise
• 15 front raise
• 20 calf raises

2 sets:

• 15 glute kickbacks
• 15 glute fire hydrants

2 sets of 12 lunges with bicep curl/leg (so you’re doing 24 curls)

2 sets of 12 straight leg deadlift with upright row

1 set of 20, various PT glute exercises

Also, I tried the White Chocolate Raspberry Quest bar for the first time today. It’s so good! Most the flavors have been way too dense for me since being pregnant but this one was really tasty and didn’t make me feel nauseous so I may have finally found a Quest bar to rotate in with my other preggo snacks. Do you have any favorite high protein snacks for on the go?

Reality Check

Well, I’ve made it over halfway! I’ll be 22 weeks this weekend and am still doing my best to stay active and healthy throughout the pregnancy. I’ll admit sometimes my workouts are hit and miss. Days like yesterday, by the time I was done cleaning the house my back hurt so badly there was no way I was going to be able to workout. So I made a healthy dinner, stretched out and called it a day. Everyone has different goals for their pregnancy, just like everyone has different goals for their fitness. Right now my goal is all about balance. I admit, I’m not eating 100% clean or hitting 100% of my workouts but if there is a fitness silver lining, it’s that I’m learning to listen to my body.

On an exciting note…we are super excited to say that we are expecting a baby boy! Baby Vincent is still on track to make his appearance mid-November.

I know, most of you can’t relate to the pregnancy specific posts so I thought I’d highlight my top 3 lessons I’m learning during this pregnancy that translate into everyday fitness…

1. Listen to your body, sometimes rest is the best thing you can do to reach your goals. Just be careful not to use it as an excuse.

2. Stop competing with other people’s pictures. Being motivated by other people is one thing, but when you start getting down on yourself because you aren’t where they are, it’s counter-productive. I’ve been having a very hard time with this one. If you Google “Fit Pregnancy”, you find tons of pictures of mamas-to-be who still look toned and have amazing muscle mass. It’s hard for me to remember that 9 out of 10 times those women make a living out of staying in shape. Just keep perspective while looking a “Fitspiration” photos.

3. Decide what your goals are and what you’re willing to do to accomplish them. I could still look like one of those photos but it isn’t worth it to me or safe for the baby. I’m having a hard enough time keeping up with rotating 12 hour shifts (night shift is kicking my butt), keeping the house clean, and trying to see family and friends… I’m not willing to make the sacrifices I’d need to at this point. So my goals are to maintain a balance and stay generally fit while pregnant. I still get in 3-4  workouts each week, they just aren’t as intense.

I’m not saying that once baby comes my goals won’t change again, I still very much want to compete in the future. It’s just not where I am right now. What about you? How are your fitness goals coming?