Thursday

DIET:
Go Lean Cereal - 200
Yogurt - 120
milk - 30
Fruit Bar - 140
apple - 60
peanut butter 210
raisin bran - 300
total so far = 1060

EXERCISE:
none yet (hopefully I can do the treadmill tonight while I watch The Office)

WATER:
hmm... 30 ounces, maybe? We're out of water. I've got to buy some more today!

Wednesday

DIET:
Protein Shake (with spinach!)- 350
Triscuits - 150
tuna - 120
fruit bar - 140
ABC crackers - 130
string cheese - 80
a couple more things I don't remember (I was mentally keeping track and now I don't remember what it was!) - 300
snickers bar - 280
vitamin water - 120
turkey burger - 160
cheese - 80
bun - 120
baked potato - 150
cottage cheese - 80
cheese - 50
wheaties - 250
Total = 2560!!
okay, not very good today! Shouldn't have eaten that snickers bar!

EXERCISE:
2 10-minute trainer videos
30 minutes and 2.25 on treadmill

WATER:
50 ounces so far

Monday

DIET:
cereal and milk (small bowl) - 100
protein shake (banana, berries and spinach) - 400
chips - 150
chocolate covered blueberries - 200
Nature's Harvest oatmeal - 150
milk - 20
fruit leather - 50
total so far = 1020

EXERCISE:
1.5 miles on treadmill
hour long weights class

WATER:
25 ounces so far

Saturday

DIET:
I tried to keep a mental note on calories but didn't do so well in keeping track. I am sure I was OVER because we went out to dinner and I got lobster bisque soup (not so healthy!), then I ate ice cream and kettle corn tonight. So, we'll start back tracking tomorrow!

EXERCISE:
hour long weights class
1 mile on treadmill

WATER:
not enough! I have to remember to DRINK! I feel so much better when I DO!

Friday

DIET:
protein shake (with spinach) - 275
banana bread - 250?
butter - 50
milk - 140
total so far: 715

EXERCISE:
2 p90x 10-minute trainers

WATER:
16 ounces so far

Thursday

DIET:
go lean cereal - 200
yogurt - 120
milk - 30
string cheese - 60
grapes - 50
open face tuna sandwich with cheese - 300
popcorn - 240
edemame - 100
banana bread - 400?
open face chicken sandwich - 300
iceberg wedge salad - 120
cereal - 200
total so far: 2120

EXERCISE:
hour interval class (cardio & weights)
1.5 miles on treadmill

WATER:
35 ounces so far

Wednesday

**GREAT EXERCISE TIP**

Click HERE for a GREAT exercise tip on running.
I am going to try it out tomorrow!

DIET:
go lean cereal - 200
yogurt - 120
milk - 30
applesauce - 70
cereal - 350 (two big bowls)
1/4 tuna sandwich - 100
pretzels - 130
Hawaiian Haystacks - 600? (I really have NO idea!)
protein shake (with spinach!)- 275
total so far: 1875

EXERCISE:
5 miles on treadmill (ran 3 of it)

WATER:
30 ounces so far

Tuesday

DIET:
** Just take note that I am WELL AWARE that I did NOT make good food choices today! WAY TOO MUCH junk! Argh!
Protein shake (with spinach!) - 275
snickers bar - 280
vitamin water - 25
cereal - 300
pizza (free dinner at the school) - 500?
salad - 150?
chips - 150
ice cream - 300?
cookies (they are now gone! thank goodness!) - 400
TOTAL - 2280

EXERCISE:
didn't happen today (I had a doctor's appointment this morning)

WATER:
45 ounces so far

EATING PAST 8pm
bowl of ice cream (oops!)

Monday

DIET:
protein shake - 275
cheerios - 100
ZONE protein bar - 190
cliff bar fruit stick - 70
some of Emma's fries - 60?
cookies - 320
total so far: 1015

WATER:
35 ounces so far

EXERCISE:
ran 1.5 miles
hour weights class

Two things blew the diet for me today... I terrible fall that made me mad/sad and want to indulge in more cookies to make me feel better (totally stupid, I know) and Kolby's birthday and the red velvet cake I made for it! Oh, and I ate past 8pm. I guess it's better that I started my day right rather than have it go bad the entire day. I will guess how I ended with calories for the sake of honesty and reporting...

total from above: 1015
3 more cookies - 440 (why do homemade have so many calories?)
parmesan chicken - 200?
caesar salad - 150?
garlic bread - 150?
red velvet cake - 400?
milk - 110
fruit loops (late at night) - 350
TOTAL - 2815!
(what an embarrassment!)

Sunday's Report

Okay, I am going to be VERY honest with this blog (it's the only way I can honestly account for my goals, even though I am embarrassed to admit some things!) From everything I've read, I should have gained an average of 5-7 pounds by now in my pregnancy. I have gained 11! I would be fine with the weight gain if I knew I had been eating smart, but I have given in to JUNK way too much. The best way for me to be sure to get the "NUTRITIOUS" foods is to eliminate the overall calories, because then I know I have to make them count! So, I am going to try to stay around 2000 a day this next week. Since I DO feel more hungry being pregnant, I am going to have to be very careful about eating good whole grain carbs and protein. I read an entire article talking about what foods make you feel full and satisfied the longest. Some people think that carbs in general will help you "feel" full; but that is not good enough, they have to to be 'WHOLE GRAIN." The other key for me is to NOT eat past 8pm. So, I am going to report on how I do with that each day along with my diet, water and exercise.

The biggest problem today was the fact that we have NOT given up our traditional Sunday baking with the kids that started during Christmas. It is so hard when they get so excited about it. Jaxson talks all the time about how HE is going to do the same thing with HIS kids when he is a dad! Man, I need to build up my willpower!

DIET:
protein shake - 350
open face tuna sandwich with cheese - 320
chips - 100?
edemame - 100?
5 chocolate chips cookies - 640!!!
milk - 110
turkey meatloaf - 140
risotto - 100
peas - 80
chocolate chip cookie - 160
milk - 110
TOTAL: 2300

Ignoring BAD advice and recommiting to "the diet!"

I just have to share my opinion on something I have really struggled with. In a previous post, I mentioned how I am trying to keep my heart rate under 140 (because that is what everyone/everything seems to say you should do). Well, after a couple weeks of doing that and feeling like my body was going to POT because I was NOT getting the kind of workout I was used to, I realized that, "you know what? I am going to continue doing what I've been doing before ever getting pregnant!" I know if my mother-in-law reads this, she will flip! (She is an aerobics instructor and says I need to keep my heart rate under 134! Sorry, but I'm not feeling much that low!) My doctor says I am find to keep doing what I've been doing and bottom line, I am really tired of people placing all these restrictions on pregnant women! I felt strongly about this before, and then I found this post by my friend Marilyn who reconfirmed that my thoughts are not selfish and let me know that I am not alone in these feelings. I hope she doesn't mind, but she said it all so well, I am going to "quote" her:

...I have been getting annoyed with some of the old school thinking of what a pregnant woman should or should not do. I am appalled at some of the unrealistic reports that are still out there... some of the myths out there about exercising while pregnant are disturbing and they are from supposedly "credible" websites.

I was researching exercising while pregnant because I wanted to make sure I was doing the right thing trying to keep active and maintaining my fitness routine. My doctor has already reassured me a couple of times. I have asked him fitness-related questions the last few visits, just to make sure I was on the safe side. I am a little paranoid I guess and don't want to do any harm to the baby of course! So, I was doing further research for myself.

Here is what upset me... Associate Professor of OB from Babycenter.com said and I quote "you generally shouldn't raise your heart rate over 140 beats per minute while pregnant" and "You'll know you've probably gotten too hot if you break a sweat and continue sweating." Luckily, all of the posts beneath the article were very plainly disappointed and had very supportive evidence to prove the article wrong. It made me feel better that I wasn't the only one to recognize the falsity and ridiculousness of the report.

Pregnant women should exercise just as everyone should. It helps strengthen the body and build endurance to prepare for birth, steadies and greatly minimizes emotional stress, encourages healthier eating (at least for me) which supports the growing fetus, and allows one to bounce back into shape after the baby is born. It is healthy to break a sweat otherwise the "workouts" would be extremely limited. Plus, you have to push yourself to feel satisfied and have your workout time be productive. The advice to not push yourself is very disturbing to me. I know I shouldn't go overboard and I need to be careful but I get sick of reading how the only exercise you can do is yoga! That is a lie and is only promoting the excessive weight gain that is occurring for pregnant women in our society.

Basically every comment made after the article had a similar stance as myself and it was very refreshing to seem some reality! There are so many restrictions out there for what a pregnant woman should or should not do that it gets a little discouraging!!! What are we supposed to do then? Sit in a cocoon for nine months? Nine months is a long time and I am sorry but women have been having healthy babies for hundreds of years without this advice. They say the health-risks out there now are so many times smaller than what they were in the past with all the technology, healthcare, and research available. I am not going to worry.

Here are a couple of the other posts after the article....

I'm VERY disappointed that an assoc prof of OB would still be following this outdated report. I'm an exercise physiologist and did my masters work in exercise and pregnancy. I have read >70 studies and there is clearly NO evidence to suggest that you shouldn't get your HR over 140. It is an arbitrary #. Dr. Artal wrote a good book, Dr.James Clapp wrote an even better book, check it out (Exercising through your pregnancy)that is based on RESEARCH, not guesses. About monitoring your core temp, you would literally have to use two probes, one that goes down your esophagus and one that goes up your rectum. This is not really feasible or comfortable. The best thing to do is exercise indoors during the summer, listen to how your body feels, drink fluids, and use a fan. Sweating is good... it cools you. But if you feel like you might be getting too hot, then bring your intensity down a few notches. Also, if you're already fit, your circulatory system is efficient and will get sufficient blood flow to the baby.

I'm a faithful exerciser in my first trimester. I'm still running regularly. I drink a lot of water and if I feel the slightest that I'm pushing myself, I stop to walk. My HR usually hovers around 155 and I usually slow down if it goes over 160. I think that each person is unique and it's hard to say that NO ONE should go over 140...I'd be very limited in my workouts if I couldn't go over 140...

There were many more comments I did not post here that proved the article wrong. This morning in my weights class, I asked my instructor about how long I could continue the weight lifting (trust me, there is plenty of "advice" out there about this as well!). She said that she TAUGHT the class up until the day before she went into labor. Also, a spinning instructor of mine taught well into her pregnancy. She says I am fine if I stay below 165. I think the best thing is for me to LISTEN to my body. When I am running, there are times I feel like I need to slow down to a walk. I don't let my heart rate get above 160-165 and I am being very careful to stay hydrated. So, that is that!

As far as my "reporting..." My workouts have been going well and that is probably the easiest part of trying to stay healthy with this pregnancy. Eating, on the other hand, is another story. I have really struggled with BAD sugar cravings and I have given in WAY too many times (I have been eating donuts! What the heck? I have never liked donuts!) Anyway, after a week of very poor eating choices, I have realized that the best thing I can do for my baby is take the 5 minutes it takes each day to REPORT IN on this blog! So, I am recommitting! It does NOT take time to track my calories; and when I do, I make smarter choices. So, although it may seem inconvenient when I want to reach for those chewy sweet tarts, I will always make the wiser choice if I know I have to record the calories... so I REALLY am back to DAILY REPORTING! This time, for REAL!

So, here it is!
DIET:
protein shake - 350
go lean cereal and yogurt - 350
chips - 150
raisins - 50
lentil soup - 400?
fruit bar - 130
chicken stir fry and rice - 500?
ice cream - 200
edemame - 100
cereal - 200
TOTAL: 2430

WATER:
65 ounces (so far)

EXERCISE:
hour long weights class

I think my confidence is BACK...!?

Yesterday was such a good day for me. It was Emma's birthday so I did give in on the junk and probably went over calorie-wise, but for whatever reason I finally feel that my confidence is back. Having gained eight pounds in a matter of 6 weeks or so was a very discouraging for me. It is crazy how much it can affect you mentally, even though I know I'm pregnant and it should be okay to gain weight. I think it's because I KNOW I haven't been making as healthy of eating choices as I have the last several months; the gain was NOT entirely because of pregnancy, it was because of MY POOR CHOICES! Anyway, it has been a mental struggle for me and has dampened the joy I usually feel from working out.

Today, I got on the treadmill and ran 3 miles. I didn't push myself too hard, but I was encouraged by how easy and most important, how FUN it was. You have to understand that I LOVE to work out! So to have that joy gone for the last several weeks has been hard. Today I felt encouraged that I CAN DO THIS! I can be pregnant and still enjoy this hobby. Even if the weight bar on my "row" lifts in weights class touches my belly much sooner than it did before! I shouldn't care that I have a pooch so early on in my pregnancy!... it's not affecting my abiblity to stay active! I am going to stop feeling sorry for myself and take control again! I am going to LOVE my work outs like I did before!

I think I have been most discouraged by the inch I've gained back on my thighs and the 1.5 inches I've gained on my hips! Oh and did I mention the 4% I've gained back in body fat! Okay, that is the one that probably hurts the most! If I can ever get back to 15% body fat after this baby, I will have reached my goal! Regardless of what the scale says!

All that said, I have to admit that I feel selfish how much time I give to going to the gym each day. Because of the big chuck of time I sacrifice, it affects my whole day. I usually don't get home from the gym until noon. It's not that I spent HOURS working out, it just takes awhile to drive, get Emma dropped off and all of that. After lunch and preschool drop off, I only have 1.5 hours before I get Jax which is usually spent running errands or whatever (that is if I had time to shower before dropping Emma off). Needless to say, this means that my HOUSE (laundry, cleaning, budgeting, projects, etc, etc, ) gets neglected! I am trying to figure out a better balance. If anyone has any ideas, let me know! (I think now that it's getting warmer, I need to hit the gym EARLY, but that means I can't do the classes that I LOVE).

So, now that Emma's birthday is over, I can start working to control the sugar intake again! I did okay last week, but I never really wrote my calories down and that makes a huge difference. So, I will try to track for the rest of today and for sure will start writing it down tomorrow and I'll report back. I had to babysit kids this morning, so no gym. I am going to try to go before dinner tonight.

Until next time...