Wednesday, September 21, 2016

4 tips to staying fit during pregnancy

Hey everyone! 
I was sent some great questions about my favorite pregnancy workouts and eating habits. I decided that this was important enough for it's own post! Today I'll be dividing this into 4 tips to staying fit during pregnancy. However, this also applies if you're trying to get pregnant,  nursing, a first-time mom to toddlers, or a mom of 7 teenagers. I'm by no means an expert, but whatever stage of life you are in, I guarantee that the following information will help you stay fit, energized, and happy!


25 weeks pregnant

Tip 1: Get into a good exercise/workout routine.


Monday through Friday I have recently been doing IdealFit's new 15 Day Mommy Fit Challenge.
 Their workouts are safely modified if you're pregnant or nursing. They're only about 20 minutes
 long, so it's easy to throw my hair in a pony tail, step into my workout clothes, and blast
through it! With how short they are, I was surprised both with how difficult it is and how great I feel.
 All of the videos are public on YouTube, but I recommend going to the link because they'll
send you a 100% free invite to the Mommy Fit Challenge Facebook group and custom
meal plans. It's a wonderful way to connect to other mamas and get on track!

I like to go to the Crossfit gym that my hubby trains at once every weekend with him.
For those of you who aren't familiar with Crossfit, it is a very functional form of strength building. 
They implement both weight training and cardio. I modify according to what I can do and what
is safe for my growing baby. I don't do any workouts that selectively target my abs, I choose
much lighter weights than I used to use, and generally listen to my body. :)

Another great place to go for pregnancy workouts is @alexajeanfitness on Instagram! 
She posts short video clips in her feed that are easy to follow and she is a major inspiration
to me (she's pregnant right now and we are actually due around the same time!). However,
keep in mind her meal plans and workout routines are not free, which
is why I have preferred IdealFit's amazing mommy plan.




Tip 2: Prep simple and healthy snacks that you can grab on the go.


Especially since being pregnant--since May to be exact--I've been suuuper snacky. During the beginning months while I dealt with sickness, I craved tons of simple carbs (think pizza, mac & cheese, white breads, etc... not healthy carbs!!). However, all new mamas understand that you do what you gotta do to get past those difficult months (amiright?) and as soon as I could hold food down, I threw all the junk out of my diet and stuck to these basic, healthy snack foods:


FOR SWEET CRAVINGS

-Cottage cheese topped with peaches, pears, pineapple slices, or anything that makes 
your heart happy (I recommend the Daisy brand of cottage cheese--only like 2 ingredients).
You can also get fancy and add sliced almonds or nuts on top.

-Oatmeal (raw oats, not sugary packages) with a scoop of raw honey or agave to 
sweeten, topped with whatever fruit you have in the kitchen.

-Fruit!! From someone who has a major sweet tooth, fruit has saved my eating habits. 
Keep apples, oranges, pineapple, strawberries, kiwi, peaches, blackberries, any fruit that you enjoy sliced up in tupperware in your fridge so you can hurry and grab some when the
dreaded sweet tooth comes around.

-Protein shakes, mmmm. (I crave my protein shakes like I used to crave candy, it's a miracle.) If you're growing babies or nusring for them, you need to be consuming your weight in protein
(135lbs=135g) EVERY DAY. I love adding a heaping scoop of peanut butter, almond milk, a
banana, ice cubes, and 3 scoops of IdealFit's chocolate protein.  I have seriously never fallen
so in love with chocolate in my entire life before trying theirs! 
 PS if you're looking for a really great protein brand, their new flavor Chocolate Coconut is 30% off for the week!





FOR SALTY CRAVINGS

-Whole grain toast with avacado and 2 grilled eggs (make sure to double check the ingredients
on the bread you buy. Many brands have high fructose corn syrup in even their "healthier" breads). Add a dash of salt and pepper to satisfy salty cravings. :)

-Veggies in their most pure form. :) Keep fresh bell peppers, baby carrots, avacados, etc. 
cut and at the ready in plastic baggies in your fridge. I grab mine as I head out the door
to run errands so that I will be prepared when hunger strikes!

-Boiled eggs. My husband and I have to get our eggs at Costco, we go through them soo fast!
This is partly because we will immediately boil a dozen eggs and section them into baggies, 
2 eggs each. They make for a filling snack! We like to top them with salt & pepper.

-Egg salad on whole grain bread. I slice up boiled eggs, a little mustard, spicy mayo,
and a dash of salt and pepper in mine. It's not the healthiest snack in the world but
it's way better than other food choices and it's sooo delicious!

-Meats! If you can, try to limit the majority of your meat choices to lean meats 
(chicken and fish). Whether you prefer to bake in the oven or grill on the stove--season it with
delicious spices that help give you that "salty" fix! I looove to use lots of garlic when 
baking my chicken.

-Tuna on whole grain bread. If you want to make it a tuna sandwich on steroids,
toast your bread and immediately top it with cheese so it melts, then throw on a juicy tomato!

......

Lastly, and most importantly, I drink lots of water packed with BCAA's. BCAA's--branched-chain amino acids-- stimulate protein synthesis, and do so to a greater extent than a normal protein on it's own. They build immune system support, protect against amino acid deficiency, and prevent lean muscle mass loss. They are a MUST HAVE if you are planning on building muscle during pregnancy, as well as digesting your protein intake. There are many good brands out there, but I'm going to stick with IdealFit's forever because they are truly delicious. I feel like I'm chugging a cold raspberry lemonade soda, it makes water taste so good!


Tip 3: Break out of the standard "3 square meals per day" mindset


In conjunction with the last question, I've adopted the idea that it's healthier and better to 
listen to my body's cues and eat when I feel prompted, rather than wait for the standard 3 meals of the day. In addition to tons of studies that have shown that eating smaller meals more freqently helps control appetites and increase metabolism, my growing baby boy zaps all my energy! 
Nowadays if I'm not eating SOMETHING every 3 hours or so, I get super light-headed. 
Whether that will stay or leave after pregnancy, I'm content with eating less, more often--and
I've seen amazing results from doing this.

I still fall into the standard "3 meals" and find myself wondering what to make for breakfast, lunch and dinner (especially because my hubby works the standard 8-5 hours and I like to have a hot meal for him to come home to). However, I try to fill gaps of time between meals with snacks, 
then eat a little less during mealtime. :)


Tip 4: Find your happy place by achieving balance!


MAMAS.
Last month, as I was struggling to get back on track after some "cheat days" and feeling a little discouraged in myself, I realized how long our bodies go through the process of bringing children into this world. Not only does pregnancy take 9 months (which is only 3 months short of an entire year), but we then spend years breastfeeding and catering to our new babies' schedules. If Scott and I were to have 4 children, I realized could spend roughly 10 years being pregnant and getting through the breastfeeding years. So the question came to my mind,

"Do I want to be unhappy with where I am for the next 10 years?
Or do I want to form stable habits NOW that will make the next 10 years the happiest of my life?"

Um, I'd prefer to be at my happiest!! So how is this achieved?
First of all, forget about the "ONE thing to drop baby weight."
I believe that there isn't "one" thing that you can do to stay fit while you're making & raising babies. Most products that advertise immediate and total weight loss are either false advertisements or flat-out dangerous to your body. Having a healthy mind and body takes multiple decisions every day; sometimes decisions you reallyyy don't feel like making in the moment.

I've found that the key to achieving health goals is BALANCE. You don't want to push yourself so far past your limits that you fall into the trecherous cycle of restriction & heavy exercise followed by breaking and binging. I've been there, and it's an awful place where you feel like you will never reach your goals. Instead, sticking to a simple daily routine and adding in new goals one week at a time has taught me to really enjoy practicing a healthy lifestyle. That is the ultimate goal! You want to be a fit, happy mama that can keep up with her energetic kids--while loving every moment of the journey! :)

xoxo
Brittany

PS Huge thank you to IdealFit for having me model for them and sponsor their Mommy Challenge!
You guys are amazing and your products have changed my life.

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