What Pregnancy Means for Fitness

I know I've chatted about my pregnancy a few times on my blog and even more on my Facebook page, but it's where I am in life right now, so it's what I know... or at least, what I'm learning. Because let's face it, pregnancy is a different beast for everyone.

I say that because not one pregnancy is the same from another. Right now, I have a large handful of friends that are pregnant and pretty close in their due dates. Each one of us is going through something different. Some gain lots of weight and others gain only in the belly. Some have a lot of morning sickness, others don't. Some have crazy cravings, others are perfectly fine sticking with their regular diets. These differences teach a very hard lesson (that I've been trying to learn for years now) that comparing yourself to others is absolutely useless.

So if every pregnancy is different, then why are there so many pregnancy books, blogs, websites, "experts" and classes? If we can't nail down a "typical" pregnancy, how can anyone learn from those?

So, here's what I've learned:
   - Under no circumstances whatsoever should you Google ANYTHING about your pregnancy health. It will scare the living daylights out of you and you'll become convinced that your child will be the one born with (insert especially rare birth defect here). Seriously. Call your care provider or someone that has been pregnant before. You'll thank yourself.
   - Knowledge is power. People take these classes, read the books and troll websites because they want to learn. The more you learn, the more you are able to discern what is unusual and what is fairly common in most pregnancies.

Ok, so my husband and I are taking 2 birth classes, reading books, and taking a tour of the hospital where we will officially become a family of three. But how can I stay on track with my goals while nourishing another human inside my body with seemingly no control over weight gain and all the bizarre things that are happening to my body?

   - My husband made the comment the other day that I'm taking better care of myself than I ever have before. Meaning, I am hyper-aware of what food I'm eating and how much of it I eat. I am not dieting. In fact, if I want ice cream, I indulge and I don't feel bad about it. However, I find that I can't eat big portions of pretty much anything, so I eat lots of tiny portions daily and I *try* to get protein in everything I eat.
    GUYS. Did you know it's recommended that pregnant women consume 100g of protein a DAY? ONE HUNDRED GRAMS! I tracked my protein intake on the first day of counting this-- yogurt, oatmeal, string cheese, egg-- right at noon, I had consumed only 11.3g of protein. Yikes. I learned quickly that I have to step up my game.
    Obviously, it's suggested that we eat the healthiest and cleanest that we can-- what you eat, your baby eats, so you want to be as healthy as possible. It's also recommended that we drink four quarts of water daily. That's 128 ounces of water daily. That's a lot of water! But honestly, soda makes me feel kind of gross at this point, so maybe this pregnancy will force me to develop super healthy habits and it'll help after I have the baby.

   - Exercise is harder than ever. Personally, I am scared to do anything too strenuous during this time. So, I walk a lot. I could be walking a lot more, but I do what I can. A lot of activity, even just walking, really wears me out. I feel awesome, but I'm exhausted afterwards. But, I keep trying to force myself to move a little every day. The walk tends to be more over a waddle at the end of my "work out," but something is better than nothing!
   - I am refocusing (again) on my Beachbody coaching. Personally, I know that I need the accountability to make healthy choices for myself, and doing everything as a group is more fun, so I'm working to bring people on board with me. People would want to be healthy for themselves, their kids, their futures, etc. After all, you only get one body, so you have to invest in it! I plan to put together a postpartum challenge group after the baby comes so I can get back on track. PLUS-- I know so many mommas-to-be that will be going through the same thing around the same time. We all need each other!

Pregnancy doesn't mean you're doomed to have a squishy body forever...although that's tough to remember when you have to roll off the couch just to stand up. But don't stress about your weight when you are expecting a little one...focus on your healthiest you!