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I’m 5’3” @ 127 lbs, I’ve been an MTMer for the last 2 years and have lost 10 lbs and 2 pant sizes. I’m at the gym 4-5x per week and my eating has steadily improved as my fitness has. It’s been an incredible journey and my husband has taken the cue and lost 20 lbs!
Just before Christmas I found out I’m pregnant! WooHoo! We couldn’t be more psyched - it’s taken 1 miscarriage and 2 years to get to this point. We’re definitely excited and blessed.
The week of Christmas I was at the gym 4 times - my heart rate was really high so I just scaled the cardio back some but I thought - “yah man, I can do this pregnancy thing! I rock!”
I’m 8 weeks now though and I could use some encouragement. I made it to the gym 2x last week and had great workouts but I was exhausted the next day. And the “morning” (it happens multiple times throughout the day) sickness is bad. I eat a little bit every hour but I’m having to use a timer this week to keep me moving just a tiny bit. Like, set the timer and do some chores - set the timer and sit - repeat.
I know that this is completely normal and that this stage should pass soon but I’m a “get up at go” and “pull my bootstraps up” kinda gal so it’s been tough not beating myself up not getting to the gym or eating enough calories.
So, I thought I’d make a commitment to post here to remind myself of the difference that Scott talked about this week between focus and energy. My focus is to be a fit, happy, healthy, pregnant wife yet my energy is going into making a baby. As long as I keep my focus my energy will return and I’ll get back on track in no time.
Today I walked the dog for 10 minutes.
I’ve kept down: 1 slice Ezekiel bread with 1 Tbsp almond butter and 1 tsp. honey, 1 cup tea with milk and 1 tsp. sugar, 1/3 c. cottage cheese, 1 package apple-cinnamon oatmeal, 1 mug peppermint tea, small spinach salad, 1/2 chicken breast
I faired better yesterday evening in the food department: 1 c. grapefruit, 1 Jello Mousse Temptation (got this from Hungry Girl - yummy AND low in calories!), 1 oz. cheetos, 1/2 c. whole grain pasta, 1/4 c. ragu, 1 slice garlic bread, 7 asparagus spears, 2 glasses of milk, small brownie and small scoop of ice cream.
Grow baby grow!
We had some friends over for dinner last night and the timer did the trick - I got the house in decent shape and dinner prepared by the time they arrived - all without getting overly exhausted or sick - and it was a fun evening. I fell into bed though after they left and didn’t clean up at all. Ah well.
This morning was decent. I had to rest after showering as usual but I’ve kept down all my food today - Yeehaw!
1/2 cuppa tea with milk and sugar, 1 slice Ezekiel bread w/almond butter and honey, 1/3 c. steel cut oats, 2 eggs, 1.5 oz. cheese, 10 saltines (take out stock people!!), 1/2 c. whole grain pasta, 1/4 c. ragu, 1 slice garlic bread (leftovers from last night), small brownie, 1/3 c. cottage cheese
10 minute walk with dog
15 minute light stretching
I had the idea too that I could add a 10 minute walk when I get home from work next week and a 10 minute walk at lunch (I can’t eat that much anyway and I have the time) the week after that. That way I’d work myself back up to 30 minutes “cardio” per day and if I’m feeling better then I can try and head back over to the gym after work. I’d love to start lifting again too but babysteps - I’m trying a new mantra - “take it easy, you’re pregnant. you don’t have to prove anything to anybody.” Easier said than done but all I desire is a healthy baby.
Dr.’s appt. tomorrow - here’s to hoping we get to hear the heartbeat!! Miscarriage risk drops to 2% which will definitely ease my nerves. Plus, I have the rest of the day off work so I can relax.
Congratulations on the pregnancy Becks! I have never been pregnant so I have pretty much no advice for you in that area...... But my good friend had a baby 6 months ago. She did a TON of walking and some light strength training through the pregnancy and pretty much gained nothing but belly! When the baby was about 1 month she started going out for hour long walks with the stroller and whatever weight there was went fast! Don’t push yourself too hard! Listen to your body right now.
We saw the baby’s heartbeat! It was SO beautiful! It’s so powerful to love someone you haven’t even met yet! <3 We both cried - it was amazing. The Dr. said everything looks perfect and on track. She saw him/her moving their little arms around - glorious! Our families have been waiting with bated breath and everyone’s just over the moon!
The Dr. said it would be good to get the H1N1 vaccine but it’s totally up to me - any opinions out there?
I’ll be back in 2 weeks for blood tests, etc. The Dr. mentioned genetic testing but our baby is our baby and we’ll love him or her however they come out, plus there’s nothing in our family that lends us to believe that we’re predisposed to anything - any opinions?
Got sick this morning but it was my own fault - my husband and I were watching “Witless Protection” that movie with Larry the Cable Guy and he projectile vomits and I totally lost it. LOL! 5 min. of retching but I couldn’t stop laughing at the insanity of it all. Just when I thought it was over I remembered the scene and it all started again. I’m an idiot! :D I’ve never been a reflexive vomiter before but from now on I will cover my eyes at the scary parts! LOL!
10 min. walk the dog
15 min. light stretching
cuppa tea with milk and sugar, ezekiel bread with almond butter and honey, greek yogurt w/honey, blt sandwich, frozen mocha drink, little taste of potato salad, pistachios, glass of milk
The Dr. also said I should aim for 60 oz. of water a day so I should probably be keeping track of that - I’ve only officially had 16 oz. today - better go and drink some more!!
Thanks candyP for the support! It’s weird though “me” and “my body” - they are separate entities right now. It’s the fight of nature vs. nurture My personality vs. my maternal instinct - sincerely fascinating!
The down time helped. I fell asleep at 8:30pm and slept for 12 hours. Man, this is quite an adjustment! It is all worth it though.
Got sick this morning but I’ve been doing ok overall today. Moving slow but still moving!
10 min. walk the dog
15 min. light stretching
cuppa tea with milk and sugar, ezekiel bread with almond butter and honey, chocolate vitatop (another recommendation for hungry girl!), 2 egg omelet with mushrooms and 1 oz. cheese, vitamin water, 1/2 c. pasta and sauce, 8 oz papaya juice, 2 slices cheese pizza
I’m glad that I don’t have to figure this all out on my own (I’ve following books and Dr. orders) and I’m glad that I get the opportunity to test and check with known remedies. But it’s all still quite an adventure - one I’m not always up to given the surging hormones.
The end needs to be in sight so I remember the blessing and miracle that is occurring - but I need to just “take and step and repeat” day by day when times are difficult.
I admit to being extremely melodramatic today but I think the words “I feel like I’m going to die” have passed my lips more than a few times today.
What a day! SOOOOOO sick! I got sick 4 times before I even left for work. And I’ve been sick I think 3 times at work. There’s been a couple threatenings but it’s just ended up hanging out with the toilet. Maybe I shouldn’t have come but I’m trying to work extra this week so I can take off on Friday to take care of my sister-in-law who’s having hip surgery tomorrow.
On a positive note, I told my boss today! He was very encouraging and supportive. He said my main job right now is making a baby so focus on that. He even offered to bring a recliner in my room to so I can rest! The other folks are gonna be jea-lous! LOL! Really nice though. I’m very appreciative. I asked him to keep the info to himself and the people he has to inform (his boss, HR, etc.); other than that I think we’ll wait a little longer to tell folks. I’ll bring in treats or something to celebrate/distract them.
It’s raining cats and dogs here today so my master plan of trying to get in a walk after work may be foiled but sincerely a nap may be more in order.
10 min. walk the dog
10 min. light stretching
I’m not exactly sure what I’ve kept down today - here’s my attempted list: cuppa tea with milk and sugar (I think I had two sips), ezekiel bread with almond butter and honey (it took like 3 hours to nibble this down), 2 slices toast, apple and cinnamon oatmeal, maple yogurt, applesauce, 1 slice cheese pizza
I have other items in my lunch bag but everything is grossing me out today and I think cuz of all the sickening I have a massive headache to boot.
Oh, I keep forgetting the water post: I’m up to 32 oz. water intake so far today.
I think I’ll do my “homework” and occupy my mind elsewhere.
I did my 10 min. walk when I got home for work yesterday - yay me!
I also went to bed at 8:15pm and woke up feeling pretty decent today.
I had a “how do I want to feel?” click. I am a very task oriented person. Getting my “to be done” list done empowers me - a job well done. But at this transition stage in my life that choice has it’s drawbacks. So when I ask myself “how do I want to feel?” I must decide:
1. do want to feel empowered and prepared the next day by completing my “to be done” list which may result in me resting my head on porcelin every hour or so or
2. do I want to feel physically good - not necessarily prepared but knowing I can make it through the day rather successfully.
May sound like a no brainer to some but to me this choice has been my downfall. I love to be prepared! I was a girl scout after all. But the truth is I want to feel good. And this means putting aside the “to be done” list and going to bed early. Being satisfied with what got done and dealing with the imperfection.
This means too that I have to let things go. I’ve been bringing meals every month to a woman from my church for the last two years. She’s very young (in her early 40’s) and has a chronic nervous system disease that prevents her from pretty much doing anything. I’ve been too sick to cook and working late to make up hours and I just can’t continue at this pace. It was hard for me to make the call. I feel like I’m letting her down but I know there are others who can help and that the previous season of my life is over, but it’s not easy. I’m sure she understands but I could hear the hurt in her voice. :(
Which brings me back to my transition persona. Scott mentioned in a Fitness Boost this week the “calorie burning machine” on the way to “awesomeness” Well, I’m a “baby making machine” on my way to “awesomeness”. The choices I need to make need to support this precious value - my family.
One minor complaint, Scott mentioned his exercise program on last Friday’s Fitness Boost and I’m so jealous! That’s totally the program that I was going to start doing! Wah! Ah well, Jan 2011 I’m in for the Shred!!
10 min. walk the dog
15 min. light stretching
10 min. walk during break
I’m on my way to 41 oz. water today!
I only got sick twice today so I’m really doing great with the extra exercise and keeping more food down: ezekiel bread with almond butter and honey, 2 chicken sausage, 1 c. broccoli, 3 small bunches of grapes, 6 oz. greek yogurt w/honey, 1/2 c. no yolk egg noodles, 2 turkey meatballs, 4 prunes, 1/2 c. shelled pistactios, 1 vitatop, 1 c. grapefruit
I thought it would be fun to post weekly pictures of my growing belly and record my weight so I can keep an eye on it over time.
Here’s 9 weeks (which was yesterday)
I weighed in at 129.6 lbs.
I can tell you I’m a little poochier than usual but the 2.6 lbs. is definitely in my upper half. I went down a cup size last year from all the fat loss and I’m easily up 1.5 cups. I’ve had to invest in some new intimate apparel. I’ve been taking care of the stretch with Udder Butter
Side note: seriously what nutjob of an ad man came up with that name?!?! I’m feeling self-conscious enough about my body changing but now I’m rubbing on lotion named after my “cow parts”?!?!?!
Ah, if I can’t laugh at myself who can I laugh at?
Took care of my SIL post-surgery on Friday. My husband left for work at 7:45am and I thought oh, I’ll just lay here for 15 minutes and then get up. When I rolled over it was 9:30am! Whoops! At least my SIL is chill and understanding. She’s working on her physical therapy so we went to the gym twice and rode the bikes for 20 min. each time. I was able to maintain at level 5 without getting too winded. Yay me! Scott’s right though - chatting with her the whole time was really fun and made the time go by really quickly. So, 40 min. cardio plus 10 min. walk the dog on Friday. Food was a different story - they’re kinda eat out people and I didn’t want to be trouble so I just went along with it all. I didn’t eat much or often but I wasn’t sick all day. We took an hour long nap in the afternoon which was great but I didn’t get home until after 10pm.
Saturday, my hubbie and I were asked to take another shift with the SIL. I went to the gym again with her (20 min. on the bike) and we had “sushi” - cooked shrimp and vegetable rolls. So that was all good. Then we started hanging out and playing Wii with some friends. It was good fun but then we ordered pizza and stayed lated again. I wasn’t feeling the best all day but I didn’t really think I over did it.
Sunday showed me how wrong I was. I didn’t even make it through the night. I was up sick a couple of times. It was awful. I hadn’t been sick since last Wednesday so I deluded myself into thinking it was all over. And I didn’t realize that I’d done too much until I was sick! Totally stunk! So, laid in bed again all day Sunday trying to recoup so I could head to work today. I’m starting to crave things I’m noticing - chicken and mayonaisse. Protein and fat? I’m going to have to get creative to satisfy this craving without going overboard on the calories! In bed by 8:30pm but slept terribly.
It’s been a tough Monday. Sick this morning just once but I’ve just been DRAGGING! I took a 20 min. nap before lunch but the food I brought with me is yucky to me. I ate 1/2 bowl of soup for lunch - what’s that like 100 calories. Ugh! I really wanted to head to the gym after work just to do 10 min. cardio to get back in the habit of going after work and working my way back up in time and adding weights but I’m not sure that’s the wisest thing today. I think I’ll go for a 10 min. walk at break and then head home after work and take a nap. I really want to cook dinner cuz eating out the last couple days gets so gross! Bleh!
Beks, reading your post had me admiring how reflective you’re being, connecting your situation to Paula’s (a moderator) when she was facing and going through a hip replacement, and laughing out loud at your self humor.
You have been granted the precious gift of a child. Right now your only “to do” is to take care of yourself so you’re taking care of that baby. You can only do what you can do. So yes, mourn not being able to help the sick friend, but know that that kind of activity will come back into your life--maybe in another form--when it is possible.
Right now you need to get enough rest so you’re not so sick since overexerting yourself seems to trigger the attacks. And you are working short bits of exercise into your day. When food stays down, then follow your doctor’s advice and eat healthy and get in whatever exercise you can.
Joan, thanks for the encouragement and wisdom. It’s been making me think that I believe that I am valuable because of what I do (get done) vs. who I am. That I don’t take care of myself - the stuff I do for myself is just another tick on my list. Am I really loveable because I’m me? But during this journey I actually have to listen to my body - my heart - and choose the right thing or my body chooses it for me. It’s like Scott talks about: what experience to I want to have. Getting really sick does seem to be linked to overexertion. And I’m noticing that it’s in doing things for other people. Hmmmmm. So, do I want my experience to be that I took care of my needs and my growing baby’s needs while other people “suffered” or that I suffered (literally in some cases) because I put others ahead of myself.
I just hate sounding so SELFISH! Arghhh! This is going to be a “take a step - repeat” process.
Apparently, this is not just a baby making journey/journal - this is also a self enlightenment journey/journal. I’m grateful for all your input. Growing isn’t easy but it’s necessary and I’m grateful for the opportunity to see these things.
Today’s been a 5. I was pretty sick this morning but after a couple of rests while getting ready I was able to keep some food down and work’s been decent today. I took a nap when I got home for work yesterday and that helped. I even made dinner - go me! So, I’m looking forward to a snack on the way home and a nap when I get there. Amazingly, I slept for an hour yesterday then got up for an hour, my husband and I watched Mad Men (we’re catching up to real time) and I was in bed at 8:30pm. Crazy that I really need that much sleep!
10 min. walk the dog
5 min. light stretching
48 oz. water
ezekial bread with almond butter and honey, 1 c. grapefruit, 1 c. green beans, 2 chicken sausage, 1 potato (did I mention my husband is Irish Irish? - baby LOVES his/her potatoes!) , 5 saltines, 1 oz. cheese, 1 Vitatop, 1 english muffin, 1 turkey sausage
Fun Fact: the baby is now 1/4 of 1oz. and is growing his/her fingernails!
I weighed in today at 130.8lbs. I was told to expect to gain ~5lbs. in the first 12 weeks. I’m at 3.8lbs. (TMI - my BCI (thanks Scott! LOL!) was high this morning but I didn’t know that until after I’d recorded my weight - just for comparison yesterday I weighed 129.8lbs)
Comparing pictures is fun - my middle is so much thicker than last week!
10 min. walk the dog
5 min. light stretching
10 min. walk @ break
~40 oz. water
Question, as my weight naturally increases do I increase my calories?
I calculated my calories (for my “normal” pre-baby weight) via Fitday for yesterday. I ate 2,132 - I burned 2,188
I could use some ideas for low fat protein - my fat % was too high and my protein % too low - any suggestions?
Got to see Spud again today (that’s what my SIL nicknamed our little one since I’m all about the potatoes AND he/she’s half-Irish)
His/her little heart was still beating well and he/she’s grown to 33mm - up from 18mm 2 weeks ago. Grow Spud grow!
I got both my H1N1 vaccine and flu vaccine today and I’m scheduled for a series of blood tests (just regular prenatal stuff) on Monday morning. My arms hurt some from the vaccines and I’ve been told that I’ll be pretty run down the next couple days and to take it easy. LOL! That’ll mean 6 naps a day!
I’m still generally really tired but if I nap - even if just for 20 min. - I feel better, so I’m learning. It’s a slow process. The Dr. said I should be feeling better in the next couple of weeks but just keep doing what works.
10 min. walk the dog
15 min. light stretching
10 min. afternoon walk
I tried to relax all weekend - to avoid getting too sick or activate any of the flu or H1N1 vaccines that I got Friday and it seems to work.
I was able to make it to the gym Friday for 10 min. on the rowing machine which felt great.
Sat. the hubbie was in school so I just chilled. I was able to get all my chores done but what usually takes me 2 hours took me all day. Ah well, I’m just psyched it got done. First time in a while! My hubbie was so pleased and really proud of me. It was a gorgeous day so I took a 30 min. walk with the dog - but that was over doing it. Too much at one time - by the end of the walk I was dragging so I laid down for a few hours.
Sunday I was feeling pretty tired but like flu tired - run down. I just hung out and stayed in bed. Not as depressing as usual!
Today I got my blood tests done first thing. Then in a burst of energy I HAD to take advantage of I went grocery shopping and then my hubbie and I got our taxes done. Drove to work and felt great but knew I had to have a snack and an cat nap. I’ve been feeling okay all day. Took a 10 min. walk at break. I have to work late because of the taxes so I think that I’ll go straight home - take a 10 min. walk and then a nap.
That should do me well! We’re headed to HI on Sunday so I’m looking forward to getting through this week!
