Flip Side of this #pregofit thing!



Erin, me, Gilly, Heather, Jana, Crystal enjoying a Girls' weekend



Week 23 1/2....aka so freakin' close to 6 months pregnant!  Yes, I can still do A LOT - Yes, I feel great (I mean, I am pregnant but no aches or pains) - Yes, I have maintained my nutrition and fitness.  However, I want to be clear - pregnancy is a totally foreign state and if you're not experiencing some "transition bumps" then call me up and tell me your secret!

SOCIAL: 

I've always been a GOER and a DOER and from day 1 Jeremy and I have maintained a "barely at home" schedule.   Recently we went to Regionals for a weekend - worked the week - then I went to the beach for a girls trip the next weekend (hence the photo) and when I returned  I was quickly reminded how much REST I really need.  I've realized that if I don't take at least one day to nap A LOT during the weekend - you won't want to be near me by Wednesday :)  A girls beach weekend is also interesting when you're limited to 1 glass of wine and no coffee!  While I am not a big drinker, it's a totally different approach to no having a rita because of a baby..... I've read a lot more, napped a lot more, and am learning to be LAZY, something I've never mastered.

NUTRITION:
I sweet tooth has crept back into my life......I am yet to give in to ice cream, donuts, or anything other than a couple pieces of chocolate and more fruit than normal - but it's there!  Now you may be thinking the same thing many people have said:  it's just a pregnancy craving and I should just give in, etc.  OH NO, I've been down this path before and what I am experiencing is the sugar addiction that so many Americans have.  The first trimester was tough to eat anything and I truly had cravings for oranges, grapes, yogurt etc.  While all healthy sugars - I am convinced that the boxes of CUTIES I ate are to thank for my current desire for sweets!  As Jeremy said last night - this is my grace period and I've tried to stay sensible while accepting that eating all the right food and staying active does NOT keep away the expanding belly/thighs/etc..... For the most part my diet is 95% the same as it was before the pregnancy.  I have more peanut butter, more Kombucha (sweet fizzy yummmmm), at least 1 fruit a day and less red meat.  Otherwise, my choices and portions are about the same.  The growing baby needs 300-500 calories a day and now my approach is to eat exactly as before and sub 1-2 intense training sessions a day for the production of 1 baby Thiel.

FITNESS:

I am keeping my fitness -etc BUT the reality is - unlike CrossFIT, #PregoFIT is a state that continually declines rather than progresses. Each couple of weeks there is a new modification in my plan, a lighter weight on the bar, a slower pace on the track. The mental game becomes acceptance and appreciation for can STILL be done rather than focus to push what you can do NEXT. As an athlete, I've been trained to push forward - to ignore the fatigue/pain to some degree - now I am focusing on listening to what my body is saying and CHILL OUT! When I do, I am usually rewarded with lots of tickles and pokes from the baby!

A lot of people have asked what can and can't be done - I am not a medical expert but my approach has been:

•  if you've been doing it - keep doing it UNLESS it involves high impact (hockey, rope climbing) or it HURTS then stop
• if it feels heavy - drop the weight
• if your joints feel loose or my abs are pulling - stop
• if you can't breathe the baby can't either - slow down

INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW (or so it seems):

So far I've gained 11.5 lbs. and am on track to gain at least 10-15 more.  As stated before, eat almost exactly the same as pre-pregnancy.

I workout 5-6 days a week but have cut out "two-a-days" and have started modifying movements.  I still work with intensity but my "10" today is about my "4" from 6 months ago!   I found that I love workouts that are EMOM- every minute on the minute or have calculated rest. 

For example, 

WOD 1:  EMOM for 10 minutes:  3 shoulder press, 3 sprawls

WOD 2:  5 rounds AMRAP 3 min:  30 ohsq 30 du - REST 2 minutes

Everyone is different - be realistic about where you are and what you can expect from yourself!