32-39 weeks

32-33 weeks

Still felt normal strength in the gym. Workouts included...

Pull-ups and Chin-ups

Pushups

Weighted Sit ups

Squats

Deadlifts

Shoulder Press

Bench Press

34 Weeks 

148lb Squat x2

This was the last heavy squat day while pregnant because I started feeling a pull in my lower abdomen muscles and my pelvis started really shifting on weighted squats. At this point I decreased my weight to about 60% of my one rep max and did lots of reps at that weight to maintain mobility. 

35-37 Weeks

I missed a few workouts due to car and timing issues but got to the gym every day I could. Even though I wasn't able to Squat what I was before, my bench and Deadlift numbers went up.

38 Weeks

 Bench Press and Pushups

39 Weeks (3 days before Sophia was born)

215lb deadlift (15lb PR)

This was one of the hardest weeks for me mentally and emotionally. The anticipation of meeting my baby, anxiety about labor and birth and also adding a third child to our family caused me to melt down several times. Pushing myself to get to the gym and pushing myself once I was there was key in helping release the anxiety.

29-31 Weeks

29 Weeks

Still feeling good with no aches or pains. We started a new lifting program that provides opportunity to PR often whether it's hitting a heavy 1 rep max or challenging ourselves to go heavy on 3, 5 or 8 reps. It's a lot of fun to see what I'm capable of. Of course listening to my body comes before trying to hit a new number but so far, so good. I've hit new PR's every week, sometimes two in a day. 

                                     

30 weeks

175lb Deadlift + 5 rep RDLs

It wasn't too long ago that I struggled to pull 170lbs so needless to say, I'm thrilled that 175lbs in addition to 5RDLs is no problem. 

At the 30 week mark I am a full 25lbs heavier than I was pre-pregnancy. I got my body fat % measured this week and they measured me two different ways. One way was including my abdomen measurements which said I was 21% body fat and one was without abdomen measurements, saying I was 18%body fat. Either way, it was less than what I expected it to be. It means that in addition to putting on roughly 4-7% body fat, I've also put on muscle. I'm doing OK in eating nutrient dense foods and avoiding gluten although I've made a few more exceptions than I'd like to admit. I'm still conscience of getting enough protein each day and avoiding empty calories. I've found that I put on pounds pretty fast when I eat late at night (duh) so I'm working on getting out of the habit of snacking after the kids go to bed when I'm sitting on the couch relaxing. Not a good time to indulge :) 

1 gallon of water a day is what I aim for. Most days I hit that mark no problem. I've found that having a good water source makes it much easier to drink the water. We stopped drinking tap water years ago, but now we're buying reverse osmosis water from Rainbow Blossom for .59 a gallon or Whole Foods for .39 a gallon and it tastes so good. The Rainbow blossom water claims to have added up to 500x more oxygen than normal water. Interesting! Whether it's true or not, it certainly makes it easier to drink lots of water when it's so smooth.  

31 week
200lb RDL 5reps
17lb PR (Happy Dance!)
This was a very happy day for me. Last time we went heavy on RDLs I got 183lbs for 3 reps so this 17lb jump in weight plus 2 reps was fun.

31weeks +5days

100lb Bench 

8lb PR

It wasn't pretty... but I did it! I reached the triple digits on my bench. I've been dreaming of this day for a long time. Sometimes I feel like I'm cheating in this whole workout thing because it's SO. MUCH. FUN! Sure, it's often hard to get in my car and drive to the gym because I know how much energy I'm going to put out but I'm always rewarded. Rewarded with a really nice rush of endorphins, sometimes rewarded with a new PR, rewarded as I watch others accomplish their goals and rewarded, without fail, every time I walk out of there knowing I was pushed by others and myself to get stronger and healthier. It is also rewarding knowing that my children are watching and learning. They see Mom and Dad workout at home and know when I leave three times a week I'm heading to the gym. Kids often emulate what they see and both Sam and Simone try pushups, squats, situps and swing on our gym rings daily. Sam actually has stellar pushup form. It's gratifying knowing that they are growing up with healthy habits of eating well and exercising. Sam informed me last week that he wants to run a race so we are looking into signing him up for the next kids race in our area. 

Powerlifting also has it's lows though. I've cried a few times and thrown little internal pity parties and temper tantrums when I feel off that day and have to back off the weight, or when I get too competitive and start comparing myself to what everyone else can do and what I can't do. My Coach is good at reminding me to do "my" best and not worry about what others are doing. It's a good thing because sometimes I get competitive with guys who can bench hundreds of pounds. What? I know, it doesn't make sense but I want to be throwing that much weight around too, dangit!  Of course that competitiveness is also coupled with a joy in watching my fellow lifters reach new PRs. Molly, a super cool 17year old chick who weighs 135lbs hit 162lbs on her squat today. It was amazing! I couldn't be happier for her and it's thrilling to watch others in their awesomeness. 

Date Bars

Lara Bars... ever heard of them? They're so good, mostly because the ingredients are simple and even organic depending on which bar you choose. It's rare to find a sweet treat without added sugar and these hit to spot for our family for several weeks... until we realized we were spending way too much on them. We decided to try our own version for two reasons. Cost and health. After much trial and error (read: Jake spending many hours in the kitchen using different techniques, ingredients and ratios) this recipe came into being. Kuddos to my husband for his patience and persistance. I am not nearly as innovative or ambitious in the kitchen as he is. The end result turned out to be far better than Lara bars. Sorry Lara, whoever you are.


3 cups pitted Dates
1/4-1/2 cup Cocao Nibs
1 cup Unsweetened Coconut Shreds
2 heaping TBSP Cocoa Powder
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan Salt
1/4 cup ground up Chia Seeds
1 scoop of chocolate whey protein (optional for an extra protein boost)

Step One...
Mix in food processor for 3-5 minutes until ingredients are thoroughly incorporated. When it's done mixing it should be like a very thick dough that can easily be packed into a ball.

1 cups chopped dry roasted almonds or raw almonds (or any other kind of nut you like)
1/4 cup of shredded coconut

Step Two...
Using your hands, knead the dough into the chopped nuts.  Spread the coconut shreds on the counter and roll dough out onto the shreds until you reach the desired thickness. Personally, I prefer them pretty thin. Take a knife or pizza roller and cut into bars then put them in the freezer. The fridge works too but we all prefer them from the freezer.

I hope to post photos of the process. The best tip I can give is letting the food processor do it's thing for long enough. If you stop the processing too early you're stuck with a crumbly mess.

*We buy 5lbs of dates at a time, make them all at once and that lasts our family of four about a week.

Kristy's Success Story...

I wanted to be healthy during my first pregnancy, but I was far from it. I weighed 10lbs more than what was typical for me, and though I was fairly conscious of trying to consume healthy food I definitely used that common phrase "it's okay to have that...you're pregnant!" to justify my cravings and indulged as much as I wanted. I did nothing active, other than a prenatal yoga every now-and-then and an occasional walk. In the end, I gained 42lbs and had a long recovery from birth. I felt exhausted, sore, tired and an all around feeling of blah the entire 39 weeks I was pregnant.

I was determined not to let the same thing happen the next time I got pregnant. Over the course of a year-and-a-half I got back in shape. In fact, I got more in shape than I ever had been in my life. Which isn't saying a lot because I've never been athletic or fit so I pretty much started from the beginning, but it was a lot for me and I felt really good. Sure, I wasn't overweight, but I had zero muscle strength and no energy. I was a cardio girl during that time, I didn't know any different. Until I started learning more about exercise and seeing the results in other woman, I pretty much just ran. Ran my butt off. Trained and ran a half-marathon, and ran some more. I enjoyed it at the time, but after beginning to discover other parts of the fitness world I realized that pure cardio wasn't necessarily the healthiest or most effective way to get fit, and it wasn't the way for me...I wanted more. I started simply by doing pushups and ab exercises, and P90x when I could...but my workouts were inconsistent, I knew I wasn't pushing myself as hard as I could and I knew I was capable of more. In the end we decided to join a gym and I was stoked to push myself and get into a more regular routine. 

Just before the time we got a membership we had recently made major changes in our diet. I was feeling on top of the world as a result and was hungry to learn as much as I could about health and fitness. I had always been a health-concious person, but I had no clue that my health-conciousness could be improved so much. Over the course of that year-and-a-half after my daughter was born I really started paying attention to the way food made me feel, what I was putting in my body and why. My husband and I decided to make a few huge changes in our daily eating, specifically cutting out bread, gluten, refined sugars, all processed foods, and additives. And making it a point to get the things our bodies needed, like protein, good fats, and lots and lots and lots of green veggies. I'd never felt better in my life. 

Then, I got pregnant.

I remember the first day I went to the gym...it was the day I found out I was pregnant. If it had been my first pregnancy that would've scared me enough to cancel my gym membership, but not this time. I had recently had a miscarriage a couple months beforehand so the idea I had of pushing myself really hard was out. But I knew I wanted to stay active, and I had a strange peace in the back of my head that told me I we would be fine and not to give up--not to let fear destroy what I believed was important and justify becoming a couch potato. I would keep up what my body was already used to, and I really wanted to try a few classes that interested me...so I went to the gym!

I went to a Zumba class that first day, and I still have to laugh at myself when I think about it. Regardless, I went back the next week, and the next, and found it fun for awhile. I had a free session with a personal trainer and she showed me some basics for the results that I wanted, most of which I already knew. I also tried a couple other gym classes and ended up loving one specifically involving circuit training with a more crossfit-type approach. I quit Zumba after awhile, because even though it made me sweat I felt like for the time I was in class I could get a more effective workout doing an hour of something else. I tried a lot of new things that I'd never done before, specifically in class, and fell into a groove that challenged me. I listened to my body, kept a steady pace and pushed myself where I could.

Staying active wasn't a challenge for me in the beginning, even though I was tired a lot and napped nearly everyday, I mostly looked forward to my workouts. Food, was the biggest challenge those first several weeks, mainly because I felt some level of nausea 90% of the day. I didn't want to eat anything, but I forced myself to at least consume the things I knew I, and the baby, needed. I did really good at first sticking to my normal diet, but all I craved was bread and sugary things. And since nothing else sounded good to me it was really hard not to gorge on these things. I did keep up with fueling my body with the good things I needed, but it was the extra stuff I wanted that I knew I didn't need, that was hard. I did start incorporating bread into my regular diet at one point, convincing myself that maybe my body just needed it. And maybe it did, I don't know, but it didn't make me feel any better. It only temporarily satisfied the craving...kinda. And it made it that much harder to say no to other things. The more I let myself indulge in the things I craved the more I realized how much it was slowing me down and making my energy wane. I wrestled with justifying my choices and kept going back and forth--thinking I needed it, thinking I didn't. Trying to go without it and letting myself have things. Once I realized that I was letting things creep back into my diet out of pure laziness...I cut them out. Which was about the same time the nausea disappeared. So I re-adjusted a bit and got back on the track I wanted to be. I started feeling amazing almost instantly, in fact, despite my growing belly and feeling my little human kick inside of me, when the second trimester was in full swing I didn't feel pregnant at all.

Mid second-trimester I battled more with working out than I did in the beginning. It was winter and over the course of a month my family took turns being sick. I missed workouts because I didn't feel good. I missed workouts because my daughter didn't feel good. I missed workouts because I felt like I needed to recover before I pushed my body. Some of it was necessity. But honestly, most of it was probably plain laziness. I had issues with my hips being tilted at one point which sent my pubic bone to cause me crazy pain. It was weird, but it only lasted a week with the help of chiropractor to 'fix me' and it hasn't happened again. But it was a really hard and emotional week for me because I thought I was done for for the rest of the of the pregnancy. Not only did I not want to feel like that for the next several months, but I hated the feeling of suddenly being able to do nothing. I felt like a failure. I wondered how (if I was the most fit I'd ever been in my life before I got pregnant) why would I have this problem during this pregnancy when I didn't have anything like it during the first? I jumped to conclusions, freaked myself by reading things online, and felt really defeated. After dealing with my crazy emotions for a week I finally found peace in myself and reminded myself what was important. And when the pain disappeared I was so incredibly thankful and it re-energinzed me in every way. I felt amazing again, physically, emotionally and mentally. 

Since then, I've kept up a routine and have been feeling even better as a result. I am 33 (and a half!) weeks along and I feel the best right now than I have the entire pregnancy. And for the majority of this pregnancy I have felt great in every way! I literally feel like I can do everything I was doing when I was 10 weeks along. I have energy. I don't hurt. I feel good. Which is not at all how I felt during my first pregnancy this late in the game. I honestly feel totally different than I did last time and I am shocked. I remember dreading picking something up off the floor at this point when I was pregnant with my daughter. I was winded all the time. I hurt, everywhere. I was exhausted. I felt huge and bloated. Right now I feel like I could go run 6 miles or bench 150lbs (which I totally can't!) without difficulty. But I have that energy. I feel strong. I feel alive. I don't hurt. I don't have a problem bending down or picking up my daughter and carrying her throughout the day. I'm tired--because of my bad habit of getting to bed late and the fact that I have to get up to pee several times already, but I'm far from exhausted. I have ambition. I don't feel like a whale. I don't really feel that pregnant...and I'm having a baby in 6ish weeks! 

At 33 weeks pregnant, I feel amazing. I've gained 21lbs thus far. I've made it a point to listen to my body, eat when I'm hungry and in terms of quality instead of quantity. And instead of my body getting weaker throughout this pregnancy (like I thought it was going to!) it has actually gotten stronger. I have improved the power in my legs, I have visibly improved the look and strength in my arms. I'm far from where I'd like to be some day in terms of lifting heavy weights, and I see women (pregnant and not) do and lift much more than me, but I've lifted more being pregnant than I could when I wasn't and that makes me feel good. Despite the fact that my body is changing and a producing a human-being, despite the fact that cute clothes don't fit, despite the fact that my emotions are all over the place and sensitive, it makes me feel happy. It makes me feel strong and alive. 

Exercise and healthy eating is tough when you're not pregnant, and it's tough when you are pregnant. For me it's not just about looking a certain way, it's about being healthy because it's good for me. It's good for my baby. If eating healthy and exercise were easy it probably wouldn't be important. Anything worth something...takes effort. Mentally, emotional and physically. It takes all of those things to make healthy choices and so for me these last 33 weeks have been a learning process on discovering how strong I can be, and how strong I'm not. It's been an interesting journey, I've learned a lot about myself, and it's not over yet! 

Bringing a baby into this world is a special thing. One I don't take lightly--which is why I've tried so hard to stay healthy and active this whole time. As women we were made to birth babies. We were also meant to have muscle and eat basic, good food. We were meant to be strong. Embrace that. Believe in yourself. Believe in your body. And believe in your mind.

33 weeks

40lb Weighted squats 

 33 weeks

120lb Seated Row

 33 weeks

60lb bench press

 33 weeks

Plank curls

33 weeks

Weighted sit ups

Gluten Free Coconut Date Cookies

Gluten Free Coconut Date Cookies

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour
• 3/4 stick of butter, softened (It called for a whole stick but I didn't want that much butter. Also, may be able to substitute coconut oil for butter. )
• 1/4 cup sugar (I used raw cane sugar)
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/3 unsweetened coconut shreds
• 1/3 chopped dates

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375*F.
2. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Mix well until batter is blended evenly.
3. Roll batter into 1-inch balls and place on a greased baking sheet.
4. Bake cookies for approximately 12-15 minutes.
5. Remove cookies from baking sheet and allow to cool on wire rack.
6. Eat and enjoy!

27-28 weeks

      27 weeks

        Weighted Sit-ups 6sets 10reps

28 weeks

                                                               70lb Goblet squats 4sets 8reps

I'm pleased to say that at 28 weeks, lifting and all related exercises are going great! With an additional 22lbs added to my frame, I've actually been able to increase some areas of strength. Pushups have improved and my squat, deadlift and bench have all gone up. Chinups and pullups are stalled but I'm determined to at least maintain, if not increase strength in this area.

Calories, cravings and more...

23 weeks

Teaching Sam lunges. He likes watching and learning and is willing to try anything. He also joined me for part of my jog earlier that afternoon. 

24 weeks

90% of my one rep max for as many times as possible

 82lb bench 3x

(can't hide the bump any longer)

24 weeks 

90% of my one rep max for as many times as possible. 

165lbs Deadlift 6x (PR)


Week 24: Total weight gain is 15lbs which is quite a jump in weight since week 20 but I know I've been eating really well 95% of the time so apparently it's weight I need.

Calories: I feel like my body is becoming more efficient at absorbing nutrients because I look at my weight gain, energy level and strength, and I see all three increasing. The interesting thing is that I have not increased my calorie intake. I eat when I'm hungry and stop when I'm satisfied which happens to mean I'm eating the same amount I was pre-pregnancy. I am not eating for two (gasp). Meaning, I'm not eating the extra 300 calories recommended during pregnancy. There is no "one size fits all" in any area of life, and this includes pregnancy. If you need an extra 300 or 1000 calories, eat it! But, for example, a sedentary pregnant woman and a pregnant athlete are probably not going to need the same amount of calories in a day. Many other variables factor into how much each person needs. Metabolic rate, nutrition type, hormones produced, muscle/fat ratios, starting height and weight of the woman, just to name a few.

 All I can say is... LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! Am I aware of myself enough to know when to stop eating? Do I know what satisfaction vs. full feels like? I think counting calories is overrated. What kind of calories am I feeding my body and baby?  Am I  getting enough easily assimilated proteins each day? Am I eating enough good fats? Am I drinking enough water? Am I getting the vitamins and minerals that my body needs to create a new person? Maybe those are the questions we should be asking ourselves instead of counting the quantity... half of which may be useless because there is no nutritional value to those calories. I consider quality of calories more important than quantity!!!


 Cravings: I have plenty of them. I went to bed early one night to avoid ordering Papa Johns. That's how bad the craving was! I make exceptions occasionally but find that when I succumb to a bad craving, it's a battle for the next few days to not eat out again. It seems to spoil my taste buds, making it hard for me to appreciate the flavors of healthy foods. I'm currently fighting sugar cravings in the afternoon by eating small snacks and meals almost hourly throughout the day. It helps prevent my blood sugar from crashing and I feel stronger to resist that mid afternoon pull towards sugar.

Chat Conversation End

Gluten-free Dairy-free Banana Cake

This is a recipe Jacob made up and then I modified it a bit. SO good with a cup of tea or coffee. Ideally, the end result should be a spongy, moist banana cake/bread. It's equally delicious hot out of the oven or cold from the fridge.


Banana cake

Dry:
2 rounded TBSP coconut flour (sifted)
2 rounded TBSP almond flour or meal
1 TBSP arrowroot powder
1 TSP baking powder
1/2 TSP salt
1/4 cup of raw cane sugar or honey
1-2 TSP cocoa powder (optional)
1 TSP cinnamon (optional)

Wet:
4 egg yolks
1 TSP vanilla
2 medium very ripe bananas or 3 small bananas

4 egg white beaten until stiff

Mix dry and wet ingredients separately then mix together. Gently fold in egg white then pour into a greased 8x11 pan.  Bake 370 for about 20 minutes

To squat or not to squat?

On squatting below parallel during pregnancy!!!

Getting stronger?

Is this okay; getting stronger during pregnancy? The past few weeks I've hit new personal records which has brought this question to mind. 

As I think more about building strength during pregnancy, I realize how opposite this is of most advice you'll hear. It's normally "run slower, lift less, eat more, stay off your feet, don't push it, etc." Rarely, if ever, is it acceptable to get stronger while also growing a baby.

Don't get me wrong... I totally understand there will be holdups because of changes in our hormones, loosening ligaments, extra weight, the body changing shape and just the fact that you're responsible for a little human life. I fully expect to reach a point where my abdomen might feel tight or pulled because I'm lifting heavy and I'll have to back off. I know I won't be able do some of the exercises because the baby will be in the way. I won't fight this and will continue being smart and extra cautious in the gym. However, if my body is telling me I'm fully capable and I feel fine, why would I stop getting stronger? What's the harm in lifting heavy while growing a baby? As far as I've experienced and can see... nothing. I believe it's totally safe as long as precautions are taken, like having a knowledgeable Coach, a spotter at all times, making mobility priority and being willing to scale or even quit for the day if you're feeling off. I also see a Chiropractor 2-4 times a month who knows my exercise routine and keeps a close eye on me, especially my pelvis as it tends to tilt.  

I believe that staying strong and eating well play a major role in my low blood pressure, no lower back pain, no water retention, no heartburn or any other problems so far.  I don't think that women have to be plagued with the typical pregnancy discomforts and problems. For me, the key has been to be fit pre-pregnancy and then stay fit while pregnant. 

I'm a big believer in our physical, emotional and mental strength as women;  strength that sometimes is never tapped into, strength that often stays hidden and unexplored. I simply advocate staying in tune with your body and listening to instinct (which may look different for every woman).  Do I ever think I've "arrived?" Never! To think that would be foolish. I do my best to stay open and teachable to hearing concerns about this particular issue because there is always something new to learn. 

Carli addresses this pregnancy myth of not lifting heavy. 

    21 weeks Benching 92lbs 

                                                     21 weeks Deadlifting 175lbs (5lb PR)

I finally busted through the wall I'd hit with this lift. I was stuck at 170lbs for too many weeks. Tomorrow I'm trying for 180. I'll update on how that goes. 

*Update: 180lb deadlift was surprisingly easy but I missed my 95lb bench press.

Food and Supplements

Total weight gain by the halfway mark is 9lbs. I'm happy with this because that allows 23lbs of wiggle room for the remainder 20 weeks. I'd like to stay below 170lbs this time around but of course I won't go on a diet if I pass that mark.


Supplements I take daily


Folic acid
Coenzymate B Complex- This kind is dissolved under the tongue. Not terrible but not pleasant in taste.
Whey Protein- Look for cold processed and from grassfed cows.
Krill Oil-
Probiotics-
Vitamin C- Look for buffered/time released
Coral Calcium
Ultra Magnesium 
Organic Coconut oil- At least 2TBSP a day. Look for cold pressed and organic
Vitamin D- 6,000 IU's. D-3 is what you want!
Spirulina - 5-6 grams. Make sure it has not been harvested around or in Japan because of radiation and toxicity levels.  I like the tablet or capsule form. While it's more expensive than powder form, it's fast and easy. The powder is a little much for me to handle as you have to find ways to disguise the strong taste. Here's a great article on the benefits of spirulina. It truly is a SUPER food!



Foods I eat

Grass-fed beef
Free range, organic chicken
Farm fresh eggs (raw and cooked)
Organic fruits (although I try to limit the quantity and focus on eating berries mostly)
Beans that have been soaked for 24-36 hours to rid them of anti-nutrients that make them very hard to digest (Beans are high in starch so I rarely eat them)
Organic vegetables ( I try to eat the colorful and avoid the starchy)
Organic Jasmine or Basmati Rice- Why white over brown rice?
Organic Coconut Milk- Whole Foods 365 brand has the best tasting and best price I've found.
Fermented foods
     - Sauerkraut- look for organic with only Cabbage, water and salt as the ingredients. Avoid any that        have vinegar added as the vinegar prevents proper fermentation.
     - Kefir- we make our own from raw grassfed cows milk. It's a simple, easy process.
     - Kombucha tea- GT's is a great brand. It's organic and raw and comes in amazing flavors. You can also be as cool as my husband and make your own. Tonight I had the best Kombucha to date... made right in our own kitchen.
Raw Cheese- Trader Joe's sells this for $5.50lb
Small quantities of raw nuts
Organic raw almond butter
Organic peanut butter without added sugar
Ghee
Raw honey (Really Raw honey can be found at Whole Foods $37.00 for 5lbs) This is considered a super food. I give the kids and myself a spoonful a day and never use it for baking because the heat  destroys the nutrients. This 5lb container last our family of four about a month.
Raw cane sugar in moderation
Organic Spices (single and pure without any additives)
Organic whole oats preferably soaked overnight.
Organic Coconut Oil- 2TBSP a day. Look for oil that has only been heated at a very low temperature for a short amount of time.
Organic Extra Virgin Olive oil- I do not use for cooking as it becomes toxic when heated.
Organic Gluten free soy sauce
Org. Coconut flour
Almond flour
Raw homemade ice cream in moderation.
Himalayan salt- contains over 80 minerals and elements found in the human body. You can't have too much himalayan salt.





Foods I avoid

Bread
Pasta
Chips (occasionally I buy organic corn chips)
Cereal
Refined sugar
High Fructose corn syrup
Corn (even corn on the cob because its so high in starch and sugar)
Most cheese
Canned vegetables and fruits
Cooking oils
Commercial milk or cream
Canned meats
Butter
Starchy vegetables
All artificial sweeteners
Processed or heated honey
Commercial Juices
Agave Nectar
Corn starch
Soft drinks
Processed meats (hot dogs, sausages etc)
Pectin
Gluten
Crackers
Cookies

This is GT's Kombucha alongside the homemade ferment. 

The porcelain fermenter used for homemade Kombucha.

Catchup Week 11- Week 20

11 weeks Maxing out on deadlift at 160lbs

Week 11 I brought back a little gluten into my diet because of laziness and saw a decrease in energy and moodiness so by the end of the week I cut it out again and felt great.

12 weeks deadlifting 145lbs x 5

Week 12 I felt very good! We were in the middle of a program that included higher reps at a lower weight which tested me in new ways. I'd much rather do higher weight and lower reps!! 

My body weight started to increase fast so I revamped my diet and was even more careful how much sugar I was consuming and made sure to get all carbs from fresh veggies. 

13 weeks Squatting 120lbs x 5

Week 13 Gained a total of 4lbs since the beginning of pregnancy and felt really good. My drink choice of the week was raw egg, kefir and whey blended together. It wasn't as bad as it sounds... but not delicious. Started walking or jogging to get in some cardio which seems to really help in maintaing my weight. People don't understand or believe me when I say I could gain a pound a day while pregnant. I'm somewhat jealous of all the women that can eat whatever they want and only gain 20-30lbs throughout their pregnancy. But again, if that was my story, I would not be as careful about what I ate, so in the end, I'm grateful I have to work so hard to stay at a reasonable weight. 

14 weeks 183lb RDL

Week 14 Some days I didn't even feel like I was pregnant. Maybe that has to do with hitting the second trimester.  I pushed hard at the gym while being careful to listen to my body.

Week 15 Decided to try intermittent fasting.  Eating one big meal a day then doing small snacks for the remainder of the day so I still got in all my calories. I found that I started gaining weight faster than I was comfortable with so I went back to five small meals a day. Proud to say that at this point I hadn't missed a workout in my entire pregnancy. 

16 weeks hitting benching PR 90lbs

Week 16 was max out week for Bluegrass Barbell. Because of the heavy lifting week in front of me, I packed in the protein and good fats and felt ready to go each day. 

Bench PR from 80lbs to 90lbs

Deadlift went nowhere :(

Squat PR went from 140lbs to 150lbs

For the first time in the pregnancy I had lower back and left hip issues. After working with the Chiropractor I found out that it's a common problem for pregnant women to experience pelvis tilting. Part of this, for me, was caused but muscle imbalance and exacerbated by pregnancy, loose ligaments and a curvature of my spine. 

*I heard the babys heartbeat and felt baby move for the first time!!!  :) 

Week 17 6lbs of total weight gain and felt on top of the world. My hip still hurt but I spent extra time stretching and saw the Chiropractor and message therapist that week which seemed to help a lot. I took it easy on squats and did not deadlift at all. 

Week 18 7lbs of total weight gain. I felt great and had energy from the moment I woke up. I'm not a morning person so this improvement in energy was significant! I worked hard in the gym and managed any lows in my day by taking Coenzymate B Complex and within 20 minutes would feel like a new person. The heavy lifts continued to feel normal other than a little hip pain that I continued to work on by stretching. 

Week 19 My hip pain peaked this week and I was starting to get worried that it would keep me from squatting and deadlifting. My Coach decided to stretch my legs and back. While he was twisting, turning and pushing on my legs, I thought about killing him because it hurt that bad. I walked out of 6th Gear that night concerned and questioning his sanity. The next day...  I was pain free! Faith in my Coach was restored :) The pain came back a little a few days later, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it'd been. I tried some stretches that my body responded well to and it gradually disappeared. 

This week I increased the amount of meat I'd been eating instead of relying on whey so much.  

 

 

20 weeks 5:30am birthday workout. 

 Bench Press 87lbsx3 (PR)

Deadlift 170x3 (PR)

Squat 125x3

Week 20 was a good week! I hit two PRs on my birthday and had a wonderful weekend with my family. However, the downside of being away from home is the temptation of bad food. I'm very strong at home... because I limit what is allowed in the house :) So maybe it's a false strength because out in public I still have a very hard time resisting bread and sweets. My sister in law made amazing snicker-doodle cookies (I had four),  ate rolls with soup,  snagged a small piece of pizza from my sister, ate theater popcorn while at the movies and had a soda at a pub with my sisters. Just those exceptions were enough to make me gain 4lbs. Hard to believe, right? But I'm telling you, my body holds on to anything and everything while I'm preggo. All I have to do is look at food and I gain a pound. I think it's weird and I definitely know it's frustrating. It's been suggested to me that I may have higher estrogen levels than some, which make me hold onto those extra calories.

 I'm halfway finished growing a baby! Hooray. Selfishly, I'm already struggling with feeling thick and can't wait to get back to my pre-preggo self. 

Catchup Weeks 1-10

Three months before finding out I was pregnant with baby #3 I joined a great gym full of strong women and men who have encouraged and supported me and become like family. I also have an experienced trainer who helped me gain 10lbs of lean muscle and lose 4% body fat in the first two months. What a different experience it's been to feel purposeful and efficient with my time in the gym, To always have something I'm working toward and someone keeping a watchful eye on form and technique. My Coach pushes me in ways I'd never push myself, and holds me back when I'd be injured if I kept going. A trainer who is skilled and knowledgeable, putting great emphasis on safety through stretching and mobility, who is a stickler about perfect form and believes in you even when you don't believe in yourself = INVALUABLE. Especially when pregnant! I never saw the need for a trainer until I had one but now I'm a believer. 

A typical day at the gym. Stretching and warming up for ten to fifteen minutes, sixty to ninety minutes of lifting then five to ten minutes of cooling down and stretching. 3-4 times a week.

Pre-pregnancy Body Stats

138lbs

14% body fat

Week 4 I felt normal and coninued my workouts. Lots of heavy lifting. 

Week 5 One word... Fatigued! Utterly exhausted and my stomach started acting sensitive to certain foods. 

                                                                          6 weeks squatting 115lbs

Week 6 was my hardest week in terms of low energy, nausea and feeling pretty depressed. I didn't miss a workout though and pushed through the feeling of weakness. I knew it was my hormones kicking in. A few things I took to help with energy before my workouts

Spirulina

Whey Protein

A spoonful of raw honey

Gt's Kombucha

Every single time I walked out of the gym after a workout, I felt on top of the world. The promised rush of endorphins, which just so happens to be beneficial for the baby, kept me coming back on the days that were the hardest. 

Week 7 I still felt tired and out of it. Sometimes I literally felt like I was sleep walking. Working out always helped! 

As far as nutrition goes the only things that sounded good were sugar and carbs like bread and pasta and I found myself giving into those cravings. Meat looked, smelled and tasted terrible. I was hungry a lot but felt guilty for putting processed foods into my body.  I gagged on whey protein but kept choking it down. I spent my mornings that week on the couch.  

8 weeks 70lb weighted situps

Week 8 I felt somewhat better. Still struggled with energy levels and little motivation to get out the door to the gym. While at the gym I continued my normal lifts and continued to hit PR's.

 9 weeks Working up to an unassisted chin up

Week 9 was tough in the beginning but by the end of the week my energy had improved and I was only nauseous right after waking in the morning. I took 1-2 hour naps and cut out all gluten and processed sugar and began focusing on eating higher amounts of protein. For a powerlifter,  you need 1 gram of protein per body pound which put me at 140grams a day. I got that protein through fresh raw eggs, organic grassfed whey, kefir made with raw milk and meat. 

10 weeks 15lb weighted plank

Week 10 was the turning point in mood swings and energy levels. My hormones seemed to level out and I felt like a human being again. I still hadn't missed a workout. I'm so thankful for a husband that encouraged me to stay strong and did everything he could to help me succeed. I really cannot explain how hard those first weeks were. Most of the time when Jake came home from work, I wanted to pass out in bed (sometimes I did) but having his support and knowing the kids were well taken care of while I was gone helped so much. 

I continued to focus on lots of protein and ALWAYS made sure to have 20-30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of finishing my workout. A helpful way of remembering to do this was by packing the whey in a mason jar, mixed with water and ready to drink right when I got in my car to drive home. If taken alone, whey is assimilated by the body within 15 minutes so it immediately supplied my torn muscles with the nutrition it needed to refuel and rebuild. 

Backstory

Five years ago when I learned I was pregnant with my first child, I began a search for stories of moms who stayed fit through their pregnancy via good diet and exercise. This proved to be surprisingly difficult to find.

Frustrated, I decided to follow the general consensus of moms and doctors which was to walk as often as possible. I also decided to eat a lot because I had been convinced by some well intentioned experts that I needed to eat for two. That didn't work very well. I gained over 65 lbs. and my little baby was a whopping 9 lbs. 11 oz.

The following year, I was determined to lose all that I had gained and I worked very hard to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. It took me almost 1.5 years to shed those extra pounds which I felt was way too long (and way too much work).

Now that I was thin again, I resolved that if I ever got pregnant a second time I was going to do things very differently. I was not sure what I could do different but knew that there had to be a better way to be healthily pregnant - for both me and the baby.

One year and ten months after my first pregnancy, I got my chance to try things differently. Now pregnant with my second child, I decided to keep doing what I had done in order to lose all the weight from my previous pregnancy: running. I'd run a half marathon and logged many miles on the road. I decided to go against the grain and run through my pregnancy if I could manage it. It was hard but I kept running right up until 3 days before my daughter Simone was born. She weighed 7lbs 13oz.

I changed my diet as well and this time only ate for two in regards to quality, not quantity. It worked. I gained a little under 35 lbs. I was thrilled. It took me six months to lose the weight and another two months to feel toned and strong again. In November 2011, 19 months after giving birth to Simone, I found out that I was pregnant for a third time.

I have created this blog so that I can have a place to journal and document how I stay healthy and fit before, during and after this pregnancy.