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.