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.