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.
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