Pregnancy, Cravings, Weight Gain and Eating Properly for Once! A Must Read for Expecting or New Moms! Part 1

Since becoming pregnant I've been asked the same question over and over again.  "Have you been having any weird cravings yet?"

The answer is NO.  

Well, I suppose that's a lie.  When we first conceived I was expecting the obligatory cravings like ice cream and pickles.  Things really far out there and gross to the non-pregnant population.  While I do like both of those items, I never once craved them together.  The only thing I started to crave really bad was meat.  I was a vegetarian for 16 years before becoming pregnant.  Notice I said was a vegetarian (I will cover more on this in part 2).  I hated that I was craving the one thing I had avoided for so long!  So I went down to my local Indigo and started browsing the pregnancy section, in hopes of finding a book that would tell me my cravings could be justified.  As it turns out, I found quite the opposite and it really opened my eyes to what was truly going on in this head of mine.

I purchased the book Skinny Bitch Bun in the Oven and immediately read it from cover to cover.  I really loved their "tell it like it is" approach and found value in a lot of the information.  One of the main messages I retained from this book and is that cravings are just that: cravings!  This line of thought 100% changed my outlook. Think about it this way, cigarette smokers crave smoking, alcoholics crave the bottle and drug addicts crave drugs.  This doesn't mean that any of those things are actually something that the craver needs!!!!!  After a bit more research into food cravings, I found that the only solid craving your body gets when it needs something is ice.  It is a sign that you're iron deficient.  So if that sounds like you, please have that checked!  Otherwise, look at it this way: You are no longer fueling yourself, you are fueling the body of a whole new human being.  They are depending on you to provide them with the nutrients that they need to grow strong in the womb.  Stuffing your face with 1,000's of extra sugary and nutrient-bare calories a day is doing absolutely no one any good.  Guess what ladies, it's not about you anymore!  It is extremely selfish, plain and simple.  (wow, I said craving a LOT in that last paragraph!)

You are absolutely going to gain weight while you are pregnant.  It is crucial for fetal development. But it shouldn't be because you've let all inhibitions fly out the door and are now eating like a raging hormonal monster!  

Healthy weight gain while pregnant is as follows:

• Under weight prior to pregnancy = 30-40lb total*
• Healthy weight prior to pregnancy = 20-35lb total*
• Over weight prior to pregnancy = 15-20lb total*

*Please remember that these are guidelines and that your doctor will help you find the best weight gain range for your body.

If you're worried about what all that extra weight amounts to, don't worry it's not all fat, there IS a baby in there after all!  Here's a breakdown for you:

Baby	5-10+ lb
Maternal Tissue Fluid	6 lb
Maternal Fat Stores	5 lb
Blood Volume	2.5 lb
Amniotic Fluid	2 lb
Uterus	2 lb
Breast Tissue	1 lb
Placenta	1 lb
Total	24.5lb – 29.5lb**

**The information in this chart is courtesy of The Pre & Post Natal Fitness Certification Manual, by Sue Dumais & Lisa Windsor.

In the first and second trimesters you should aim for an extra 390 calories per day, and in the third trimester you only need around 300 extra calories per day.  Everyone has different opinions on this but I've found this to be ideal.  You aren't eating for 2 adults, you're eating for one adult and one tiny little baby!!!

Becoming pregnant is the perfect time to start living a healthier lifestyle.  Incorporating light exercise as prescribed by a prenatal fitness consultant and eating healthy into your daily routine now will not only benefit you during your pregnancy, but it can assist with an easier labour and will also give you the tools you need to bring your baby into a healthy environment.  Plus, once you've delivered your baby and have doctor's clearance to exercise again, it's much easier to get into pre-baby shape when you haven't gorged yourself and let yourself go!  Develop your good habits now and they will be second nature once your bundle of joy arrives.  Active healthy parents = active healthy children.

If you have any questions regarding any of the information above, feel free to contact me at info@oceancitymobilefitness.com.

Stay tuned for more information on fueling your body in an appropriate way to maintain a healthy weight gain throughout your pregnancy.

Until then,

Jenn

www.oceancitymobilefitness.com

Wrapping my Head Around This - Part 1

**Let me preface this post by letting you know this post starts off as a bit of a woah is me whine.  I know many mothers go through much worse than I have, and for that my hat's off to you!

I have always considered myself a woman who is in shape and takes good care of herself.  I do some form of exercise daily, I eat well and I take time for myself every day to reflect, relax and centre myself.  So upon finding out that I will soon be a mommy, I really thought this pregnancy would be a breeze!

Boy was I mistaken.

Don't get me wrong, now that I'm in the 2nd trimester I'm feeling much more like my old self.  Really though, the first three months of this pregnancy were quite rough on me, which I touched on here.  I had a terrible time sleeping.  Being hit by insomnia had me acting like a zombie.  I was running on at the most 3hrs of sleep a night (yes I'm aware that this is something I get to look forward to once my little one arrives).  Also, I was extremely nauseous.  Every scent had me holding my breath and running to the bathroom.

While feeling sick and exhausted was hard enough on this usually hardy personal trainer, the worst thing I went through (and am still experiencing here and there) has been pelvic instability and sciatic pain. For someone who considered herself quite fit and looked forward to her daily workouts, this was quite debilitating.  I didn't have the strength or energy to exercise.  I couldn't lie on my back because of the pain and I was mad at myself for feeling so weak.  I didn't even have the energy to work on my deep core exercises that I have been teaching my clients.  I was becoming depressed and began doubting that I was going to have the dream pregnancy I had originally hoped for.

It felt like FOREVER, but I finally made it into my 2nd trimester.  My goodness, it was like a light switched back on!   Ladies, everything they say about the 2nd trimester has rang true thus far.  I began sleeping again, the nausea is gone and I've been able to get back to exercising.  I've been able to start working on my core again, which is crucial for stabilizing your pelvis, relieving other pains associated with pregnancy and also prepares your body for birth.  The improvements have been fantastic and I feel great!  When I ask my clients what they think are ideal core strengthening exercises, I always hear the same things: sit-ups, crunches, bicycle crunches.  Sure those muscles target a few of your abdominal muscles, but they certainly don't target your core!

In my next post, I will give you a few fantastic core exercises that are crucial for everyone who exercises, not just women who are expecting.  I did my pre/post natal certification with a fantastic woman, Sue Dumais, who has spent her life learning about and working with the pelvic floor and deep core muscles.  She gave me invaluable training and I'm excited to share a bit of it with you!

Check back soon for Part 2!

Jenn
www.oceancitymobilefitness.com

I'm Back!

No, you're not seeing things.  It is really happening; I've returned from my two month hiatus.  It's been a strange and exciting time for myself, my family and my business and I'm so glad that I'm finally well enough to get back to updating this blog!

So let me give you a summary of what's been happening!

1. At the beginning of November, something we've been waiting for for a LONG time happened: my sister finally had her precious little munchkin, Lily!  Weighing in at 8lb 6oz at birth, she came into this world naturally (not that my sister intended on it being that way, things just progressed so fast!)and has been growing like a weed ever since!  Her 2 month birthday is on Wednesday and she's already up to 13lb!  I'm so in love with that little bundle of perfectness. :)

2. We went on a little vacation down to Mexico to attend the wedding of some dear friends of ours.  We stayed at Dreams Puerto Aventuras, which is down near the Mayan Riviera.  The wedding was beautiful, the resort was gorgeous and of course the scenery was wonderful.  Unfortunately I got sick right at the beginning of our trip so I couldn't enjoy myself as much as I would have liked.  At least there was good reason behind it!

3. When we got back from Mexico and (literally the day we returned) we found out that we're expecting a baby of our own!  While we are utterly thrilled, the first 12 weeks were VERY hard on me.  I had extreme nausea and my hips started separating so fast that I was in major pain.  Combating the nausea, pain and fatigue made it very hard for me to function.  I ended up taking a bit of a break from training because I just couldn't give my clients what they needed.  I knew that it wasn't going to last long though, and I was right.  Even though I'm still experiencing some hip discomfort, I'm finally able to give my clients the dedication (and butt-kickings) that they deserve!  We're just about 14 weeks now and LD (Little Duddy) is about the size of a peach!  We're due July 6th!! Because of this huge change in our lives, I've made some big changes to my business.

4. As of January 1st, Ocean City Mobile Fitness will be solely operating out of South Surrey and White Rock.  Because I'm a small business owner and my husband's income just isn't enough to support a family on its own, I will not be able to take a full maternity leave.  This means it is time to start pinching pennies now!!!  Less time traveling to clients around the lower mainland and the ability to be near our home will make this new stage in our lives easier for us.

5. After working with my clients almost solely on weight loss I've been working on the nutrition aspect of things quite a bit more in 2010.  This has me considering a degree in nutrition while continuing to kick the butts of all my clients.  I'm hoping to add this to what I can offer my clients by the beginning of 2012 and becoming a 1 stop shop for all your weight loss needs!!!!

So I think that about sums it up.  To all of my wonderful clients, thanks for hanging in here with me during this crazy time in my life.  I'm looking forward to sharing my journey through pregnancy with all of you, as well as keeping you up to date with all of my healthy weight loss tips and tricks!!!!!

All the best in 2011!!

Jenn