Archive for February 2013

Before I address this topic......

I realize every body is different with weight gain and pregnancy journey's (Some are easier than others)
However, I feel that the principle behind the weight gain is the same.

There is no perfect method to healthy weight gain,
this is just what worked for ME during my pregnancy.

Ok ladies... I know some of us don't like to admit it.
BUT, there is a difference between feeling "baby huge", and feeling "food huge".

I learned this throughout my pregnancy.

Those final weeks when you feel like you are going to pop at any second; (yes I have been there.)

That is called a baby belly.

You're baby is as big as a watermelon and you have EVERY right to feel uncomfortable, and be pampered because you feel like you are going to explode.

HOWEVER, there is a difference from feeling like you are going to pop with "baby",

and feeling like you are going to pop because of food.

Trust me.

Some days when I would really eat whatever my heart desired,
( and it's ok, we all have those days )
I felt huge.

Not just because I was carrying an 8 pound baby, BUT because of all the food.
A food belly on top of a baby belly, is the worst combination ever.
I didn't need all those unwanted extra calories.

(I am 27 weeks pregnant in this picture haha swimsuit is deceiving!)

You DESERVE to enjoy food during pregnancy.
Are you kidding me?!

For 9 months you are growing a child inside of you.. all those sleepless nights-
Girl, you DESERVE that ice cream cone when you want it!

That being said...
For me, Pregnancy in no way meant "letting myself go".

It's all about a healthy lifestyle.
I didn't want "Pregnancy" to be my excuse of changing my lifestyle.

As I said before in my LAST Fit Friday post,
this is why I hate the word diet.
Healthy should be a lifestyle, weight shouldn't have to be a rollercoaster.

Your body NEEDS extra calories when you are pregnant.
It is so important for that little one inside of you to get proper nutrition.

I came up with a couple tips that helped me have a healthy weight gain,
but also helped me to enjoy pregnancy and all it's perks:)

1. INDULGE THE BETTER OPTION.

I was really lucky and craved lots of fruits.

( if you have followed my pregnancy you will know I ate a mango a day, without fail )

However, I also craved pizza, the occasional french fries, chicken fingers and ice cream. Here's where my point comes in: INDULGE THE BETTER OPTION.

I am not a fast food person..

Which is why I thought it was weird I craved these things.

( I honestly don't remember the last time I went to Wendy's and got chicken fingers and french fries or a burger- I think I was like 13 years old )

So instead of going somewhere for take out when I did crave French Fries, I baked them at home using THIS recipe. (yes in the picture is my cut up mango haha and yes, my ultimate downfall in life is not liking too many veggies, hence the lack of green in the picture. I forced myself to eat some broccoli after this meal ha)

When I craved Chicken Fingers I made THIS recipe.

When I craved Ice Cream I went to Red Mango, or went to the grocery store and bought the Dreyers (half the fat) Ice Cream or Skinny Cows instead of going to Cold Stone.

I need to clarify and say that this was during the week. I usually try to maintain healthy eating on the weekdays.

On the weekend, I could justify going out and getting a big cheese pizza, or making a Cold Stone Ice Cream run if I couldn't live without it.

You can eat a lot of food, as long as it's the right kind of food.

Lets be honest, I ate like this about 80% of the time. No one is perfect. You should enjoy your pregnancy. I remember some nights having Fruit Loops at 2 AM. In fact, I think I had fruit loops at least 3 nights a week throughout my pregnancy. If I wanted sugar, I ate sugar.

Everyone has their weakness with food. Mine was (and is) pizza. I could live on pizza. That was my splurge on the weekends and having as much of it as I wanted to. (Maybe yours is a burger and fries?!) The point is that if you make an effort 80% of the time, you can splurge the other 20%. You will look forward to food so much more this way!!

2. Pack Snacks

I would get nauseous or a headache if I wasn't eating every 2-3 hours. Everywhere we went I packed snacks. This saved me! It saved me from grabbing candy or something that is not substantial and it also helped me feel good. I would pack fruit and bars, or some carrots- Healthy snacks to fill me up.

3. DRINK LOTS OF WATER!!!

Ok this is huge. This helps your body stay regular. I know we don't like to admit it but constipation is a common thing during pregnancy. This will also help if you are one that gets swollen! Water is so important! I am not a soda drinker, but I have studied enough to know to limit your soda intake and replace it with water. It will make all the difference!

The other tip I will tell you for a healthy weight gain is EXERCISE! I exercised pretty much every day except for Sunday for my entire pregnancy. ( I didn't miss many days ) I am a HUGE believer and I will do a post on that next week.

Overall, I ate pretty much the same as I do now while I was pregnant. I just ate a lot more haha. ( which you should! ) ( ok, I eat about the same right now because of breastfeeding, if not more! It takes it all out of you! )
I also splurged a lot more, and justified having ice cream a couple times a week because hey you are only pregnant how many times in life!? (I also exercised each day, which made it more justifiable) You deserve to enjoy it!

Happy Friday from me and my little Valentine!

Nutrition and Dieting is such a broad topic so lets just start with basics. I will break it down in the weeks to come and get into specifics about WHAT to eat and what not to eat.

Diet: The word hated by all.
Especially me.
I like to think of it as "Watching what you eat with a free day"

Your body needs healthy fats, occasional sugars and CARBS!
I do not believe in depriving yourself of these foods.
Depriving yourself of these things over a long period of time will only backfire right back at you.
You will end up gaining back the weight you have lost with a likely chance of gaining more!
(do not fall victim to those crazy pill or liquid diets, It will ruin your metabolism, and throw your body in for a loop! They only will make your weight more of a roller coaster)

Usually I am just striving to MAINTAIN my weight. (Which will be a post for another day)

However, when I am trying to lose a few pounds and watch closely what I eat
(for example: after I had the baby).. here are 5 basic important TIPS.

1. Record what you eat.

This is huge. Find someone to hold you accountable. I would read to my husband what I ate at the end of each day (haha whether he cared or not, he is a really good listener and I felt like I couldn't cheat this way)

I fell in love with THIS LOSE IT APP that I downloaded on my phone. It's completely free! It tracks your eating and exercise. Recording what you eat helps you to also be aware of what you are taking in each day. Some days I would make it to dinner and realize I hadn't eaten any veggies (My ultimate downfall in life haha)

2. Limit Eating Out.

This isn't a huge issue for us considering the fact that my husband is in law school and money doesn't grow on trees. I usually try and cook Monday through Thursday and Friday we go out to eat. This makes going out to eat that much more fun.

3. Give yourself a free day!

Judging by past experience, I need something to look forward to or my "diet" will go down the drain. For me, my free day was Friday or Saturday. (sometimes both haha) That meant that we chose a fun restaurant to go to where I could order whatever I wanted. I found that this "free" day made it so much easier to strive to eat healthy throughout the week because I had something to look forward to. Let your body enjoy food!!

4. Drink your water!!!!

Sometimes you will find yourself snacking all day. (this happens at least twice a week for me ha)

HOWEVER, sometimes your body is just thirsty. You may think you are hungry but in all reality you just need water. 75% of people don't drink enough water. Without enough water in your system, your metabolism slows down and you end up burning fewer calories. Drink at least 8 glasses or 64 ounces a day.

5. DON'T SKIP MEALS!!!

Ok, all you people out there that don't eat breakfast- shame on you!! This is one of the worst things you can do for your body. Skipping meals will slow down your metabolism. If you skip a meal, your stomach shrinks, and you are that much more likely to binge eat on the next meal.

I realize that nutrition and dieting are such broad topics and there are so many specifics, but here are just some basics to start with!

(If you have any specific questions please don't hesitate to contact me!)

Happy Friday!! xoxo