Exercising with a Belly....a pregnancy fitness update.

I've really wanted to stay fit during this pregnancy but when the morning (afternoon, and night) sickness hit full throttle around 6-7 weeks I switched to survival mode. Whatever I could do to just keep from throwing up and getting a migraine was good for me. February most of our meals were eaten at a restaurant as nothing sounded good that I would cook at home, let alone the thought of smelling of any food that I would have been preparing. Smells would put me right over the edge - and unfortunately this included all of the bath and body plug in smells around our house. Water is normally my drink of choice but didn't sound appetizing at all. Man, it was a pretty rough couple of weeks.

When I was pregnant with Dylan I jogged a couple days a week until about 5 months and then walked with a group of friends 3 miles a day, almost 5 days a week until I had Dylan. It seemed like I was able to "bounce back" much quicker. When I was pregnant with Adam I didn't do anything. We were buying a new home, moving, remodeling, and it was winter. Odds were against me. And it seems when I'm active, I eat better. When I don't, I eat junk. So I ate junk and paid for it after having Adam with about 15 lbs that just didn't want to leave my hips and tummy until many months later when I started doing cardio/strength training/eating right.

Well, I am very happy to report that during our trip to California (10 weeks) I started feeling much better and being able to better manage feeling nauseous by eating more snacks during the day. This did come after gaining 5 lbs during those weeks of eating whatever I could stomach but I'm just going to say that's part of the deal and live with it. :) I was even able to take my first run on the beach after not working out since mid-January. Sweet!
Coming from the Utah brown/white landscape of winter I was loving all the flowers.

The past couple of weeks I've made sure to workout at least 4 times a week (this week was 6 days!) and have been feeling so much better, not to mention so much happier. This morning I went with two great friends and did a jog towards the Y and then hiked the Y trail. I got a little dizzy so just went to the bottom of the Y, but I'm ok with that. I understand I can't quite push it like I'm used to, but as long as I'm staying active will be happy.

Last night the same couple friends, and their husbands and kids, all went on a bike/rollerblading ride along the river trail. We didn't go very far, very fast, and we stopped at two parks for the kids to play, but it was so fun just to be out doing something active with the family. I'm really looking forward to this spring/summer!!

HOOPING... HULA HOOPING

I have not been the best at working out as of late. I have just needed something to get me jump started again and wasn't finding that push in motivation. Then last week while reading the Salt Lake Community Education pamphlet I could not believe my eyes. They seriously offer a Hula Hooping class. Say whaaaaat! I had no idea they had a class to teach adults how to do something 5-10 yr olds do in their backyard every summer. And to those of you who are rolling your eyes because that is so 2009 and so, like, totally "in" right now, well, your eyes are going to get stuck that way. Yep, I went there.


I digress. So I could not get the idea of going to a class for an hour a day to play with a Hula Hoop out of my head so I knew this was it. This was the jump start I needed! I paid my dues, laced up my tennies and headed to the community Hula Hoop class with water bottle in tow. I wasn't quite sure what to expect while there and to be honest I was so caught up in how surprised I was with myself for taking this class that I didn't think through actually Hula Hooping for 1 straight hour. And I know you all are DYING for a visual of how this class went so please, oh please, let me touch on that slightly.

First and foremost I was told that we were hooping in the common area at East High where High School Musical was filmed. The curiosity was killing me *sarcasm* so of course I googled it. Turns out that part is true.

See where that striped shirt girl is standing behind Zach Efron is? (googled his name too)
That's where I hula'd... I mean hooped for an hour.

The teacher arrives and asks a few of us to come help her bring the hoops. I volunteered and as I walked back inside with 15+ Hula Hoops the realization that I had no idea what we could possibly be doing for an hour with these things sets in. Oh was I in store for a treat. This post could get very long with the details of this class so lets just go over the highlights:

1. The Pro's (and the cool kids) call this sport "Hooping"

2. Teacher begins class by offering to let us purchase her home made Hula Hoops that she guarantees. However, in her words, "if they start to leak or come undone, just duct tape them." No I'm not kidding.

3. We then were each given a hula hoop and a strip of duct tape to secure the hoops. Again, not kidding.

4. There was little structure to the class other than the warm up and cool down which consisted of holding each side of the hoop rotating your body around in various ways. Having structure or not didn't seem to really matter. We all laughed at each other the ENTIRE hour.

5. Teacher would show us things that we are going to learn over the course of 6 weeks then we would all spend 5-10 minutes doing those things most of which 1-8 people would master or semi master..... sooooo does this mean we will learn anything next week?

6. The 65 yr old lady in class is a Hooping PRO! I would creepily watch her to try and learn her tricks, but I could not figure them out. She has mad skills yo!

7. I figured out how to do a pirouette while hooping, however, I could not walk while hooping let alone go up and down stairs while that little tube rotates around my body. The 10 year old could go up and down stairs. I'm gonna hoop that little girl to shame next week! How dare she show me up. I kid! Sorta.

8. I now have a continual bruise around my waist that is painful when wearing pants. I only wear pants.

9. Next week we are supposed to bring weights, a mat and, a ball???

10. I did not buy teacher's homemade hoop. I don't have any duct tape currently.


Ok I know there is a lot of kidding up there ^ but I am really excited for this class and the teacher is really talented at this hooping thing. She hooped on one foot, walked up and down stairs, did shuffle side steps, spun... BOTH ways, hooped her way down to a kneeling position, and many more impressive acts all while hooping! This was the jump start I also needed to get excited about breaking a sweat on a more consistent basis. The thought of running in place on the treadmill as my only form of working out right now really was stressing me out! A little Hula Hooping is going to add that enjoyment back into my working out.

Running is Relaxing?

I was trying to explain this to my husband tonight that for me running, and basically any workout I choose in the morning before the fam is awake, is relaxing to me. It's a activity that I love and without it in my life something is missing. We did P90x at the beginning of last year, and just started again today. But this time I'll be doing things a little different and make sure to get at least 3 extra early morning cardio workouts a week. Last year as we were doing P90x I kept feeling really unsettled despite keeping to the schedule pretty well. I finally realized it was because I was missing 'MY' running time that I love and need for my mental sanity. I use that time in the morning during my workout to recharge and then I'm ready to face the day ahead. Without it, I am grumpy. So yes. To me, Running is relaxing. :)

I'm in Love....

spinning to the beat of a good song! In Spin Class last Friday for the last song our instructor turned off the lights and played this song. He did a little visualization (which I'm normally not in to) about being on the coast, overlooking the beach, and riding to the top of a hill where our castle was. I pictured myself on the Pacific Coast Highway cruising down the highway, as I always wish I could do when we are there on visits, but with steeper hills. I turned up the tension on my bike and just pedaled to the beat. I was in love!! t was a awesome ride, and today he did the same thing!

Ha, I accidentally snapped a pic as I was trying to record the song.

I really love riding to the beat of a good song. Poker Face by Lady Gaga was one of my favorites when I started spinning in 2009. I especially love a song when it works out with a challenging climb, or the beat speeds up and I try not to lower the tension.

What's your favorite way to Spin?

An Apple a Day.......

A few weeks ago I was at work (5:00pm to 1:30am shift at the hospital) and was feeling that I needed a little treat at about 11pm or 12am for my break. On this particular night I was thinking a little box of junior mints (the snack size) that they have in the cafeteria for .15. Once I got there I saw a nurse with a apple and made the comment that it looked much healthier than what I was going for. So I decided to try the apple instead. The results were amazing! I wasn't dying at the end of my shift and made it through quite well. Usually I'm dead tired. Thinking that was no coincidence, the next time I worked I made sure to take a apple with me for that late night snack. And again, my energy was boosted. I mentioned this to a friend a few days later and she said, "Yeah, I heard a apple was equivelant to a cup of coffee."

So I looked it up on the internet and found this on eHow.com:

Eat an apple in the morning instead of drinking a cup of coffee. An apple can actually energize you naturally in the same way that a regular cop of coffee will and is a much more healthy alternative.

Read more: How to Replace Your Morning Coffee | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_2225650_replace-morning-coffee.html#ixzz1Io3hAcRj

I've never had a cup of coffee but I've definitely have made apples part of my daily routine, especially late at night or in the afternoon when I need a boost. I'm a believer!

Sugar Free.....again

I'm starting today to go without treats and refined sugars for the month. For me this means going without treats, syrups, and baked goods. I feel better, my skin looks better, and I loose a little extra in those unwanted places. ;) So here's to getting through the first week, which is always the hardest for me!

Meal Plan Idea

My meal planning routine has changed a few times over the years but recently I just came upon something that has been working great!

At the beginning of the month I make a list of a month's worth of meals. This month my awesome husband gave me a lot of suggestions of what he would like which is invaluable to me. Using 4x6 cards write 6 meals on each card for as many weeks are in the month. This is assuming that one day during the week will either be leftovers or eating out. Then on the back of each card you write the grocery list that you'll need for that week. I tape the cards on the inside of my cupboard and on Monday take the card with me to the grocery store and I'm all set for the week!




No more 4pm panic of "what's for dinner"! This method was taught in one of my old LDS Wards but the gal teaching laminated the cards so that at anytime she'd have a week worth of dinner ideas and the shopping list on the back. I just don't like the idea of always eating the same 6 dinner together during the week. But maybe when my kids are a bit older and we're all busy with school and extra activities it may save my sanity. :)