Friday, July 9, 2010

I haven't been shy about my love for reality TV or my interest in all things celebrity gossip; truth be told, I find it relaxing to end a 14-16 hour day with such an activity (say E! News or the latest Us Weekly) that requires little brain or muscle power. I'm none the wiser or fitter because of it, but it's a vice for me and a non-caloric one at that!:)

With the recent celebrity baby and pregnancy trend, my interest in prenatal and postpartum fitness has been reignited. Not being a mother myself, I have to live and learn vicariously through others. My friend (and Haute Physique devoutee) Sarah K. graciously accepted my invite to guest-blog and give real insight to what's required to keep her mama-to-be body in fighting shape. Week after week she puts the rest of us to shame as she hangs right in there (and often leads the pack) at our grueling Wednesday workouts. Here's what she has to say about staying fit while preparing for mommyhood (with a few Haute Physique plugs thrown in)!


An expanding waistline, bulging leg veins, and acne prone skin don't necessarily provide visions of health. Couple those physical changes with frequent food binges and an exhaustion that limits activity to sluggishly lifting the remote to change the channel and you're probably thinking, "Who is this slob that's guest blogging for a fitness audience?". Gisele Bundchen, Heidi Klum, and Brooke Burke I am not. I am merely a 29 year old Grand Forksian trying to juggle a fit pregnancy with a busy career, a new home, a husband who's a handful in his own right, and all the emotions and physical changes that come along with preparing for a baby.

Let's go back to 2009. I was blessed to meet and develop what I hope to be a lifelong friendship with Amy of Haute Physique. Much like a first date with your "crush", Amy and I met and immediately hit it off. We have so many people and interests in common that I often wonder why I didn't meet her sooner. (An earlier "courtship" could have saved me a few bills from the therapist!) Within a year, she got me hooked on clean eating and on board to train for my first fitness competition. The girl is relentlessly inspiring! I was gung-ho and was immediately noticing changes to my physique, which is so addicting and empowering! Unfortunately and fortunately all at the same time, my plans were interrupted by God's. About two months into the training, my dear husband and I found out we were expecting! Something told me that entering my first fitness competition at three months preggo wouldn't do much for my self-esteem or interest in pursuing the lifestyle in the future. Can you imagine me prancing around in a bedazzled, barely there bikini and stripper heels with my 12 week old son protruding from my mid-section? Another great visual for you.

Despite my competition plans being derailed, I was determined to stay on track with my new clean lifestyle assuming that if I did, losing the baby weight would be much easier. So, for the first 3 weeks (weeks 4-7 of my pregnancy), I diligently packed my cooler and enjoyed the likes of ezekial bread, Fage, egg whites, chicken breasts and green beans up the wazzoo. By week 8 of my pregnancy, I had had enough. The emotions, exhaustion, nausea, and overwhelming fears that come along with babies (financial stresses, hormonal changes, lifestyle changes...EVERYTHING), got the best of me and I sustained on crackers, chips and candy for the next 3 weeks. Part of me felt entitled because I was pregnant and if you can't indulge then, when can you? But, a good part of me felt really guilty. I'm glad for that because it got me back on track. Albeit a modified track.

I'm far from perfect and have still retired the cooler for a while but I am back on a reasonable track for me. I try and make 50% of my meals "clean" meals each day. I also try and do physical activity every day. Whether that is a 10 minute walk, a bike ride, or a grueling session with the Haute Physique girls at the park, I try and get out there and it makes me feel good even though I am fully aware that I look like a freak doing monkey jumps and crab walks. Another tactic I've used is setting a daily goal for myself. These goals help me make conscious choices rather than, as Gisele so annoyingly proclaims most pregnant women do, treat my body like a "human garbage disposal". (To be totally transparent, one of my daily goals has been to NOT eat an entire pint of ice cream in one day. Lofty ambitions, huh? But, hey, for this ice creamaholic and preggo, it can be hard and it was a goal nonetheless. And, I went to bed feeling pretty proud of myself for accomplishing it.)

My moral of the story is that all we can do is do our best. Without a personal chef, nanny, masseuse, therapist, monthly vacations, personal trainers on-call, and endless money, we can only do our best. As I reach my 32nd week of this pregnancy, I get more and more excited to meet my son and the immense responsibility of being a role model becomes more and more apparent. I hope that I can teach him, through example, how to be healthy and balanced. That, combined with the support of Haute Physique's fearless leader, the new friendships I'm making through the group, and my extreme vanity, will serve as motivation to dust off the cooler and get back to packing my six meals a day and give Gisele, Heidi, and Brooke a run for their money. (Well, maybe I won't be walking in the Victoria Secret fashion show three weeks post partum but I am going to give my fitness goals a good college try despite the gnawing fear that it will be a difficult task.)


We'd love to hear how you kicked butt in the gym during the nine months your babies were kickin' you in the bellies! Another testament that motherhood is the toughest job there is!

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1 comment:

  1. I have five months to go and I have been keeping up with zumba (major calorie burner class which is also going to be great for losing the baby weight this winter) and attending a body toning class.

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