Secrets To A Fit Pregnancy » Part 2
Staying fit while pregnant is SO important. In my earlier article, I wrote about the benefits of a fit pregnancy, not just for yourself, but on your growing fetus as well. There are two components to staying fit throughout your pregnancy--eating right & working out.
70/30:
70% of your physique comes from the way you eat, while the other 30% comes from your time in the gym (or wherever you work out). This is why it is CRUCIAL to make sure you are eating right if you want to maintain a fit pregnancy. Trust me, I know how incredibly difficult it is to resist those crazy pregnancy sugar cravings, but it CAN be done. It's all about your mindset.
As I mentioned in the previous article, my first pregnancy was much different than my second. I ate whatever, whenever, and never thought twice about it... at least until I delivered. I had to leave the hospital in maternity pants my first go-around and I was less than thrilled. That's why I made much healthier food choices during my second pregnancy. I actually left the hospital in my size 2 skinny jeans, NON-MATERNITY! The key is to eat right, and to eat clean. My motivation was not only for me, but for my growing baby as well.
Eat Smart.
My eating plan was pretty boring. I would alternate between about 5 different meals, and you can always eat different veggies to make it feel like a different meal.
Breakfast: 8:00AM
I ate one of two things every morning for breakfast:
1. Non-fat Greek Yogurt (non-flavored) with a 3 strawberries, or a handful of frozen blueberries, with 1/4 cup of oats and 1 tsp. Stevia. This meal has a good amount of protein, about 17grams.
2. A bowl of oatmeal with 1 handful of blueberries, and 1tsp. Stevia. This will be good to help you stay full longer, and gives you more carb energy for the gym.
Lunch: 11:30AM
I alternated with these:
- 6oz. Salmon fillet with broccoli & squash
- 6oz. Salmon fillet with 1/2 Sweet Potato
- 6oz. Salmon fillet with 1 cup brown rice
- 6oz. Chicken Breast with broccoli & squash
- 6oz. Chicken Breast with 1/2 Sweet Potato
- 6oz. Chicken Breast with 1 cup brown rice
Snack 3:00PM
My favorite pregnancy snack was a banana-peanut butter sandwich. I would take a whole banana, slice it down the middle, add the PB, then throw the other half back on. On days that I had crazy-strong sugar cravings, I would always slice the banana sandwich into about 5 different sections, melt DARK chocolate, dip each mini banana sandwich into the chocolate & pop in the freezer for 5 minutes. They. Were. Delicious.
Dinner: 5:30PM
I usually ate chicken or turkey for dinner. I spent most evenings nauseated, and chicken was something I was more likely to keep down. I alternated between these:
- 6oz. Chicken Breast over Caesar Salad with 1/2 sweet potato.
- 6oz. Chicken Breast over bed of spinach with homemade balsamic vinaigrette dressing (I will share the recipe in an upcoming blog) with 1 cup brown rice.
- 6oz. ground turkey spaghetti over Spaghetti squash (no noodles, just spaghetti squash--recipe to come in a later blog)
Snack: 7:00PM
Popcorn was my favorite evening snack. I looked forward to it every night. I never bought the bags, I just made it from scratch with olive oil, lime and a little salt. I'll be posting the recipe soon!
Own that belly at the gym.
I found a GREAT fitness book (shown above)--the first one I've read cover to cover.
I am not really into books about body building because I have no interest in ever becoming a body builder, but it had some REALLY good eating and workout plans that I've followed while training for different things, like my first triathlon.
While I was pregnant, I followed one of their workout plans. Click here to access that free workout plan.
In addition to following the free workout plan mentioned above, I always did 30-60 minutes of cardio. Per day. If 60 minutes is too long, just go for 45 minutes on your longer cardio days. Here is what my schedule looked like:
Monday: 30 min of elliptical, 15 min. stair master, weight workout #1 (link above)
Tuesday: 60 min. elliptical (go easy), workout #2
Wednesday: 30 min. incline running or stationary bike, 15 min. stair master, workout #3
Thursday: ONLY cardio. Do anything for 45 min.
Friday: 30 min. stationary bike, 15 min. elliptical (go hard), workout #4
I get it. It's hard. It's not supposed to be easy. But I have absolutely NO regrets. If you can't do it all, just do some! It's all about YOUR personal best and what works for YOU! If you have any questions about my eating or workout routine, feel free to contact me.
Stay tuned for some great recipes, and I'm about to start a new training regimen! Can't wait to share it with everyone!!
