We're expecting!

The ultimate journey begins; the journey of pregnancy and parenthood! We will be welcoming a little girl into the world January 23, 2013! The photo on the left was taken at about 20 weeks. Keep reading to take a look into my pregnancy fitness journey so far...

Not gonna lie, weeks 8-12 were rough. Although I never actually vomited, I was definitely nauseas most of the time. The two things that really helped me were walks outside and saltine crackers. I was still able to do a lot of the same exercises I had been doing; jogging, weights, teaching fitness classes, and even boot camp! With the exception that I was moving a little slower and no longer doing jumping exercises.

The second trimester has been fabulous so far! I feel wonderful and definitely have the "pregnancy glow." Although I still get fatigued, it's not nearly as much as the first trimester and exercising most days of the week helps my energy levels. There are a few more exercise limitations now, besides having to modify exercises for my growing belly:) The doctor has prescribed that I keep my heart rate at or below 140, I'm not supposed to lay flat on my back, and shouldn't lift more than 25lbs. But this doesn't mean I can't exercise,  I just change a few things! 

Walking, elliptical, or indoor cycling has been my cardio of choice. I teach 2 weight training classes a week, one for upper and one for lower body, and try to spend a little more time stretching after exercise. My minimum goal is to exercise 3 days a week, but I feel so much better when I'm active most days of the week (5 seems to be the magic number). Light dumbbells and the stability ball are my go-to pieces of equipment!

I plan to keep teaching group fitness and personal training until my body says "no more!" As far as group fitness goes, I am hoping to make it to at least the 8th month, which is only 3 months away!

That just about sums up the last 5 months! I look forward to sharing my pregnancy fitness journey with you and hope that any other moms-to-be out there will find this helpful:) Happy exercising!

A Quick Full Body Workout

We are finally getting to the end of our week long winter storm! Unfortunately, I chose not to brave the weather and go to the gym until yesterday. Although I tried to be active indoors by running up and down the stairs with the laundry, or dancing around the kitchen when I was cooking (yes,i really do this), taking 4 days off of my regular exercise routine made my 20 minute jog a little harder than it should have been. But you gotta start somewhere! Today I wanted to get in a quick and efficient workout and thought I might share it with you! So here it is:

Warm-up: elliptical for 5 minutes. I ALWAYS perform a warm-up of some sort for 5 to 10 minutes. Never skip your warm-up!

Circuit 1 (10 reps, 2 sets. Little to no rest between exercises and circuits)

TRX pull up. TRX is a form of suspension training. YouTube it!

Single-leg step with unilateral overhead press. Sorry for the exercise lingo. Basically its fancy for using your opposite arm and leg. For this exercise I used a kettle bell, but you can use just about anything that's 5-10 lbs. And I mean anything (gallon jug, laundry detergent container, or even a small animal, haha) To perform this exercise, put your left foot on a 12inch step and hold the weight in your right hand, resting the weight on your shoulder. As you step up with your left foot, press your right hand overhead, then return to start. Do 10 repetitions then switch legs/arms.

TRX ATOMIC PUSHUP. If you have not yet tried this exercise, I highly recommend you do! If you don't have TRX bands, you can also use a stability ball. Check it out. http://www.acefitness.org/exerciselibrary/77/trx-reg-atomic-push-up 

Cardio: 5 minutes on the step mill. 1 minute going forward, 1 minute going sideways, 1 minute backward, 1 minute other side, and the last minute going forward. Make the speed challenging! No step mill? Go up and down regular stairs or try jogging for a minute, then sprinting for a minute.

Circuit 2 (10-15 reps, 2 sets. Little to no rest)

Barbell dead lifts

Barbell row

Bench tricep dips

5 minute cool down.

And there you have it! This workout took me about 30 minutes including the warm-up and cool down. It hits every major muscle group and by doing the exercises with as little rest as possible, you are keeping your heart rate up and the calories torching! For more of a challenge, try performing 3 or 4 sets of both circuits and add in 1-3 more rounds of cardio. Happy sweating!

i'm back!

Well, I took quite the hiatus after our show in April 2011, mostly due to the fact that I had gained back 20 pounds and was just plain burnt out. It has taken me 8 months to get back to my "comfortable" weight. Now, 10 pounds lighter, I am feeling much better (improved confidence, energy, ect.). I really struggled to lose those ten pounds (obviously as it took 8 months), but I wanted to take a healthy, slow approach so as not to get burnt out again.

So, how did I lose those 10 lbs? Very small changes on a daily basis. 

After the show I was so burnt out physically and emotionally that I just didn't want to be healthy. This was a horrible realization considering my job as a personal trainer is to help make others healthy. I let myself rest for a few months until I just couldn't stand the way I was feeling anymore (depressed, tired, no motivation). I was not motivated by going to the gym and hated the idea of being on a strict meal plan. So I threw the rules out the window and went with the flow. Instead of exercising at the gym, I laced up my running shoes and took it outside. I strove to find all the reasons I enjoyed exercise; the fresh air, the scenery around me, the release I felt from finishing a slow and steady jog with my dog at my side. When I wasn't in the mood for a jog, I would either take the dog to the park and race around with him, or I would do quick exercise videos at home using Netflix (30 minutes or less).

As far as nutrition goes I really focused on the small changes. Drinking more water, eating less junk and more veggies. I did NOT restrict myself, however, I did pay closer attention to portion size and wrote down the things I ate to review at the end of the day to make adjustments the next day. I have found it helpful to keep a few healthy frozen meals on hand for those nights I didn't feel like cooking or when I was craving something naughty. 

Stepping away from the gym and doing non-traditional exercise really motivated me to stay active and keep consistent. I am currently training for the Bloomsday 12k race in May. Having a specific goal and date to accomplish this goal keeps me going. My exercise routine is completely different than it was a year ago, which is why I am enjoying it so much!

No, I am not ripped like I was a year ago, and my body is not and never will be perfect, and thats the way I like it. I am accepting and enjoying my imperfections and I encourage many of you to do the same this year :)

In short, the best approach to weight loss, or any life-style change, is to make small changes on a daily basis. Sometimes it is the smallest changes that make the biggest difference. Making a drastic change may help you reach your goal short-term, but if you cannot continue to carry out those changes for the rest of your life, why bother?

Victorious!

Its been a week since our bodybuilding competition and i have to say, for a first timer, it was a success! We werent very impressed with the show itself as our $100 tans ended up being a bad batch, my awards werent presented to me until after the fact and the show didnt finish until 1am! However, I won!

Unfortunately, i was the only one in the female bodybuilding novice division. I was hoping i would have some competition, but all in all it was a good experience. The best part of the whole thing was getting to compete with my husband and brother.

So, what now??? I have to admit that it is tough transition from being a bodybuilder to being "normal." My body is still rejecting "normal" foods like dairy, sodium, and bread. Im feeling very swollen and uncomfortable. I can literally feel my stomach muscles stretching from the change of diet and it is actually painful and tender to the touch. I have gained back 10 lbs this past week just from trying to eat normal...okay, and some junk food too:)

I started working out again on Wednesday; mostly cardio and some weights. It is such a great feeling to workout and actually feel good afterwords. But there is still that burning question in the back of my mind that i have been asked by so many..."are you going to do another show?" ??? Its a question i have a hard time answering. I love having a goal to work towards and i love following a regimen and especially enjoy seeing the hard work pay off...but is it worth the fatigue, the hunger, and the isolation? It almost feels selfish to do another show. And yet...the desire to take my body even further still lingers. So, to answer that question, i am simply trying to find balance in my life at this time. I simply want to be healthy and feel healthy at this point, and spend time with my family and friends!

Besides these changes, ive had a few opportunities that i didnt think would come about from this show. Ive actually been asked by a few fitness photographers to do photo shoots with them. I respectfully declined (because my body is "soft" from the weight gain haha) but it was a fun thought.

I will keep using this blog for all my fitness adventures. I will of course let everyone know if i decide to do another show, but seeing as having babies is a priority in my future, i need to maintain a healthy body fat percentage:)

Stay tuned for my next adventure in fitness!

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1 day left!

We made it here safely yesterday and have a great room with a full kitchen! We took advantage of this and started cooking immediately. Yesterday's meals consisted of mostly chicken and sweet potatoes with a few rice cakes thrown in here and there.

Today we get to load up on carbohydrates. This means a drizzle of honey in the oatmeal and rice cakes with a little jelly every 2-3 hours. Although this doesn't sound like much, it feels like a ton and is extremely delicious! Today's schedule is as follows:

6:30 am Breakfast, start drinking water and shower
8:15 am First spray tan application
8:30 am Eat :) and rest
10:30 am Eat again :)
11:30 am Second tan application
12 pm Eat every few hours, finish 3/4 gallon of water and practice posing routine and mandatory poses. Sip on water throughout rest of the day until...
5 pm Weigh-In!
Keep eating until a few hours before bed time
SLEEP

Tomorrow will be a little crazier and includes...

5AM wake up to eat! sip water, and get ready for the show!
7AM arrive at venue and get final tan application
8AM competitors meeting
9AM pre-judging begins!! Although I'm not sure when I will be on stage yet...
Eat salmon and asparagus back stage every hour or 2; sip water
Pump up 20 minutes before on stage
Eat Snickers 5 minutes before on stage... I can't wait for this!
Rock it on stage then rest until the night-show at 6 pm!
After show???? EAAATTTT!

Go Time!!

This is it. We are officially packed in the car heading to Vancouver, WA. This week has been the toughest of all. On top of having little to no carbs, and grueling workouts, its been stressful at work and on top of it all i found out last night that my uncle is dying:( So, we missed our workout last night and spent a few hours visiting with my uncle in the hospital. His spirits are high and it was wonderful to visit with him. It made everything we are going through seem so small.

In light of all this, I reached my goal of 103 lbs and our depletion phase went very well! Im looking very "dry" and tight. Today we start bringing back some carbs (oatmeal and yams) and tomorrow we will bring in even more (rice cakes with honey). This will help plump up our muscles without looking bloated. The best part of all is that we get to eat every 2 hours! At this point we are also drinking tons of water and taking natural diuretics to flush everything out of our system. This means potty breaks every few hours.

We are done with workouts, besides a light walk tonight. Tomorrow we get our tan painted on and then relax until the big show!!

More updates to come!

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This is it!

Alright my friends. We have officially made it to "peak week." As you have probably noticed, it has been weeks since my last update. This month has definitely been a test of strength and will power. I have really had to dig deep within myself to keep working out and keep dieting. But we are on the home stretch!! Here are my current body stats!

Weight: 104.8 (new record for me! I havent seen this number since my freshman year in highschool)
Body fat: to be determined this evening; my guess is between 9 and 10 but still shooting for 8!

Today is our last leg workout! (Thank the sweet lord). After today we will NOT be doing anymore leg work as the muscles in your legs need atleast 5 days of recovery to really stand out on stage. Monday through Wednesday we will being doing upper body circuits at 80% effort for 15 reps and 3 sets along with interval cardio. Pair this up with little to no carbs and tons of water and our bodies should be mostly rid of glucose. On Thursday we will start to add carbs back in and only do 30 minutes of walking. Friday there will be no working out. Only rest, relaxation, and mental prep for the showdown Saturday!

I will post more details and photos this evening and hopefully before the show! We have worked so hard for this and I am beyond excited to show off my hard work and celebrate with family and friends after the show!!

P.S. big thanks to all those who have supported/encouraged,advised us on this crazy journey. It means so much more than I can even describe!

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