Running While Pregnant and Barring It All

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I decided to embrace the bump and run completely bare belly yesterday. It was a nice out, but pretty hot. My pregnancy temperament was not in the mood to entertain a sweaty, tight tank top either. It took me about an hour to completely sell myself on the idea. I probably looked in the mirror, second guessing myself, about 20 times.
And then I thought, whatever. This could possibly be one of the last times that I get to enjoy this phase of my life. Why not embrace it? I am officially in my sixth month and just two weeks shy of my third trimester. We are headed for the home stretch. Now is not the time to worry what people will think about how I look. Now is the time for me to fully embrace and enjoy myself. So, yea, I had to give the belly a high five for confidence.  Even more awesome: I ran in a public park while the community Farmer's Market was going on. So many people gave me great compliments about how great I looked. Yae!

It has taken me about a month to finally be able to run five miles again due Braxton Hicks, Round ligament pain or just being flat out too dizzy. But I FINAALY did it. I've also realized that running with a belly means not watching the clock so often, which is really hard to do. It's not the time to push myself to a faster pace.

Funny thing (possible TMI moment): I have always been that runner who needs an immediate bathroom break after the first mile. I mean immediate. I don't have more than a five-minute grace period before I land in the danger zone. But being pregnant, it's a necessity to not only stop after mile one, but almost every other mile to relieve the pressure on my bladder. I think Mr. Grey (our affectionate nickname for our anonymous little boy) loves the motion of running. I know he's going to come out with running shoes for feet. 

Prerun fuel is also really important. I have been diagnosed with anemia since the bump and my sugar levels can drop at a moments notice. So making sure I have the right fuel in my tank before I get on the open road will make or break me. My typical go to meal before a run: wheat bread with natural peanut butter and honey, a banana and some low-sugar apple juice.

I had such a good time. Cannot wait to do it again, bugger and longer.

Have you let the belly hang out in public yet?

Orange Chicken Kabob Recipe (courtesy of SarahFit)

This is one of my absolute favorite recipes for the weeks. The lovely SarahFit I think it's going on our Fourth of July menu this year. So tasty and volumes of food and amazing flavor.

Orange Chicken Kabob Recipe

APRIL 12, 2011 · 0 COMMENTS

Do you tend to over indulge on the weekend?  If so, you are in good company.  For this reason, I opt to do my “long” workouts on Monday or Tuesday if possible.  If you did not do a long cardio session yesterday, I highly recommend you do it today in order to burn up the extra calories consumed over the weekend before they get stored somewhere more permanently.  

Here is the workout I did yesterday but feel free to modify for your fitness level:  

• 20 minutes: Easy Warm Up Run (HR 75-80%)
• 1 minute: Run Very Fast (HR 90%)
• 1 minute: Walk (Recover)
• Repeat 10x for a total of 20 minutes
• 10 minute: Easy Cool Down Run (I still wasn’t home and walked the last 5-10 minutes)

When I got home, boy was I thirsty and hungry!  I modified a delicious recipe from the May issue of Real Simple.  

I made Orange Kabobs with grilled zucchini and sweet potatoes.  To make the chicken here is the recipe I used:

• 1 lb Chicken Tenderloins
• 1 Navel Orange (Cut into 10-16 pieces)
• 1/2 Onion (Real Simple says red onion but I didn’t have any so I used vidalia)
• 1/2 tsp of Cumin
• 1/4 tsp of Cayenne
• 1/4 tsp of Pepper
• 1/2 tsp of Salt
• 1 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Cut up chicken, orange and onion.  In a large bowl mix the spices and olive oil.  Toss together allingredients.  Thread pieces of chicken, orange and onion onto skeweralternating.  I used metal but if you use wooden sticks make sure you soak them in water for at least 20 minutes.  Spray grill with Olive Oil or other cooking spray to avoid chicken from sticking to the grill rack.  

Cook on medium for about 12-16 minutes.  Make sure the middle pieces of chicken get cooked.  Enjoy with favorite grilled veggie and sweet potato or corn for a perfect warm weather dinner!

Pregnancy: Being Out of Control of Your Body

Have you ever read those pregnancy books or blogs raving about how amazing it feels to be pregnant? The glowing skin, thicker hair and just constant joy. Boy, have those books lied to most of us.

Now, don't get me wrong. A lot of women are fortunate to have a lovely, issue-free pregnancy. 

Me, not so much. 

I've been lucky to not have to deal with morning sickness whatsoever, but I've struggled with losing control over my body.

Let me backtrack for  a second. I was a stick figure when I went through puberty at 13. I was blessed with working ovaries, a pear shape and complimentary stretch marks. These little devils have made me so self-conscious that I made a lot of decisions from the fear of someone seeing them (post on that later). With that said, I figured if I couldn't control my skin then I could control my shape. I was always an athlete, but I grew a greater connection to strength training and running. Running was my saving grace. It acted as my outlet or safe haven. I've been a runner since the age of five. It's in my DNA. In January, I decided to run a half marathon every month this year. 

I made it to two before I found out I was expecting. Not quite the goal I had in mind. 

Well, this little boy in my tummy had other plans. I am too dizzy most days to walk a mile, let alone run it. I know it sounds mundane, but running has been the source of my confidence for as long as I could remember. Seeing this alien-like shape to my body hasn't really affected me as much as not being in control of my body.It's affecting my energy, confidence and happiness. I will shamelessly admit this because I feel like there are more women out there with the similar feelings. 

So what do you do?

Accept the current you

Accepting the challenges of the person you are today doesn't mean that you're not willing to work toward the person you need to be tomorrow. It just means that you are allowing yourself to embrace your vulnerabilities.

Don't get discouraged

I have been in pain almost everyday that I've attempted to make my weekly runs. I've stopped and walked more often that I've run. I've had to adjust my workout goal according to how I felt that day. It sucked. I cried. But I didn't quit.

Redefine control

Instead of freaking out about the many sacrifices that come along with your new body, redefine what your in control of. I control my eating habits. I'm trying to get my stress levels under wrap. I control the way style which compliments the new alien body.

Don't lose sight of yourself

My greatest fear about having a baby or being married was never the commitment. It's always been that I would allow myself to slip away. Although I cannot completely enjoy my love of running and strength training, I still follow my fitness blogs and interact with my fitness group.

Pregnancy is not an excuse to abandon your goals. Consider it fuel to the fire. 

My Life List (inspired by Carrots 'n Cake)

There's something magical about FINALLY deciding to take control of your life. It makes you want to scream it through the rooftop,'I finally got my act together!' But what's more important after this realization? Accountability. It's so easy to get wrapped up with the rush that comes along with change that you forget to main the momentum. I tell my friends often that when you find the height of that rush, bottle it up and keep in your back pocket on reserve. You will need it!

I was so inspired by Carrots 'n Cake Life List  and wanted to do one myself. I hope and pray that I can look back a year from today and realize that more than half of this list has been accomplished. I definitely want to expand upon this list in due time. Here we go:

1. Visit Vegas
2. Get married
3. Fly first class
4. Complete a marathon
5. Complete a 14-day cleanse
6. Cut off my hair -again
7. Compete in a figure competition
8. See Beyonce in concert
9. Write a letter to the President
10. Pay off my credit card debt
11. Go to Disneyland
12. Visit three new states
13. Go camping
14. Zipline
15. Spend an entire day with a stranger
16. Earn $120/week as a beachbody Coach
17. Earn $250/week as a beachbody Coach
18. Earn $500/week as a beachbody Coach
19. Pass the NASM CPT Exam
20. Gain 10k views on blog
21. Lose baby weight
22. Get to goal weight of 125lbs
25. Attend a yoga retreat
26. Send Corrie to a major Miami Dolphin's Game
27. Quit my job
28. Get a new tattoo
29. 30 half/full marathons by 30
30. Welcome a healthy baby

This is into a static list and will continue to be edited as I see fit. I'm so excited to get on this journey. I cannot wait to look back 365 days from now and smile because I KNOW that I was working toward my joy.

What's on your list?

13 Daily Diet Habits to Help You Lose Weight

(This is a post from the Healthy Tips to Help You Succeed from the Healthy Living page make sure you don’t miss any of the posts by subscribing to the right!)

Healthy diet habits are created each day, and once you establish them they will become second nature! Here are my top daily habits that can add up to 7 years to your life!

Top Daily Diet Habits

Always Eat Breakfast! (Oats + Flaxseed & Berries)

1. Use the 90/10 Rule (plan for a free day, 1-2 free meals, and/or a day of rest)
2. Drink at least half your body weight (in ounces) of water
3. Eat 5 times a day (3 meals, 2 protein based snacks) 3-4 hours apart.(check out my meal plans)
4. Aim for a larger breakfast, a protein-based dinner, and limit simple carbs (fruit/dairy) in the morning
5. No eating after 9 pm or 3 hours before bed
6. Get your heart rate up for at least 20 minutes (find a workout for you)
7.  Don’t skip meals.
8. Eat lean proteins with every meal.
9. Watch Portions (size of your palm)
10. Sleep between 10pm – 6am or 7-8 hours each night on a schedule
11. Limit whole grains and natural starches; load up on fibrous carbs.
12. Manage Macronutrients: People who are apple shaped and can put on muscle (endomorphs) need 40-50% carbs, 30% protein, 20-30% fat. (1350-1400 calories)
13.  Avoid Stress…take time for you, say no to the good and yes to the great, and rid yourself of negative people!