Exercise and nutrition

[kel]

Hi - This is the first time I've posted in this forum so far. I'm close to 9 weeks along, but I always go about 2 wks. "past due", so here I am in November.

I'm just wondering how many of you all are exercising, and what type of daily or weekly exercise you do? I'm also wondering if anyone is doing fitday.com to keep track of nutrition/calories or otherwise counting calories? This is our fourth babe and I'm pretty serious about controlling my weight gain this time around (as I gained *a lot* more than I needed to with the past two!), so I'm just curious what other mamas are doing calorie and exercise-wise.

So far I'm doing about 45 min. of pilates every other day (although it'll be tough once my stomach starts to get bigger) and walking 1 1/2 miles every other day - which I want to start doing at least 5xs a week.

Thanks!! - Kelly

[flyingspaghettimama]

Hi Kel,

I am really interested in this topic too. My first pregnancy was full of problems, and I do wonder how much of it was related to heavy weight gain and lack of exercise in the first trimester. I took "eating for two" a little too seriously right away and ended up gaining 50 lbs on a 125 lbs frame (175-180 at the end), although some of it was due to preeclampsia.

I am doing yoga or pilates 2-3x a week, and trying to exercise - walk, elliptical, stationary bike 3-5x a week (but only for a total of 5x for any activity). My weight has stayed the same so far, but it's fine with me to go up too. Just not the 5 lbs/mo gain in the first trimester that I had last time.

I did use fitday but then the nausea set in and I seem to be lacking the will to do it anymore. I know I need to monitor the protein better. Thanks for bringing it up - perhaps tomorrow I'll try to get back on the wagon!

I do try to meet my desire for fatty, salty, sweet food in healthy ways - i.e. peanut butter and apples, burritos with lots of veggies, oatmeal with lots of good stuff (raisins, milk, etc), homemade rice pudding, and that seems to work. I am trying hard to not eat tons of bread/pasta, which is my (vegetarian) weak point and I gain weight very quickly eating a lot of that, and I don't think I get as much nutritious food in when filling up on flour products.

[JeanetteL]

I was doing fairly well with exercise, but then I developed sciatica last month (in my first trimester - how fair is that?) and had to stop. I've been seeing a chiro, and feel much better - so I went back to the gym. The first time I did my regular workout....45 minutes on the elliptical machine and then an upper body, ab (planks) and lower back workout. I was in AGONY by evening. Since then I've gotten a few more adjustments, and been back to the gym once, but just stuck to a slow walk on the treadmill. I have a hard time not doing more, since I enjoy pushing myself - but I suppose pregnancy is a time for listening to my body, and learning to cut myself some slack.

Nutrition? Yikes - I know I"ve been eating far too many sweets. I do well with whole grains, fresh fruit and dairy - but non-dairy protein and veggies are lacking. Would love to swap good, high protein/veggie heavy recipes if anyone is interested.

Jeanette

[Belleweather]

I had just started my new 'fitness regimine' in Janurary, and it was going great until I was about 4 weeks, and then it was like I hit a wall. I had been doing 35mn of cardio on the bike or the Elliptical and then 45mn of strength training on the weight machines. Now, doing anything feels impossible! I struggle through 20 mn of cardio because I'm overheated, tired, breasts are tender, and the smell of sweating bodies is a huge "Morning" sickness trigger for me. Then, when I try to do strength training I feel like the weight machines are mocking me... I can't seem to move those weights the way I did before I was pregnant, no matter what I do.

Add to that the fact that my midwife is concerned with blood flow to the baby and doesn't want my heart rate above about 150. And excersising at 150 feels like about a brisk walk -- I just don't feel like I'm getting anything out of it! I feel just like you, Jeanette; I'm used to pushing myself.

I'm trying to figure out other, potentially more pregnancy-friendly options. I know that at some point it would be wise to switch over to swimming, but my stroke is laughable so I need to hook up with a lesson or two. Otherwise, I'm thinking of getting a couple of DVD's of prenatal yoga and pilates to try at home, to avoid the smells for a while, but I've never done videos before and I guess they feel kind of like a cop out.

Nutrition-wise, I've completely given up. I am eating what stays down, usually jello, toast, plain rice and beans and juice mixed with a lot of water. I don't think there's any way I'm getting the RDA of calories, so tracking them would just give me another excuse for hormonally-induced crying jags. But I'd totally like to take up fitday again when I'm in the psycho-hungry stage, since I'm trying to keep the weight gain 'reasonable'.

[MamaFern]

i weas doing twho days a week of karate but im feeling really sicjk now so im putting it off till the morning sickness goes away. it shouldnt last too much longer.. then i plan to swim often and do a workout 3 days a week.. just what my body feels like it can handle.. i also walk a lot since i dont have a car.. as for nutrition. i cant eat anything these days without feeling my stomach reach my throat.. its terrible.. i feel shaky and hungry and sick all the time, but it will pass.. it will pass! i drink nourishment tea.. it has red raspberry leaf, red clover, oatstraw, nettle, and other things. im on a mind blank. but it helps me feel like im not starving because im still getting vit/minerals i need..

[kel]

loraeileen - I was the same way! Literally thinking I was eating for two - and then this time around I see I only need an extra 300 calories a day! No wonder I gained so much weight.

Yeah, I know how you all feel about just eating what you can stomach. I felt sick all day every day up until about a week ago - around 8 wks. I started feeling better. Unfortunately some of the foods that did sound good to me were french fries and ice cream. But I've only gained btwn. 2-3 lbs. last time I checked, and I think that's mostly in my chest where I've already gone up at least a cup size. I like strenuous exercise, too, but since I miscarried early on in my last pregnancy (about 2 yrs. ago) I've been taking it easy and just doing the pilates, and walking - when it's not freezing or raining out that is. If anyone knows of any good pregnancy exercise tapes that aren't too cheesy, I'd love to know. Also, are there any pregnancy pilates tapes?

I don't do fitday everyday, but it is really helpful when I do. Otherwise a lot of the time I think I'm either eating more or less than I really am. Also, in the nutrition goals section I plugged in all the minimum nutritional requirements for pregnancy and that really helps me see where I need to change/add to what I'm eating, too.

xo - Kelly

[*Amy*]

I've been doing a bellydance video lately and I actually love it. It makes me feel connected to my abdominal muscles (and it's a great arm toning workout too), and sexy and feminine. The DVD I have has a slow 20-minute workout and a fast 30-minute workout, so I can choose the best one for how I'm feeling. Lately I've just been doing the slow routine because it doesn't exacerbate my nausea. I didn't go to the gym at all last week, but I plan to go tomorrow and get back into my normal routine of cardio + weights, but like Belleweather I'm sure I won't have the energy or stamina to do the usual weights, and I know my pace on the elliptical will be slower (and heart rate will be up).

I wasn't so sure about videos at home either Belleweather, but I have found a couple that I absolutely love. One is a bit too high-intensity for me right now, but honestly I've seen the best results from that one video than anything else I've done! I think it's just a matter of finding one that suits you and really committing to doing it with proper form and energy, no matter what it is.

[JeanetteL]

Belleweather,
My midwife and my trainer were okay with using perceived exertion instead of the older heartrate guidelines...I wonder if you could find some information to support this and bring it to them. I'm with you, at 140 I don't feel like I'm moving! My HR always reads higher than the machines say it should - even when I'm in great shape, and my resting HR is higher during pregnancy due to increased blood volume.

http://www.storknet.com/ip/staying_w...eart_rate.html

http://www.pponline.co.uk/encyc/0042.htm (right at the end of hte page)



Amy,
Which video is it that you've gotten great results from?

[*Amy*]

Jeanette, it's Fat Burning Pilates by Cruch Gym. About half of the 40-minute workout is standing cardio/toning, and the other half is pilates floor work. It's really awesome. I did it consistently before my wedding, for maybe 6 weeks or so, and I saw really great results.