Exercising while pregnant - my perspective...

I read a lot about pregnancy these days and I see everywhere that it is recommended for pregnant women to exercise - to do moderate activities every day... Things that are most ofthe time in the safe to do list:

• yoga
• walking
• dancing
• swimming
• some strength training
• etc.

There are many conflicting ideas about running - though most sources I read say that it's safe so long as you were a runner before becoming pregnant and so long as you get the ok from your caregiver - which I do...

Now, I am still registered to run for Harry's 8k on April 3rd, and Ottawa's 10k on May 29th (I registered before becoming pregnant...) and while I have not moved much for the first 3 months of my pregnancy (the 24/7 nausea from hell preventing me to do LOTS of things, or at least making it very unpleasant and uncomfortable to do anything) I have started again recently, slowly, to exercise, as my symptoms seem to, somewhat intermittently, want to subside.

I ran this weekend for the first time since January - it was interesting... I tried to keep an eye on my heart rate monitor to avoid running for too long on a high heart rate. Well, I ended up running for 3 minutes then walking for 2, and starting again... At this point I am thinking 2 things:

1. I am rusty just the way I would be even if I wasn't pregnant and hadn't run for months, and I need to build up my strength again, gradually...
2. Maybe I am not that rusty, but I just can't run that much anymore because I am pregnant...

So I ended up doing the safe thing midway into my running session - walking fast and not running anymore... I figured that if I go to those races and have to walk fast the whole 8k or 10k, well I'll just do that...

Results: it took me 50 minutes to do 5.21km. Now I'm not that great at math, but I think it means that, at that same pace, I would do an 8k in about 76 minutes, or roughly 80 minutes (1h20 minutes...) I used to run 5kms in 33 minutes approx. (53 mins for an 8k at the 5k pace...) so that's an extra 27 minutes... not that bad I think... but I would like to push some more - I would like a better time than that... (Don't worry, if I don't 'feel right' I'll walk the whole time, I don't mind at all... ) Right now it kind of feels like I'm being extra careful, maybe too careful...

I was thinking of that this weekend and remembered how Jess from 21 days, ran during her pregnancy and was pretty successful at it. I went back in time to read how she felt about the whole thing during her first trimester... I came across this interesting post:

''Doing my Research''

So I think I am going to try and push a little more. Now I am realistic and realize that we're very close to April 3rd and probably won't have a fabulous time at the end of the race (Especially since I know that the race course is really hilly...) But I will certainly train on my treadmill and push it a little more, and try to be as 'well trained' as I can be for the 10km in Ottawa...

That will be my last race before I have a baby! I'm kind of sad to have to skip racing this year - I wanted to try and do a half marathon at the end of this year, I was psyched to train really seriously and run more and farther... I guess I have to postpone that! In the meantime, I am going to train and run for as long as I can. And on alternate days, I will try other things that are part of the 'safe to do' list :)


Still to come: How I am preparing for baby - How I announced I was pregnant to hubby and how I plan to raise my baby given that we are a bilingual household (very good question - thank you Tash!)

14 weeks and 4 days... Eating...

I got a date for my next ultrasound today: April 26th! I can't wait. That's when I will probably find out if it's a boy or a girl...

What I've been eating: I have been eating a very 'varied' diet lately that includes anything from McDonald's Chicken McNuggets to quinoa salads. I have tried to include more vegetables in my diet, as recommended, but I find that the veggies I usually go to and love I currently do not enjoy (nice way to say that just thinking about them makes me gag...) Things like broccoli for instance, that I used to love... now? ewwwww! :) I basically stick to tomatoes and cucumber for now. I am however, having lots more fruit - kiwis, apples, bananas, grapes, watermelon, strawberries... Fruit is great and easy and makes fabulous snacks!

A thing I realized is protein seems to help with my nausea. So I've pretty much had my favorite quinoa salad for lunch most days of the week at work for the last 4-5 weeks - it's really yummy and I can feel it helps my nausea pretty quickly. And it's got a pretty decent amount of protein in it!
















I've also had lots of hard boiled eggs, and I eat lots of dairy products for calcium and protein also... I drink lots of skim milk, have some cheese (not soft cheeses though, as apparently some of them are 'dangerous'...) lots of low fat yogurt...

I have the occasional granola bar here and there...

I read in a few places that carbs and/or whole grains helped nausea - well not for me! I started trying to calm it down with some whole grains and crackers and felt miserable - I felt full all the time, but I was still hungry, still had nausea, and couldn't eat any more... I literally had to force myself to eat, it was not pretty... I didn't want to eat anymore... never thought I would ever say that! :)

So for weekday lunches and snacks I'm doing ok - it's the evening meals that are more challenging - a combination of the evening being my worst nausea time and the long drive home which means waiting to eat for a long time - it all makes it extra miserable. Having to prep dinner with all the odors and the hunger and the nausea, not good... So I've resorted to eating from the 'drive-thru' more than a few times. The idea that I only need to wait 5 minutes and it's ready to eat and warm - it's just heaven... I try to get the healthier options on the menu, the ones I am used to - like the grilled chicken burger at Harvey's, and some salads at Wendy's and McDonald's... but sometimes I just feel like fries and chicken McNuggets - what can I say! :) I think that so long as it's in the mix along with a lot of other healthier meals, it can't be that bad...

Quantity-wise, I am not limiting my intake anymore, the way I used to when I counted points, but I try and go for the healthier things when I eat more. I'm definitely not doing the 'eating for two' thing. They say you only need about 300 extra calories a day. I have quickly realized that I am used to a certain quantity of food a day - but a quantity that is meant for weight loss - I have been on weight watchers for so long! 300 extra calories are on top of a much higher number of calories than what I am used to... something like 2000-2300 (Angie All the Way explained it well in her post on Feb. 8th - did you know she was pregnant as well?! :) So yeah - I think I am eating within the range, but I have not been counting - I figure if I keep eating as healthy as possible, then everything should be A-Ok...

Thanks for your comments/ideas ladies, that helps a lot!!! :)

next up - exercises!

So I'm pregnant...

It doesn't feel really 'real' yet - well, except for the nausea and the heartburn and the weight gain... I have not 'clicked' yet - realized that this is really happening...

I waited to tell everyone until I was safely past the first trimester, the risk of miscarriage is really low as you get to the 2nd trimester... I was very scared to tell my work people, very anxious, as I am finishing a contract at the end of April, and my upcoming contract would keep me busy from the end of April until the end of February. Knowing that I will only be able to work for 4-5 of the 10 months of this contract, I was putting myself in a position where my employers might want to just hire someone else who would be able to just do the full 10 months... Anyways... There really hasn't been that much talk about 'details' yet, but they have given me enough indication that this contract was mine and I felt confident enough to go ahead and let them know... I just couldn't afford not to work starting in April. Not with a baby on the way - oy...

As for health and baby development - I think things are going ok - normal anyways... I am 14 weeks and 3 days along today, and I feel pretty miserable physically, but have high hopes that things will become easier in the 2nd trimester... I think this pregnancy will have changed the way I see food forever - My Oh My!!! I have been suffering from pretty intense 24hr nausea (I am medicated now and don't feel as bad- but I can still feel nausea a few times during the day...) Things I used to crave are now making me gag... and the only way to help it go away is eating... so I've piled up about 14 lbs so far. Yup I'm at 171lbs already. phew!

I have done very little exercise so far - I really need to improve on this. But I just feel so bad all day... I have good intentions of starting... any time now... any time...now... yeah... :)

I don't really have crazy cravings or anything like that - at least not yet - just things I can not think about or see without gagging... :) I tried to avoid reading some of my favorite food blogs because of that... it was tough! :) What's the worst is that you know that eating will help, so you try to plan what you could eat in you head, but then that makes you nauseous... ugh... a big challenge! I can't remember what it feels like to not have nausea every day anymore, I can't wait until it's all a thing of the past... :)

I'm sporting a little belly, and am already wearing some maternity clothes. Oooo maternity clothes are so comfortable!!!

I can't wait for the next ultrasound (should be in 4-6 weeks) where I get to possibly find out if it's a boy or a girl. I know a lot of people are into finding out at birth, but I just can't wait to find out!

I'll keep you posted... What would you like me to write about - do you have any questions? I'm a bit rusty, I think it'll take me a few posts to get back to my blogging rhythm - getting your feedback will help :)

I shall return...

I let my work people know about what's going on today, so I am free to reveal why I have not blogged for the last 3 months:


see you back here soon...