Pregnancy, fitness and all those Valentine's hearts

Ok, think about pregnancy fitness. Ugh.  Just saying it out loud makes me wince.  Such a terrible pairing of two words.  Seems like an oxymoron to me.

Each of my pregnancies has been so different.  With Abi, I was 18 and 97 pounds and before that had eaten anything and everything I wanted with reckless abandon.  I walked in to give birth to her and weighed in at 148.  51 extra pounds! That is a 10 year old!  With Brayden, it had been eight years since I had carried a child full-term.  My body had time to recover from what I put it through while carrying Abi and I did better with a 27 pound weight gain.  Now, a mere two years later (and 10 years since my first pregnancy), I am finding that my body has "settled" faster.  It seems it remembers being pregnant and my abdominal muscles are much weaker.  I can tell bouncing back after this one is going to take a lot more work.

I do not technically eat terribly, but there is definitely room for improvement.  And by eating better I do not mean counting calories like a madman, weighing out portions with a scale, or obsessively avoiding anything with sugar, or carbs, or sodium, or flavor.  I mean eating better and being smart, in general; portion control, listening to my body when it says I am full, eating well balanced meals, incorporating fresh fruits and veggies into every meal, minimizing the fast food, fried foods, processed foods, etc.

I am finding it hard to climb a few flights of stairs, which I know is partly because I am 24 weeks pregnant, but still, I was having a hard time way before now.  It is taking much longer for my heart to recover after climbing the stairs at work.  I have zero flexibility and my hips cramp up if I get into the wrong position, not always at the most opportune time....

Now, switch gears and think about heart health.  According to Go Red For Women, heart disease is the number one killer of women and one in three women die of heart disease and stroke each year.  Those are staggering statistics ladies!

So, in honor of heart health month, I am beginning this journey to better myself by becoming more physically fit, nutritionally aware, and hopefully encouraging a few of you.  I will share with you some of what I am doing to be active and any good recipes I have made my guinea pigs at home try.

I think it is important to note here that I do not think physical fitness is determined by the number on the scale or even what you see in the mirror.  I may be petite but I can bet there are thousands of women who weigh 30+ pounds more than I do who are much more physically fit.  Beauty is not defined by any one person, any weight or any body type/size; it is found within before it can be felt outwardly.

Stay tuned!