An amazing website I stumbled on that I wanted to share with any moms to be out there! You can type in any food or click a category of food to see what foods you can and cannot eat while pregnant. Check it out!
http://www.canmommyeat.com/
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Sunday Funday on Pinterest!
Very interesting things I found on Pinterest this morning!
Enjoy!
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Jamie Eason's Pregnancy Advice
Jamie Eason is my top inspiration when it comes to weightlifting, fitness, eating right, and everything in between. Here is an awesome article for you moms to be out there where Jamie discusses keeping healthy throughout her pregnancy and how you can do the same!
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/pregnant-pause-an-interview-with-bodybuilding-coms-jamie-eason.html
Isnt that the cutest bump??
Jamie is having a BOY! Here is a photo from her gender reveal photoshoot!
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Staying in Shape While Pregnant
(9 weeks pregnant)
Let's face it, ladies. If you are pregnant, you are bound to gain some weight. 25-35lbs to be exact. Though that is the healthy weight gain that doctors recommend, some ladies unfortunately gain more. This happens when women let their exercise routines and healthy eating patterns fall by the waist side.
The biggest misconception about pregnancy is eating for two. Most women dont realize that whatever you eat, baby eats. You dont need to double up! Now, the cravings are very tricky. Im 9 weeks into my pregnancy and I KNOW how bad cravings can be. Whenever I have a craving for something, instead of reaching for it, I automatically think, now how can I make this healthier?
Since Ive been pregnant, Ive been fatigued beyond belief! I was only a little nauseous for two weeks or so luckily, but the cravings are off the charts! Luckily, I have stuck by my workouts and my healthy eating for the most part.
So far, I have only gained one pound and my body virtually looks the same. As you can see, I still have defined abs (for now.) Ive pushed through the fatigue, sickness, and cravings and so far, so good.
It all comes down to how badly you want to stay in shape during pregnancy. Some women tend to use it as an excuse to let go.
I owe it all to these tips!
- Eat lean protein at every meal.
- Eat lots of fruits and veggies.
- Never skip a meal or breakfast. Eat within 30 minutes of waking.
- Eat 5-6 small meals a day.
- Skip the dairy. Opt for almond or coconut milk instead.
- Workout 3 times a week, lifting as much as your body will tolerate and according to what your doctor says. *Also, try to get in 20-30 minutes of cardio daily. Your body is pumping 50% more blood and you need that cardiovascular system to be in tip top shape!
- Drink 8-10 glasses per water daily.
- Prenatal yoga works wonders for toning and decreases your lower back pains.
- Get plenty of rest! 6-8 hours nightly.
- Take a nice bubble bath at night. Soak all the stresses away.
- Mediate or pray.
- Set goals and stick with them. My current goal is to gain 25lbs-no more.
Simple as that! Visualize what you want!
Yummy Before Bedtime Treat
One of my favorite things to eat right before I head to bed. Tastes like peanut butter cheesecake!
-3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
-1 Tbsp natural peanut butter
-2 packets truvia
-1 tsp chia seeds
About 225 calories, 22g protein, 9g healthy fats, and oooh so good.
Pregnancy Week 9 Chalkboard Update
How far along? 9 Weeks
Weight Gain: 1 lbs
Stretch Marks: None
Belly Button: In
Wedding Rings On/Off: On
Movement: None
Feeling: Sleepy and hungry most of the time
Cravings: Sushi
Symptoms: Fatigue, Frequent urination, cravings
Missing: Sleeping through the night without having to go pee
Looking Forward to: Our next OB appointment in 4 weeks!
Sleep: Weird vivid dreams. Having to wake up and pee 4 times a night.
Exercise: Lifting and cardio 3 times per week.
Eating: Healthy still for the most part. Eating in moderation and listening to my body. I stay hungry most of the time so I snack frequently.
So far I still have abs too!
Friday, June 28, 2013
How to Prevent Stretch Marks During Pregnancy
Stretch marks.
They aren't the sexiest thing a woman can wear. Everyone dreads them.
Believe it or not, there is something that you can do to help prevent them.
The only way to truly prevent stretch marks is slow, steady weight gain during pregnancy. Dont follow the whole "eating for two" myth or eat in excess-that will help you put on the weight in a flash. Let's face it, you WILL gain weight during pregnancy-thats a given. But what most women do not know is WHY some get these stretch marks.
Stretch marks are caused when the skin stretches at a level to where it cannot keep up with the grow. Take those bodybuilders who use steroids for example. When they take that drug, it increases the size of muscle in no time, stretching that skin far beyond its means. SAME thing happens when you overeat-you gain weight too fast for your skin to catch up.
Great thing about pregnancy is, we have 9 months to slowly grow.
Now there are some creams out there that do work such as coco butter (Palmers brand is best!). But the best way is to watch what you eat (eating healthy), keeping up exercise (pregnancy is not a disability unless you make it one), and gaining the weight in a slow, steady manner/
How to Determine Your Baby's Sex or Gender During Pregnancy EARLY
There's an old wives' tale that you can tell the sex of your baby during pregnancy based on the heart beats per minute!
They say that if you are having a girl, the BPM (beats per minute) will be 140 or greater.
They say that if you are having a boy, the BPM will be 140 or less.
Now keep in mind that all fetuses BPM are on average 175 till 9 weeks gestation-then the sex organs are created and the BPM averages 120-180 during the rest of your pregnancy. After 9 weeks, would be the best time to try this method.
Another way of telling your baby's gender during pregnancy, is not a wives tell but called the Ramzi Method.
This is the original research done by Dr. Saad Ramzi Ismail. In this study, more than 5,000 fetuses were scanned for placental location.
Want to know the results of the study?
It showed that at 6 weeks gestation, 97.2% of male fetuses had their placenta on the RIGHT side of the uterus.
For female fetuses, the placenta was located on the LEFT side of the uterus.
You should be able to tell with your first ultrasound where your baby sits.
As you can see with mine, the placenta is slightly in the middle/left so its hard for me to tell mine unfortunately! We will be back for another ultrasound in 4 weeks and will be able to see more!
If all else fails, here is a Chinese gender chart that was totally accurate for us!
If all else fails, here is a Chinese gender chart that was totally accurate for us!
Tone Your Arms in 3 Moves
1 – Barbell Bicep Curls
This should be the core bicep exercise in your bicep routine. It allows you to go heavy and is one of the easiest to do in terms of getting the technique correct.
How to – Stand with feet shoulder width apart and lift up the bar bell. Lift up your chest so that your shoulders are lower than your chest but your back is still straight. Curl the bar bell up to just above your pectoral muscles and slowly lower back down.
It is of paramount importance that your elbows do not move during this exercise. Make sure they stay solid next to your side.
2 – Skull Crushers
This is a tricep exercise that will pack on the progress if you do it correctly. If you don’t, it might pack on the injuries!
How to – Lie on a flat bench and take light bar bell. Lift the weight over your head with your palms facing the roof. Now shift the weight backwards so if you were to drop it it would land on the floor behind your head and so that your triceps are pointing behind you instead of straight up. In this fixed position, lift the weight up until you have a straight arm and then lower it slowly until you get a deep stretch.
This is one of my all time favorite triceps exercises and has allowed me to make some significant growth.
3 - Close Grip Bench Press
This exercise allows you to use a heavy weight in a safe way. However, it is slightly more tricky to perform than it looks.
How to – Take a medium bar bell and lie on a flat bench. Push the bar bell up until you arms are locked and then lower it down slowly. Just before it hits your chest push it up quickly with a little bouncing motion for about two inches. This short stop and bounce stops your chest muscles coming into play here and keeps the weight on your triceps. It’s a great secret.
My Other Baby :)
If you know my husband or me personally, you know we love cars! This is my 2013 Mustang 5.0. It's my other baby and I enjoy working on it during my free time. We also enjoy motorcycles! I got my motorcycle license this past February-never thought I'd learn but so happy I did! My husband and I have enjoyed modifying the mustang. So far we have put on it a Borla S Type exhaust, Steeda cold air intake, Barton shift bracket (so it shifts easier), and a BAMA tune and programmer. I would eventually like to add a supercharger! But baby comes first! :) These pictures are taken by my husband for 5.0 Mustang Magazine!
My FIRST OB Appointment!
Today was my first OB appointment for Mini Cooper. It was a blast! I had been looking forward to this day for days so we could learn more about our peanut.
From what our doctor said, MC is healthy with a healthy fast heartbeat of 172 BPM. We also found out that MC is 8 weeks and 4 days old-not 9 weeks and 4 days-I was off/ahead by one week exactly so that means OUR DUE DATE HAS CHANGED!
February 3rd it is!
In the photo, you can see his head, hand sticking up (almost looks like he's giving the bird lol), and his feet. When we heard the heartbeat, tears streamed. It seemed SO much more realistic!
Grady and I are the happiest. I love my husband so much.
We are hoping for a BOY but based on the old wives tale of beats per minute, since the rate is over 140 BPM, it COULD be a girl. But after all thats just a wives tale.
We dont mind the gender as long as MC is healthy!
Our next appt is in 4 weeks!
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Healthy Coconut Oil Banana Nut Oat Bread (NO Sugar Added) + How to Ripen Bananas In One Hour!
Here it goes:
- 3 ripe bananas
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup cocout oil
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/4 cup walnuts chopped
- 2 cups oats
Mix altogether and bake at 350 degrees!
How to ripen bananas in one hour!
Bake bananas skin and all in the oven at 300 degrees for one hour only! They should turn black but the inside will be caramelized enough to make banana nut bread!
9 Weeks Pregnant & Still Have Abs!
Everyday I'm anxiously staring and searching my belly for a bump. I'm 9 weeks and counting and I can't wait to start showing! However, for now, I still see abs and I'm almost done with my first trimester! I think that continued healthy eating (not splurging for two) and lifting 3 times a week with 20 minutes of cardio daily is really helping me stay fit while pregnant.
My first OB appointment is Friday where I will get my first ultrasound!
I will post another weekly update at that time, followed by my weekly chalkboard photo :)
The Only Move to Combat Cellulite?
SQUATS!
I cant say this enough. While running does help SOME, squats are the way to go if you want to diminish your cellulite because you must build lean muscle to take the place of those fat deposits that sit beneath your skin! They have reduced the whole overall appearance of not just cellulite but the shape of my booty and my thighs. Squats are certainly the fastest way to lift your derrière and help you to look and feel sexier on you'd clothes (and out!).
Start of using a weight that feels comfortable to you and do 3 sets of 12 repetitions. For my squats, I like to use the leg press machine in the gym. Do whatever suits you!
Monday, June 24, 2013
Healthy Whole Wheat Goat Cheese Lasagna
- One box whole wheat lasagna noodles
- One container goat cheese crumbles
- One pound 97% lean ground beef
- One jar pasta sauce (any flavor you want, I used garden fresh because I love veggies)
- One onion sliced
- One container mushrooms sliced
- Olive oil
- Salt, pepper, basil, oregano, and garlic powder to taste in the sauce.
All you have to do is boil the noodles in a large sauce pan while sauteeing the veggies in another in olive oil. Add the ground beef into the veggie mix and once the beef is brown, add the pasta sauce. When the sauce is bubbly, add in seasonings to suit your taste. Remove noodles from boil after 8-10 minutes and place in COOL water to avoid sticking when ready for use. Set aside a glass pan to hold your lasagna and make the first layer-a layer of whole wheat pasta on the bottom. Then spoon sauce mixture over the noodles. Sprinkle layer with goat cheese crumbles. Then apply another layer of noodles, then sauce, then goat cheese (save some goat cheese for the very top). Then put your last layer of noodles on top sprinkled with remaining goat cheese and drizzle olive oil. Bake the dish at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.
Enjoy!
Reconnecting With Dad
Over the past weekend, Ive had the privilege of my dad, sister, and brother coming to stay with my husband and me at our home. I had not seen my dad for 4-5 years so I was more than excited for their arrival! My parents divorced when I was just two years old and throughout the years, my mother would keep me from seeing my dad, so we unfortunately lost touch here and there. But its so great to have him back in my life!
He is the best parent anyone could ask for and Im proud to be just like him. I took them to the beach and sushi while they were down, and dad even cooked breakfast with me Saturday morning! Here are some photos from the visit.
:)
