Now that I am well into my 2^nd trimester I wanted to do another post about my exercise routine and nutrition,  as many women ask me about it. Though I am still working out almost daily, I have definitely started to make some changes and more modifications.  I definitely feel better than I did in my first trimester, therefore in weeks 12 to about 20 my workouts did pick up in intensity quite a bit. However, they are now starting to decrease again in intensity due to my changing body.

The following are the biggest modifications I have made in the past month or so:

• The biggest change has probably been with my cardio exercise. I have for the most part completely stopped running with the exception of very short 200-400 meter runs at CrossFit at a very slow pace.   How in the heck I ran until 27 weeks with Caleb is beyond me.   It honestly does not feel good anymore and that is my number one rule for working out during pregnancy….if it does not feel good or right do not do it. Everything from my neck down to my knees, just seems to be jiggling when I run :). The impact feels much greater than during my first pregnancy (which is probably true since my core and pelvic muscles are most likely not as nearly as tight as before) and I do not enjoy it so why do it?   There are other options for cardio exercise.
• I have decreased my weights at CrossFit in general but especially during technical lifts. I am still lifting as heavy as comfortable at the gym but during CrossFit workouts, I have dropped my weight as my stomach has gotten bigger and my center of gravity is shifting. I do not feel as safe lifting the weights I was doing previously.
• Though I am still teaching spin 1x a week, it is getting uncomfortable. I taught until I was 7 months pregnant with Caleb but doubt I will make it another 6 weeks. I will soon be phasing this out as well.
• I am no longer doing any exercises lying on my stomach. I will still lay down on my back for a short period of time but feel more comfortable with incline positions.
• My core work is entirely planks and plank variations and the core engagement you get through lifting. I am no longer doing sit-ups or really any variations.

Here is an example of my current workout schedule:

Monday: CrossFit, walk dog (usually 20-30 min during the week, longer on weekends)

Tuesday: Gym workout, 30 min elliptical or stairmill intervals and all body lift or CrossFit depending on the workout, dog walk

Wednesday: Teach 45 min cycle/15 yoga flow, dog walk

Thursday: CrossFit, dog walk

Friday: Teach 60 min Strength and Cardio class, dog walk

Saturday: Whatever I feel like.. Sometimes a group exercise class, sometimes elliptical and weights, sometimes yoga

Sunday: Rest with the exception of a walk

So this is actually pretty similar to my schedule in my first trimester though I am consistently going to CrossFit 2x a week because I feel better. I have not been as good as getting to yoga the last few weeks and would like to get back to going once a week. Over the next few months, I will most likely be doing incline walking on a treadmill and elliptical as my main form of cardio.

Nutrition

When I looked back on the blog I wrote at 14 weeks pregnant and what I was eating then, nothing has changed much as far as my meals go. However, the most significant changes are that my nausea is gone and because it is my 2^nd trimester, I am much hungrier. With my first pregnancy, I gained about 5 lbs. in the first trimester, 14 lbs. in the second (about a 1lb. a week) and 10 during my last trimester. This time, I did not gain any in my first (probably due to my nausea). So far, I have gained a total of 14 lbs. so I am a few pounds less at this point than I was with Caleb. I try not to focus on the exact number but I would ideally like to stay between 25-35lbs of total weight gain.   That is the amount recommend for healthy weight individuals to gain during pregnancy but I know that every woman is different and some will gain more and some will gain less. The most important thing being that the baby is healthy and growing at a healthy rate.

The hunger this time around has been a bit of a challenge because I am often not hungry for the most nutritious snacks.   I generally want crunchy, salty or sweet snacks. I also have to be okay with the fact that I honestly might be hungry 2 hours after eating a meal. Though I try to make sure it is not dehydration or boredom, I have to realize that I am growing another human being and should be hungrier than normal. This mindset is often hard because as a fitness professional, I have followed some rigid nutrition rules in the past that can really affect this mindset and I sometimes think that I ‘shouldn’t’ be hungry 2 hours after I had a meal. I try to make sure my meals have plenty of protein and vegetables and some fruit. Though I believe nutrition is important all the time for our overall well being, I think it is even more essential during pregnancy because you are passing on those nutrients to another human being.   It has just been harder for me this time around and I get hungry but do not always want protein and veggies. I want gummy bears and graham crackers. 😉 So I am trying to make the best choices but it has been a struggle.

Here is a quick sample of my nutrition, again, not much different from first trimester with the exception of probably the quantity.

Breakfast (one of the following)

• Protein shake and Almond Flour Muffin or ½ English muffin with cream cheese or nut butter
• Eggs with some type of carb (1/2 English muffin) and fruit
• Yogurt with fruit and homemade granola, breakfast sausage

Lunch

• Huge salad with protein, apple with nut butter
• Leftovers from dinner night before

Snack (this is where I struggle the most as I am hungry but usually just want to eat junky carbs)

• Protein bar
• Fruit/Nut snacks with nut butter
• Whatever I feel like and can find in my pantry 🙂

Dinner

I am still planning 5 or 6 dinners a week.

• Protein (chicken, bison, shrimp, steak, sausage etc.), vegetable (green beans, salad, Brussel Sprouts etc.) some type of carb (sweet potatoes fries, beans, couscous etc.)

After Dinner:

• I pretty much have something small and sweet every night. Generally, some type of chocolate and a glass of almond milk. Might go out for frozen yogurt once in a while or order a dessert to split when eating at a restaurant.

So really, not a lot different but I definitely think I am eating more this trimester. I do remember being really hungry with Caleb during my 2^nd trimester and then during my third, getting fuller so much sooner.

I will blog again towards the end of my third with my last changes in my exercise and nutrition routine.

As always, I would love to hear from you!

XOXO

Sara and BB2