hello there mr. speculum + 1st postpartum home workout

postpartum check up time!

5 weeks in, and here we are again.

the last time i sat on this table i was 40 weeks preggo and 2 cms dilated.  just in my thoughts as i waited for Dr. A. lol.

soon as i walked in the office my eyes were immediately drawn to the tools on the counter though, especially that darn speculum. hate it. and that clicking noise as it opens drives me craaaazy.

however, it was standing in the way of me and the gym so i tolerated it for yet another 60 seconds.  i know i'll be seeing it for the rest of my life so i'll make peace with it some day.

aaaand we're done here!  Dr. A cleared me to go back to my usual workout routine whenever i am ready.  however, i'm taking it super, duper slow.  teaching vs. taking a class are two different experiences for me as i've mentioned before.  kinda like Beyonce vs. Sasha Fierce-- falling down the stairs and all.  i don't want to push it too fast too soon, but ultimately i will be taking classes again, adding the weights back into my routine slowly but surely, and paying attention to how my body responds.  listen to your OB ladies, and listen to your body. i'll discuss some of my fitness goals in the next post though!

*****

afterwards, i decided to share my very first workout at home with my Mr. Piggy! Sonny is NOT feeling Odego's nickname but because he grunts and snorts like crazy when he is hungry it was only right.

#sorrynotsorry, hubs.

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 i'm using body weight for these super basic moves for the most part as Dego only weighs like 9 lbs.  it's perfect cause i'm forced to go super slow while i hold my precious cargo!

• squats - looking up and out at the ceiling while performing squats helps to keep my back flat and knees behind my toes.

• plie squats - you don't have to go deep! gradually work your way back to that level.

• side bends - try these to start and keep a flat back and elevated chest for better posture.  my postpartum core strength is loads better this time around as i worked my obliques throughout my pregnancy.

• modified push ups with kisses :)

remember moms, my pace is not your pace and vice versa.  if you feel any pain or discomfort, STOP.  and if you haven't been cleared to do these exercises yet, don't even think about it!  if you have been cleared but still not ready, go outside and walk, hit the elliptical, or start with some postpartum yoga.  if moms could have their pre-preggo bodies back sooner than later, then let's be honest-- i'm positive a vast majority would jump at the chance to.  my message is to first and foremost show how proper nutrition and physical activity can aid in doing just that.  make no mistake, this is not a race.  i repeat...this is not a race.  i exercise because i love it. i make time for it because it's a priority in my life.  there is absolutely nothing unrealistic about eating a balanced diet and exercising regularly during pregnancy. nothing. my journey may not be typical or the norm, but my results are very real.  my skin gets thicker by the day because of Instagram lol, but i won't apologize or feel bad for being blessed to have an active pregnancy (i don't take it for granted one bit) and/or living a healthy lifestyle.  ANY mom can do it and i hope to inspire other women enough to even try!

semi-rant over.

i stopped at GNC on the way home to try some new Quest Bar flavors before i buy a whole box of them and i'm excited!  they have been helping with my sweet cravings and i don't mind the fiber and protein that comes with them.  they're all natural, high fiber, gluten-free, 1g of sugar, and low carb. i bought hubs the Cookies & Cream flavor which he swallowed on sight (which is why it's not pictured) and i managed to get a piece and loved it too.  it nipped his Oreo cookie craving right in the bud, sweet!

Q: what is your favorite Quest Bar flavor? 

le

3rd triggity-tri update

 it's happening again :shock: . food aversions have returned and all i want for breakfast, lunch, and dinner is Subway!!!  so i had some last night for dinner.  yes, the entire thing in one sitting. don't worry, it fit my macros, lol.  i've been randomly putting my meals in MyFitnessPal just to make sure i'm somewhere in the ball park of my daily requirements.  anyway, thanks Sonny, you're awesome.

it's a turkey breast sammich on honey oat bread with all the veggies except onions and jalapeños with honey mustard.  hadn't had one since the 1st trimester and boy was it as tasty as i remember.

uncomfy , eh? understatement. i enjoy the constant reminder that Odego is awake, moving around and doing his thing in here. however, i feel every single twist, turn, kick, punch, head butt, and cartwheel. all of it.  just like Chiso, he gets wired up as soon as i get settled in the bed at night.  but thankfully it doesn't hinder my sleep one bit.

let's talk about these energy levels though!  this baby is siphoning mine off day by day and i knew that was coming...just not so dang soon.  so most mornings,

i wake up like that.

but this morning before teaching my 5:30am weights class i felt good. like really good again. maybe i should eat foot long Subway sammiches before bed more often.

10 weeks left yall!!! :shock: WAT. i'll explain more about that #pregnantNOTpowerless hashtag in a bit.

ironically, i'm most uncomfortable when i'm dormant or at home cleaning and picking up random stuff off the floor.  i do all this working out at the gym but when i see something on the floor at home that's not where it's supposed to be most times i just leave it there LOL. why is it so much more of a challenge then?!  idk.  i've been sleeping with one of those body pillows from Target for the past 4 months now and i highly recommend one.  you can splurge and get the real thing too.

still not caring for sweets, just all things dairy, mainly cheese.  but every now and then i'll make this guy instead of going to get fro-yo, soft serve at BK, or a McFlurry - a low-dairy chocolate milkshake at home.  i'm totally satisfied after slurping this guilt-free concoction down.  try it! throw this in your blender:

• 3/4 cup cookies and cream or vanilla maple Arctic Zero ice cream
• 1/4 cup + (2 tbsp or so if needed) unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 2 tbsp Hershey's sugar-free chocolate syrup + more swirled in your glass ;)

before i made coconut whipped cream (which is dairy-free) for the first time a few days ago, i just used fat-free Reddi Whip and chocolate sprinkles for my topping.  legit yumminess for a total of:

that's it.

this little boy here. he has his 'Odego Time' every single day, multiple times a day.  he GETS it now.  his little brother is on the way and he can't wait to slide down the slide with him at the park.  his words, lol. i was worried about how he would be affected (and still somewhat am after he arrives) and i'm reading up on how to make this transition easiest for him.  heck, all of us.  any tips moms, please share!

[wpvideo M9FRyDbw]

you have a bigger influence on your kiddos than you think!  i just knew the park would be way more exciting than lil ol' me, but as soon as we got there he asked, 'mama can we make a video?  i want to exercise with you.' floored. so that's how our 30 week playground workout came about.

check out this adorable article via babycenter.com that shows you how big your fetus is using fruits and veggies, love it.  Odego is the size of a cabbage this week!

le

holy forehead acne + gender reveal

my close friends are like 'girl SHUT UP about this forehead acne already. please.' and i will. when it goes away :shock: .   forreal though, it's the only symptom that is different from my 1st pregnancy. so 2% of me believed a mini fit foodie le was on the way.

 welp, yesterday was the day we got to confirm those (un)educated guesses.  i have been saying i don't care about the sex... i meant that.  i still don't care. i just can't believe i said i would wait until i was in the delivery room to find out....HA. yeah, not doing that. this round anyway!  i commend women/couples who actually go through with it though, seriously.

i wake up wanting real cheese, eggs, and toast. every morning. most days this is dinner too.  so after a filling breakfast and some 19 week selfies,

i was so excited i threw on some heels and we hit the road to meet Sonny.  i asked Chi for the last time that morning,' so, sister or a brother? '  he responded with 'no thank you mama.  i don't want a sister.' aaaaallrightythen.

 i couldn't help but think, 'i was just here with Chiso.' 3 years really did pass by that fast. funny how my entire visit happened just like last time too.  Sonny came to meet me (well us, this time) from work, and i even used the same changing room. on purpose.   i remember having to chug 20 oz or more of water just before the procedure. and i barely made it to the bathroom afterwards. like last time.

heading down the long hallway to the US room.

it was even the same nurse - i recognized her right away and the way she began: 'ok please let me find what i need to find first and then we'll eventually get to the gender, your questions, and then i'll show you your baby in detail.' aaaaallrightlythen. #doyourthing.  she reminded me that the procedure usually lasts an hour, but that's cause sometimes the babies don't cooperate or face in the best direction.  luckily our little one gave us a clear shot of the goods ;)  . i think it's hilarious to watch the baby's mouth opening and closing on the screen- i'm like what the heck are you even saying :lol: !?  it's also cool to see all the punching and kicking and feel it happening in your belly simultaneously.   just in complete awe of God, again.

he'll fully understand soon enough.

and we're done here! all cheeses after 'meeting' the 4th member of the Egwuatu family.  so.....

this was the very first pic the nurse printed out for us.... POW. i knew instantly but Sonny still had the 'wait, what is that?' look on his face for the longest.

well, what is it?! 

(view is from the top looking down)

le

fit foodie who?

so i'm roughly 16 weeks and some change and finally climbing further and further away from my first trimester symptoms.  thank. God.  if you were to have asked me who Fit Foodie Le was from weeks 8ish to about 13 i would not have been able to answer.   at my 8 week appt., my doc asked me if i needed any nausea meds and i proudly said 'nope!'. i prolly had a 'who, me?' look on my face to go with it.  weeeeell week 9 came and socked me in the face like a bag of rocks.  nausea (evening sickness) headaches, annoying forehead acne (still here), confused appetite, mood swings, and some of the worst fatigue i've ever experienced took over my world.  i felt like one of those cartoon characters with a black rain cloud following them everywhere.

i didn't want to do ANYTHING.  y'all don't hear me. NOTHING AT ALL.  no blogging, no IG, no social media whatsoever. i just wanted to disconnect from everything, everyone and sleep.  after walking up the stairs in our home, i had enough energy left to crumble to the floor once i finally made it to the top.  carrying Chiso across the room made my heart rate skyrocket.  i had no desire to workout and used every single excuse i could not to hit the gym when i wasn't teaching my fitness classes. i mainly blamed the weather (smh) which has never been a factor for me.  had no desire to go anywhere, do anything, be social, talk about fitness, eat or cook healthy food, and definitely no desire to motivate and inspire anybody else when i couldn't even get my own behind going.  because baby #2 was still secret, i had to keep quiet on social media and act like nothing had changed.  truth be told, i was on strike from vegetables with Chiso during that time cause the sight or smell of them made my nausea flare up.  most days, especially after a gym class, i'd be super hungry, but everything i thought of to eat repulsed me. friends, over those few weeks i ate some things i hadn't eaten in years because i wanted them and just didn't care! this flood of new hormones made me completely unfocused.  was i craving them? i wouldn't even call it that.  i just didn't want any healthy food and had to eat something.

but subway is a great pick, right? everything in moderation friends, even subway. i had my fave sammich (the turkey breast on wheat) for lunch and dinner for about 2 weeks straight. it's all i wanted. and conveniently located right next to Sonny's job :lol: .  then things took a slight turn...

 

a tartar sauce-less fillet O' fish from Mc Donalds. who even eats these anymore!?!?  hadn't eaten one in decades but a tv commercial was all it took.  it was as delicious as i remember.

Timmy Chans wings and rice. with gravy. I KNOW. :shock: :shock: :shock:

fresh, hot, Shipley's donut holes. i figure the holes would help me nip my 'craving' in the bud rather than eating a whole donut or four. but if you eat them all at once then that theory doesn't actually work now does it :roll:

more chocolate chip Eat Pastry vegan cookie dough. eaten raw,

and baked.

now THIS really was a craving! i can eat Papa Johns pizza any time of day, hot or cold, preggo or not. omg. pineapple, ham, and plenty of CHEESE.  5 slices later....... and i could have honestly kept going.

normally i get oatmeal or a whole wheat english muffin/toast on the side when we go out for breakfast (which is super rare anyway) , but nope, i ordered and devoured a pancake bigger than my head at The Egg & I.

aaaaand this guy... I IG'ed this weeks ago and i consider it the start of my indulgent, sporadic 1st tri eats. it's the Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie,  a Chili's classic.  the last time we ate there though it was called the Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie!  its been a while.

so the wack part of it all is that immediately after i ate those things i felt worse. every time.  i'm not just talking food guilt here guys. i'm talking bad physically.  i don't know if those foods tasted so unbelievably incredible because i'm preggo or because i hadn't eaten them in soooooo long or what! they only satisfied me for the moment though and wreaked havoc on my 'plumbing' later, if you will.  things were just as bad in the exercise department.  i'd dread my drive to the gym and gripe, moan, and complain the entire way there.  once i got going and was actually  moving and sweating though, i felt like ME again and back to normal.  soon as i stopped? back to crappy town. so i figured i might as well force myself to eat healthy stuff again since my workouts were struggling and eating those terrible processed foods was a threat to me and the baby's overall health.  also, i was heavily contributing to early, unnecessary weight gain and reintroducing former unhealthy habits.    my classes have literally saved me.  if it weren't for them i would not have exercised at all.  some might say 'what's the big deal with not exercising for a few weeks???'.  i don't want my first trimester to set the tone for the rest of my pregnancy.  once i sit down for too long, even two days, (even when i'm not preggo)- it's like pulling teeth getting back into a routine again.  if you're struggling to get through your first tri or pregnancy period, just HOLD ON!!! indulge in a craving every now and then and just keep moving. what can i say..it will all be worth it ;)

my OB assured me things would change with time and thankfully they have.  hellooooo, 2nd tri!  my goal is no longer weight or fat loss, none of that! i just want to keep moving as much as possible, have fun with my workouts, and keep my healthy eating habits going along with some Papa John's pizza here and there. that's it. no pressure. until i deliver and recover; health for me and baby is my priority. i'm excited to share my 2nd fit preggo journey with you again!

looking forward to some of these prenatal exercises now that my desire to move again is back:

1. spinning - works wonders for circulation for mom and baby without all the joint pressure from weightlifting or say kickboxing classes.  plus, you determine the speed, intensity, everything.
2. yoga- no hot yoga though! eases tension, boosts your mood, and can even make for an easier delivery.
3. walking- i walked 98% of my 1st pregnancy and did a few 5 and 10ks along the way. ain't nothin' changed.
4. zumba- it’s a great cardiovascular workout that  requires side stepping, jumping, and turning movements. keep an eye on that heart rate though.
5. water aerobics - 'It may reduce pain during labor, according to a study published in Reproductive Health, finding that women who did water aerobics three times a week were less likely to ask for pain relief during labor, compared to those who didn't exercise.' hmmmm! i like those odds.
6. booty barre - a ballet-inspired class that includes legwork with minimal jumping, making it a great option for preggo women.  they will be offered at Lifetime Fitness soon!

the real Fit Foodie Le has returned and is ready to rock round two RIGHT! here we gooooooooooooo

le