I’m trying to keep busy and not think about it but my mind won’t stop thinking about how my labor will start and when it will happen. I guess being through it before makes me know a little about what to expect where as before I had NO clue.

Anyways, rather then ramble about my thoughts I’m going to share my food journal with you from Monday.

My food choices have been all over the place and I find myself eating more carbs and snack stuff.

Monday morning I woke up around 6am, drank some water and a little iced coffee while I started making my breakfast. I had Eggs, spinach and toast and kept it simple before Group power class.

I was super excited to teach class and even a little nervous as to how I would do but class went great. I felt good, I never struggled and I made it through without any issues.

After class I ate a banana and a square bar (which Ava took a bite of) I had to open a second bar so she could eat one. She loves them!

We headed to target after our snack. I had a return to make and figured we could shop around for a bit. My dad decided to come with us since he was off from work that day. We ended up buying lots of snacks and food, go figure right? While we were shopping through the store I snacked on peanut butter crackers because I started to get a headache. I figured I needed something salty. I also chugged 32oz of water and that helped a ton.

After we got home I immediately ate because I was worried my headache would come back, but luckily it didn’t. I had a salad with chicken and a small slice of cheese pizza that was leftover from the weekend.

I also ate some delicious cherries.

Ava and I lounged around after lunch, I did some cleaning and organizing around the house and took advantage of the free time.

I ate a yogurt parfait and some pretzels before we headed over to my parents for the late afternoon. We hung out on their deck and Ava played with bubbles for like 30 minutes. We bought a bubble gun and it was so much fun. I even enjoyed using it myself.

We headed home around 5:45pm and I was starving. That always means a disaster in the kitchen. Thank goodness for leftovers.

As I was debating what to eat, I snacked on a leftover chicken wing. UM. so good.

I decided to eat this chicken francese, veggies & potatoes meal. I only ate half of this, it was pretty good but the chicken wasn’t my favorite.

It seems like I’m eating every 2 hours these days, but it works so I’m going with it. After a late night walk with Cooper we came home and I whipped up a batch of applesauce brownies and had a small bowl. I wasn’t craving chocolate or anything but I just felt like dessert!

(this is a recycled photo since I ate mine too fast and didn’t snap a picture!)

10pm rolled around and I was pretty exhausted but I new I needed something else to eat before bed. Pretzels for the win.

So this wasn’t exactly my healthiest day of food but it worked and I enjoyed most of my meals. To be honest I’m looking forward to not being pregnant and not having weird aversions anymore!

If you need some more food inspiration check out the What I ate Wednesday Crew over on Laura’s Blog and find some food ideas.

What’s something yummy you ate this week?

Have you ever made applesauce brownies?

Here is a Photo Recap of the weekend:

Friday we got several inches of snow and both Cooper & Ava had some fun outside in the afternoon.

I made a super delicious & healthy breakfast Saturday with Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes (recipe to come this week)

Who doesn’t love bacon???

I did a workout at home Saturday. I had no desire to head to the gym, sometimes I like working out at home by myself with no one around!!

 I did the Insanity Asylum Day 1 body weight workout. It is super challenging and only 25 minutes. After I finished I had a burst of energy so I tackled some more pull ups. I complete 5 sets.. this time the repetitions were a bit different. Set #1: 2 reps Set #2: 7 reps Set #3: 5 reps Set #4: 4 reps Set #5: 3 Reps

My arms were very tired and my shoulders were so tight so I decided to treat myself to a 10 minute chair massage at a local salon. I highly recommend it. I walked out feeling like a million bucks and I didn’t have to spend a lot!

In the afternoon my family came over to watch the Patriots game with us. We made a big chili and had some delicious food.

Ava wore a Patriots dress for the game and I wore my jersey. This was the first time we wore matching outfits.

The Patriots won.. so we will be sure to dress up again next weekend

Sunday morning I attended my co-worker Michelle’s Group Power class. We are launching the new workout this week and she was the first to teach it!

Now it’s my turn to teach the new Group Power workout this morning. I don’t know why I’m nervous but I guess it is good nervous feeling!! I’m sure I will be wiped after this class, there are a lot of pushups and my arms are slightly sore going into it.

What is something fun you did this weekend? 

Do you watch playoff football?? If so who are you rooting for?

How was your weekend? Were you busy & productive? We had a lot going on, but I liked it.

Friday night Is typically our low-key night. Butttttt my dad offered to hang out with Ava while Marc and I grabbed a quick bite to eat at or local favorite restaurant Barcelona.  We shared some delicious tapas and it was a nice mini date night out!

(These were a few of the tapas we got: Chili Brussel Sprounts, Hanger steak with Truffle Sauce, Spinach & Chicken Casserole)

When we got home from dinner, I fed Ava and put her down for the night.   Shortly after Marc and I watched some TV Shows on Demand that we missed from the last couple of weeks. I don’t typically watch a whole lot of TV during the week, so we play catch up on the weekends when my body wants some rest on the couch.

What are some of your go-to shows? I am a huge fan of Scandal & Grey’s so I was super pumped when the Fall Season kicked off last week!! I am one of the few people that have been watching Grey’s since it started. I seriously get super pumped when it is Thursday!!

The weather Saturday was crummy and literally made me not want to get out of bed. Ava was my reasoning for getting out of bed, that little girl wakes up ready to go, she gives me energy. My mom stopped over in the morning, and I practiced the new Group Power workout with her. Instructing the workout is the only way I get better

After I finished practicing, I quickly showered and got ready before Marc’s family arrived.

It was sooooo nice to spend time with them.

I love seeing Ava and her cousin Natalie together. They love each other and it is too cute to see them play, Natalie is clearly the ring-leader.

Once the rain cleared up.. Natalie enjoyed splashing around in some puddles! I probably should’ve taken my shoes off and joined her, she was clearly living in the moment it was the favorite part of my day.

When I woke up Sunday, I was confused as to what day it was! Does that every happen to you? I guess since I was heading to the YMCA at 815 for Group Power, I felt like I was going to work but really I was going to participate in a class.

We had quite the group and I’m pretty this workout confused our bodies in a good way.

In the afternoon we went to Marc’s softball party at Fairways Restaurant in Greenwich. Luckily my mom was there to help us entertain Ava, she had a lot of energy.

It was a beautiful fall day outside!

They had a live band at the restaurant and the music was great, I am sure Ava’s little ears were ringing when we left.

Shortly after we took this picture Ava crashed from all of the festivities so we headed home.

And nowwww I am off to teach the new October release of Group Power. Wish me luck, my muscles need it!

What is something fun you did this weekend?

Do you like rainy days?

Going into the weekend I decided instead of taking pictures of everything we did and all the different foods we made and ate, I would just sit back and enjoy the last weekend of summer. So the pictures I do have were taken from other people!

My weekend was great! Although the weather was iffy all weekend the rain held out for us. We BBQ’d every day with family and friends, and I loved that I didn’t have to cook!

Ava had her own food at my parent’s BBQ. She’s naked because it’s easier for me to clean up!! She is a messy eater and gets food EVERYWHERE!

Yesterday morning I taught Group Power. I was looking forward to my morning workout before heading to a Family BBQ at the beach but to be honest it was the longest hour EVER.

Usually Group Power is fun and I love how I feel after, but the air conditioner wasn’t working so it was brutal!  The sweat was literally dripping off my body and it literally looked like I just came out of a pool when we finished. I drank 3 large water bottles during the hour long class and it wasn’t enough. It was almost like we did the workout in a sauna, I was not a fan. I left feeling drained!

When I got home, I hydrated some more and then attacked the fridge. My appetite was crazy! After I re-fueled and showered I felt SO much better.

We headed to Todd’s Point around 12 for our last BBQ of the weekend.

I’m not gonna lie the weather was GROSS. Don’t you just hate being hot and sticky?? Thank goodness for the Long Island Sound.

Being in the water was hands down the highlight of my day, and if Ava could swim we probably would have stayed in longer.

She was literally crawling around getting hit by little waves and had no fear of the water. She’s just like me and it was a lot of fun to watch her!

Today was the first day of my PALEO Food Challenge! I enjoyed my coffee black this morning.

I will post some of my “eats” tomorrow!

Are you joining me on the 2 week PALEO Food Challenge?

This is my last week home with Ava and because of the Polar Vortex we have been pretty limited and forced to stay inside most of the week. That means my workouts have been indoor and somewhat limited.

I honestly can say these workouts have been SO FUN.. and I am giving all the credit to Ava. The last two days I got in 2 strength training workouts each lasting an hour!

I was able to practice my Group Power routine which was great.  Ava laughed and smiled the whole time so I kept going. It was the fasted hour long workout I have ever done and she motivated me to keep going. As long as I was moving she was HAPPY. It was a win-win for both of us. Except when I was spent she wasn’t happy haha.

It is very hard to capture that smile on camera but I will get it soon! At least we know how to put her in a good mood! Play some music and workout… whatever works!!

Polar Vortex Indoor Weighted Workout

Before Ava was born I tried to get ahead with learning the new workout and it helped a lot!  A few days ago when Ava was napping I popped in the DVD and started learning some more of the workout without physically doing any of the exercises. I jotted down some notes and went over the counts and patterns for the choreography.

Yesterday I was feeling good, and decided to practice some of the arm tracks (chest, biceps, triceps, & shoulders) with a light weight to try and get a feel for how the workout went. My weight choice was super light (3lb dumbbells) and I honestly didn’t feel tired after the 4 Arm tracks. My goal wasn’t to be tired or sore but to learn the workout. I love the music and I felt like the workout flow was smooth.  I need some more practice with the arms, and once my body feels ready I will practice the leg tracks. I can’t wait to get back and teach it!

What workout are you doing today? Need a quick one?? Try the Holiday Calorie Blast- 10 minute workout

Now it’s off to entertain Miss Ava… She’s got lots of energy like her mom!

These are some of the modifications I had to make during Group Power workout:

1. Keeping my hips higher on pushups so my abdominal muscles weren’t fully engaged

2. I kept my step box at an incline for chest press & abs so that I was never lying completely flat

3. I limited my range of motion in squats & lunges so that I wasn’t too deep.  I noticed that the ab exercises were extremely harder this time around and again I shortened my range of motion!

I have 10 weeks left to go with this pregnancy… woo!

I guess for me 30 weeks seems like we are nearing the end of the pregnancy & 70 days seems like nothing!!! Baby G will be here in no time and I honestly can’t wait for her arrival already.

Here’s what has been going on this past week……..

30 WEEKS

THE BABY IS close to 17 1/2 inches long the size of a large head of lettuc , Weighing about 3.2lbs

WEIGHT GAINED:  no weight gain this week… still hanging at 17lbs the doctor said I will most likely gain another 8lbs before my due date!

GENDER: It’s a girl!!!

30 Weeks.. The belly is really popping!

WORKOUTS: 

My workouts this week were slacking due to Mr. Cooper’s emergency Thursday & Friday. His health was more important then my workouts and I have a very BUSY work week and workout schedule this week so I took advantage of the rest days.

TUESDAY taught boot camp

WEDNESDAY  1 hour group power practice, taught boot camp

THURSDAY OFF

FRIDAY OFF

SATURDAY 25 minutes cardio (elliptical/bike combo)

SUNDAY OFF DAY (BABY SHOWER)

MONDAY  Strength day 1 hour group power workout class for the YMCA staff, and taught senior fitness

FOOD AVERSIONS: I am still not liking the sound of mexican food.. salsa, cilantro, anything along those lines. As for vegetables… I ate much more of them this week, I definitely ate them whenever possible and didn’t seem to have an issue. Maybe I am turning a corner!

FOOD CRAVINGS: Carb are really appealing lately. Potatoes, multi-grain toast, dry cereal, etc. I definitely can’t live without my eggs in the morning and have been really liking yogurt with fruit and granola as a snack! Bring on the fruit, I love fruit.

SLEEP: I pass out at night especially after a long day at work, my body is ready for sleep. The past two nights I slept about 6-7 hours and I wake up earlier to check on Cooper. I get up once or twice in the middle of the night to pee so that’s not too bad either.

MATERNITY CLOTHES: I am officially stretching out all my regular workout clothes, but I do have a few maternity workout tops that will grow with me until the end. I need to buy some new workout pants/capris. The one’s i have been wearing are just way too tight and irritate me around my belly button.

STRETCH MARKS: None, yet.. lets keep it that way!

DO I MISS ANYTHING:  I miss walking Cooper, I always looked forward to getting outside and walking him for 20 minutes every day and he is in recovery mode so we won’t be able to get a good walk in for another week. This weather has been great too, what a tease. I also miss being more active in my classes, its extremely difficult to not demonstrate jump squats, x-jumps, etc. The walking boot has really limited me but I am focusing on getting my foot better, my exercise can be done differently the next 2 weeks.

MOVEMENT: Baby G is getting stronger, and I feel her movements all day long. I even feel her when I am teaching classes and working out myself. Apparently she’s trying to get her workout on too.

BABY ITEMS PURCHASED: We got a ton of baby presents at our shower this weekend. I am so thankful for all my Rhode Island friends and family that came to celebrate. Some big items were our stroller & car seat which I LOVE, our pack n play, playmat, and tons of cute little baby girl clothes that I couldn’t wait to hang in her closet.

WEDDING RINGS ON or OFF: ON

BELLY BUTTON IN or OUT:  looking more flat these days… but not popping yet!

SYMPTOMS: I feel pretty great..  I have noticed that after being on my feet for 2-3 hours straight I am finding I need a few minutes to sit down and relax my feet for a bit. I’m not as tough as I was in the beginning!  I’m always drinking water, which makes me have to pee all day long.

LABOR SIGNS: I had some Braxton Hicks contractions on Sunday night.. I wasn’t sure what was going on!!! They were coming and going for about 1/2 hour or so. It helped to get up and walk around.

I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO: Launching our Group Power class Wednesday!! After having the staff class it got me really excited for the members to try it out.  I can’t wait to hear member feedback. It will be fun. I am also looking forward to a relaxing Columbus day weekend since we don’t have plans

Being pregnant during the whole certification process was extremely difficult.  Not only was the 3-day workshop physically draining but it was also mentally draining. I had to work a lot harder during the workouts then I probably would’ve if I wasn’t pregnant so I am very happy with my achievement.  I proved to myself how strong my body really is (especially carrying the extra baby weight) and completing all the exercises including pushups & 5 straight minutes of abs.

We launch our new program on October 21st and I am looking forward to motivating the members and some of my clients to take the class!

My certifications to date are:

NASM- Certified Personal Trainer

NASM- Fitness Nutrition Specialist

NESTA- Group Fitness Instructor

BTS- Group Power Instructor

I am always looking to further my knowledge and learn more about health & fitness. In the future I hope to add on to the list.. maybe a boxing, spinning, or pilates certification!

For the video you need 5 people to participate in the workout and my group of people are set to go. The video camera is all set up directly on me so mistakes will be visible! I am feeling confident with the programming and can’t wait to power up!

This morning I prepared a chocolate peanut butter protein shake to bring with me that I can immediately consume once I finish the workout.  This shake is high in protein, contains a little healthy fat, and is completely satisfying/replenishing after a strength training session.

Post workout recovery and fuel is so important, not only because I am pregnant, but my muscles need to be repaired properly with protein to recover any damaged tissue. I have noticed that when I consume protein right after a workout session I am less sore and less tired from the workout.

Try out this simple recipe for a delicious post workout snack. It is approximately 250 calories and very filling!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Shake

Ingredients

1 scoop chocolate egg white protein powder or whey protein powder

1 tbsp natural creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup skim milk

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup ice

Directions

Pour skim milk, water, and ice into blender and blend ice to milkshake consistency. Add chocolate protein powder and peanut butter into blender, and blend until completely mixed. Serve chilled in a glass.

I poured my shake into a blender bottle and then immediately put the blender bottle into the freezer. I will take it out about 30-45 minutes before I leave, that way after my hour long workout I have a nice cold treat!

I can’t believe I have not mentioned how sore I was yet. After 3 days of practice, practice, and more practice my muscles are fatigued and ready for some serious rest. On the first day we ran through the hour long strength training class about 3 times. The second day was another 3 more times,  and yesterday we were lucky enough to only do the workout twice.

I met some  really awesome people whom all shared my passion for fitness and athletics, and we each had the opportunity to teach portions of the class throughout the weekend. Not only was it perfect for working on our technique and cueing of the exercises, but it was also a great way to get to know my co-workers a little more!

Since I was very active this weekend I made sure to fuel my body properly. Here are some examples of snacks both pre & post workout that I ate over the course of the long and exhuasting weekend.

PRE & POST WORKOUT FUEL:

Jay Robb Chocolate egg white protein powder (1 scoop + 1 cup skim milk)

Quest Protein Bar (each bar is about 200 calories, 20g protein, and low in sugar)

Peanut butter on a wheat english muffin

Bananas (great source of potassium and help prevent lactic acid build up) & Peaches

Greek Yogurt with ½ cup berries & almonds (high in protein, healthy fats, and natural sugars)

EGG WHITE PROTEIN POWDER:

Immediately following each workout I had a protein shake.  I needed to give my body calories/protein fast!  I chose Egg White Protein powder (Jay Robb) for a few reasons. It is a complete protein (with all the essential amino acids) and it also has no artificial colors or flavors which is something I look out for during pregnancy.