Preparation - Are you ready?

I am moving right along in this pregnancy, and each day, I become closer and closer to putting in a Jillian Michaels DVD to get started. At 29 weeks and my history of preterm labor and oligohydramnios (low fluid) I have to be cautious with my levels of exercise, and pay particularly close to how my body reacts.

I need to do something though. It's hard to believe we are just 9 days away from March 1st - my original start day of my 90 day challenge. To say I am pumped up to start up again is an understatement. I am determined to look good and feel comfortable in a two piece bathing suit this summer. My due date is May 9th (though all three of my babies have been 3-4 weeks early), and for me, getting ready for summer and getting my body back on track is a huge undertaking, especially with four children - all of whom will be exactly 5 years and under (My oldest will be five in May). It will definitely be a challenge, but I am ready for a challenge. A bigger one. 


The way I felt last year after completing my challenge was unreal, and I cannot wait to start feeling that amazing again! Getting that taste of health, fitness and feeling good about myself is just making me want to exercise! It is the best addiction I have ever had.


So, on March 1st, I will start my challenge, while it will not be as intense or may not be as regular as it was when I began all of this one year ago, it will be a start, it will help lay the foundation for the real stuff to start post baby #4. I haven't come up with a "plan" yet, but my goals will be:

To excercise (walk - as weather permits, yoga, shred - very easy, and probably only level 1, cardio max, etc) at least 30 minutes, three times per week.

I am going to do some research on exercising while pregnant and see what I can find. I am not looking to lose weight or anything serious, I am just looking to lay a foundation for restarting a real exercise regime once the baby is born.

So, who's with me? Who wants to join my challenge with me again this year? You have two weeks to prepare!

Anyone have any resources on exercising while pregnant?

I will be looking into information regarding alternatives to any type of squats, abdominal exercises, and any particular yoga exercises that require you to lay on your belly.

If you're new here, click here to learn about how I got started!
A blog about what I use and don't use. (during my challenge, surely not now! ha!)

I'm back..........well, kind of!

Wow! I can't believe it has been almost two months since I have blogged here! Lots of things have happened in this time that has kept me from keeping up with blogging and exercising...sometimes life just gets in the way!

In mid-August our family took a little staycation to the White Mountains of New Hampshire, and when we returned, we learned my husband was being sent to Mobile, Alabama to work with the oil spill for 30 days. Needless to say, it put a HUGE damper on my running and exercising. Being home alone with three small kids, being the keeper of the house and all that jazz just didn't give me the motivation to exercise, even though I know it would have helped. Tremendously.

Halfway into Kevin's travels, I learned I was pregnant with baby #4 - whoa! Even though we had talked about trying for another baby once he returned, I never thought I'd get pregnant before! Especially after my first cycle since having Clara and still breastfeeding. Surprise! A welcomed one at that. So...all of these things have affected my ability and desire to exercise!

If you didn't know already - my pregnancies are high risk. I have what is called an incompetent cervix, so this will greatly affect my ability to exercise at all during my pregnancy. With my 2nd daughter, I was on bed rest for about 15 weeks, and luckily, with my 3rd, I avoided bed rest all together, since we caught my issue early enough this time. I am planning on getting my cerclage probably by the end of the month of first week of November. Once this happens...bye bye exercise. I am praying this time I will be able to walk, do light exercises and do yoga about three days a week.

I am going to shift this blog to exercising while pregnant and high risk pregnancy...it should be interesting. I am happy to say I am starting this pregnancy off 15 pounds lighter than I was with my third daughter and about 5lbs lighter than I was with my first baby! I am weighing less than I was when I got married, so I am feeling a lot better and healthier going into this pregnancy.

I hope to start running again after the baby is born, sometime in mid-late April!

How is everyone else doing with their exercising and healthy living?