Training and Nutrition Update - Preggers week 24-25

So the week that was - Week 24 - 25 (Tuesday 3rd - Monday 9th)

Exercise
Tuesday - Bodybalance
Wednesday - Bodyvive / Bodybalance / Bodyvive
Thursday - Rest day
Friday - Incline Treaddie Walk 40 mins
Saturday - Bodyattack / Bodybalance
Sunday - Outdoor Walk 30 mins
Monday - Incline Treaddie Walk 40 mins

Nutrition
Consisted of Organic / Free Range food.
Averaging 3 meals and 2 snacks per day
2.5 - 3 lts water per day
At least 2 fruit and 2 veg serves per day.
(small amount of organic choc each day too!!)

I am still weighing myself, I have a total gain for this pregnancy that I am
hoping to come in under as I gained alot (25 - 30kg) with Maddi (and Bryce for that matter) and do not want that happening again for a number of reasons including health, ease of labour,
recovery after etc.

I am please to say after a quick initial gain around the morning sickness time,
when I couldn't stop eating to stop me feeling sick, my weight stabilised and I have noted small losses for the last 6 weeks.
Both my doctor and the nutritionist I have been working with online (to gain knowledge about types of foods important etc) both confirm this is ok due to the initial gain, belly growth etc etc.

So the above has been the norm for a while, but a definite shift for the better since my energy kicked back in after sickness passed.

Goals / Improvements for next week
- Water to 3 lts every day
- Sleep - ensure I'm getting at least 7.5 hours, aiming for 8 per night.
- Get back into training with Paul 2 x week

Hope everyone has a happy and healthy week, Shar

Saturday Session - Yeah bring it on!!

I'm really looking forward to tomorrow, Me and bubba boy go and Bodyattack on a Saturday morning its my old class that someone has now taken on covering for me until I've had bubba boy.
I love this poster...........













Then I will teach my Bodybalance to lengthen and strengthen and to seal the workout.
Have a great Saturday morning all, Shar x

24 Weeks and Weekly Health and Fitness Update

24 Weeks Today
What they say - Baby Stuff - He still has little body fat and his skin is thin and fragile, he's now well-proportioned. His brain is growing rapidly, and he is starting to fill the space in your uterus. From crown to heel he could measure 30 centimetres.

What I say - I am feeling great at the moment, sleeping well, with pillow for belly and leg support now though! I am easily getting up in the mornings, I an exercising regularly, eating with control from a full range of organic and free range products for health and wellness. No complaints, I love being preggers and I love baby boy growing strong, he is soooo active and there is no other feeling quite like it when he is kicking, punching etc.

Weekly Health & Fitness report - actually my health and fitness preggers so far.................

I haven't really updated in relation to my health and fitness, which is what I started this whole blogging journey was originally for (back in 2005!!!) so decided I might just throw in so updates each week alongside my preggy updates.

So as my blog is about being a mum on a mission, that I am!

I have to admit I went through a spell back in the first stages where i was sick for about 7 weeks (weeks 7 - 14) i nibbled on not so healthy food to find my way out of sickness as nothing seemed to help, I couldn't face sitting up without the nausea getting worse, let alone exercising and basically got a bit down on myself mentally. A 'few' :) excess kilos crept on and I definitely laid down those fat stores early on, not good, I'm all for the body doing what its gotta do to support the pregnancy but excess is just that and not required.

Then the belly growth sprouted, earlier in this preggers, (3rd bub and all may have something to do with it??) and I ended up not feeling so good. If i'm honest I ended up in a place where I was starting to return to binging habits, the oh well I'll do this now and deal with it later etc, when all I really deep down wanted was to just embrace pregnancy, allow my body to do all these wonderful things and sod everything else. I put alot of thought into how the past has been, what behaviours I have, what has caused them, the list is endless, but I spent a good few weeks just in thought.

I considered stepping away from Group Fitness, meaning giving up my Les Mill Presenter / Trainer position which is my dream and that I have worked bloody hard for and continue to do so, giving up all classes, leaving my GFM job sooner rather than later, all because I was blaming 'the industry' for the pressure to look good all the time. This was one of many 'solutions' I came up with to solve everything.

Of course nothing was just going to magically solve itself, I was feeling very hormonal and doing my whole 'I want this sorted now' 'all or nothing' 'I want answers' thing. I was over trying to solve 'the problem', I was over 'fighting' the same thing over and over.

Luckily my common sense and reality hit...........there is nothing to blame, there is no-one to blame, I am me, I am Shar, I have the power, strength and knowledge to live a happy, loving, wonderful, healthy life. If I do "MY' best, no-one else best, for 'ME' and my family, not for anyone else, everyday what more can you possibly want or need???? If I can lay in bed each night in the knowledge I have taken good care of me and my family, both mentally and physically what more could i possibly do.

This is just another journey, a very special one, one that cannot be taken for granted, not enjoyed, not nurtured.

I'm happy to say that as though a switch was flicked I have been living exactly that way ever since, doing what I can each day, making the most of what I have, the most of what I can bring to me and my family each day, enjoying my classes, exercising for health, eating for wellness and healing.

It has been a good couple of months now, consistency in both mind and the physical have me sat in a great place. It feels so cool, it feels right and feels like this is what I have been searching for for quite some time. Don't get me wrong I still have days where I have to work extra hard, where my energy is stretch, to be able keep the mind on an even keel, to feel great about me, to give all I can give to my family, but I'm damn sure I'd rather be doing that than killing myself with self criticism, self doubt and abusing my body with negative emotion and dead food.

I have found a way that works for me. I couldn't have done it without my rock, Paul. My beautiful children, that I only have to think about and my soul is nourished and at peace...... and of course just feel a kick from the 3rd precious gift I am looking after right now.

So from a quick update on bubs and my weekly Health and Fitness to a long post about other stuff!!! I'll have to come back later and update the week that was as we have school to get to!!!!

Thanks for listening, have the best day 'YOU' can have!! Shar x

Loving this book!

I'm reading a really great book right now and even if your not pregnant if you are

a Personal Trainer it would make interesting Reading for you or even as a recommendation for any clients that are pregnant that just want more info than -' don't take your heart rate over 140', 'don't do any impact', 'just swim, walk and do yoga', 'don't start exercising during pregnancy if you weren't' etc etc.


Exercising Through Your Pregnancy - James F.Clapp III. M.D.

I am Pre and Post Natal qualified but I know how much the guidelines have changed since I did my qually and how much they continue to change.

As this is an area I want to move into more professionally and for obvious personal reasons I have been doing lots of research on the WWW but still had some questions, every site I can across (apart from the Medical ones, which still took a stand back stance really!) were just sticking to the old 'yes exercise is good, but keep it to swimming, yoga and walking' 'keep your heart rate here.....' etc etc and yes these are great guidelines for the general population but for those who were regularly active before its not really applicable or what we want to hear.


This is rightly so according to this book.

Chapter 1 starts with - CLARIFYING THE DEBATE OVER EXERCISE AND PREGNANCY, Dr Clapp received a call back in 1970 that was an inquiry about the effects of Mountain Climbing on a woman and her fetus during early pregnancy, the questions were such things as - would the decreased oxygen in the air induce malformations in the fetus? would the intense effort on climbing reduce blood flow to the womb and cause a miscarriage?

He states he had no answers, so went to the library and found nothing there!

Only finding that that pregnancy was a time for moderation, and women should not introduce new activity or attempt anything physically challenging.

This was clearly showing the traditional approach - if the risk is unknown just avoid it.


He was shocked by the lack of information and so in 1976 he embarked on his quest to answer any related questions to exercising in pregnancy and the effects on both t he mother and baby.

Then book then details all studies, tests and experiments with results, looking at benefits of exercising on different body systems, how it benefits mother and baby, exercise effects on placentae growth, labour, breastfeeding etc.

They studied two groups of women, an EXERCISE GROUP and a CONTROL GROUP. To be part of the exercise group the women had to maintain her exercise regimen above 50% of her pre-pregnancy level, secondly her level of exercise had to remain above that required to maintain basic fitness (3 x per week, 20 minutes at a mod to hard level).

Some of the EXERCISE GROUP exercised vigorously to within a week of delivery. The CONTROL GROUP was made up of women that rarely engaged in sustained exercise but occasionally played tennis, went for a walk or did the gardening and so on.

Then he shows in graphs and charts the result of areas studied of these two groups, the results are really interesting (to me anyway!). They cover week of delivery, effects of regular exercise on fetal growth, birth stats of the bubs, placentae growth, maternal weight gain of each group, skinfolds to show fat deposition, effects on labour - including pain relief, intervention, C-sec outcome, length of labour, I could go on and on, but I'm sure you get the idea.

I am very focused on another natural birth, free of drugs and intervention, this time it will be even more so than Maddi was, as I am hoping to be accepted to the Family Birth centre and change from the hospital.

From reading and researching, knowing my body and how I feel, exercising at a mod to hard level from the outset and hopefully until the end will/has given myself and bubs the best opportunity to have the pregnancy, labour and delivery that is best for both of us.

I am actually looking forward to labour!!!!!!! a bit stunned by that myself :)

Over Halfway!!

I'm just over 23 weeks preggers now and the time is flying!!

Feeling great apart from a little lull in energy in the afternoon, but I used to get that anyway!! :)

Baby now weighs a little over 500 grams and measures about 29 centimetres from crown to heel. WOW, nearly as long as a ruler!!

He can hear me so I am singing a sequence of three songs/rhymes daily. I used to sing to the first two kids which used to settle them at sleep time or any time they were upset, also good as Paul and the kids can do that too.

Having a few thoughts about names, a bit stuck, only one has grabbed me and I'm finding I'm a little reserved on using it for a few reasons. I like unusual or not common but not to out there. So got any you like and your done with your kids, throw me a comment and I can run it past the jury! :)

Got some other stuff to update on will try and get back soon, Shar x

Out of the mouths of babes........

Classic..........................

My dad took Maddi and Bryce out for a milkshake after school today, they stop at a junction and Maddi looks at this road sign.................

then asks my dad......... ''Pops, does that mean no boomerangs''

:)

HEADING TOWARDS A CHANGE

Obviously I have lots of change on the horizon, becoming a mum of 3 not 2 is a major change, but alongside that is the change to my career/job/work situation.

My new career is that I will become a FULL TIME MUMMA!!! I have always wanted this to be the case with my first two but due to money, migrating to Australia etc I didn't have that opportunity. NOW I DO and I feel very blessed.

Jan 31st see's me finish up as Group Fitness Manager, I have chosen to take my 12 months unpaid maternity instead of just resign, this gives me scope should there be any unplanned financial change in our situation or maybe just maybe at a year old and Paul and I can work it I may (not likely!) want to return.

So in a little under 16 weeks I will be on my new journey, a couple of weeks at Christmeas thats quiet, a couple of weeks holiday will help this figure reduce a little!! YES I AM COUNTING!

I have changed my blog to show this change, I'm a mum on a mission, a mission of living a fit and healthy lifestyle and being the best I can be for myself and my precious family.

Do you..................

Believe in your heart that something wonderful is about to happen.
Love your life.
Believe in your own powers, and your own potential, and in your own innate goodness.
Wake every morning with the awe of just being alive.
Discover each day the magnificent, awesome beauty in the world.
Explore and embrace life in yourself and in everyone you see each day.
Reach within to find your own specialness.
Amaze yourself and rouse those around you to the potential of each new day.
Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect; this is the essence of your humanity.
Let those who love you help you.
Trust enough to be able to take.
Look with hope to the horizon of today, for today is all we truly have.
Live this day well.
Let a little sun out as well as in.
Create your own rainbows.
Be open to all your possibilities; all possibilities and Miracles.
Always believe in Miracles.

Have a great day xx

The week that was.........

Warning - Proud mum & family post -

What an amazing week for me as a Mum :)
I am sooooooooo looking forward to being a full time / stay at home mum, have always worked the first two and sometimes it all gets to much juggling all the time, I have always craved 'just' being a mum (a very important and under rated job in itself), I can't wait and when you have weeks like I have just had it reminds you how amazing it is to be a mum and just how much more I will be able to give when I don't have to put in energy to anything else apart from my kids and Paul. I am a very lucky lady.

- Tuesday - Bryce goes to District presentation night and gets Runner Up Fairest and Best for the district in footy. He was winning the votes up to the point he had to take some matches off due to injury, 5 in total. One match he was pulled off in the 1st 5 mins due to going up for a mark and hurting it again, then in the last 1/4 his team started to look a little shaky, the scores started to even up, coach turns to Bryce, says 'your going on', on he goes and scores 3 in 10 mins!! He got 3 votes for that match!

- Thursday - Bryce has Footy Club awards night. Gets top goal scorer for his team.

- Friday - Anatomy Scan - this was amazing, we were in there 45 mins and saw every possible bit of baby boy. Yes, got the doodle checked again, defo a BOY. Measuring good for dates, everything where it should be says the sonographer, just have to go to doctors for de-brief, check up and last appointment with her, then in 3 weeks I get handed over to the hospital and my team of midwifes that will see me through to birth.
Although I may have one more change as I am requesting to be transferred to the Birthing Centre to try and get the more natural birth experience. Birth centre is next to hospital and has all the medical options should they be needed for either me or bubs but if not needed it is more the environment I want.
Having done it twice now I have clearer views of what I want and what I DON'T want :)

Friday - Bryce gets notification of representing the school at the interschool athletics in 100m having had 2nd best time at the school athletics carnival.

- Saturday - Maddi has observation day at gymnastics. As Maddi is with the Australian Institute of Sport for Gymnastics and their job is to try and produce national and international gymnasts (Olympics) it is quite a tight run ship and we are not aloud to watch training sessions, the first 10 minutes only. So as you can imagine an observation day is really special. We went to watch on Saturday and were amazed as to the level she is at the progress she has made in a short space of time. It was fantastic, we also got to spend the last 20 minutes in the gym hall and they were showing there favourite thing on the trampoline, maddis new trick is standing and landing a front somersault, which she was very pleased to show us.

- Saturday arvo we all spent some time outdoors in the sunshine with the guinea pigs on the grass.

- Sunday - Went and had family breakfast at Hilary's boat harbour, did weekend things like going to DIY store to get things we have been meaning to get to do small jobs at home.

- Monday - PUBLIC HOLIDAY in WA. Paul got up with Maddi so I could lay in til 7.30am!! Luxury. Went and did my Organics shopping whilst Paul and kids had breakie,brunch and drinks.
Spent the afternoon in the kitchen prepping meals fro the week.
Went for a long walk with Paul and Maddi (on her bike), 65 mins of brisk walking.

So that's my week that was, kids are on holiday for 2 weeks now, got to juggle that for probably what will be the last school holidays working for a while :)
Have great week everyone, Health and fitness focus is to return to this blog shortly :) but at the end of the day the above is what makes me healthy and happy and thats that.
Shar x

Learning, Growing, Remembering the basics and whats important

- Sometimes we get caught up in sweating the 'small stuff', you know shite that in the grand scheme of things does not matter.

- Sometimes we plan, plan and plan, to do this do that, to achieve this to achieve that, all of which is worth crap all if you don't execute a plan, if you don't DO the DO.

- Sometimes we allow un-important people influence our thoughts.

- Sometimes we forget what it is we have achieved and where we came from.

- Sometimes all we truly need is the basics, the important things and just keep life simple.

I personally have been guilty of this quite alot through my life and it is not good for the spirit let alone the mind and body.
Time for this chicky to remember her journey.................


Sweating the Small stuff - in the grand scheme of things money and working yourself into the ground are really not important. I could work all I like, earn lots of money but what use are these to me if I don't have my spirit nourishing family around me, if I don't have health etc etc









Always Planning ahead - I totally agree we need to know the direction we are going and also have a clear picture of what we want to achieve but these are useless if we don't even make it round the first corner because we don't (in the words of nike) 'JUST DO IT'.
We need positive action to get to our destination.









Un-important people influencing your thoughts/behaviour - you can interpret who these people are in many ways, it could be the people you work with, the people that you allow to wind you up when you are driving, gossip etc etc, its an individual thing, but for me far to many times I have let others opinions, attitudes and thoughts influence me in a negative way.
Its only now I am getting older and I'm really 'coming home' in regards to how I want to walk my path that I am starting to work through not allowing this to affect me on a daily basis.

Remembering what we have achieved and where we came from -
this is far to deep for me to go into here, but I feel we always need to remember our achievements, this could be relating to many aspects, our family, our work our health and fitness.

Some of my achievements -
Contributing to raising my gorgeous precious gifts.

Coming from this................... to this



















Growing and developing with Paul, I cannot put into word what this man means to me, what he gives unconditionally to me and what a beautiful soul he is.










And finally where I came from, my precious mumma (& step dad) has taught me many things, more than I think and lessons that are still becoming clear.

For me, the basics and important things to keep life simple -

And of course not forgetting my baby boy growing strong to come and join our wonderful family!

It is a constant learning curve and battle sometimes to try and remember all this and implement it into my daily life.

- I'm a worrier so I do sweat the small stuff,

- I have a firey side to me and let others wind me up with their influences and judgement,

- I do forget what great achievements I have made as I have tended to over criticize myself and think in a negative way

- I do complicate things sometimes.............

but the above is definitely something I'm working towards because at the end of the day, life's to short to 'sweat the small stuff', to worry, to let other determine who I am and what I do and to forget what I have achieved.

All you can do each day is - Do what you can, with what you have.

Have a great day and when challenged or tested....... remember whats important.

Results are in!!!

We're expecting a BABY BOY!!!! I actually burst in to tears, like sobbing tears, of happiness of course, before the sonographer said what it was as I had figured out what she had found, A DOODLE!!

I had convinced myself that I would have another girl, I think because I would love to have another boy and didn't want to pin my hopes on it. We are all over the moon, Bryce wanted a baby brother having already got a little sis, Maddi thought it was a girl but is thrilled its a boy and says its cool to have two brothers (it actually suits her to stay the only (princess) girl!!), It been so long since Bryce was small (he's nearly 14) so I'm looking forward to having a small boy around again, Paul in his calm way was saying boy all along and just kept smiling at me when I was convincing myself it was a girl.

OMG!! how cool are the 3D scans!! We think we will book in for a full package with them when I'm further along and the baby has more fat on it, still looks a bit skeletal at the mo, but gorgeous all the same.
Got a 10 min DVD of everything we looked at, really fascinating, baby's legs were kicking around and it is soooo cool to see movement in 3D.

Anyways Thanks to all those who voted (27), well done to the 6 that voted Boy!!
Have a great Sunday, I'm off to so spend some time with my BIG baby boy, we're going to watch the FINAL footy game that he would have made has they not got knocked out in the first round. Some of Bryce's friends are playing.
Shar x

Voting over........

So voting over!! A HUGE thank you, I had 27 people vote, how cool!
here's how we stack up -

Boy - 6 (22%)
Girl - 21 (77%)

A very definite % thinking/guessing Girl, Maddi and I - think its a girl, Paul and Bryce think Boy, although Bryce wants a boy not sure if he thinks it a boy!! :)
So in 5 hours I will know and as said before although it doesn't matter as long as all is well for bubs, I am very excited.

I have my usual Bodyattack this morning, still going although getting harder due to the intensity, impact and heat that I produce when doing it, I have rostered myself on for a few more weeks, until 21/22 weeks I think but may ask my cover instructors to step in a week or so earlier.
Then I will just do some jogging instead as I can control the intensity more than when teaching, I have to go for it as that's what the members want and expect.
All our launches are over now and the new chorie is well and truly cemented in the brain which feels good. I even did an extra Bodyattack launch this week, which was fun.

I am looking at my little calender thing on my sidebar and thinking maybe I should try and schedule a day where i do nothing!! Even Bodybalance (if done correctly!) is taxing and they are heading in a difference direction with that programme which is making it harder.

Anyways, will blog the result tomorrow maybe, all being well that the baby plays game, letting the sonographer between the legs to view!!

Have a great Saturday all
Shar xx

This might help?

Thanks to all those who have voted on my (fun) poll. It looks like everyone is feeling, thinking or guessing :) at PINK.

For those that haven't voted yet click above and let me know what you think I'm having, scan on Saturday will reveal all.

Maybe seeing the bump might help, here's the latest picture of the bump, left side is 11 weeks and right side is 16 weeks, didn't think Id grown much but there is a slight difference.

Thanks again for voting interesting to see what everyone thinks, both Paul and I have voted too! :)

Have a great Tuesday

Humour me :)

Not that it matters at all what sex the baby is as long as everything is ok, but I am so pumped to find out next Saturday what we are expecting.
I have found with the other two the knowing is a positive thing, I'm not one for surprises or patience :) in a way it has helped the bonding process start very early on, it is nice to be able to purchase a few specific items, for this one both the kids are fully excited to find out whether it a brother or sister.
So for a bit of fun I would love for you to take the poll above over the next week and we will see if blogger prediction is right! :)
Thanks for playing............whats it gonna be...........PINK OR BLUE??????

Have you had a moan today?

I hate to admit it but I moaned I was tired earlier.

Take 9 mins to watch this, then re-assess what you you had a moan about today, or next time you go to, remember............Things could be worse.

Inspirational......................
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooQKUYQ_WgQ&feature=channel_page