Pregnancy Week 38: Snow and Swings

I got up early this morning to do a KB workout. Today is supposed to be a running day, but I thought it would be raining, as it has been all week so far, and I avoid running with Asher in the stroller when it's raining, since we don't have a rain cover. However, it was taking me a while to get motivated to start (and I hadn't planned anything so far!), and I looked up the weather report to see that rain wasn't forecasted until the afternoon. I went back to sleep, planning to run later in the morning with Asher. Well, I got an email from my dad: "It's snowing here, is it snowing there?" Being in bed and not wanting to get up to check, I went back to sleep. Lo and behold, it indeed was snowing--big fluffy flakes that were sticking to everything, including the roads! It continued to snow for a few hours, but that ended my idea of running, 1.5 weeks away from my due date, pushing a double stroller with a toddler in it! Instead, I did a quick workout during his naptime:

Activity:
KB swings (10kg) 600 + 400 = 1000 swings (completed using a variety of two- and one-handed swing combinations). I took a 2-2.5 min break between the first and second set because I was feeling my R SI and then later on, my L grip was tiring quick.

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs with 2 handfuls sauteed Organic baby spinach, 1/2 avocado, salsa
1 plum

Lunch:
1 pear
Leftover chicken soup from yesterday (small bowl)
1 GF paleo Chocolate chip raisin scone
2 pieces See's Candies Milk chocolate Cal Brittle

Dinner:
Wild cod with Taco seasoning, steamed broccoli
...and then Adam brought home a lunch-sized bag of Harvest Cheddar Sunchips...which we all three shared...and then he got more Ben & Jerry's ice cream (!!), so I had a few bites of ice cream... arg!

Fluid:
6 cups water

Pregnancy Week 37: Swingin'

I really wasn't feeling it this morning with the whole "exercise" thing (LOL) and was in the middle of planning a strength session when I decided to just start swinging the KB. I was thinking on Tuesday that I hadn't swung the KB in a while, and how good it would be for me to do some swings. Well, as it is with most things that are worth doing, it took me a few seconds to get into the flow, and then realized that it felt so good that I wanted to continue! This is what I did:

Activity:
High volume KB swings with 10 kg: 2 x 500 using various two- and one-handed swing variations
Side planks advanced position 8 x 20 each side

I had a midwife appointment today. Looks like the Cheat Desserts I've been having entirely too frequently this week have helped me move the scale! I weighed in a 122.6 pounds (gained about 1 pound since last week! ha!) and my fundus measured 35 cm (I can't believe how much my uterus/the baby has grown in the last week!). The baby is still low in my pelvis, and I am 2 cm dilated.

Lunch:
Medium spinach salad with green and red bell peppers, cucumber, olive oil & balsamic vinegar
1 scrambled egg
1 orange
1 GF paleo chocolate chip raisin scone (with organic ground flaxseed and chia seed substituted for 1/2 C almond flour)

Snack:
2 See's candies Milk Chocolate Cal Brittle

Cheat Dinner with parents, Adam and Asher at Gustav's Pub and Grille
Appetizer sampler: I had 2 crab cakes, some rye bread w cheese fondue, and 1/4 potato pancake
NY Grilled Salmon with sweet potato and beets: I had one of the two salmon pieces, all of the beets, most of the potato and some of Adam's fries. I also ate his dill pickle half.

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 36: Kettlebell Swings

In celebration of the first day of my ninth month of pregnancy, I did a high volume KB swing workout. The movement felt so great that if I had had more time, I would have kept going!

Activity:
High volume KB swings (10kg), total 1000 swings
4 x 100, then 3 x 200 (various combinations of two- and one-handed swings)
45 min brisk walk with Asher in double stroller
Long slow 60 min run/walk with Asher (on foot), 21 months old

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs with 1/2 avocado
1 banana with almond butter
1 GF paleo Chocolate chip raisin scone

Lunch:
Small bowl leftover curry beef steak soup
1 Fuji apple

Dinner:
Paleo Coconut milk with chicken soup (from The Primal Blueprint Cookbook by Mark Sisson), carrots, spinach.
Handful Organic Thompsons Raisins
10 dark chocolate chips

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 33: Wednesday Swings

There was a Weather Advisory warning of snow and freezing rain in our area yesterday, and overnight. I didn't know how cold it would be in the morning, so instead of going for a run, I did a KB workout in my living room.

Activity:
KB swings (10 kg) 10 x 100 (various combinations of one- and two-handed swings)

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs w/ 1/4 avocado
3/4 banana

I just am having the hardest time making myself eat my usual vegetables! We now have all the ingredients for my usual Vitamix drink, but no way have I gotten up the motivation to actually make the drink, much less to drink it! And the third trimester is when the fetus stores the most DHA (this is where the ground flaxseed comes in handy) for healthy brain development!!

Lunch:
Bowl of leftover slow cooker Italian pot roast with carrots and celery
1 pear
1 GF, paleo Chocolate chip scone

Snack:
Handful Thompsons raisins

Dinner: (not hungry/no appetite....knew I had to get some kind of green vegetable in light of what I have been eating during the day today and what I usually eat...)
Bowl of paleo Kale chips (kale, grapeseed oil, sea salt and pepper, baked 15 min on parchment paper at 350 degrees; be sure not to overdo the salt like I did!)
Glass of Goat Milk Kefir (blueberry and pomegranate flavor)
Leftover half of Olive Garden chocolate cake from last night

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 32: KB swings and presses

It seems like the Benedryl I took last night had the opposite effect on me, keeping me wide awake instead of making me drowsy. Since I couldn't sleep, I decided to get some KB work done!

Activity:
High volume swings-various combinations of two-hand and one-hand swings
(10 kg) x 100
(12 kg) x 100

Repeat cycle 5 times for a total of 1000 swings

Then, Tracy Reifkind's "shoulder smoker" with 8 kg (R/L):
1 clean, then military press in descending ladder, x 12, x 10, x 8, x 6, x 4, x 2, x 1


Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs w/ 1/2 avocado
1/2 banana

Snack:
1 GF paleo Chocolate chip scone (from The Gluten-free Almond Flour Cookbook by Elana Amsterdam)

Lunch:
Spinach salad (2 handfuls organic baby spinach, 1 tomato, 1 honeycrisp apple, 2 red pepper and spinach sausages, sliced; balsamic vinegar and olive oil)

Snack:
1 handful roasted cashews

Dinner:
Organic ground beef stirfry with kale, green onions, organic ground flaxseed substituted for 2 eggs, garlic powder and dried ginger
1 GF paleo Chocolate chip scone

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 32: "Swinging" in the New Year

Happy 2011! I didn't feel up to exercising until about 7 p.m. today! The right side of my ribcage felt achy, like a side cramp, most of the day. I am also starting to feel like my guts have nowhere to go...and I have at least 5 weeks until the baby is considered full-term! Yikes! Adam did some myofascial release and that helped. I ended up having a pretty nice workout, when I finally got around to doing it!

Activity:
High volume KB swings (10 kg) 10 x 100 = 1000
Side planks (advanced) 10 x 18 = 180 each side

Breakfast:
2 sunnyside up Omega 3 eggs w/ 1/2 avocado
1 GF paleo cranberry walnut chocolate chip cookie

Lunch:
Bowl of leftover Paleo Chili
1 pear
1 banana

Snack:
Handful roasted cashews

Dinner:
1 Ruby grapefruit
1/8 wild Rockfish filet (sea salt, pepper & cayenne pepper)
1/2 C steamed broccoli
1 square Hershey's Pure Dark Chocolate

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 28: KB swings

Welcome to the Third Trimester! I celebrated the start of the seventh month of baby-incubation with high-volume swings. I went back to my standard kettlebell weight, 12 kg, which felt perfect.

Activity:
KB swings 10 x 100 = 1000

Breakfast (couldn't seem to determine what I really wanted to eat, so check out the randomness!):
Large bowl Vitamix drink (split from yesterday's batch)
2 GF, paleo-friendly cranberry walnut chocolate chip cookies
1 Fuyu persimmon
Handful roasted cashews

Lunch:
Spinach salad w/ 1 tomato, 1/2 avocado, 1/2 can tuna, balsamic vinegar & olive oil

Snack:
2 GF, paleo-friendly carrot mini-cookies
2 squares Ghirardelli 72% dark chocolate
1 honeycrisp apple

Dinner:
1.5 bowls of Roasted Brussels Sprouts (trimmed, quartered, and tossed with grapeseed oil, dried dill & parsley, sea salt and pepper, dried garlic, baked 400 degrees/40 minutes)
1/4 chicken & apple sausage

Snack:
4 squares Dove promises dark chocolate
2 cranberry walnut choc. chip cookies

Fluid:
7 cups water

Pregnancy Week 26: Wednesday KB and core

I decided to KB this morning instead of run since it was really cold, frosty, and I would be more concerned about my footing while pregnant.

Activity:
KB swings (14 kg) x 60
Ab roller x 10

Repeat for 10 cycles

Breakfast:
Large bowl Vitamix drink (1 C coconut milk, 5 stalks kale, 1 carrot, 2 kiwi, 1 large jonagold apple, 6 Tbsp organic ground flaxseed, 2 Tbsp chia seed)
15 roasted, salted cashews (I am craving fat)

Lunch:
2 sunnyside up Omega-3 eggs w/ 1/2 avocado

Dinner (unscheduled dinner at parents' house...most of choices had gluten):
1/2 tilapia filet with tomatoes and onions
3 pieces of dark chocolate See's Candies (I made this choice as a consequence of not eating a very satisfying dinner, despite the fact that the fish was very tender and juicy)

came home and made Macaroni and Cheese from scratch (Adam's Southern upbringing dictates Mac & Cheese at all family gatherings and holidays) for tomorrow....had a bowl...

Fluid:
8 cups water

Pregnancy Week 23: Friday High Volume Swings

Activity:
KB Swings 10 x 100 (14 kg); consisting of various combinations of two-hand and one-hand swings ala Tracy Reifkind style; 35-40 minutes total.

Breakfast:
3 ounces Mona-vie w/glucosamine
1 bowl Vitamix drink (same ingredients as 11/5 post)
1 sunnyside up omega-3 egg

Snack:
1 bar pumpkin walnut bar
10 dark chocolate covered raisins

Lunch:
Spinach salad (2 handfuls) with 1 tomato, 1/2 avocado, slivered almonds. Balsamic vinegar & Olive oil.
Shared a small bowl of "tapioca pudding" (cashew milk with chia seed, 1 tsp vanilla extract modified from elanaspantry.com) with Asher

Dinner:
1/2 medium rare Ribeye Steak
Leftover cabbage
1 Fuyu persimmon
Handful roasted cashews

Water:
8 cups