Pumpkin Pie Shakeology

World's Healthiest Pumpkin Pie! (No, seriously...)

So, I wanted to play around with my Shakeology a little bit, and also give a healthy twist on a fall special: PUMPKIN PIE!!!

I recently made the sugar/fat-filled version of this for my eldest's birthday early this month, and I did it again but this time made it healthier than your HEALTHY morning cereal :)  He asked for some last night, and I served it with pumpkin granola sprinkled on top and a dallop of homemade greek yogurt. His words? "This is delicious! I can't even tell that it's healthy!"

Here is what you need:

1 can pumpkin

3/4 tsp ground ginger

1 1/2- 2tsp cinnamon

1 serving vanilla Shakeology

1/3 cup cashew milk (any milk would work, this is your healthiest option!)

1/4 tsp pink salt

1-2 tbsp coconut sugar (to your taste preferences, I used 1 tbsp)

1/2 cup egg whites

STEP ONE

Preheat oven to 425F.  Pour pumpkin into a saucepan, and on cook pumpkin with salt, cinnamon, ginger, and coconut sugar on low until it starts to bubble. Let cool down.

Step two:

Put pumpkin mixture in mixer, add shakeology, egg whites, and milk and mix until well blended.

Step three:

Pour finished pumpkin mixture into oiled pie pan or pie crust (I did mine crustless). Bake at 425 for 15 minutes, then turn down the oven to 350 and let bake for another 45 minutes.

Step four:

Make sure knife comes out of the center clean, and then let cool. Serve with greek yogurt and granola on top!

Why You Should Exercise Before and During Pregnancy

28 weeks

Pregnancy can be rough, especially when that third trimester hits! The key for energy and sustainability is getting your nutrition and food intake in check (that means cut back on the overindulging... you are going to regret jumping on the "eating for two" bandwagon!) and keeping active DAILY.

I have kept up my exercise routine throughout my pregnancy, but I would not be able to be this active had I not been doing it before. Granted, I have modified and backed down a lot, but I still exercise more vigorously than many others out there who are hitting the gym daily.

See, we get tempted to change something when we get pregnant. We either decide to stop working out and start eating a lot, or we try to START working out and eating right. But this shouldn't be the case! Besides being slightly more careful of your diet, drinking more water, and adding prenatals (or Shakeology), your life should't change. Now is NOT the time to shock your body or try something new. This is why it is SO IMPORTANT to get healthy before getting pregnant.

You see, when your body is not used to certain amounts of exercise or certain moves, it takes awhile to understand what your body is feeling. Therefore, you have to figure out what hurts "good" and what is actually hurting you negatively. For me, I have been working out daily for ten years. I've been doing beachbody workouts for 8 years. I know what is an okay hurt, and what needs to be checked out. Therefore, I was comfortable continuing Beachbody workouts. I know when to stop! I know the difference between my cramping (which I got a lot prior to pregnancy), so when I feel it's related to being pregnant or it's something new, I back down.

Let me tell you, though, you're going to want to be able to be as active as possible! For your sake, the baby's sake, and the sake of your husband. You're going to start to get pretttttty annoying once you're not able to sit up out of bed or move out of certain positions without assistance, so being able to fend for yourself and do as much as possible is a total bonus. You'll feel better about yourself, and your husband will, too (my husband and I are really open with each other about our feelings, so even though he tries to be really helpful and considerate, I know it's still annoying at times!). It also will make time go by so much quicker!

There were two days I just decided to bum around, and I felt like this last trimester would go on forever...don't let yourself fall into that slump! Keep as active and as normal as possible so you're not crying counting down the days.



TOXINS:
Your body stores tons of toxins in your fat. When you let those toxins build up in you during pregnancy (by eating more and exercising less), you are storing up toxins in your fat. This makes it less safe to lose that weight fast post-partum. Going on a diet or cleanse while breastfeeding is a bad idea; all those toxins are going to your baby! So maintaining clean eating and limited fat gain makes it so you  not only have less to lose, but you have less toxins to give to your baby.




Pregnancy is such an amazing time, I will be sad when it's done and over with, but excited to hold our precious baby in my arms!

Third Trimester LIFESAVERS For the Active Momma

A lot of things have happened towards the end of my 2nd trimester and beginning of my 3rd.


-GETTING FAT!

 I have not eaten more food than I usually do, and I still workout every day; however, I have gotten chubby! My arms and legs have cute little deposits of pregnancy fat. It's blowing my mind! I'm starting to think it has to be from slower digestion, to where my body just can't handle or digest the amount of food I usually eat. They say to eat slightly more during pregnancy, but I think this is a myth that needs to be debunked. Eat normal. Americans usual overeat anyways, so you should be good.


-Sleep is HORRIBLE.

Oh I just want a good nights sleep! I toss and turn, have RLS, my belly hurts, everything is just pure misery!


-Working out is harder.

My pelvis and abdomen have started to get pains while working out, and this stresses me out. I can't do normal pushups anymore because it puts too much pressure on my abs and pelvis. I'm starting to fret about how I'm going to keep at a healthy weight if I am eating normal and CAN'T workout much. This will be my journey to take on.







SO, with these new developments, I have found some relief in certain items (I wouldn't write about these if I didn't truly think they were lifesavers...).



1. Belly Band





This belly band has changed the way I'm able to work out! I do have higher hopes now that I've purchased this. Although I do my pushups from a step now, my stomach and pelvis get enough support from this band that I am able to continue on without pain. It also makes it so I can jog! I never thought I'd be able to jog during pregnancy!

***I do believe in having a strong enough core to support your belly, so I only use this during exercise.




2. Brita Filter Water Bottle


 


I have not been drinking as much water as I should ever since the start of my second trimester. Reason? Water tastes gross! I am much more sensitive to the mineral and metal tastes in water, that I usually only like bottled water but do not want to spend money on that. My solution was to get a brita filter water bottle. I have a Brita Filter on my tap water, but I need it DOUBLE filtered, so I pour the filtered water into here. LIFE....SAVER. I'm excited to keep my water intake up!



3. The Step




Yes, Brian Regan has a joke about the step... ("***Ding dong****"Oh! My step is here!" **runs down the steps to get it...).  But seriously. This thing does wonders! With this and my belly band, I can do BURPEES NOW!!!! Who would've thought?! I am able to do burpees, pushups, and tricep dips all comfortably. I even try step workouts every now and then :) This is a must.



4. Yoga Booty Ballet: Baby on the Way

Find at my beachbody shop: www.beachbodycoach.com/donicanash

This would not be the greatest workout for the fitness guru, but if you're starting working out or need an extra nighttime routine (or are having a tired day), this is great! It's not too much of anything. IT has a little cardio, a little stretching, and a little strength. The stretching is great, because when you're pregnant, you really are at a risk of overstretching. This is a perfect little 30 min routine that is GREAT for the third trimester.


5.  Pregnancy wedge



I don't have one of those expensive fancy pillows, mainly because I'm cheap and not willing to spend that much on one item... But sleep is hard! I have tried to use pillows to prop my belly up, but they are too big and uncomfortable. This is AMAZING if you have pain with your belly when sleeping.

25-27 weeks pregnant

26 weeks

SO... 26 weeks came and went (and I'm now in the third trimester!!!). Gained 20 lbs so far. I can tell that about 5-7 of that is fat weight, which I hear is normal (past that is just excess!). So I'm not going to fret over that, and just enjoy the whole pregnancy process :) Here's the thing about being pregnant, or being a woman for that matter: you will be judged. Women will  always compare themselves with you and therefore put judgement on you. 

For example, a lot of women think I am small and have no belly. 1) this is false, my belly is measuring exactly the same as the week I should be (in cm)    AND 2) women exaggerate in their mind what they think their belly was OR are ashamed of the way they held a baby in their belly.

This is not healthy! In no way should we be comparing or judging others. I realize it's a way for people to make themselves feel better or put the blame on somebody else (i.e. "well SHE just works out too much..." etc) for the way they imagined they looked, but it is not a good mindset to indulge in. If I have learned anything, it's that all women handle pregnancy differently and uniquely. It is beautiful! OWN the way you do pregnancy! That doesn't mean you should own the fact that you just want to eat candy and sit the whole time, because this is not "owning" your pregnancy, it's letting pregnancy own you. But yes, let yourself have that craving every now and then, get physically active for the health of you and your baby, but let whatever happens to your body happen! You might carry your baby differently than someone else, or you might have non-elastic genes and get stretchmarks or have your belly button stretch out even though others don't. OWN IT. Those things you can't control! 

And I wanted to point out in a picture format why some people don't see me with a belly....it's called walking with a tight core. Ever since I started focusing on keeping my core tight while working out and walking, my abs naturally became tight. I didn't do any more ab exercises, I just let my normal routine all go through my core; and strong abs came as a result. I try to keep up this habit even while pregnant because I want to support my posture and keep my core strong without doing much abdominal work. So below you will see a picture of me tightening my core, and one of me letting it hang lose (at 26 weeks).

See the difference? Yes, I like for people to know I'm pregnant. And sometimes I feel pressured to look big and purposefully stick my belly out just to ease people's minds (people judge when they think you should be bigger than you are). But it's not an okay pressure, and I don't like to give up my posture just to put on a show for others. Womanhood is a hard process! We hurt ourselves by allowing our minds to compare or criticize. 

I'm finishing phase 1 of T25 this week and am moving on to phase 2 (beta) next week! I've added the weight routine from "How to Exercise When You're Expecting" on MWF because I modify much of my T25 moves and therefore need a little strength added to it. But I love T25 during pregnancy! It's great, and the modifications make it so I can do it any day throughout my whole pregnancy.

If you'd like to find out more about exercising while pregnant, you must get this book!

FAVORITE Gluten-Free Pizza Crust

This is by far my most favorite gluten-free crust I have made yet. One reason it was so good is because this is a pan style crust, meaning I put it in a pan with lots of oil..... ***gasp!

Ingredient list:
3 tbsp brown sugar or coconut sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup luke warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
3 egg whites (do NOT buy the carton kind! Those are cooked and won't fluff)
3 cups gluten free flour blend (make sure it has starch or xantham gum)
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder



Mix sugar, water, and sprinkle yeast on top. Set aside.

Mix sugar, flour, and baking powder and set aside.

Beat egg whites until they formed soft peaks.

Mix oil, vinegar, and salt in with the yeast mixture. Then pour into the egg whites and beat on medium speed until combined.

Add remaining dry ingredients and combine on high speed for 1 minute. Grease two pie pans (the more oil, the more "pan" style the pizza will taste), and press dough into the pans. **Get your fingers wet to keep from sticking to the dough.


Let rise for about 45 minutes until it has fluffed up.


Cook without toppings for about 20 minutes at 350, add toppings, and cook for another 20-25 minutes until crispy, golden brown.


***Note, I precooked for about 40 minutes and then added toppings and broiled the cheese. Both ways work and it's up to your preference! I like crispy style.

Orange Creamsicle Shakeology

Still feeling summer, so I'm taking it back to Orange Creamsicle Shakeology :)

Insanity moves: Modified for pregnancy!

 

24.5 week belly :)

There are three moves in Insanity (and T25 and Insanity Max...) that I can't personally do without hurting my uterus. Some people are able to, but with me carrying my baby low, it just doesn't work out so I don't feel comfortable trying.

However, I hate missing out on these power moves! They are awesome cardio moves that really challenge me, and the offered modifications aren't quite enough for me to feel like I tried. So, here are three moves that I have modified to still challenge myself, but be safe for my bump!



1. Burpee


The modification of this is shown somewhat in the picture above. First, grab 1-2 pound dumbbells. Bring them up by your shoulders, and keep your core tight, squat down, step one leg back while bring both arms forward, come back to squat, and stand up. Repeat on both sides.

Stand, squat, reach out, squat, stand. Maintaining a tight core is KEY! The added dumbbells work your arms and shoulders, the way a normal burpee would, while engaging your core.


2. Tuck  jumps

If you've done Insanity, you know how grueling these are! They are one of the highest impact exercises in Insanity, though. So, to still feel the burn and get your heart rate up, switch out with normal/lower impact jump squats.

Legs should be in a hip width stance, maybe slightly wider. Squat down and touch the floor, keeping your chest up, and jump up off your toes reaching to the sky. For lower impact, squat down, touch ground, and come up onto your toes reaching towards the ceiling.


3.  Squat jacks

I love them squat jacks! I can actually do this most days, but some days when I'm extra crampy I just modify them.

In a normal squat jack, it's like a reverse jumping jack. Starting in a standing position, reach your arms above your head. Jump down into a squat, bringing your arms by your sides, and jump back up with hands reaching towards the ceiling.

To modify, step out into a deep squat bringing your arms down, and step back to center. Alternate sides!

Lemon Garlic Green Beans

When we were dating, my husband informed me that green beans were pretty much his favorite food. However, he liked them totally sautéed and fried in butter. Delicious? Absolutely. Was I going to make that often in my home? Probably not.

When at the store, I switch up my vegetables based on what is seasonal or on sale, just to make sure my family is getting rounded nutrition. Yesterday was green beans. I want really flavorful green beans that don't make me feel gross after eating them, so I came up with a flavor blend to perfectly suit our tastes here at home!

What you need:

Large skillet or pan

Fresh green beans

Lemon juice

Himalayan salt

Olive oil

Garlic (powder or fresh)

Regardless of whether or not the green beans are pre-washed, wash them anyways. Don't shake off the excess water and transfer them into a skillet drizzled in olive oil. Drizzle lemon juice over the top, cover, and let steam for a few minutes on high. 

Turn down to medium/high and add garlic and salt, drizzling a little more oil and lemon juice on top. Cover and let steam for a few more minutes. 

Turn back on high and drizzle yet some MORE lemon juice over the top, frying and flipping the beans over the high hight. Add garlic and salt and continue to "fry" them.



Once you start to see a few of the beans turn brown or crispy, they should be done! Eat one just to make sure :)

The goal is to get a crunchy bite, not soft and soggy.



Enjoy!

Pina Colada Shakeology

A day in the life of my kids' lunchboxes

Here at home, I do everything routinely. It makes life SO...MUCH... EASIER. My kids know routine, and they thrive off of it. It also equips them to take responsibility for themselves, because they have learned things in an organized fashion, they now know exactly what they need to do in the day and therefore can handle the few days we aren't so organized and still be responsible for themselves. It's almost like learning the ABC's in order, we would probably never remember if it was scrambled everytime we heard it, and therefore would forget SOME letter at some point. I have lunch in the exact same place in the fridge always made and ready the night before. I have their homework on the table so they can put it in their bags. I even usually have breakfast out on the table before they get up so I can hop back in bed until it's time to leave. Having a schedule or organized routine helps them make a list in their mind of the things they need:

Teeth brushed.
Hair brushed.
Lunch put in backpack.
Homework put in backpack.
Socks on.
Coat and shoes on with backpack ready to go.


But they have also learned to not EXPECT routine. This equips them to handle change very well. It's a win-win.


But the routine I haven't ever strayed from is what they get for lunch. So here's a look at the lunch of a Nash kid (this was last night's):

Every lunch has a: piece of fruit, string cheese, vegetable (usually carrots), dried fruit (raisins or prune), crackers (usually Annie's), and main course (usually a sandwich made with Dave's bread). 

Packing the same things for my kids' lunches makes my shopping routine incredibly easy. I never browse to see what I want to get them for lunches, I stick with the same things. They get leftovers (as you can see above) if I have a lot of food left from dinner, or else a sandwich. I switch up their veggies and fruits to give them rounded nutrition, as well as some of the ingredients I put into the sandwiches. For our little man, he gets smaller portions or sometimes I eliminate the crackers, but as for older brother, he just might eat me out of house and home! He never has any food left in his lunch and comes home starving every day!

Sundried Tomato Artichoke Marinara

Tonight I decided to play around with my marinara recipe for our chicken pasta. It...was... DELISH. This recipe feeds four and I had leftovers for the boys' lunches.

21 day fix:

1/2 red

2 green

2 tsp

2 yellow 

1 orange

Ingredients:

2 boxes gluten free penne

1 can tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

3-4 sundried tomatoes diced

Half of small jar of artichokes diced

Italian seasoning

Garlic powder

Chopped onion (dried or fresh)

Himalayan salt

Black pepper

Olive oil

1 large chicken breast

Cube and fry chicken in olive oil, black pepper, and salt. 

Add diced tomatoes, sundried tomatoes, and artichokes (use some of the oil from sundried tomatoes and artichokes for flavor). Let flavor soak for a minute or so.

Add can of tomato sauce.

Add garlic powder, onion, and italian seasoning to taste.

Ready to go on some gluten free noodles! Have with a side salad :)

Quiche Bake

Every now and then I run out of ideas of how to fit protein in with dinner. Chicken salad and meat and salad gets boring over time, so I do a quiche bake! This recipe serves 4 and we had it along with a salad. Sometimes I will make more and use them for breakfast sandwiches! They make great leftovers. I will also provide the DAIRY FREE version!

What you need:
 Pyrex pan
Oil spray

 12 eggs
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/2 cup cottage cheese
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Italian seasoning 

Whisk together, spray glass pyrex pan, pour in, bake at 400 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or until edges are golden brown and the middle is firm. If you are using portion control containers (get yours HERE ), depending on how you divide, one serving will be 1-2 red and 1 blue!


DAIRY FREE VERSION:

12 eggs
3/4 cup mozz. daiya cheese
1 tbsp almond or cashew milk
1 tsp each of pepper, salt, and It. seasoning :)

Up to week 24

This momma has had a rough summer! As commerical fishermen, we don't really know what our summer schedule will be like EXACTLY. Last year we were on call mid-June through the end of July, and only fished 12 days. We worked another 10 on top of that around our site. This year, we fished almost every day mid-June through August! It was crazy, and since my husband banned me from being on a boat, I was stuck in the kitchen as the camp cook. You know what this means for me? Constant eating. Let's face it. I gave up completely my normal eating routine. I was eating bread, and lots of it, on top of candy and all those baked goods I made for crew motivation. This is my struggle. I am not a person who can handle being around a kitchen and not constantly snacking. It was rough, and it really changed my eating habits for the bad. So I have gained an extra 5 fat lbs on top of the mid-range healthy pregnancy weight gain. YIKES! I am trying to get back on track by eating healthy and consistently, eliminating those extra carbs and sugars I ate. No, I wasn't eating out of pregnancy cravings or nutritional need. I was eating out of my bad binging and emotional habits, eating foods I actually wasn't craving at all but were just lying around. This is a problem. When people say "oh, it's for the baby!", I get mad. First of all, I know myself, and this is not healthy eating. It's a trap of going back to where I was before; an emotional binge eater. Secondly, if it IS for the baby, I sure as heck better stop feeding her candy! OH, did I mention she's a girl? :) So, I've started up with T25 and finished week one last week. I modified a lot of the moves and because of that I have also added the weight circuit from "How to Exercise When You're Expecting" by Lindsey Brin on Mon, Wed, and Sat. That brings three of my workouts to 50 minutes instead of 25, which is still not a whole lot of time to give! This week, I am adding in portion control containers (get yours here). My calorie intake will be 1800-2099 and I am ALSO going to allow myself a yellow container with whatever I want... you know, since I'm pregnant. That will be an extra 100-250 calories. Which is still within an appropriate amount for someone pregnant. Plus, this is a TRANSITION for me to get back to normal so I don't want to make the process extra hard. Portion control isn't dieting, I will be eating my normal healthy things (along with Shakeology! Getting everything momma and baby needs!), but I will just be reminded of how much is a good amount. I am just going to be doing it for the 21 days, hoping that this will reset me into my normal eating again. It's a very hard adjustment from letting yourself eat WHATEVER and HOWEVER much you want to trying to get back to normal. It's easier to never let yourself get to that point! I found myself very unhappy and self-conscious this summer, because I knew what I was doing to my body. I knew I was making bad choices, and those choices were not making me happy. This directly affected my relationship with those around me! I was not content in who I was and I was projecting that on to others. I want to be happy, healthy, and content for my baby! SO here it is... some photos that show that weight gain. Again, I realize this isn't an out of control weight gain, but I was NOT healthy and if I hadn't stopped myself sooner I would end up somewhere far worse. But those pants I wearing were loose around my thighs and butt during my first trimester...

All in all, I'm not worried about it. I AM going to do something about it, but most of that is going to be post-pregnancy. Right now, I just don't want to lose my eating habits and want to keep healthy for baby and me :)

Weeks 18-21

Halfway there! Go in next week to see the baby again and look for a little somethin' somethin' so mommy and daddy can know what gender they're having!

I'm starting to feel pretty big now and beginning to find a bit more physical limitations. All ab work is no longer done laying down, my uterus cramps when met with any sort of jumping (four wheeling on our set net site is NOT a good thing!), and I have extreme cramping pain after using the restroom; it makes me not want to go! I still stick with Insanity Max for my workouts with some added stretching because after lots of research, the modified Insanityax exercises are actually great for pregnancy. I don't mosify all exercises; I listen to my body and if ANY ounce of pain or discomfort is present I modify.

The hubby didn't want me to be on a boat this summer so I was mrs.cook for our fish site. This meant a LOT of being around the kitchen which meant a LOT of snacking on fish site food (I.e: carbs). I've gained a few non-baby pounds...looking forward to living at home and cleaning up my diet! I have not craved food or anything, I just have always struggled hanging around kitchens :)

Some fun, present pregnancy side effects are:

Abnormal hair growth on belly (yuck!)

Acne

PUPPP (bumps and rashes on skin...some itchy!)

Water intake with your blender/shakeology bottle!

I bought one of these blender bottles, only to find out that they have something similar with beachbody (go to shakeology www.beachbodycoach.com/donicanash). 

Water intake is a HUGE deal, pregnant or not pregnant. I tried doing the huge water jugs so I had my day's worth of water with me at all times, but it was so big to carry around and a bit overwhelming. I've been using my blender bottle for my Shakeology and results and recovery formula, and end up using it for water as well. I found that my water intake comes much more naturally when I have to refill my water! 

To get your water intake in, follow this plan.

1 water upon waking up (in blender bottle)

1 Shakeology

1 results and recovery formula or water during workout

1 bottle in between breakfast and lunch

1 bottle after dinner

Depending on how much you fill the bottle, it will be about 20 ounces each bottle. 

Total water intake for the day: 120 ounces.   

Now, this is more than your "8 cups of water each day", but for an active person (which you should be!) your body needs more water than that. The high end of water intake is about 1 ounce per body pound. The low end range is half that amount. So as an active person, find what seems comfortable for you to drink, whether that is filling your bottle up 15 ounces each time or eliminating one of the bottles in your day. You will feel a huge difference once you keep up your water intake! As a pregnant woman, you almost can't get enough water! 

Pregnancy weeks 15-17 1/2

Pregnancy weeks 15-17

You can see the difference!

As you can tell, week 17 is when I really started to show! I stepped on the scale this morning and was shocked to see I have gained 11 pounds! This is such a weird thing to get used to. That scale is NOT going to go down for another 5-6 months! It's a little bit nerve-wracking and takes a lot of reassurance to know that this is NORMAL. If you're adding the weight of a uterus big enough to hold a baby, of course weight is going to be gained. The scale no longer matters anymore. 

I have been eating normal and doing my workouts, modified still. I found out that my initial blood tests showed that I was low in iron, and I was shocked because I like to consider myself a very healthy, moderate person. I began to look at labels on food to find foods high in iron, and turns out that WHITE BREAD has the highest amount of iron in it! Being that I was gluten free up until getting pregnant, this low iron level makes sense. So, for all you avoiding wheat, remember to be eating other foods high in iron! 

We weren't able to see the baby's gender at our last ultrasound, being that it was sitting with criss-crossed legs... Come on baby! Open up for mama! We are going to wait another month until our next appointment to take a look. I expect things to finally start to feel real once I'm able to start imagining a little boy or girl! 

All in all, things seem to be going well. My sharp pains from the uterus stretching are still in full force, and I have found myself with random bouts of nausea early in the morning that wakes me up. But other than that, I'm feeling great! And I'm feeling like I need to capitalize on this energy while I have it.

That's it in the Nash world, can't wait to update with the baby gender :)

Pregnancy: Cardio Core

My favorite style of exercise is, and always be, interval training. With a bunch of opinions about exercise during pregnancy, I find that I'm more comfortable just staying on the safe side of things. I do believe there is too muc judgement towards women who maintain their fitness regimen, but I'm one to easily crack to such outside pressure :/  Therefore, I take it a lot easier. I take time to do a gradual warmup so my heart rate slowly grows; same goes for a cool down. I also don't push myself like I normally would. My heart rate doesn't get as high, and instead of trying to max out, I just try to endure through and not take any breaks. This might mean I'm not pushing as hard, but I still get a good sweat.


So during insanity max, I don't max out. I also modify a lot, and when fishing season is over I'll post a pregnancy modified insanity workout! But here is a short interval workout I've done during this pregnancy:


Warmup and stretch 5-10 min

20 second on, 10 second rest. Repeat each round 3x

Round 1-
Push-up punch (or modified on the knees)
Knee up punch
Squat to backwards lunge (squat down, backwards lunge)

Round 2-
Frog jumps (or wide squat if not comfortable with the jump)
Wide push-ups (on the knees for modification)
Squat kicks (squat down, kick one leg up

Round 3-
Squat stance air punches
Lunge kick /left side(step back to lunge, bring back leg forward to a kick)
Lunge kick/right side

Modified push-up punch

Knee up punches (alternating sides)

Weeks 14&15

Getting close to halfway! And close to finding out the gender!!! My uterus popped out, but I don't notice a significant belly growth. I found that at the beginning of week 15, my nausea came back! I was being awoken by bouts of morning sickness and this was an unpleasant surprise. I also have bad, sharp cramping pains and those are SUPER...

What I have discovered is that I really CANT run while pregnant unless it's ONLY on an incline. I don't know how people do it! My uterus gets super sharp pains and can't handle it. So I've stuck with my Beachbody programs with some modifications. I've found that it's just really important to listen to what YOUR body is saying.

Again, Shakeology is a pregnant lady's BEST FRIEND. This, and water :) I've found it really hard to get my nutrition in, especially when I'm nauseous! All I want is bread and carbs to settle my stomach, and this makes my gut feel gross; so Shakeology is my saving grace! My stomach also eats itself out if I get hungry, to the point where I feel like there is permanent damage to my gut when I don't have a snack....


Now here are a few pregnancy progression photos :) I found that you can suck in your uterus so it just looks like you have a little fat pooch, I'm interested in what everyone else does for their photos?! Suck in? Let it hang? Give it a little push out? So I started taking a picture of flexing my abs and then relaxing. The 13& 14 week photos are of my relaxed belly. My uterus looks like it's dropped or something from week 13 to 14.

Week 13

Well, people started guessing after this photo got "released".  I was 12 weeks when my belly finally "popped" out, and also a matron of honor where I was displayed for all to examine my now odd-shaped belly.  Once the photo got out on facebook all whispered to each other about my belly, so I set the score straight not too long after :)

So it's now public, I am PREGNANT! I went in for my 13 week ultrasound today and saw little baby wiggling and kicking around. So thankful I can't feel it yet! That's a lot of moving and wiggling, I'll take the numbness as long as I can!

After seeing the baby alive and well, I'm now so thankful for my relief from day sickness! It is always scary wondering if maybe something happened to baby and wondering if THAT'S the reason your sickness is gone.

I am still working out consistently, now doing a lot more than I did the first trimester. I always back down when I feel uncomfortable, whereas before pregnancy I would just push through. There's a lot I'm gladly backing down on, because it's not just MY body I'm taking care of now. Therefore, I gladly accept offers to go take naps. I also gladly use an excuse to do very modified versions of workouts. I am NOT expecting to keep in perfect shape or at an optimal weight, I want my pregnancy to be relaxed, healthy, and also fun! So I will eat like I usually do and ease down on my workouts. That may add a few extra pounds to lose, but I'm happy with that! It will also make a better "body after baby" segment ;) 

Right now I am doing my beachbody programs. I started Insanity Max 30 and am hoping to do the program all the way through over the summer, modifying all exercises I feel like. I also found that there are ways to modify for my needs that are more intense, but still safe, than the modifications offered on the DVD, I'll have to do a post on those modifications! I plan on ordering T25 next and maybe doing that with some piyo. I want to commit to routines through my pregnancy that I know I can keep up when baby comes, and 25-30 minutes a day is about all I can commit to! When I add in healthy eating and choose my splurges appropriately, I don't need more than that. 

Looking forward to next month when we get to see if baby Nash is a boy or a girl!!!

Bodyweight Circuit (Pregnancy safe!)

This is not a circuit only good for pregnancy, it's a great one outside of it!



- Warmup by walking on an incline of 10-15 for .25 mile
Jog/run for.25 (incline of your choice)

Repeat 2x for warmup. This will take 10-15 minutes


Workout (again, must be done with the warmup!)

Upper body circuit:
10 shoulder pushups
15 standard pushups (use bench, wall, or incline if your belly is growing!)
25 russian twists (side-to-side equals 1)

Walk on incline .25
Run .25

Lower body Circuit:
10 lunges
15 plie squats
20 standard squats
25 russian twists

Walk on incline .25
Run .25

Repeat both circuits one more time, and then STRETCH!

10 things you need to know about your first trimester

Pre-pregnancy

Oh me oh my! My body does NOT like pregnancy. This is my third pregnancy, and my first that has made it this far. I suffer from horrible morning sickness (throughout the day...), bloating (I look more pregnant in my 7 week photo than now! Drink your water people, helps with the bloating), constipation, dizziness, loose joints, insomnia, sharp shooting pains, etc.... You name it! I always imagined I'd be that person who could workout just as hard and you wouldn't even notice I'm pregnant. But that is NOT the case for me.

I have taken it quite easy since becoming pregnant. First off, I have lost two babies before and wanted to go easy on my body. Secondly, my normal workout routine causes lots of cramping for me! I did a lot of interval training and high intensity workouts, and therefore I've had to adjust a lot! I'll jog and do weights, maybe low impact interval training. Although they say to focus on your core your first trimester, I can't. It makes me cramp too much, and even if the cramping is okay, it scares me. I can't do things like burpees (the jumping my feet back jolts my uterus) and feel like a total wimp. But I'm starting to find out what I can do and how I can still get good workouts in even with my limitations! I'll have more posts to come on what my workout routines consist of now.

But for right now, I'm gonna give 10 facts on what early pregnancy CAN be like (it's so different with everyone!):

1. Don't freak out if you have a spot of blood. 

You can expect spotting, but if it's anything more, be very concerned. If it's bright red, be concerned. *Disclaimer: for those intimate spousal times, you MIGHT have bright red spotting. This could be from your cervix getting irritated. Don't freak out if after the deed is done you have slight spotting, keep your eye on it and if no more comes out or it's fine in the morning, you should be okay.

2. Expect to pee a lot.

How horrible is it that the time you need people's sympathy is the time when you're supposed to keep your pregnancy secret?! I had to pee all the time at work, and this is because all of the new hormones in your body. And then about 3-4 times each night... Say goodbye to sound sleeping!

3. Constipation.

Yeah, you get it. I found that taking fiber supplements made me gassy, so now I combine a probiotic supplement with fiber (they feed off of each other) and it is better your your digestion and relieves a lot of the gas! (Check below to see what I use to relieve constipation!)

4. Bloating and zits

You might feel huge right away, and this is because of bloating. Drink LOTS of water, and keep active! As for the acne, I have no answer. I have never struggled with acne before, but immediately upon getting pregnant I have become quite the adolescent... I went on a two week fast food craving spree so maybe that didn't help as well! I flipped a switch and now am on a clean eating crave (where all I desire is clean foods).

5. Dizziness and headaches

Keep your eye on these things, for they could be signs of other problems. But I struggle with dizziness like an old man (each time I get up I have to hold on to something), and headaches every now and then. 

6. Sharp shooting pains

Also could be a sign for concern (talk to your doctor). I had immense shooting pains, to the point that I couldn't sleep at night. It was very scary. But everyone's body is different and reacts differently to hormones and your uterus stretching. If there's no blood, don't freak out, if it continues and you're worried, call your doctor.

7. Cramping and loose joints

I have cramping right away when I get pregnant. I never made it far enough before to experience the loose joints, but I now get to experience that lovely side effect. I feel so old and useless, but I NEVER do anything that feels uncomfortable and I stop when my knees start to act up. That could be  a mere minute into your workout, but don't lose heart! Do something low impact even if it doesn't give you the sweat you want.

8. MORNING SICKNESS

I'm sorry all, I don't have an answer for this. I've tried saltines, gingerale, ginger tea, ACV, etc... Nothing helps. In fact you might feel so sick that the thought of ingesting any of those things sounds repulsive. It can come and go throughout the day. Although it's miserable, I take it as a good sign. When I miscarried, I lost the feeling of nausea the day before. So now I treasure each time I feel it knowing that something is still living in me! Keep your belly consistently filled and keep active! Both of these relieve nausea temporarily. 

9. Crazy terrible emotions.

I was on high dosage of birth control to control endometriosis pains prior to getting pregnant. Once they switched me to the high dosage, my emotions leveled out. I felt like a champion! When I went off the pill to get pregnant, I became a basket case. So imagine that, times a million once you get pregnant. The world might possibly end. 

10. Remember your husband

That first trimester might kill your libido, and it might make you a total witch. I try to remember my husband's needs, and I apologize when I'm not feeling well. It may not seem fair that you need to apologize, but I still do. I know I'm not fun when I'm a total sick basket case for three months. Even when feeling sick, I try to suck it up as much as possible to be intimate and love on my husband. My belly is only going to get bigger and I'm only to come up with MORE excuses as the rest of the 9 months progress. Don't make the whole 9 months all about you, remember your husband in this process as it is hard on him, also!