So, I’m 31 weeks pregnant with twins. I feel like I’ve been pregnant forever, and I absolutely can’t wait to meet these little girls. I’m ready to get this show on the road, but the goal is to keep them in as long as possible. It’s pretty amazing to see what my body is capable of…just when I think my skin can’t stretch any more, these babies go through another growth spurt! I can’t imagine what the next few weeks are going to bring. Here’s a picture of me during my workout today. And yes, that shirt says “Training for three”. Amanda found that shirt and got it for me when I found out we were having twins, and it seriously could not be more perfect.
At the beginning, working out and eating healthy was about being/getting thin, it is interesting to see how it has evolved into a lifestyle with the goal having very little to do with being thin, but being healthy. It has been extremely important to my mental state for me to continue to work out throughout this whole pregnancy. I’ve been pretty limited because having twins is considered “high risk”, but I’ve been doing what I can, listening to my body and realizing more and more how much I really believe in living “the fit life”, no matter the circumstance. The goal of doing cardio used to be to create a huge calorie deficit, and now it is to feel good, maintain/build endurance and create a healthy environment for these babies. I’ve been strength training throughout the last 7 months even though I am pretty limited in what I’m allowed to do (lower weight/higher rep, no plyos, no straining). I worked so hard to build the lean muscle mass that I have, and there is no way I am not going to lose all of it! That would be so devastating! Right now, the goal is muscle maintenance so that when I get back to my normal routine, I am not starting from scratch. It’s going to make it so much easier for my body to bounce back.
After losing 50 pounds, I knew that watching the scale go up and gaining weight throughout this pregnancy was going to be a challenge, and believe me, it has. Seriously, it is such a mind game. A big part of my job for the past two years has been focused on getting rid of body fat, and now I’m supposed to be okay with storing body fat?!?!? It’s quite a concept. This process has taught me a lot about finding a healthy balance, and I have a better relationship with food then I’ve ever had before. I used to look at food and see a calorie count. Now I look at food and see how it is going to fuel my body and feed my growing babies. It’s been nice to take a little break from calorie counting and food logging, and make decisions based on listening to my body and what it needs. Don’t get me wrong, once I’ve had the babies, I will go back to calorie counting and portion control, but I will also take with me a healthier outlook on how to find a better balance. I’m excited about my next transformation and seeing what it takes to get back to where I was.
As I get bigger and bigger, my workouts are getting more and more limited, but I am going to hit the gym 4-5 times a week until the doctor tells me that I can’t. Right now, the only cardio I can do comfortably is the elliptical and my strength training is more limited than ever. I’ve had to temporarily give up my yoga and spin classes in the last few weeks, but I’m just going to do what I can, while I can. I’m going to do it because I love the way it makes me feel, I love living a healthy life, and I love creating a healthy enviroment for my little girls. I really had no idea how great of a learning experience this pregnancy was going to be.
