My new outlet

I've decided the third time is a charm with the whole pregnancy thing when it comes to staying healthy, eating right, and not gaining too much weight. With Riley, I started out at a healthy weight and by the time she was born in February, I had put on 50 pounds- yes, 50! Funny enough, she only weighed just under 8 pounds herself... I had about 15 pounds left to lose when, surprise! I was pregnant again with Tyson and Riley was only 4 months old. I did a little better that time around, only gaining the recommended 35 exactly, but add that to the 15 from the first time around and I was weighing in at the hospital at the same weight as I was with Riley. It took a lot of running and training for my first half-marathon and a good attempt to eat well (always my weak point), but I made it back to the exact pre-Riley-pregnancy weight for a few months before I found out I was pregnant with this little one growing now. And I vowed to do many things differently this time around.

I still struggle with making healthy eating choices, but I'm getting better. Early spotting in the pregnancy put a pause on my running, which I was hoping to keep up for most of this pregnancy. It was just enough time and the weather was just bad enough, that I was never able to get the motivation to start running again- or doing any other exercise for that matter. Apparently running after a one and two-year old was good enough for a while because I had managed to do well and not gain any weight- without any exercising at all. But, even though the scale wasn't going up, I was noticing a change in how I felt and I looked. I'm pretty sure all that was happening in those months of no weight gain was a transformation of muscle I did have, into fat that I didn't want. Exercising- running specifically- has always been the best outlet for me when I feel stressed or just need to do something for myself and my health. I couldn't run, but I was just plain being a slacker when it came to walking- it's too cold/rainy for the kids outside, I don't have the time, I don't have the energy, etc. These were the things I was telling myself and the excuses had to stop.

So, in the week after my 30th birthday, I came up with a solution. I would get up around 5:30am when Rick's alarm clock would go off, walk while he was in the shower, and get back in time for him to leave for work. I could be showered and ready for the day before the "Today Show" began and I got the kids up for breakfast. The first morning was rough, 40-something degrees, rainy, and I was TIRED. Then something amazing happened- I came home super-refreshed, I was ready before the kids for once- a shower and everything!- and I had a very productive day. I continued to walk early mornings for about a week and half and now that the kids have been a day care all day because of the kitchen, I have shifted my walks to mid-day or evenings after the kids go to bed and made them longer. Without a stroller to push up hills and slow me down, I'm able to average about 16 minute miles and I also get a chance to enjoy some great music on my iPod Nano- always good!

It has been very stressful not having the house to ourselves for these past two weeks and not having use of our kitchen and appliances. Riley has been feeling under the weather, which for her means- bring on the fits and tantrums. Tyson has an ever-emerging mischievous side that has been hard to get used to. All of these things have caused me to get a bit overwhelmed, which is why I feel so grateful for a new outlet for my stress. Also one that will help keep me strong and healthy this pregnancy and hopefully help me get back into running quicker after the baby is born.

Maybe blogging is a good outlet too, because I am now realizing how easily I just rambled on about something that probably really only has meaning to me. So, I apologize!