One Year Later

I remember all the different emotions and thoughts that came with the news that I was going to have a baby. At that time I was very physically active and in great shape. Besides the excitement of actually having a child, I was very nervous about what I was going to look like after he was born. I had heard that "things shift" and "your body is never quite the same." I mean, what pregnant personal trainer wants to hear THAT?! Furthermore, at about 3 or 4 months I had horrible sciatica and these back spasms that kept me from working or even staying moderately active.
I never had morning sickness but I was nauseous a lot and ironically I lost all taste for anything healthy. The idea of trail mix, tofu or any kind of protein (besides grilled cheese) disgusted me. By the end of my pregnancy I was huge. All of my kind loved ones assured me I was "all baby" but I have pictures to prove otherwise! Add all the fluids they pumped into me during labor and all the swelling, let's just say I was really huge! Plus they failed to tell me that even once the baby is born, I still looked 6 months pregnant!
In a way, I am very grateful to have been so big. It was difficult to move around, sleep, shower, get up and down stairs, up and down anywhere, drive, and on and on and on. I was short of breath and had all sorts of issues related to my size. It was very taxing, both mentally and physically. I remember feeling so miserable and vowed to never feel like that again.
I remember trying to get back into shape once Aidan was a little older and the weather a bit nicer: it was painful. After having a dormant exercise regime for about 10 months, it was hard. I understand why millions of people remain inactive...because getting in shape can hurt! My chest and throat burned, my legs felt like they were going to give out and I doubted my lungs' ability to keep working! I remember running at Frick Park and wanting to wear a sign on my back that said, "I don't normally sound like this, I just had a baby!"
It was hard and sometimes painful, but I kept at it. I started by running just one day a week. I added a few minutes to my twice weekly run until it became a whole run on another day. I kept at it until it didn't hurt so badly anymore. It took about 3 or 4 months of shuffling my feet and breathing heavily until it started to feel good. Slowly but surely I started looking forward to exercise as I had before I was pregnant. If everyone could just get over that "hump" in the beginning, exercise, or at least a more active lifestyle, would be somewhat enjoyable and certainly easier.
I worked really hard to get back into shape after I had my baby. And I'm hear to say that there is hope after childrearing! A girlfriend of mine (you know who you are) waited until after her first child to catch the fitness bug. And she looks fantastic after two kids! In a lot of ways I like my body so much more now. I mean, I carried and bore a child! My body's amazing just for that! Women have children because men could never survive labor. And it feels great to be able to carry my kid all around and up three flights of stairs and chase him around and keep up with him because I work hard so that stuff feels easy. We are capable of anything...the first step is commitment followed by a lot of effort and a little bit of faith...to be able to focus on the final product really helps to push through the discomfort, kind of like labor!

My First Baby

The first official love of my life was a small 10 pound chihuahua that I fell in love with a few years ago. He's larger than most chihuahuas but over the past few years has settled into a quite comfortable and appropriate body weight. Well, the funniest thing occured to me last night. Ever since Aidan's been eating finger foods three or four months ago, a new ritual has been created with our beloved animals. As soon as our cat and dog hear the tray click on that high chair, they both come running into the kitchen and patiently wait for the inevitable: the food that Aidan throws onto the floor! Well, just last night I realized that my dog has gained a few and looks quite the jolly chihuahua! Most of his supplemental diet includes toast with butter and any meat bits! Now, I'm certainly not crazy about keeping up his appearance but I know extra weight on an already-small dog is horrible for his health. Unfortuneatly because of his size he hates to be outside now, especially for any extended period time. So this is just another reason I am estatic for spring! Aren't animals great? I never thought I could learn so much from a creature who can't speak (in our language anyway!). Hears to all our pets out there!

TGIF

Howdy, fitness friends! It's been a whirlwind week for me as we just celebrated my son's first birthday. What a milestone! It's so fantastic watching a human being transform from a helpless, tiny baby into a little boy complete with a personality and will all his own! I'm so excited to introduce him to all the wonderful things life has to offer. It's so important to teach kids the importance of an active lifestyle. And I know once he's old enough, he will choose how he wants to spend his day, but until then his father and I have the responsibility to teach by example and live a healthy lifestyle as best we can. Kids learn what they experience and what a gift we give our children when we teach them how to take care of themselves in the best way possible. If you're a parent trying to live a healthy lifestyle at home, I'm eager to hear from you! Have a great weekend, everybody, and live the best you can!

Welcome to My Domain!

Greetings, fitness fans! My name's Nicole and I'm here to help you live a healthier and more active lifestyle. I've been working in the health and fitness industry for the past five years and want to share my passion for fitness with the rest of you! Please post or e-mail any questions, comments or suggestions to me. I'm happy to hear from you!