Focus on Protein

I may have just figured out why I was so hungry the first few weeks of pregnancy. I was ridiculously hungry to the point that I got tired of eating because it was just too much work (hey when you're pregnant everything is tiring). I think the reason was because I was not eating enough protein. When I was in college I learned that the average person needs .8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. To find your weight in kilograms simply divide your weight in pounds by 2.2. (1 pound is equivalent to 2.2 kilograms). In the months prior to becoming pregnant I weighed 120 pounds, 120/2.2 = 54, therefore my body needed 54 grams of protein each day. Well now that I'm pregnant I guess it's not based on weight anymore, but I apparently need to be getting around 70 to 75 grams of protein per day. I can almost guarantee I wasn't do that early on. I think I am now as I have started eating more meat, cheese, and rice and beans (which when mixed create a complete protein = one that contains all nine essential amino acids). 
Okay Protein soapbox time, the sad truth is that most people in America consume excessive amounts of protein. Most people can't imagine going a day without meat let alone a meal without meat. And don't get me wrong protein is good for you but too much, like many things, can be bad. The Liver is an amazing organ, it has the ability to transform the things we put into our bodies. When we eat more protein than our body needs, the liver may convert it into carbohydrates or fats for storage. We all love it when our bodies store fat right? Excessive protein usually means excessive nitrogen, and it's your kidney's job to get rid of that. Thus consuming excess protein also stresses the kidneys. People don't seem to realize how much they stress their body by simply eating badly....
So back to me. I've always taken pride in the fact that I do eat less meat than the average American. As part of living a healthy lifestyle I find ways to get protein from non-animal sources, in the past we were eating meat maybe once a week, if that. So it's possible that early in my pregnancy I wasn't getting the recommended amount of protein for a pregnant woman and my body was letting me know by keeping me hungry all the time. Now that I am aware of this I have taken steps to add protein to my diet. After my pregnancy is over I will go back to the rule of .8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. 

Can't Wait to Get Back to Exercising!!!!!!

I am 8 weeks and 3 days pregnant today. At the end of this week (or maybe during this week, not sure how that works) the baby will no longer be considered an "embryo" but a "fetus." The baby is about the size of an olive. Tiny muscles are beginning to develop allowing the baby to begin making spontaneous movements, however I won't be able to feel that for a while.  I have noticed that my stomach has grown, I'm starting to need maternity clothes, which is fine because I love going clothes shopping!
I am still not supposed to be exercising this week.  I've been going for long walks plus being a personal trainer keeps me moving but that's about all I've been doing. It's tough because the weather is cooling down making it perfect for running. I go to the Doctor on Monday and I'm sure she will clear me to begin exercising again, at which time I will start easing back into it. Pregnancy is not the time to focus on intensity, the goal should be to stay healthy and strong (thanks crossfitmom.com), I would add to that maintaining joint mobility.
I love this picture, it's very inspiring, (actually there are lots of inspiring pictures on www.crossfitmom.com)! She appears to be doing a Sumo Deadlift High Pull with a Kettlebell.
Although I can't exercise like I want to, what I can do is continue to eat healthy, which I have been doing. Last night for dinner we had Brown rice with steamed Asparagus and Turkey Meatballs seasoned with a homemade Spincah and Olive Tapenade. The Turkey Meatball and Tapenade recipe is a Pampered Chef one, I wanted to practice it because I do have a couple of cooking shows coming up and I thought that would be a good recipe for a show.

Telling the Parents

 Yesterday we told Michael's parents! Right after church we took them to lunch and then showed them the little sonogram! Right after that we drove to New Braunfels and met my parents there because my Dad was buying Michael's Cadillac from him so that was actually the point of that trip. Since I'm not sure I'll make it to Austin before Thanksgiving I decided I wanted to tell them now, which is actually also why we decided to tell Michael's parents since I wanted to tell my parents since we were meeting them in New Braunfels, okay sorry for the circular reasoning. Okay so now they know but we're not announcing to the whole world until Thanksgiving!
Today I am 7 weeks pregnant, the baby (actually considered an embryo) is developing fingers and toes!
I'm still taking it easy, no vigorous exercise, however I am going to start walking tomorrow, I really haven't done anything since the scare last Wednesday.

125 BPM

Well I had a bit of a scare last night. Without going into too much detail I had reason to believe that I was having a miscarriage. It was too late to contact the Ob/Gyn and we didn't feel that going to the Emergency room was necessary.  It was nerve wracking, it was scary not knowing exactly what was happening, wondering if the baby was still okay, wondering if my pregnancy was over just as soon as it had begun. I found peace reminding myself that God was in control of the situation, there was literally nothing I could have done to prevent a miscarriage. I slept as well as I could that night and as soon as I could I started calling the Ob/Gyn office this morning and was able to get in to see the "On Call" Doctor.  Actually walking into the Doctor's office and being so close to finding out the answers brought all those anxious feelings back and I was a mess by the time the Doctor (whom I had never met) walked in. She did a good job of calming me down and being understanding. The first thing she did was the ultrasound and sure enough the baby was okay! I got to hear the baby's quick, little heart beat pumping along at 125 beats per minute. Needless to say I was extremely relieved. According to the ultrasound I am 6 weeks and 3 days pregnant, which is very close to what I had thought.  We are still left with the question of why I was having the symptoms I was having, and the Doctor really isn't sure. I asked her if it was perhaps due to working out hard that day, she said that was highly unlikely and that there is not a correlation between exercise and miscarriage. She is recommending that I take it easy for two weeks (sounds like a standard recommendation to me), but otherwise there is nothing more that can be done, which is fine because I am just grateful to know that I am still pregnant and happy to leave the rest in God's hands!

My Little Dinosaur

I am in week six, I read that the baby is about the size of a pea, so it may have been more appropriate to title this blog "My little Sweet Pea," however I felt that "My Little Dinosaur" was more endearing! Kidney's, Liver and Lungs are developing this week.

I am feeling more energetic today than yesterday. I had my 6:30am personal training session today and after that (since I was already at the gym) I did some heavy lifting: Leg Press, Bench and Shoulder Press, Kettlebell swings etc. And then went for a little walk. My ankle is acting up otherwise I would have gone running. 

Today I am on the search for an OB/Gyn that has extended hours so that Michael can come to my pregnancy check ups. I found the perfect location they are open until 5:30pm, I'm just waiting for them to call me back so that I can schedule my first appointment which is supposed to happen around 8 or 9 weeks! Super excited for that first sonogram!

There's a Hungry Pregnant Woman Loose in Costco!

So I walked into Costco today with the goal of purchasing just three specific items. And as I was walking through the store heading toward my three specific destinations I started spotting various edible items and just couldn't help myself! Needless to say I left with a few extra things in my shopping cart : )
With that said I have been noticeably more hungry this week, and tired. Sometimes when I try to take a nap I just can't because I'm just too hungry. My workouts the last two days have been pretty toned down. Yesterday I decided it was a good idea to walk to the gym (just a little over a mile), lift weights and then walk home. By the time I arrived to the gym I was ready for my workout to be over but I forced myself to just do squats, push ups and a few pull ups before heading home. Today I ran two miles.
My stomach does feel funny sometimes, but it's nothing like the nausea that I hear often accompanies pregnancy.

When can I announce???

I am pregnant!!!! Can't believe I'm finally saying it, I mean Michael and I have been pretty sure I was pregnant, but now we have proof! That's right, I finally took the pregnancy test! I woke up at 5 AM and took the test (it's supposed to be best to test first thing in the morning because HCG levels may be higher). 

According to my Day by Day pregnancy book, I am 5 weeks pregnant today! My "embryo" is 0.09 in (2.5mm) long, and the "building blocks of the baby's spine are being laid down." 

I attempted to go for a run this morning, my goal was 5 miles but I only did 3.5; by mile two I was starving, I ended up walking a lot, it feels like my heart rate is staying higher than it used to, I need to start wearing my heart rate monitor. I've been extra tired today, actually the last few days I've been super tired....and hungry. 

Anyway, after my morning run I ate a bagel with cream cheese and smoked salmon (so yummy, I discovered that on the cruise this summer). For lunch I had whole wheat pasta with chicken and broccoli. Then Michael and I went to look at cars, we're hoping to sell his Cadillac in the near future. When we returned home I attempted to make his Granny's awesome Thanksgiving stuffing recipe. It's sooo good and I'm hoping to be able to make it for my family at Thanksgiving this year so I needed to try to make it ahead of time. Anyway it turned out pretty good! Then we went to dinner at Michael's mom's house, with Tim and Kathryn and the girls. That was fun, but it's so hard not to tell everyone that I'm pregnant, a few people do know but I really want to surprise my parents in a special way! I guess the main reason we're not telling everyone yet is because the risk of miscarriage is still pretty high. I think the plan is to announce to my family at Thanksgiving, which is still a while to wait!