It's so hard to let my fitness level slide but...

[jcm]

At 23 weeeks with #2 I just can't keep up with my old exercise schedule! It used to be run three days and strength train two. Now, with a three year old who has been sick on and off, potty training, horrible round ligament pain - I'm just too tired to be motivated! Still managing something - between one and three workouts a week but it's a far cry from where I was 23 weeks ago!

How is everyone else doing keeping up with their exercise? I'm sure I'll get back to where I was eventually, it's just tough seeing that hard work slip away a bit.

 

[LHK]

Well for me, unfortunately, it slipped away pretty good. Like you, I used to run and strength train, and raced through IM on 8 inch risers, and could do all of BodyMax, and was so buff! BUT...
now I have gained 42 lbs, I'm over 36 weeks along, and my weekly exercise consists of one hilly 5 mile walk and sometimes a 2 mile walk thrown in. (Though people STILL give me compliments that I look like a fit pregnant woman, still rather slim ??) I guess it's all relative.

BUT...

I know I will get all my old fitness back when I'm a new mommy! I'm mentally giving myself until around Christmas to regain my stamina, slimness and fitness level, and I'm looking forward to being in such good shape again! I miss Cathe and the physical challenges of her videos, I really miss the buzz of an invigorating 5 mile RUN, and I miss the tone in my muscles. But I'll get it back. And so will you!

Take it easy on yourself and if walking or working out less suits you now, then listen to your body!
Good luck-
Lisa
first-time mom to be of baby girl due July 18th!

 

[renodebbie3]

Yep, it seems to happen no matter how dedicated or determined we are to maintain that great fitness level throughout pregnancy. I'm at 24 weeks w/ #3 and about the only thing I've maintained from pre-pregnancy times is my upper body weight lifting. My cardio and lower body has went way down in intensity. I try for 5 days a week but at this point just getting 3 in seems like a major accomplishment. I keep telling myself that I only have 16 weeks of pregnancy left and the rest of my life to get back in shape. Hang in there!

 

[briee]

I want to point out first of all that I am (was) intensely opposed to letting my intensity slip while pregnant. I even upped my workouts when I first found out I was pregnant. Well...then the sickness hit and I still managed to pump out 5-6 workouts and throw up in between sets. BUT.....I'm 15 weeks now and I'm exhausted and completely unmotivated and was getting mentally down on myself but you all are encouraging me. I believe what's happening here is this...with baby number 5 I was just starting to workout and I began weight lifting while I was in month 6 of being pregnant. So at that time I was really doing great. Then after pregnancy I started doing Cathe, which of course is quite a bit more intense then Francesca Gerns weight lifting tape alternated with the FIRM not so tough cardio which is what I was doing until the day of delivery with baby number 5. Cathe brings you to a very intense level of working out...so now I'm comparing my workouts to a "Cathe level of fitness" and mentally beating myself up over not making it through a whole workout which before this pregnancy was no problem.

I'm giving us a pep talk here (including myself) I believe we have to give up that idea and do what's intense for us as pregnant women!! I must modify (oh I hate that word, it mentally kills me.....but it must be done). What has been happening is that I have been avoiding working out instead of lowering my standards for the workout I will do. I remembering doing 6 days a week in my last pregnancy...in the ninth month, but they weren't Cathe. I may have to dig out some of those old tapes and bite the bullet, or at least just lower the intensity of Cathe and grit and bear the mental strain involved with "modifying". I only did three workouts this week and was really down on myself, but you guys helped me to realize it's not just me.......it's a pregnancy thing and NORMAL.

Just to encourage you...did anyone else read in fitpregnancy magazine the article that said that mom's who workout 5-6 days a week until the end of pregnancy had much larger, healthier (I believe it said double the size) placentas as moms who work out less intensely, even 3 days per week didn't make as much of a difference. And moms that worked out intensely 6 days per week and then dropped in intensity the last 3 months didn't show much difference in size of placenta. I need to look up the article again cause I may be a little off, but I think I'm close. I'm thinking that I need to adjust my intensity so that I can continue 5-6 days of exercise, but at a realistic pace, which may not be Cathe's!!! Modify Modify Modify!!

Briee