Looking for Cathe Blog or forums links...

[mrsprincess07]

I’m about 6-7 weeks away from Baby #3 arriving! I’m looking for links or titles to google of Cathe’s prior blogs or forums questions that she responded to about starting over COMPLETELY as a total beginner. I have the fitness knowledge but I have to begin a Day Zero and I’m overwhelmed. I have that Type A personality malfunction that recognizes what I “used” to do and try to do a variation of that. It doesn’t work. I’m bucking 40 and have arthritis in my knees from severe, long term IT Band issues and congenital/hereditary abnormalities.

All I want is to get back to doing just the Intermediate stuff! If I can get to that level or do Low Impact Circuit and/or the step from 4 Day Split and her Gym Styles premixes... I’d be all smiles. I know Cathe does not have a large beginner library but if she’s given written advice to those of us just starting out or coming back from YEARS of struggling for consistency, I’d be all ears. I’m in the upper Midwest and I’ll most likely be cleared to begin sometime in Feb when Cabin Fever sets in. I’d love to focus on strength and reserve cardio until I can function through the “Zombie Zone” of infant stages. It’ll help my Fibromyalgia to not flare as badly, too.

Are there threads from previous posters asking for or receiving similar advice? And blogs over the years that Cathe authored? Thank you!

 

[Abveyera]

No idea, but I can help you! I’ve had four babies (11, 9, 7 and 3). My oldest two have special needs and we’ve had a LOT of family upheaval in the last few years. Things have finally settled down enough for me to get back in to taking consistent care of myself. I have a lot of weight to lose and I’m 43 and also the dreaded Type A! It’s daunting.

1) Stop trying to plan for right now. Your pregnancy and newborn are center stage. Take care of yourself, your baby, your older children, your husband, your home (and whatever other responsibilities you have). That’s more than enough.

2) Rest when you need to. Pregnancy is hard. Listen to your body.

3) When baby arrives, spend the majority of your time enjoying him or her and getting to know baby. Snuggle snuggle snuggle. Those days feel long, but you know (by baby #3) that the years are short. Your little one will be potty trained and off to kindergarten before you can blink twice. Don’t miss that by worrying.

4) Once you are medically clear to return to working out, take it slow. Your ligaments, joints, muscles, tendons and internal organs are still recovering. Your GI tract, for example, has basically been squashed into your lungs and your uterus has grown 10 times its normal size. Your body needs time to get everything back to its original position. Pushing yourself too hard is not wise. Don’t look at the woman who worked out every day of her pregnancy and fit back into her old skinny jeans while she was still in the hospital. Look at yourself, your uniqueness, your strengths and your goals. She is not you. (And if she were, she would be in exactly the same place!)

5) FIRST TRIMESTER BACK TO WORK: Walk and light weights 3-4x a week. 10-20 minutes. Drink LOTS of water. Treadmills, power strolling baby around the mall, climbing stairs at home during commercial breaks as many times as you can — they all count. Do whatever you can to get in motion. Pushups on the counter while you’re making dinner. Whatever. Give it three months.

6) SECOND TRIMESTER BACK TO WORK: When you’re ready, try Cathe’s LITE Series. It’s perfect. Modify, modify, modify. If you’re not ready to jump, don’t jump. Keep at it and you will be able to after repeated workouts. Run through the entire LITE series as many times as you need to until it feels too easy. Work in her ICE series if you get bored. Repeat.

7) THIRD TRIMESTER BACK TO WORK: Increase your load a little until you’re back to where you want to be. Tweak and repeat.

It took nine months to grow your baby, it will take at least that long to feel like yourself again. For me, personally, I know as soon as I find out that I’m pregnant that I’m basically going to be exhausted and attached to a tiny human for the next two years. LOL Give yourself some grace to be a mom!