From Experience, Not From Theory
Among other things, I’m a mom. I treasure this part of my life enormously. My little boy and my husband are my best friends. However, when I became a mother it involved being pregnant. And that, was awful. Pregnancy fitness and perspective is something I learned the hard way – so let me save you that trouble!
Now a lot of women tell me that being pregnant is fantabulous, and by the look in their eyes I’m certain they’re telling the truth. But that was not my experience.
Or my husbands!
Fitness in Hell
I put on 42 pounds and felt like death every time I moved. I had morning sickness for a full 39 weeks, as well as heartburn. Because I’m a personal trainer, and I understand the benefits for myself and my baby, I continued to do highly targeted workouts up until 4 days before I gave birth – but I was so frustrated and debilitated by my weight and hormones during those workouts that I would literally have tears streaming down my face in the gym while I silently sobbed my way through routines.
Now a lot of women tell me that being pregnant is fantabulous, and by the look in their eyes I’m certain they’re telling the truth. But that was not my experience.
Or my husbands!
And I ate like my stomach was bipolar.
The horror of watching my capacity to lift weight diminish, in spite of all my effort, day after day, was soul crushing. Not to mention the stretch marks and the fashion shock.
The Star Trek Solution
My husband tells me this story about Star Trek (I married a nerd) that reminds me of what it was like trying to stay fit while I was pregnant. Apparently in Star Trek all the ship captains have to take a famous test before they get their license. It’s called the Kobayashi Maru test. And in the test your spaceship is attacked by impossible numbers of enemies – and your ship and crew are all killed.
You can’t beat the Kobayashi Maru test. It’s designed not to be beaten. The whole point of the test is to see what kind of a person you are when faced with an impossible, insurmountable obstacle.
The way I see it, ladies, pregnancy is our Kobayashi Maru test. Nobody stays fit, healthy and sane trying to take care of their body while it’s falling apart around them. But learning how hard I’ll push even when I can’t succeed – how long I’ll focus even as my eyes fall shut – how deep I’ll dig even at rock bottom – is worth everything I lost.
I know I’ll beat the cellulite. Because I’ve got these stretch-mark-medals!
Fitness is a journey along the course of your life. What you get from training through pregnancy isn’t just a healthier experience and a faster recovery afterwards. You also get the veterans virility that comes with pushing yourself through adversity. And that stays with you forever, and will make every ounce of sweat more effortless moving forward.
Remember, when you’re pregnant you’re going to have some crazy hunger cravings. Check out My Recipes so that you can arm yourself with food that is as tasty as it is healthy. Craving food doesn’t have to interrupt your health – it can compliment it!