Happy Thursday everyone!

I mentioned a few weeks ago that Chris and I would be staying with my parents outside of Philadelphia while we house hunted in Harrisburg. So far shacking up with the rents has been wonderful! Especially since I haven’t felt like cooking. My mom has taken care of dinner pretty much every night we’ve been here. Thanks Mom! I only wish my appetite has been normal enough to enjoy it every night. Boo.

Of course staying  with parents opens the door for advice often. Especially when you’re pregnant :) The past few nights I have been eating a bowl of cereal before bed to ward off the 3am munchies and my Mom has kindly mentioned that I should be using 1%, or low-fat milk rather than fat-free milk. She is under the impression that the Low-Fat milk has more nutrients than Fat-Free milk.

True? Or false?

So of course I had to research whether or not that was actually true! I’ve been drinking fat-free milk for years for two reasons:

1. I like the taste
2. It has less saturated fat than low-fat or whole milk.

But to be honest I’ve never really thought about what ingredients may be lost in order to make milk “fat-free”.

Today I learned something new though!

I learned that unlike a lot of foods, processing fat-free milk does not strip out the nutrients. In fact, the skim or fat-free varieties of milk are actually more nutritionally-dense than the whole or full-fat versions.

This is because when you remove the fat from milk, you increase the amount of protein available in the same amount of liquid.

Let’s take a look at the nutritional comparison between Stonyfield fat-free and low-fat milk.

The differences are highlighted in red.

You’ll see the the only difference is in the calories, fat, and cholesterol.

No difference when it comes to the nutrients!

Looks like I can continue drinking my fat-free milk without worrying about getting enough nutrients.

I will admit that “mother knows best” most of the time, just not all the time. Hopefully my Mom will continue to let us stay with her after she reads this post :)

Q for U-

What kind of milk to you normally drink? Do you drink it by the glass or just with cereal?

So it turns out my appetite isn’t entirely back. Most of it is though! For some reason some meat still doesn’t float my boat. I learned this at dinner last night when my mom served BBQ pork chops. I only took a half in fear that I wouldn’t be able to keep a whole one down. And the reason I took any at all is because I have been seriously slacking in the protein department.

See that blob of white? That’s ranch dressing. For some reason I thought that would mask the taste of pork :)

In addition to pork chops we had potatoes, apple sauce, Tuscan mixed vegetables, and fresh from the farm tomatoes. You can tell from my plate that I politely declined the vegetables and tomatoes.

I was able to get through three bites of pork, and housed all of the potatoes and applesauce. Because I didn’t feel like I consumed a sufficient amount of calories, I also had a piece of rye bread toast with peanut butter. Delicious!

And right before I went to bed I had a bowl of Grape Nut flakes. I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night starving so I thought it would help to have a late night snack. And it did!

I didn’t wake up at 4 a.m hungry, and I actually woke up this morning without gnawing on my hand!

I also woke up without sweat dripping down my forehead. The heat finally broke! It was a crisp 65 degrees this morning so Chris and I took advantage of the weather and went to a 1 mile trail to get a workout in.

Before we left I had a juicy plum. Even though I wasn’t that hungry I didn’t want to walk on an empty stomach.

Actually, I did a walk/jog this morning!

While I didn’t anticipate jogging, as I stated yesterday, the cool morning air and extra skip in my step from feeling better allowed me to to alternate walking and jogging.

Here’s how my workout went:

• Mile 1 – 14 minutes walking
• Mile 2 – Alternate jogging 2 minutes, walking three minutes – 12 minutes
• Mile 3 – Alternate jogging 2 minutes, walking three minutes – 13 minutes

For a total of 39 minutes.

Once I got home I refueled with whole wheat toast. Half with peanut butter and half with Smart Balance and acai berry & cherry preserves. I am really digging butter these days.

After a few quick minutes of digesting I did:

• 3 sets of 10 squats with 8lb weights in each hand
• 3 sets of 20 side lying leg lifts
• 3 sets of 20 cat pose

Because abdominal exercises that involve lying on your back are not recommended for pregnant woman, I plan on doing cat pose often to strengthen my abs and lower back.

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So you know how I have had no desire to eat vegetables? Well that still stands true. But now that I can stomach smoothies I figured I should just start hiding my vegetables in there! Today’s smoothie included:

• 1/2 cup yellow squash
• 1/2 cup zucchini
• 1/2 cup spinach
• 1 1/2 cups mixed berries
• 1/2 cup Stonyfield vanilla Oikos
• 1 cup milk

From now on I am going to try to drink one smoothie a day so that I incorporate vegetables into my diet again.  The thought of grilled zucchini and squash does not sit well with me :)

While Chris made the smoothie I munched on some cheese and crackers. Flatbread Italian Herb Crisps.

And American cheese. Topped with a squirt of yellow mustard.

I had six more of these while I waited for my smoothie.

I’m pretty sure I could eat cheese/crackers/bread all day long.

Other eats during the day included:

• A banana
• A Kashi crunchy granola bar
• Chicken sausage on a bun (for some reason I can eat sausage)
• A few bites of scalloped potatoes
• A handful of gummy bears

A bowl of cereal will probably be on the menu for a late night snack again!

My caloric intake should increase by approximately 300 calories a day so I am really trying to focus on eating smaller meals more often. I try not to go more than 1.5/2 hours without eating. Unless I’m napping :)

Q for U-

What’s your favorite cheese to eat with crackers? Right now my favorite cheese is American, but normally I prefer pepper jack for a little kick.

Many, many thanks for all your wonderful comments about our big news! It makes it so much more real now that we are able to share it with everyone.

While my last post discussed how awful I’ve felt and how I haven’t really been able to eat anything, I’m happy so say that I have felt wonderful the past few days! Like a brand new woman. I have more energy and my appetite is back! BAM! Just like that.

I was even able to eat yogurt for breakfast yesterday! Stonyfield blueberry yogurt with Kashi Bran Buds and blueberries.

After breakfast I went for a 30 minute brisk walk in the sweltering heat. Does anyone else feel like this is the longest summer ever? Don’t get me wrong, I love summertime, but I am not digging all this heat and humidity.

Then for the first time in two months I actually had enough energy to strength train!With 10lb weights I did:

• 3 sets of 10 bicep curls to overhead press
• 3 sets of 10 tricep extensions
• 3 sets of 10 upright rows
• 3 sets 10 side bends

Exercising during pregnancy is very important for your health and on Friday, my doctor gave me the OK to continue my workouts as I had been pre-pregnancy.  Obviously I wasn’t feeling well enough for the first three months to run and strength train as I had been doing, but now that I am feeling better I do have new fitness goals listed below.

Fitness Goals:

• Walk briskly for 30 minutes to an hour 3-4 times a week
• Prenatal yoga 1-2 times a week
• Strength training 2-3 times a week

While it is acceptable for me to jog, I prefer to walk at this point. I haven’t really felt like running, and I do think this is a good time for me to give me knees/hips a break from the impact of running.

Also, strength training is safe and beneficial for pregnant woman. My strength training will be light and I won’t use more than 10 lb weights. Additionally, I am going to avoid any strength training that involves laying flat on your back. Performing exercises on your back after 12 weeks can constrict blood flow to your uterus.

******

After attending a bridal shower yesterday afternoon and indulging in lots of delicious, unphotographed food, Chris and I went to our friends house to dinner.

What was on the menu?

NACHOS! Half with ground beef, and half with kidney beans (for me since I don’t like ground beef.)

Topped with sliced fresh tomatoes, black olives, shredded lettuce, cheese, and jalapenos. Plus salsa, refried beans, and sour cream for dipping. And you can’t forget the hot sauce! I think my new favorite is the green tabasco. Thank heaven I still enjoy spicy! :)

To wash down my nachos I had a Barq’s Root Beer. Best root beer ever! Have you ever tried it?

Dessert was Skinny Cow cookies & cream ice cream sandwiches. I think Skinny Cow is amazingly delicious for a low fat ice cream! You have no idea how happy I am to be eating again.

And for those of you who may be wondering if I have a baby bump, not quite yet! All of my clothes still fit for the time being. I will mention that due to my lack of appetite, I did lose 5 pounds. But I plan on gaining it back in the next few weeks!

On that note, I’m hungry and need to grab something to eat :)

Q for U-

Which do you prefer, Green or Red Tabasco?

Y’all must know that I’m not talking about cinnamon buns because clearly baking is not my forte.

I’m talking about the other kind of “bun in the oven.”

A baby!

That’s right. I’m pregnant!

Twelve weeks to be exact. I have officially made it through the first trimester.

And boy does it feel good to finally be able to share the news! It has been so hard to keep my mouth shut on this blog for so long. Especially since my lack of posting can be attributed to the fact that I’ve been feeling nauseous and extremely tired, and haven’t had an appetite for several weeks. I kept wanting to apologize for not posting because I hadn’t been eating, let alone cooking anything, but it was too early to let the cat out of the bag.

For me, the first trimester has been no cup of tea. Don’t get me wrong, pregnancy symptoms are different for everyone and I’ve had friends who walked away from their first trimester without one symptom, but I have been pretty much been horizontal on the couch for the past few weeks. I’ve never watched so much TV in my life!

Whoever came up with the term “morning sickness” should be given a swift kick in the rear end. For me it was more like majority-of-the-day sickness.  Luckily there were a few hours in the morning when I felt ok.

Here is what a typical day looked like in the month of June:

• 7:30 a.m – Wake up and eat toast or a bagel
• 8:00 a.m.– Pack
• 9:00 a.m. – Take a break to watch the World Cup
• 9:30 a.m. – Go for a 3  mile trail walk with the pup or do the elliptical for 30 minutes
• 10:30 a.m. – More packing
• 11:30 a.m. – Try to eat something for lunch
• 12:00 p.m. – Lay on couch for the rest of the day because nausea and extreme fatigue have set in. And maybe have Cheez-Its for dinner.

If we weren’t in the middle of moving I would have had time to blog in the morning when I felt best and my energy levels were the highest. But we had a lot of packing to do and I since I wasn’t really eating anything there wasn’t anything to blog about!

Here’s an overview of what I have been able to eat:

• Cheez-Its
• Cheetos
• Potato Chips
• Toast
• Bread with melted cheese on top (aka Cheesy Bread)
• Bagels (sometimes with cream cheese, sometimes with butter, depending on how I felt)
• Saltines
• Pizza sometimes
• Fruit!

Healthy huh? Hey, I just needed to get through the day!

I will say that some days were better than others as my first trimester progressed and a few times I was able to eat small amounts of:

• Chicken
• Steak
• Shrimp
• Salad with lots of dressing
• Cereal with milk
• Chicken salad

Unfortunately vegetables have been extremely unappetizing. Aside from the occasional salad with romaine lettuce (not spinach, blech) I haven’t had any vegetables since the end of May and can’t even stand the smell of them. I really hope this doesn’t last throughout my entire pregnancy! I also have no desire to eat hummus or yogurt, which is something I would normally consume several times a week.

July has been quite the busy month with traveling to Boston, house hunting, and bachelorette parties, and I’ve never been so tired.  I am so ready to get my energy back. The fatigue and nausea should be on their way out the door soon though and in no time at all I will resume my regular posts. Yay!

Chris and I are absolutely thrilled to begin this next chapter in our lives and have been patiently waiting for this blessing.

So, so happy.

Did anyone have a hunch?

It is difficult to recover from a lifestyle based on stagnation. After all, any lifestyle is rather difficult to change. But when it comes to staying healthy, it’s best to get rid of any bad habits and replace them with healthy, energizing activities.

Running is not that difficult as it seems. It is in fact an activity that stimulates the body and the mind; it encourages positive thinking and keeps you healthy. I should know, since I’ve been running for 2 years now.

As a beginner difficulties definitely appear. As any other new activity, running requires accommodation, perseverance and most of all, motivation. So what do you do to keep yourself on this track when you start running? As far as I am concerned, there were times when I simply wanted to give up. It seemed too hard, too exhausting and it was almost impossible to keep my motivation up when breathing was so difficult.

But here I am to share my successful runner story. Maybe it will help others who feel the same as me and don’t know what to do.

There are many tips that beginner runners could take into account in order to stay positive and keep running, but I want to focus on those I find most relevant.

First off, build up a running schedule. It is recommended to start running for 20 -30 minutes, 3 days a week. Equally important is to rest for one day after each running session. So make sure you do that.

Secondly, pay attention to your running apparel. Go to specialized sports stores and choose the appropriate running shoes and clothes. You need to feel comfortable while running, and most of all you need to protect your feet and ankles.

Thirdly, stretch before and after each run. Your body must be prepared for the effort it is about to make, even if you only run 1 mile. Don’t neglect this part as it may be the most important aspect of your entire run.

Fourthly, learn some running techniques, at least the basics. Learn when to relax your hands and shoulders and make sure you maintain a good running posture.

Fifthly, breathe properly. Breathing is crucial while running. You should practice a good breathing technique in order to oxygenate your body and run efficiently. And trust me, it doesn’t always hurt.

In addition, try to gradually increase your distance. Begin with small distances, but make sure you set a different goal for every run. Of course, do it in your own pace, at least until you learn to be in control over your body and mind.

And most of all enjoy running.

This post was written by Anna, a runner and treadmill tester at RunReviews. On RunReviews you can find useful information about running, treadmill workouts and treadmills. For those interested to buy a treadmill, check also the treadmill offers section.