Question

So, yes, I am no longer posting here, but I am exercising very regularly again!  However, with that exercise, I am beginning to have frequent pelvic/groin pain and sometimes other issues...

Anyhow, I am waiting for a referral from my doc to see and specialist, but I was wondering if any of you ladies have had pelvic prolapse issues after having babies.  My doctor wouldn't officially diagnose me because she isn't a specialist, but indicated that might be my problem.

hiatus

I'm exercising fine (though I did take a week off due to shin splint issues last month).  But I'm not really keeping track right now because things are a bit crazy.  I found out my mom has breast cancer and Edmund came down with a really bad case of mono in the same week.  Edmund is all better and we are now down here helping out while she recovers from surgery and then will be traveling down a lot in the next several months while she undergoes chemo.  So, I'm just not bothering with keeping track about exercising.  But, suffice it to say, I have been managing to get 30-40 minutes in about 5 days a week.

recap

notta.  sick all week.

recap for last two weeks

Sun-rest
M-30 min pilates
T-rest (battling a cold)
W-20 min pilates
Th-4 mile run
F/Sat-rest

Sun-rest
M-30 min pilates
T-4 mile run
W-20 min pilates
Th-2 mile run
F-2 mile walk
Sat-2 mile run (fighting another cold)

doing great

I've been challening myself this last month and this week has born the fruit of my perseverance:

Sat--4 mile run
Sun--rest
M--20 min pilates, 2 mile run
T--4 mile run
W--30 min pilates
Th--4 mile run
F--20 min pilates

This is basically my pre-pregnancy exercise routine which I thrived on.  I'm definitely a lot weaker than I was then (a 4 mile run is very slow for me right now.  Takes me about 50 minutes).  But, I feel much better emotionally and my energy levels are much more stable.  I really do think doing Pilates regularly is the key for me.  It is also nice now because Jesse works from home more and so it is easy to exercise during the baby's nap.  I enjoy running much more when I don't have to push a stroller.

Yay!

sooo

I have been exercising again the last few weeks.  I just needed to not post about it for a bit.

I'm working on having the right attitude again for WHY I am exercising.  I was so desperate to lose the baby weight (and quickly) that I become obsessive for the wrong reason and didn't exercise wisely (too much running too quick).  Then, when I was nearly pre-preg weight, I became so frustrated with how my body is for different reasons (my tummy, my thighs, my everything are so much more jiggly than I 'd like!) that I didn't want to exercise at all because I thought I would never reach my pre-preg body again (which I liked).

However, after a hard few months (for many reasons), I am back to exercising again for mental health and back health and have been working hard on telling myself that I am doing this to feel better and NOT to look better (though I realize that will naturally come with the territory, it can't be my motivation!).

So, I'm running and doing pilates.  I am focusing on building my bodies strength up again, and, honestly, I have much more energy to exercise now at 9 months postpartum than I did at 2, 3 and 4 months.   It is nice to think (feel) like I can actually rebuild my pre-pregnancy strength now.  Everything seemed so futile a few months ago.

All right.  Sorry for the long post!  (Okay, so I'm not, but well, there is no other expression in the English language I have found to express being 'sorry' without meaning that you're actually begging for forgiveness, if you know what I mean).

recap

M/W/F--20 min pilates
T/Th--2 mile run
Sa/Su--nothing

recap

M--2 mile run
T--20 minutes pilates
W--2 mile run
TH/F--nothing
Sat--2 mile run
Sun--nothing

week 2 back (i guess)

T and W--2 mile run
Meant to do pilates the rest of the week since Jesse is out of town, but the unexpected 6 hour hospital ordeal on Thurs wiped me out.  All for a stupid splint.  Since when have pediatricians been unable to put a splint on??

Recap

Not much exercise, but starting up again was the greater point.  My body feels itself again and that is very nice.

T-1 mile run
W-1 mile run
F-3 hour long hike

dropping plates

Um, yes, something always gets dropped.  Always.

Ironically, I, one of the more regular exercisers here, dropped exercising off for this last month due to health issues and I still had to drop housework on top of that because of other circumstances!!!

So my approach (and this may not be the wisest), but I mark two goals each day as the 'must-have' goals: one is the must-have for my happiness (exercise is usually this. Sometimes sewing.  Sometimes a nap); the second is the must be done for the happiness of the family (usually this is dinner.  If I luck out and there are enough leftovers, then it becomes another chore.  Sometimes it is doing an art project with the kids and then we have cereal for dinner or smthg equally easy and silly.)

In other words, our household is always running a bit behind somewhere and I have come to terms that this just happens when you have small children.  I think our memories of our parents households having it together have a lot to do with us being teenagers helping out with the chores!!!

I think that this season of our lives is more about training than anything else.  We are training ourselves to be disciplined and training our children (not just in character, but in helping out around the house).  And I think this means that things get done less as a result now for the purpose of being taken care of in the future, if that makes sense.

I'm not saying that I don't get annoyed with the seemingly continual chaos, messes and lack of accomplishments, but I realize that what is more important is my attitude than anything else.  And, that brings me back to the main reason I exercise: my mental health.

taking a step back

blood work came back good!  Seems the heartburn was totally unrelated (doc thought it might be a thyroid issue) and am treating it as it's own separate thing now.  I was left with the reminder, though, to "Take it easy.  Remember--nursing a baby takes a LOT out of you."

That is true and, in hindsight, I do think I was pushing my body to hard.  I plan on starting exercising again next week, but I am going to just plan on simple workouts and I will add more on a day to day basis only if I have the energy and not because I feel compelled to.  Yes, it may not keep the panic attacks completely at bay, but, my body doesn't have the energy to do otherwise right now.  And, honestly, it is okay if I need to rely on people once in a while to help me when my hormones get out of control.  I don't always need to be completely self-sufficient.

In other news, I am in my favorite pre-preg pants again!!!  I ironically lost more weight in the last couple weeks after I stopped exercising.

another week off

The anemia was making my workouts too hard and I've been experiencing chronic heartburn since my last period (my third in six weeks due to that brief spell on the mini-pill totally screwing up my hormones).  I'm going to the Dr today to get checked out and see if it is okay to workout while trying to re-establish healthy iron levels and to see if the heartburn is related to the anemia or another issue altogether.

Darn my body!

Break

After a two mile jog on Monday, I took the rest of the week off.  I just needed a break and I am glad I did (and glad that it was during a time of the month I could manage emotionally!).  The craziness of family visiting last week plus my anemia struggles just had me worn out.

I am really annoyed I'm anemic now (especially since I'm pretty certain it was that brief episode on the mini-pill that started it.  It totally messed up my cycle).  I just wish I had pushed myself to exercising 40 minutes first without trying the pill as a cop out! Anyhow, since starting floradix a couple days ago, I'm already feeling  little better.  

recap

M-3 miles
T and Th--45 min pilates, light weights and yoga
W-4 miles
F-2 miles

recap (not so much)

So, we went to my parents for a long weekend this last week.  I exercised but can't remember what I did for the first half of the week.  Oh, well!

I did enjoy a break from running for a few days and used my parents' exercise bike.  Although I prefer running, I have found that every so often its nice to give my muscles a break and alter things up a bit.

The increased cardio continues to help with my hormonal imbalance.  No real problems the last couple weeks.

recap

Okay, so I tried doubling my workout time this week (from 20 min-40ish) and it has done the trick in helping me feel myself again.   It's been awhile since I've felt so good!  However, it has been a very tiring week with all the extra exercise and I am going have to re-format my days off next week because 5 days in a row of 40 min exercise was way too much.    I just couldn't do it today despite my best intentions!!!

sa/su--rest
mon--4 miles
tues--4 miles
wed--2 miles, 20 minutes pilates
thurs--4 miles
fri-1 mile speed run.  8 min 10 seconds.  my record pre-preg was 7 min 30 seconds.

snacks and water tip

I cannot help with recipes as I refuse to bake unless it involves lots of fat and butter.  (:

However, my quick go-to snack is a rice cake with peanut butter and honey on top.  Simple, easy and quick.  I also like to snack on pickles and beef jerky.  Ok.  I guess I realize now this isn't helpful because none of these are really satisfying for a sweet tooth.

One GREAT tip, though, I got from my midwife: when you drink your water, squeeze a slice of lemon into it and add a little honey and a pinch of salt.  It makes the water more tasty and instead of the water working to flush out the nutrients in your body, your body absorbs the nutrients in the water!!!!

My biggest tip is the more water you drink the less stuff you crave.  I really mean it.  Every time I have a craving, I first drink at least two glasses of water and I usually find that the craving has diminished.

week recap

Wow.  This week was exciting.  The mini-pill caused me to have migraine aura and I learned that migraine aura symptoms are very similar to stroke symptoms and that is why you are supposed to rush to the doctor if you have those symptoms while on the pill.

Exciting.

But, needless to say, I have stopped taking the pill and am now back to square one with figuring out how to self-regulate my hormones.  The next attempt, which is probably the most effective, is to step up my cardio to 40-45 minutes a day.  I have been aiming primarily for just 20-30 these days.  I've been doing that W/Th/F and feeling great.

Sa/Sun-rest
Mon-2.5 miles
Tues-rest
Wed,Thurs, Fri--4 miles

kelly recap

sat-rest
sun-3 miles. 20 minutes pilates
mon-2 miles, 20 min pilates
tues-2 miles, 25 min pilates
wed-4 miles
thurs-2 miles
fri-2 miles