An 'A' for effort?

So on Monday, I finally summoned the courage to attempt exercising.  I'm still dealing with nausea, so I purposefully ate a very small breakfast (one scrambled egg) and exercised immediately afterward, as my nausea is least the 20-30 minutes after eating.

Anyhow, I road the bike at the lowest setting for 20 minutes and barely made it.  When I took a shower 15 minutes later, I was still so zapped that it tired me to wash my hair and I had to quickly sit down at one point because I nearly threw up!

So, I'm just not sure how exercise is going to work this pregnancy....

I'm a bit bummed about it because running was how I controlled my weight gain with Edmund.   But I suppose I have unending nausea to help me with this one?  Ha ha...

Bob and jumping bean

I did the 20 min. section of Bob Harper: Cardio Conditioning, and then did 3.5 min. of jump-rope and 3.5 min. of jumping jacks.

I really like having the option to do jump rope/jumping jacks/whatever. It's like having a treadmill in the house, but better, because it doesn't take up any space. I really can just tack on an extra ten minutes of cardio if I want to, just by turning on some music and jumping around for awhile. V. nice. It never would have occurred to me a year ago.

I have a head cold that's several weeks old now, and it's a pain. But I know I'll feel worse if I don't exercise, so I'm trying to do what I can. I'm glad I did this today, but I'm also kinda glad I didn't do more.

Today, I found a new yoga DVD at the thrift store, called "The No Om Zone". Sounds like my kind of yoga - forget the spirituality; I just want the moves! Looking forward to trying it out.

-Jess

Week 29 Summary for Jessica

12/19 - Sunday
12/20 - Personal Training with Jackie DVD (skipped abs section)
12/21 - Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism DVD
12/22
12/23 - Bob Harper Cardio Conditioning DVD - 60 min. section
12/24

12/25 - Christmas

Just three workouts, but not bad for Christmas week, I think. How's everyone else doing after the feast?

-Jess

Jackie and Jillian

Yesterday I did Personal Training with Jackie and today I did Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism.

Kind of hard, because I have a cold in my throat. But it still feels good to work out, so I'm still going. I read this blog post, "Exercise is My Easy Button", and that's exactly how it feels to me. Y'all might like it too - or at least relate when not pregnant/sick/other!

-Jess

Week 28 Summary for Jess

Week 28, and almost done with the year!

12/12 - Sunday - Bob Harper Cardio Conditioning DVD - 60 min. section
12/13
12/14 - Jillian Michaels' Biggest Winner, Maximize, Full Frontal DVD
12/15 - Jillian Michaels' Biggest Winner, Maximize, Back into Action DVD + 12 min. vigorous stair-stepping/plyometrics
12/16 - Biggest Loser Last Chance Workout DVD
12/17
12/18 - Bob Harper Super Strength DVD - 60 min. section

Happy day! Finally, a week with 5 workouts in it! I'm glad to be back to that. 

I worked on pull-ups this week too, but not hard enough to make progress.

If I don't get a chance to say it later in the week: Merry Christmas, everyone! Our God is with us, praise Him!

-Jess

still nauseous and not working out (hence the lack of action on this blog).   i hope to try out my parents stationary bike next week.  I think that might be a safer way to ease back into cardio than running right now (as I get lightheaded easily)

Biggest Loser Last Chance Workout

This was a library DVD - I was on the waiting list a long time for this one!

Verdict? This is a good DVD. Very solid workout. 25 minutes of alternating strength moves with cardio (similar to 30 Day Shred), and then a 10 min. upper-body strength section followed by a 10 min. lower-body strength section.

The thing I thought was neat about this one is that, other than the trainer, everyone on the DVD was a Biggest Loser contestant. Which means that you got to see what normal people look like when they do this sort of workout. They also did a good job of providing modifications for all of the moves, so I think if you were just starting out, this wouldn't be as intimidating as the title implies. 

I don't know, I just think it's cool that a show that proposes to take unfit people and get them in shape actually makes  a DVD that unfit people could actually use. Some kind of integrity in that I think.

That said, I think Jillian was more abrasive in this than in any of her other DVDs, perhaps because she's way too familiar with all of the people she's instructing.

Still, I liked it. I don't think I'll buy it, because I've got a lot of DVDs with similar stuff. But it was fun.

-Jess

Jillian Michaels' Biggest Winner Maximize Back Into Action

The partner to the DVD I did yesterday. Again with the long title, but at least this time it doesn't sound so dirty (as Em noted yesterday - and yes, I think that was intentional on their part!).

Liked this one too: weights and plyometrics: right up my alley.

Polished off with 12 minutes of experimenting with my new steps: doing step ups and jumps off and onto it. Fun!

-Jess

Bob and Jillian

On Sunday, I did the 60 min. section of the Bob Harper Cardio Conditioning DVD. First time I've done that back-to-back with his Super Strength one. I'm very sore, but it was pretty awesome.

Mon., nothing. ('Cause . . . I was sore. And I had an eye doctor appointment.)

Today I tried the Jillian Michaels Biggest Winner Maximize Full Frontal DVD. How's that for a long title? V. fun. Sort of like the 30 Day Shred (and about as long), but with more jumping and a STEP. I didn't have a step, but my husband-who-loves me whipped one together this weekend using a few 2x4's. That was even more awesome. :)

-Jess

Week 27 Summary for Jess

12/5 - Sunday
12/6
12/7 - Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism DVD
12/8
12/9 - Bob Harper Super Strength DVD - 20 min. section, also 5 minutes jumping rope
12/10 - 35 minutes of jumping rope and jumping jacks, with a few other exercises (like stair-stepping and squat jumps) thrown in.

12/11 - Bob Harper Super Strength DVD - 60 min. section

A four-workout week again. Not bad. I'd like to try for five this next week. And my sister and brother-in-law gave me some new workout DVDs - it's an older set by Jillian Michaels, called "The Biggest Winner", but the cool thing about them is they're meant to be done on back-to-back days; they work different muscle groups - muscles on the front of the body one day, and on the back of the body the next - so that you can do resistance training without skipping a day. I think that's brilliant, and I'm really looking forward to trying them.

-Jess

Bob Harper Super Strength

Did this. Whew!

-Jess

jumping bean

35 minutes of my jumping bean workout, i.e., mostly jump-rope and jumping jacks, with a few other plyometric moves thrown in, and a very little bit of ab work and stair-stepping. But mostly jump-rope and jumping jacks. :)

This is such a good option for me when I'm feeling crappy, because I can put on loud music and just zone out while jumping to the rhythm. I like having options.

-Jess

today's workout

Bob Harper Super Strength DVD - the 20 minute beginner section (I wanted something short, and it was a weights day). Also, I did 5 minutes of jumping rope/jumping jacks afterwards, just to add a bit of burn.

-Jess

Week 26 Summary for Jess

11/28 - Sunday - Dance with Julianne - Just Dance! DVD 
11/29 - Personal Training with Jackie - Power Circuit DVD 

11/30 -nothing

12/1 - 30 Day Shred DVD - Level 2
12/2 - 30 Day Shred DVD - Level 3
12/3 - nothing 
12/4 - nothing

Yay! finally a week with four workouts instead of four!

-Jess

Everyday Exercise

Between Luke being sick (again!!) and the nausea, we missed our walk 3 days this week. I did ride the bike for 20 minutes one day and did a little yard work two days. Today I spent an hour cleaning my fridge. We are going on a trip to CA for 3+ weeks so it was a must. All in all, I probably exerted myself physically everyday this week.

One good side effect for me during pregnancy is that my body dictates what I should eat very forcefully. Really, I feel like I have been taken over by an alien of sorts. I want lots of fruits, vegetables, carbs, and yogurt. This baby's favorite seems to be oatmeal made with milk and honey, mountain high yogurt (not nonfat!), homemade soup, and it HATES sweets. I realized how much ice cream, chocolate, and other types of sugar I used to eat. I cannot eat them now or I feel very sick.

Kelly, it definitely sounds like the right thing to take it slower. Honestly, when I read your initial plans for exercise, I thought them awfully ambitious (which it is not always bad to be). But then, you are ambitious about most things you do. :) I have been able to keep food down and a walk with Luke, dishes, and the laundry puts me out for the rest of the day. I am so glad that you are feeling better! I am praying that your body will recover soon!

Jessica, thank you for your continued updates. It really encourages me just to hear about your efforts. The video clips are awfully funny too. :)

we'll see when we'll see

Ha ha!  So I have yet to do that walk.

With my previous pregnancies, once my nausea was done, I was normal again.  With this one, having the vomiting on top, I feel like I'm recovering from a long illness.  So, yes, I am eating again, but I still feel SO weak a lot of the time.  Like, after standing and doing the dishes, I just need to rest.  Or cooking.  Or ANYTHING that involves standing on my feet.  So, I am taking the approach of just letting my body take it's time to recover.

I suppose it is possible I am a little anemic after not eating anything with iron for so long.  I'm getting my blood tested today, and so that will hopefully give an explanation.  If it is anemia, I am not certain how long it will take for my body to get back to normal again.  But, hopefully, within two weeks, I'll be doing some moderate exercise again.