How are you feeling?

Isn’t that the question of the day for the pregnant momma??

I am 15 weeks as of yesterday.  Some days, I feel amazing!  Some days, I get dizzy walking and feel ill.  Most days, it’s a mix of the two.

And almost every day, I have a bad taste in my mouth…pretty much unless I’m eating or just ate.  Some things make it worse than others.  But it’s most foods!

A funny thing is that my food aversions are the same as my first pregnancy…no chicken unless covered in sauce, and no vegetables unless I choke them down or sneak them in! But what I DO like is completely different.  It’s rare that I have any idea of what to eat.  Nothing sounds good regularly.  I can usually pick something out, but ask what I want for dinner and I’ll have 0 ideas for you.  Last time it was carbs, cheese and peanut butter.  Not great, but at least I had ideas!  Now, most carbs leave a worse taste in my mouth than other foods.  Blech.  I also lived on cheerios last time, to the point where we called the baby to be cheerio.  Also blech.

But…

I have been able to workout almost every day with limited modifications.  I’m not doing burpees anymore, and I’ve started getting winded in no time, but I do have that.  It’s m sanity, my me time, my way of keeping me “me”.  It has been a priority for me.  I started up another round of Hammer and Chisel, but take days off to practice for teaching PiYo Live and Turbo Kick.

And now that I’m in the second trimester, I’m pushing myself to try more vegetables and keeping it healthier.  Some days it works!

One thing I’ve done differently this time around is wearing Seabands!  They have been a huge help and have kept the nausea down for the most part.  I left them off for a morning about two weeks ago and felt absolutely terrible!  They make maternity ones, but the regular are the same.  The only thing was that I didn’t get them until we were telling people.  I’d imagine that people might question you if you were wearing them on land otherwise!  So I didn’t have them on when I didn’t want questions.

So.  That’s how I’m feeling.  If you’re pregnant and want to share your symptoms, I’d love to hear from you!  I will say that I’m thankful that I’m not feeling worse.  I’m not myself, but overall, I’m okay!

*This post contains affiliate links.

Measuring Success – Morning Motivation

Clean Cookie Dough Bites

Sometimes, you want chocolate.  Sometimes, you want chocolate and are going to a get together where there is sure to be lots of yummy things that you would prefer a healthier alternative for.  Here’s that thing!

The key here is that there is no added sugar, just some raw honey for a sweetener.  On the other hand, it’s easy to over-eat these bite sized goodies, so you may want to take care.  And keep them in the freezer…in about 2 minutes, you’ll have a great treat that isn’t frozen, but it isn’t so easy to just pop them (all) in your mouth!

A note on the almond butter – I made these twice, once with the almond butter I ground at the local health food store, and one with Target’s Simply Balanced almond butter, which is much wetter.  The wetter almond butter worked better here.

Clean Cookie Dough Bites

Ingredients for bites:
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup almond flour
1 cup almond butter
2 tsp coconut oil, melted
1 tbsp raw honey
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup chocolate chips (I used Enjoy Life Dairy free chips)

For the chocolate coating:
1/2 cup chocolate chips (or dark chocolate chips)
1 tbsp coconut oil

Directions:
– Combine all bite ingredients in a medium sized bowl until well mixed.
– Roll into bite sized balls and set on a baking sheet lined with wax paper.
– Place in freezer for 15-20 minutes to harden.
– About five minutes before you take the truffles out, prepare your chocolate coating by melting chocolate and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl, 20 seconds at first then in 10 second intervals until melted,  stirring after each time.
– Use a spoon to drizzle a little chocolate over each one.
– Place covered bites back on the wax paper and allow chocolate to harden in the fridge/freezer.

Keep these in the fridge or freezer until ready to eat!

* This post contains affiliate links.  For many of the brands/products I use, head here!

On My Wishlist – Meals on the Go

What does the on the go clean eater need?  An insulated bag that not only fits your meals, but your laptop and the rest of your needs for the day too!

This one is cute, and looks to have enough space for a day at the office!

Outside in Stone Beige

The features…
– Insulated modular core system keeps 4 meals organized and independently accessible.
– Includes zippered utensil and supplement pockets, and won’t collapse when empty.
– Preloaded with 4 Sure Seal Containers
– Preloaded with 2 Small Gel Packs that slide into core to keep food fresh and cool for 8+ hours
– Large main compartment zips close with dedicated laptop compartment and organizational pockets for wallet, keys, and phone
– External zippered pocket keeps small items easily accessible.
– Rolled leather handles for durability and comfortable carrying.

 

I’m usually trying to fit my cooler bag in my work bag, but this combines the two, plus has some of my magic words…pockets (because I tend to lose things!) and won’t collapse when empty (just a weird peeve of mine).

I might be open to retiring my 21 Day Fix cooler tote for this!

*This post contains affiliate links.

Get it together and be well! – Morning Motivation

My Go-Go Juice

So, if you’ve followed along on Facebook, you’ve heard how I’m not a big fan of vegetables this pregnancy (or last one, though the things I do like are completely different!).  I like to be healthy though, so I’m finding ways to sneak them in on myself, especially now that even fruit doesn’t sound great.  If you know me, you know that that is just plain crazy for me!  I adore fruit!  I know they say no one is obese because they ate too much fruit, but I do have to (usually) reign in how much I’d eat otherwise…it is nature’s candy after all!

Enter my new Shakeology recipe (if you can call it that!).  I’m usually a plain Shakeo, ice and water kind of gal (because I’d rather eat my fruits and vegetables separately…love volume!), maybe with a flavor extract.  But now that I’m just not eating them, it’s been a great way to sneak them in!  And when I finish it…oh boy!  I feel refreshed and rejuvenated with so much more energy than before I drank it.  This is a true testament to fueling your body WELL, with the right foods.  Something I’m having such a hard time stomaching right now.

AGF’s Go-Go Juice

Ingredients:
– 1 scoop chocolate Shakeology (vegan chocolate would work well also, in fact this could go well with almost any flavor!)
– 1 cup spinach
– 1 cup frozen cherries
– water

Then…blend!!

The frozen cherries work as ice too here…which is why if I do put fruit in my shake, it’s frozen!  It can be hard to fit fruit and ice in a single serve blender cup!  I love this shake, and the way I feel after it.  It’s become my daily go to, at least until I feel up to more variety in my foods.

Do you have a favorite shake recipe?  Share it!

Morning Motivation Times Two!

I forgot to post with Friday’s motivation video, so I’ll give you that one today!  Plus today’s.

First, today!  Are you fueling your body or just eating?  I’ve been struggling with this!

Friday’s was about having a plan B…what’s yours?

The Master’s Hammer and Chisel – Total body chisel

Moving along with the Hammer and Chisel workout reviews, it’s Total Body Chisel!

This one states “Full-body resistance moves that exhaust individual muscle groups to help you see dramatic change at lightning speed.”  Those words sound terrific! So how does it actually go?

You do super sets of 3 moves for 10 reps, 3 times.  Each set has a lower body move, an upper body push move and an upper body pull move (see below for each exercise).

I love how this one moves right along…the structure allows you to rest one muscle group while working another, for maximum results in minimum time.

How minimum?  36 minutes!  Not bad for a total body workout!

A video of a few of the moves from this workout:

Length – 36 Minutes
Equipment – Bench or Stability Ball, Weights
Trainer – Autumn Calabrese

Moves:
– Squat
– Bench Press
– Reverse Grip Row
– Lunge
– Incline Fly
– Lat Pull Over
– Step Down Cross Back
– Incline Curl
– Bench Dips

 

My Amazon Store!

I finally got my Amazon store up and running…things I love, want and cook with. Those that get my OK!

You can also reach it through the Amazon Store page, and if there’s something you’re curious about what I use, let me know! I’ll be adding more products and categories!

Stay tuned later for another Hammer and Chisel review!

The Master’s Hammer and Chisel – ISO Strength Chisel

Moving along with the Hammer and Chisel reviews (slowest pace ever, but they’re coming!), we have ISO Strength Chisel!  This one’s description is “Full range-of-motion moves and isometric holds build strength and chisel fat for your leanest physique.”  What does that mean?  You’ll be sore tomorrow! (Try the Recover formula for that!)

But really, it means that you’ll both be working through the exercises with reps and holding in the position as well, working the muscles in different ways, plus basically exhausting them.  In just 35 minutes!  I like that it is hard, but short, and that once a muscle is just physically done, you move on.  Really knocks it out of the park without a lot of mental stress, which is nice when you workout super early!

A video of a few of the moves from this workout:

Length – 35 Minutes
Equipment – Bench, Weights, Chin-Up Bar or Bands with door attachment kit
Trainer – Autumn Calabrese

Each move has the same pattern – 10 reps followed by a 10 second hold, done a total of three times with no rest
– Sumo Squat
– Push-Up
– Split Squat
– Pull-Up
– Step-Up Side
– 1-Arm Row
– Sit-Up C-Curve
– Lateral Raise