The Pregnancy Diaries: Changing My Mindset

Hi there! It's Morgan today!

We've been a little absent on the blog lately (Me even more so than Carla), but with a new year comes a fresh start, new ideas, and some big  news! I am pregnant! My husband and I are expecting a baby in July! We are absolutely thrilled and have some amazing things happening in our personal life right now!

In my professional life, being a Pilates instructor and all, I am so thrilled to go through this amazing learning experience! After my 600 hours of training, which I completed last spring, I am trained to teach pregnant women. But it's all in theory. I would have no way to truly understand or even imagine how Pilates would actually feel during pregnancy without personally going through the experience! Plus, pregnancy is so individual. So of course the Pilates nerd inside of me wanted to take full advantage of this opportunity! I am going to start keeping a diary of my Pilates experience throughout my pregnancy and I want to share it with you through this blog.

Today, I want to talk to you about my mindset! But first, a little bit about where I am in my pregnancy. I am 17 weeks into my pregnancy, well out of my first trimester and into my second. Very few people can even tell I'm pregnant by looking at me. Two weeks ago only my husband and I, my Mom  (who has worked with my body through our Pilates training together), and probably my Pilates instructor could tell I was pregnant. My abs changed a little bit, but really from the visual outside, not that much different. I was still able to do a very strong workout. I was working out at an upper intermediate level minus the emphasis on the abs. I could still keep my pace up, and do a large number of exercises with very few modifications. Two weeks later, I am starting to pop out a little more although some tell me I look like I haven't gained anything. And with each passing week, my workouts get a little more mild, although still very strong. Going backwards was very hard for me to accept so that brings me to what I want to talk about today: my Pilates mindset.

Why and How I Had to Switch my Mindset

Ever since I started Pilates I have been competitive with myself. I always want to do better and perfect my form whether I am trying to do advanced exercises at a very slow pace or maintain a quick tempo as I do triple the exercises at a super quick pace. I always have had a goal and the more advanced that I have become, the harder I keep setting my goals.  Ever since I got to the advanced level, which at one point was one of my goals, my goals have been to strengthen myself so that I am able to do specific, very difficult, fancy exercises. I like exercises like candlestick, dismounts off the reformer and off the ladder barrel, variations of tendon stretch, and evil exercises on the chair. Basically if it looks impossible or maybe like torture, I want to do it! I find it amazing how strong the body can get and the ways in which it can move.

As soon as I found out I was pregnant, this had to change immediately. I can't make these goals anymore. I had to change my workout almost right away. I had to take out everything that had to do with balance, since my center of gravity will be changing in the upcoming months. (To me this was basically everything I categorize as "fun.") I also couldn't keep up my tempo, since I was so exhausted for the first trimester. (I have recently been able to pick my tempo back up, which has been rewarding.) And finally I can't do anything bringing my legs overheard, which also takes out some of the intermediate exercises.

Basically, imagine yourself as a golfer. You aren't really competing with those around you. You compete with yourself to try to get better each time you leave the course. Now imagine somebody told you that you were going to get worse over the next 9 months. Your scores were going  to get higher and you were going to lose technique. You need to continue to play golf, but you weren't allowed to push yourself to get better.

That is pretty much how I felt. And it took me a while to refocus. Instead of the focus being the abdominals, it is now important to strengthen the inner thighs, the obliques, the pelvic floor... Basically I'm preparing myself to give birth while also maintaining the strength that I have built in my arms, legs, shoulders, and any other extremities.

If I was just an intermediate or beginner Pilates student, I probably wouldn't have experienced any changes in my workout thus far. I'd just notice I was a little tired during my workouts. However, since I went from being an advanced student to being a pregnant, intermediate student, not only did my workouts change, but my mindset had to change too. It took me the second two months of my first trimester to adjust and I was not enjoying my workouts as much. I thought they were boring in comparison to before.

Now, however, after a little mindset readjustment, I am back to loving my workouts again! I had to constantly remind myself of why I am really doing Pilates. Before, I happened to be doing Pilates mostly for fun. I love it and enjoy it.  But in all reality, I am really doing this because it keeps me healthy. I stay fit, I stay motivated, my body stays healthy and protected from injuries. These reasons are truly why I do it. I just lost sight of that since I have so much fun! And now, every time I leave the studio, I still love the healthy, strong feeling that I get. I just had to readjust my mindset a little bit and remind myself of ALL the reasons I love Pilates. It's not just the fancy tricks, but I'll be able to get back to those favorite exercises soon enough!

What do I eat?

This weekend I had the, umm, pleasure (?) of working both concessions at my kids' football game and the Goetta booth at my parish festival. In both places I was selling a bunch of stuff I'd never dream of eating. At the Goetta booth, I mentioned I had never had Goetta because I'm allergic to monosodium glutamate (MSG). A lady answered, "That stinks, MSG in in almost all processed food." And she's right, even "natural" foods have it, though "natural" foods tend to label it "yeast extract." Yup, that's right, MSG is often a hidden ingredient and is in a lot of that stuff you buy at Whole Foods. Trust me, I've learned that the hard way after getting a gut wrenching stomach ache after eating hidden MSG. Here's a list of how it's hidden: Truth in labeling article.

As I was eating one of my favorite foods last night, brussels sprouts cooked in my cast iron skillet in organic bacon grease with organic bacon, I got to thinking .... Am I truly unlucky to not be able to eat much processed food? Let me take another sip of my homemade latte made with organic espresso and non-homogenized whole milk and think on that a bit more .....

Yeah, that's a bit of sarcasm. Sorry, I know it's a cheap form of humor, but it does make a point. What about all the delicious food I do eat? My snack yesterday was a handful of raw macadamia nuts and organic 72% dark chocolate. Is that better than chips or not? I think it is! Or what about my lunch? I hadn't been to the grocery, so I had one of those, "What's in the fridge?" lunches .... an organic chicken/apple sausage and some celery topped with raw almond butter.

Honestly, when I looked around at the festival, there was not any food item I wanted to eat. Even the "healthy" ones were questionable .... like the corn SOAKED in MARGARINE!! Do you know how bad margarine is for you? Here's one article, there are many more out there. Most of the other foods were some sort of combination of bread and sugar, usually fried. Most of it doesn't even look like food.

I often get asked, "If you don't eat processed food, sugar, or grains, what DO you eat?" I'm not qualified to give nutritional advice, but I can answer that question.

I eat fresh, whole foods like meat, eggs, fruits, vegetables, potatoes (all varieties), quinoa, and wild rice. I use fats like butter, olive oil, coconut oil, and for cooking over heat, safflower oil. I've tried coconut oil but my cast iron skillets don't like it as much as safflower oil. I cook on cast iron, which is naturally non-stick. Did you know the fumes from non-stick pans will kill birds? If it's bad enough to kill a bird, what's it putting into your food? I have a whole milk latte in the morning, and once in a while eat full-fat cheese. I also like to drink red wine. If I'm hungry, I eat. I never feel like I'm denying myself like I did when I thought things like, "I really shouldn't eat that, I'll gain weight," when I was eating grains and processed food. Now, I eat when I'm hungry, I don't when I'm not.

Once in a while, on the rare occassion I want ice cream, I'll eat Graeters because it's made from natural things like cream, sugar, etc., but even then I order the child-size scoop. I almost never eat something that has weird ingredients I can't pronounce.

He's holding the photographer's soda, haha

When I was young and I ate healthy (though I ate grains when I was younger), people teased me. Now that I'm almost 50, many of those same people are now asking what I eat. We don't have to diet, botox, and cut out fats to look young. We need to eat real foods, exercise, and lead a healthy lifestyle. It's that radiant health that looks beautiful .... not a lack of wrinkles. It's healthy hair, healthy skin, and a healthy body that we desire. And the nice thing is, it's eating healthy foods that taste great that will give it to you. Once you get off the processed stuff, it no longer even looks good.

I'll try to put more of my recipes on the blog now that we're done with wedding planning so you can see what I mean. You won't miss the processed stuff. But you might have to go to the grocery more often because fresh food rots!

FINISHED!!!

Mat class at The Pilates Club

Great news! We have both finished our Power Pilates comprehensive training!! We went through four weekend trainings totaling 72 hours, plus 600 hours of apprenticeship! We had testing done at 100, 300, 400, and 600 hours. All testing included a practical (teaching in front of our trainer) and a written test.

The 100, 300 and 400 hour practicals were the beginner, intermediate, and advanced systems. Not only were we to understand the system, have all the exercises on various apparatus memorized in order, but we also had to demonstrate that we understood how to instruct a person at each level. A beginner student is not only taught fewer exercises than an advanced student, but they also are taught with a different, more appropriate teaching formula.

It is in this manner that we can appropriately instruct all our clients, big or small, young or old, fit or never exercised before, and teach them to their ability. We don't want anyone to feel that they weren't challenged, yet we also don't want anyone to feel they were being taught  exercises that were unattainable for them. Everyone leaves feeling that they had a good workout, were challenged, yet feel great!

Our 600 hour test-out was the most challenging. First of all, it included a workout of our own. We had to demonstrate our mastery of the advanced work, both mat and reformer. There was a written test that included many special cases (ie - neck problems, senior citizen, etc.). And finally, the most challenging practical ... teaching an intermediate and a beginner two different workouts at the same time.

Why would we need to be able to do this? For those times when you, a seasoned pilates student, bring in your friend or significant other who has never done pilates before! Or for when two friends at differing fitness levels want to take duets together.

Here's Power Pilates education website, take a look for yourself to learn more about what we've been working on the past 9 months: Power Pilates Education

Flashy Exercises

Have you ever been to the ballet? It's unbelievable what those dancers can do! After watching them move with ease, it makes us all wish we could move like that. Then, when we sign up for dance classes, we realize there's a lot of work to be done at the barre. There's a lot of strength and stretch that needs to be developed before we can even look like we're dancing. There are years of practice before we can even wear point shoes. All of us understand this, right?

Snake

Or have you ever been to a baseball game? The pitcher throws the ball at 95 miles per hour then the hitter hits it out of the ballpark. We all want to be able to hit the ball out of the ballpark, but if we had the opportunity, once the 95 MPH ball was thrown, we'd just be trying to stay alive! It also requires years of conditioning!


Or have you ever wanted to run a marathon? All big accomplishments take years of practice!



It's the same with pilates! We see flashy exercises like snake or boomerang pictured below, and we all want to do them, and we get frustrated when we can't.

Boomerang

However, the basics of Pilates is fun, too!! And even as an advanced student, I include the basics in my workout EVERY time!! We don't drop the foundational work from our routines just because we become advanced students. The beginner work, or foundational work, is always important because it is the heart and soul of the method. It is what organizes the body so you can do the flashy exercises. That is why snake and boomerang come toward the end of the routines and aren't introduced until a student is at the advanced level. Think of earning the ability to do the flashy exercises as the equivalent to earning your point shoes or being able to hit a baseball thrown at major league speed!

The more you keep up with working on organizing the body, developing spinal health, integrating muscles, and all that the foundational work sets out to do, the easier it is to incorporate the flashy exercises into your routine. Yes, they're fun! Yes, it's fun being able to do something that a few months ago you thought you'd never be able to do! Yes, it takes work, and the work starts with the basics.

This is why I am choosing to write a series on the basic principles of pilates over the next several posts, so stick around and read about the basics!!


PS Please note that the pictures are pictures of moving exercises at a single point in the motion, they are not poses that are held such as the poses in yoga. Pilates is an exercise of continual movement.

Avocado snack

Once spring hits avocados become a large staple in my diet and lasts through spring and way into summer. That time of the yeat has arrived! Yesterday, after taking my 400 hour practical Pilates test (which I did really good on! Woo!), I made this delicious little snack! It was super easy and let’s admit … pretty darn healthy for snack time!

I got the idea off Pinterest and after seeing a picture I went to the store and bought what I thought was pictured. Avocados. (Duh!) Cheese… I bought cream cheese. And some thin meat… I bought prosciutto. Since I was making it at my Mom’s house, I knew she’d have whatever spices my little heart could desire. When I got home, I looked up the recipe. The cheese was supposed to be goat cheese… Oops! And the lemon I bought to squeeze in my water… Looks like I might need to share it a little with my avocados!

It all worked out and the result was completely delicious! I can’t wait to make them for Kevin and eat them every single day for the next 12 weeks!

Don’t they look delicious?! Here’s what I did!

1. Sliced an avocado into sixths (Ok I meant to cut six… I forgot on the second half and cut it into sevenths…)
2. Sprinkled lemon juice on the slices.
3. Put a little cream cheese in each seed crevice.
4. Sprinkled salt, pepper, and chili powder to liking.
5. Wrapped it in half a prosciutto slice.

And there you have it! Please try it and tell me you love it as much as I do!

Happy Friday!

Morgan

Brussel sprouts

I wasn't going to post this recipe because I know what most people think (or think they think!) about brussel sprouts. I myself never liked them, but for some reason, a few months ago decided to cook some and LOVED them!! I changed my mind about posting the recipe here because when I posted this picture on my Facebook page, I got asked for the recipe!

Here's how:

I prefer to buy the sprouts still on the stem and cut them off. If I can't get those, I buy a bag and freshly cut the bottom.  I peel off the tough, outer leaves and cut the sprouts in half.  In that cast iron skillet are two bags of sprouts, so I used almost a whole stick of butter, which I melted in the pan.  Then I added the sprouts and sauteed just as you see in the picture.  I used the spatula to turn them every so often.  I cooked until about all of them had some brown on them. Mmmmm. They are also good with some Bragg's Liquid Aminos over them, just add the Aminos right at the end of cooking.

That's it!  Simple, no rules!  Enjoy!

Raw taco salad

This was my lunch today!  Mmmmm

It's all raw food!  The chips are Brad's Beet Chips, which I crunched up and put in the bottom of the bowl instead of tortilla chips. I topped them with a salad of chopped green lettuce leaves, mung bean sprouts, and diced jicama. If you haven't tried jicama, you should! It's that funny looking root vegetable at the store. You eat it raw ... it's sweet. I topped the salad with prepared guacamole and pico de gallo from Whole Foods. Watch when you buy guacamole that it's all good ingredients. Whole Foods makes it fresh, so there's nothing bad in it. If you're doesn't turn brown in a short time, there are preservatives you probably don't want to be eating.

I didn't use dressing, but you could. I thought the pico de gallo was adequate.

Enjoy!