I kinda sorta broke my little corner of the Internet.

Ha. Really, but not really. I didn't pose half-naked with a wine glass on my rear, but I did pose somewhat scantily clad (for me at least) to show my six-day progress using ItWorks! products.

 

     Actually, I had been using the products for about four weeks. Remember in a recent post when I said I was on a new program I'd be sharing with you soon? It was ItWorks. I simply wanted to try it for a little while before sharing. I had a bad taste in my mouth for the company; I was sick of distributors (people I didn't even know) sending me messages left and right about trying "that crazy wrap thing." At some point though, I began to consider giving it a try.

     I was in a major slump not too long ago. I gained some weight back and felt like crap. I could tell I was pudgier, and my workouts weren't delivering the results they had before. The problem turned out to be my diet, but it would take a little time before I realized this. Some days I was eating up to 3,000 calories. I was drinking soda and indulging in sweets nearly every day. Despite not really having a sweet tooth, I couldn't stop eating cookies and chocolate. I was getting frappucinos and sugary iced lattes nearly every day. It still didn't hit me that I needed to make drastic changes, yet again, in my journey.

 

     I haven't really been hiding anything from my fitness community, but I guess I haven't been completely honest in disclosing certain details of my journey. I dug myself out of my rut for a few days, only to find myself right back in it in a matter of time. So, I decided to try the ninety day challenge with ItWorks.

     When I received my first three products in the mail, I was excited, for I just knew they'd be a quick fix to get me right back on track. Four weeks later, all I'd noticed was higher energy levels, which was great, but little to no weight loss. Like I said though, I did not change my eating habits at all. I kept eating like crap.

     Last Saturday, May 30th, I woke up and looked at myself in the mirror. I didn't like what I saw. I had lost weight, a good bit of it since having Vaught, but any mom, even those who have always been slender, will tell you that pregnancy really does change your body. I've never had a flat stomach, but I noticed it bulged out even more than pre-pregnancy. I felt puffy and bloated, perhaps from too much soda or sugary coffees. I didn't like looking like that, and I knew I had change something. Anyone on this journey will tell you that there is a lot of starting over. It's not like you start and you don't ever have to reassess your goals, your sanity, your reason for putting yourself and your body through this. There have been days where I've accepted defeat, days where my stomach seemed like a bottomless pit as I ate and ate and ate, and then there was that night a few months ago when I devoured an entire pint of Ben & Jerry's all by myself. It's not easy, weight loss. Making healthy choices is hard. But it is so very worth it.

     The past six days, seven now, have proven to me how worth it this journey is. Last Saturday afternoon, I decided to take a new "before" picture. My pregnancy photos have served as before photos, but I'm done with that. My baby will be nine months old this month, so I'm off the postpartum wagon. I took a new picture then made the commitment to use the ItWorks products the right way--with clean eating and exercise. I cleaned up my diet that very day, set new goals, adjusted my caloric intake, and restarted my journey, for the third or fourth time. Six days later, yesterday, I looked in the mirror as I was getting dressed for our weekly grocery run. I was in a sports bra and yoga leggings. "What the...?" I whispered as I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. The photo below speaks for itself.

 

     There is only a SIX day difference in these two photos. I have made some awesome changes this week, and I'm so happy to be sharing them with you! I sent this to three ItWorks distributors: my representative (a girl named Meg that I don't know personally--I did that on purpose), my cousin Holly, and a college friend, Casey. Two of them used the photo and got great feedback on it, so I decided to share my picture on Facebook. WOW at the comments and response I received. Friends, sorority sisters, and former coworkers were messaging me about what I'm doing and how I'm using the ItWorks products. I was thrilled to know that I could help them out by telling them more about these products, as well as the lifestyle changes I'm making.

     I now only use Thermofit and Greens. Thermofit is basically a metabolism booster, while Greens aids in balancing out your PH levels and boosts your energy. I take Thermofit once or twice daily WITH FOOD (you will hate yourself if you take it on an empty stomach) and I drink a glass of greens once each day. I am not selling these products; you'll have to check out the company's website to learn more.

     I drink 150+ ounces of water each day; no soda or sugary drinks. I had Starbucks ONCE this week, and it was a grande light iced beverage for about 110 calories :)

     I work out at my gym three-four times weekly and go on a walk with Vaught nearly every day. Sometimes we walk a couple of miles, while other days we'll just get out and stroll for fifteen or twenty minutes. Hey, exercise is exercise!
\

     I plan my meals ahead using MyFitnessPal and log my calories accordingly. I am currently following a 1,650 calories per day plan, but I don't panic if I go over a little. I've done so much better with my eating this week! That makes me happy!

     I'm not sure if I'll continue using ItWorks once my 90 day challenge is complete. I'm not sure that I'll try the wraps. I know a lot of people on their weight loss journeys are very anti big-company-products (It Works, Advocare, Plexus, you name it), and that's totally fine. I strongly believe God has thrown a lot of things my way in the past few months as a means of helping me realize my full potential and helping me to reach my goals. The supplements from this company are not quick fixes at all, but when combined with a healthy diet and exercise, they can definitely boost your progress, and I think the photos above are definitely proof of that. I am so thrilled at the difference six days "starting over" has made, and I look forward to what's to come.

The photos in this post are sole property of Katherine Pace, owner of Keeping Pace Blog. I reserve all rights to the photos and intend for their use to be strictly for promoting this website. If you would like to use the photos as a means of promoting ItWorks! Global, please contact me at keepingpacekate@gmail.com

Orange Theory Fitness | A Review

I learned about Orange Theory Fitness from my friend Mallory who goes to a studio in her Colorado town. At first I thought this was just a strange name for a gym, but then one day I was driving down Poplar Avenue in Germantown, when I saw a sign for an Orange Theory Fitness studio in a new shopping center. It was only about 10 miles from my home. A few weeks later, I received a voucher in the mail for a free session. I asked Mallory about it, who suggested I go and check it out (it turns out everyone's first session is free). That was around December though, and I never went. A couple of weeks ago, I finally decided to call and make an appointment. I had read a lot of wonderful things about the studio online, and I knew it was something I would love. It reminded me a lot of the team training classes I attended at the DAC.

 

Morning coffee before heading to OTF!

 

      I scheduled my free session for this past Saturday at 9:30am, but they suggested I get there at 9 to meet the trainer and get a short tour of the studio. When I arrived, I was checked in by a kind girl at the front desk. She and I chatted while I filled out a form with my name, address, and fitness stats. She introduced me to the trainer for my session, and he walked me through the studio. There were three different stations: water rowers, treadmills, and weights. He explained that for that day's session we would divide ourselves into two groups and rotate between the stations. It seemed challenging but fun, so I was excited to get started. Out in the lobby area, I was handed a Polar chest strap and a chip to clip on to it; this would display my heart rate and calorie burn up on a screen so I could see where my HR was at all times of the workout.

What is "the orange theory?"

This is the best way that I can sum it up: basically, there are five stages of your heart rate: gray, blue, green, orange, and red (resting, mild effort, moderate effort, overload, and burn-out/maximum effort). The sixty minute workout aims to keep you in the green and orange ranges for maximum metabolic burn. Supposedly, a one hour workout like this will cause your body to continue burning calories for 24-36 hours after the workout. The workout is done in intervals, with the trainer calling out instructions to increase your heart rate or slow it down to a "base pace."

 My Workout

I joined the group on rowers, mainly because I had never in my life used a rowing machine; I figured I would be super awkward on it, so I wanted to get it over with! It was actually pretty easy--easy to use, but it definitely packed a punch! We warmed up for a couple minutes and were then instructed to rotate between a 350 meter row and a routine in the weights section. Meanwhile, the trainer was cueing the treadmill users ("treads") to increase their incline, increase their speed, decrease this, increase that, and I could hear some of them panting over the  music. I knew I was probably going to get my butt kicked when it was time for the treadmill portion of the workout! After twenty-five minute of rowing and weights (and 90 seconds of "squat-jacks" OMG!), it was time for twenty-five minutes on the tread. It really was tough! I've done my own HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts on a treadmill before that I thought were strenuous, but it's nothing like having a trainer push you and motivate you to go faster and increase your incline. I chose a tread were I could easily see the screen and I was constantly pushing myself into the orange zone. I followed the trainer's instructions as best as I possibly could and pushed with everything I had. I was so relieved when the workout was over, there were tears in my eyes! After a cool-down stretch, I went up to him to shake his hand and told him how much I enjoyed it. "I am definitely coming back!" I told him. Before I left the studio, I checked the screen where our workout results were listed; in less than hour, I had burned 560 calories! Shortly after I left, the studio emailed me a PDF document of my workout so I could see the different ranges my heart rate had been in throughout the hour. I'm going to work even harder to stay in the orange zone next time!

In the lobby, I went ahead and booked another session for next Saturday, bright and early at 8:15AM. I am dying to buy a membership but am holding off until I know for sure what's next for our family; it is highly likely that our home in Olive Branch will be listed for sale very soon :)

 

PROS:

The workout is challenging but NOT impossible; modifications can be made easily if you need them.

It's a highly effective workout in just an hour!

I am sore--really sore. That's a pro for me!

You won't get bored; I was told that the routine differs at every workout.

Loud, energetic music. I began doing my exercises to the beat.

Your heart rate is monitored at all times.

 

CONS:

The trainer lowers the music when he's speaking through his mic, but sometimes it was still a little difficult to hear him.

Memberships are a little pricey: $59 for four sessions in a month, $99 for 8, and so on. You can also buy 10 sessions that you can use any time and at any location for $180. That may be what I end up doing eventually!

Been there, bought a towel :)

 

Overall, I highly recommend Orange Theory Fitness wherever you live. It was one of the best workouts I've done in a while! Your first session is always free, so give it a try!

 

Fit Friday: Staying Active & Healthy During Pregnancy

Today's Fit Friday is a little different. It's been exactly a year since I found out I was pregnant with Vaught, so I wanted to give a little recap on my pregnancy and how I stayed healthy (or at least tried my very best to stay healthy!) while expecting our baby boy.

 

     In a way, I feel like I totally ripped apart the stereotypical pregnant girl. I was heavy to begin with, so a part of me just wanted to say Screw it, I'm just gonna get fatter anyway, but the reasonable side of me said This is the perfect time to be as healthy as you can be! And so I was... Most of the time at least!

     I knew better than to think I wouldn't gain weight during pregnancy, but I set my goal pretty low at fifteen pounds. I did pretty well, only gaining ten pounds in the first five months. In the end, I gained twenty-nine, just nine pounds more than what is recommended for an overweight woman during pregnancy. I was adamant about keeping my weight in check, logging it in a notebook every couple of weeks and at each appointment. I never wanted to go into the doctor's office and see a spike in my weight and not know how or why it happened. I held myself accountable.

     Despite my struggles with my body, I have always enjoyed working out. When I found out I was pregnant, I had already lost about twenty pounds with a healthy diet and lifting weights. At my first appointment, I made sure with my doctor that I could continue lifting--nothing too strenuous but enough to continue building and maintaining muscle. He approved all of my diet and exercise plans, and I was determined to keep a healthy lifestyle while expecting Vaught. I continued going to the gym three to four times a week, as well as running in my neighborhood a few nights each week. In June, I became an ambassador for For Two Fitness, a company that markets fabulous clothes for the active, expectant mama! This was even more motivation for me to continue working out; I was now representing a company that was based on active moms-to-be! I always enjoyed wearing my "Sweating for Two" tank to the gym. I was complimented on it numerous times.

28 weeks vs. 38 weeks!

35 week bump!

Advice for Moms-to-Be:

     Looking back at my pregnancy and knowing what I do now, I sometimes wonder if I would have done anything different. I think about the advice I might give to an expectant mother who also wants to stay healthy active during pregnancy. Keeping in mind that every woman and pregnancy is different, I would have to advise the following:

1. Ask Doc first. Just because mine said "go for it" to my exercise regimen doesn't mean yours will. My doctor knew me well and knew it would be good, if not beneficial, for me and my pregnancy.
2. The first trimester sucks... Rest. No, I was never sick at all. But I sure was exhausted. That's how I knew I was pregnant a year ago today; I couldn't stay awake during a meeting! I began going to bed at six o'clock in the evening, only to feel exhausted again by noon the following day. I can't tell you how many times I had to use about half of my planning period at school to lay my head down on my desk and nap! Rest as much as you can during that first trimester! It gets better, I promise!!
3. Stay away from pregnancy books. Those are the ones that initially made me terrified of exercising while pregnant. Don't go reading about all the things that can (and might) go wrong. Remember, every pregnancy is different. What is meant to be will be.
4. Get a good sports bra and dress comfortably.
5. Eat well and drink water. Fuel yourself and that little sea monkey! Prior to pregnancy, I was eating around 1,400 calories per day. I bumped my calorie intake up to 1,800 but would often eat closer to 2,000. I stayed full and satisfied and had plenty of energy for my workouts.
6. Keep it up. Make it a habit. Research has proven that women who exercise during pregnancy are more likely to have quicker, smoother labors (mine was a breeze) and healthier babies. Whether you're new to fitness or a seasoned pro, now is the perfect time to be the healthiest you that you can be. Every time I wanted to skip a workout and dive into a sleeve of double stuff Oreos, I just remembered my mantra: healthy mama, healthy baby. Healthy mama, healthy baby!

How are you/did you stay active during pregnancy?

First Week on the GD Diet

    

     No, that GD doesn't stand for what you might have immediately thought, but that's how I sometimes feel about it (not really). If you've been reading, you're well aware of my disgusting disgruntling twelve pound gain at my week twenty-four appointment last Monday. Due to the advice of a friend, I requested a copy of the gestational diabetic diet sheet for expectant women and began following it that afternoon, as high weight gain was a concern of mine from the beginning of my pregnancy. Both my sisters gained more than triple the amount of weight a pregnant woman should healthily gain while they were expecting their daughters. Although they only had themselves to blame (and they admit it now), I saw how miserable and uncomfortable they were during their pregnancies and for a while after. It took my oldest sister years to slim back down after having my niece. When I announced I was pregnant, both of them came to me, begging me to practice better habits while pregnant than they did. Eating for two is dead, they told me. You don't want to go through what we did. When the scale moved twelve pounds forward at my last appointment, it was enough to put this whole pregnancy into perspective. I had still been going to the gym four or five times a week, but I knew that I hadn't been eating like I should. Because I'm human, I don't mind admitting that there have been times where I have consumed nearly an entire sleeve of DoubleStuf Oreos because What's it matter? I'm pregnant! Two weekends ago, I was in an Italian wedding; I feasted on nothing but carbs for three days, and I loved every minute of it--probably because I didn't realize what I was doing to myself. My last appointment, however, was just what I needed to permanently snap out of that mentality. I can't do it to my body, and I definitely cannot do it to Vaught's.

     So, I asked for a copy of the diet sheet my doctor gives to women who are diagnosed with gestational diabetes during their pregnancies (he was thrilled that I was taking the initiative) even though I won't know if I have GD for another two weeks.This first week at it has been a little tough, but by following the 2,000-2,200 calorie per day meal plan, I've realized just how much I had been consuming before without even realizing it and have even shed some of that gain (safely and healthily!)

     After looking at the diet sheet my doctor gave me, I realized I'd have to find some replacements for a few of the items (like catfish-blah). This is the grocery list I came up with. The things marked "DT" are items I can purchase at the Dollar Tree near my house. Sorry not sorry--Dollar Tree is the stuff.

     Obviously, the GD diet doesn't call for a  lot of fruits. Although they're full of natural sugars, the good kind that our bodies need, a large component of this diet is cutting way back on sugar altogether. And consuming very little of it in the morning, I noticed! It's also generally low carb. I can't stand when people say they're on a no-carb diet. Um, hello? I'm no fitness expert, but I know that our bodies require some carbs in there! But lowering your carb intake a little can never hurt. 

My girl, LC, drinks milk :)

     I made a few changes of my own, such as with the milk. I am a milk guzzler. Growing up, we drank 2% at my house, and between me, my dad, and my brother we went through two gallons per week. In my own home, a gallon usually lasts me a little more than a week, but when I was going through my major cereal phase, I had to get a gallon and a half nearly every weekend! And please don't tell me I shouldn't drink it; I can't stand the you should only drink almond/soy/organic milk fad, and yes, I personally believe it is a fad unless you're lactose intolerant or one of those people who would just rather pay double the price for organic food. Amy Pohler says it best in Baby Mama: "That stuff's for rich people who hate themselves." People have been drinking milk for centuries, and it's not killed anyone. And if it has, I'm willing to take my chances.

Sorry. Anyway, I refuse to drink skim milk. It's okay in cereal, but when drinking it out of a glass, it just tastes like white water. Ew. So I've switched to 1%. Typically twenty less calories per serving and a tad less sugar :) I apologize for getting on my soap box about milk, but I once went grocery shopping with a friend who took my gallon of 2% out of the shopping cart (without asking me), and replaced it with a carton of Silk, smiled at me and said, "You'll never be healthy drinking that stuff."  

It put a more sour taste in my mouth than milk ever could.

 

     The diet also calls for catfish for a few of the dinners. I like fish okay in general, but catfish just isn't something kept in the Pace household; we are chicken, turkey, and beef people! However, I can eat an entire can of tuna completely raw. Disgusting, I know! I add in a boiled egg, just a little bit of mayo, a dash of salt, and some pepper. Tuna sandwiches are always yummy!

     Turkey bacon::: I finally gave it a try a little over a year ago. Since then, we've not purchased regular bacon (unless it's just at a really good price)! Although we are big-time lovers of "real bacon," my husband and I both love how much healthier and cheaper turkey bacon is, as well as how good it tastes when seasoned with a little pepper. Seriously, I cannot tell a big difference at all except for the texture. Although you can have real bacon on the GD diet, I'm sticking with turkey bacon for now. Twenty-five calories/slice versus 90 calories/slice!

    I've also almost completely ditched Coca Cola, one of my most favorite things in the world!! I did have half a can Friday afternoon though :) Other than that, I have drank nothing but water all week long. I may love Coca Cola, but I also reeeeally love water too! For years when I was younger water was all I drank, and when I got older Coke was my beverage of choice only when dining out. I feel like I've drank more in my adulthood than I have in my entire life before! It's hard at 2 o'clock in the afternoon on a busy week day when an ice cold Sonic Coke would be the most amazing thing for a tired mama. And speaking of mama, mine doesn't help much when she sends me out of the office around three in the afternoon on a Sonic Coke run! But the swelling in my ankles and wrists has been almost non-existent since I've switched to water. That's motivation to keep chugging the H20!

     Once again, around the end of April, I returned to my almost-daily trips to Starbucks for hot lattes or a frappucino that often added an extra 300-400 calories to my daily intake. I'm proud to say I've not been to Starbucks in a few days, except for Friday morning; I cannot do my Friday morning without a hot, end-of-the-week latte! But instead of the cinnamon dolce, I ordered a double tall skinny vanilla. It was surprisingly good! I know I'll never be able to cut Starbucks completely out of my life (I'm a coffee enthusiast after all), but I do plan on making the switch to non-fat and sugar free concoctions. That mocha cookie crumble frappucino is just going to have to be an every once in a while treat! 

     Isn't it kind of ironic how every time you aim to make your eating habits a little healthier someone around you shows up with cookies, brownies, or blueberry muffins?  I work at a land office in north Mississippi, and last week our representatives from our Georgia office were here visiting. One of the them baked homemade blueberry muffins the second day they were here. I had to have one; it was amazing!

       I overslept one day and desperately needed some coffee. I stopped at McDonald's for a latte, but their machine was down (surprise, surprise). So I supplemented with a strawberry sweet tea from Sonic. If you've not had one of these, you're missing out! They're amazing!!!! I like the unsweet version too, but I just had to have a little sugar! 

                    

  Cooking supper this past week has been a fun experience; by Thursday, my husband was sooo sick of baked chicken and vegetables. The picture below is from Thursday night I believe. By then, I was running out of veggies and just threw this together.

     I'm one of those rare people who love to grocery shop! Target has the BEST packages of chicken breasts ever! Each serving is 4-6 ounces, and comes pre-seasoned with garlic and herbs and all sorts of other great spices! So on Wednesday afternoon I left work and headed straight for Target. I got all of the below for under $25. Their marketplace is typically a bit pricier than grocery stores, but they always have great deals on certain items, so I got what I could for a bargain. 

     They had boxes upon boxes of granola bars for $1.20/box and large bottles of Smart Water for just $1! I also stocked the freezer on some frozen veggies (I prefer fresh produce, but frozen's good to have on hand).

     We also have a couple of "fruit guys" that stop by our office once a week, their trucks loaded down with locally grown fruits and vegetables. They're such sweet guys, and they always have great deals on their produce! I always stock up when they visit! They usually have some of the best peaches and strawberries that you could never find in a grocery store!

     As I said, Eric was so sick of chicken and veggies by Thursday, he had me make a reservation for the two of us at Texas de Brazil in Memphis for Friday night. If you've never been to TdB, pleeeeease put it on your bucket list! We try to go once every couple of months, and it always helps to be a loyal follower of their email list :)

On our way to TdB in Memphis :))

      I thought it would be especially hard sticking to it over the weekend, but it was surprisingly easy. When I'm hit with a hard craving, I just think to myself healthy mama, healthy baby. It makes making healthy choices so much easier. So, since last Tuesday (technically Monday evening, lol), I have felt ten times better! I feel lighter and less bloated. And I know I am because my scale today is still showing a loss of about six-seven pounds. I think the water-only switch has made all the difference in the world; I can't believe how little my feet swell now! I'm becoming a quite a big fan of the GD diet and am glad I began following it at twenty-five weeks. I may be saying "diet" now, but I know that this would be a great meal plan to stick with as I transition back into a permanently healthy lifestyle once Vaught arrives. After all, healthy is a lifestyle, not a diet, right? :)  

     I have been writing, adding to, and taking away from this post for a little more than a week now, so for once I'm exhausted with the blogosphere tonight! But again, I want to say thank you for reading and to those who are loyally coming back. I know I probably annoy the heck out of  my Instagram and Twitter followers with my blog posts, but it sparks curiosity which sparks interest which sparks enthusiasm and a willingness to keep coming back. I really appreciate all of you who are reading.

 

Look for my Week 26 Update this Thursday!

Sweating for Two

I will get one of these very soon!!

     Gone are the days when expectant women were instructed by our doctors and midwives to rest as much as possible during pregnancy, refrain from all strenuous activity, and eat enough food for two people (YAY CARBS)! Today, I feel that mommies-to-be are much better off, as we are being informed that it's perfectly fine to run a half-marathon, cross-train, hike a mountain if we want, paint the baby room, and we're now well aware that our baby-building bodies only require about an extra 200-300 calories per day during this nine month journey to motherhood. Coming from the girl who gained an infamous twelve pounds in four weeks, that all sounds good to me!

     One thing I love about my doctor is his support and encouragement of what I  mention above. I was a gym-a-holic prior to getting pregnant but was convinced that I should avoid it while pregnant (apparently, I'd read one too many old wive's tales). He smiled at my apprehensions and told me to keep doing what I'm doing: running, lifting weights, cycling, they're alllll good during pregnancy! Scientific research over the past two decades has even proven that women who exercised while pregnant had easier, quicker labors and healthier babies.
     When I hit trimester two, I was so glad to see my energy come back, but suddenly I was nailed with some serious lower back pain. It doesn't help that I've always had it, but the shifting, stretching, and rearranging my muscles were doing on top of a misaligned pelvis was excruciating at times. I didn't go to the gym for a few weeks; I was lucky if I got in a lap or two around my neighborhood. At my 20 week appointment, I discussed the pain with my doctor and how terrible it had me feeling. Although exercise was the last thing I wanted to do at that point, he guaranteed me that a little more activity would help my back tremendously. 

     Turns out, Doc knows what he's talking about! I got back in the gym and noticed that within just a few days, my back was feeling better. Dead lifts, which strengthen the glutes, quads, and lumbar region, were miracle workers and still are. My back hasn't ached like it had been in a few weeks now, and it's a bigger relief than I can say!
 

      Below I've listed two amazing workouts that I have begun doing a few times a week for the past few weeks. One of them is one I pinned to a fit pregnancy board on my Pinterest account (with some slight modifications), while the other is a good one I got from a friend. I must say that lately I'm really liking the second one better. It's the one I mentioned in my Week 24 update that I thought was going to kill me before I lowered the weights!

No Excuses Pregnancy Workout

     I have to change this one up a little. I usually run one mile before every workout (or at least 1/2 a mile), so I do that, then do this circuit three times altogether, resting about a minute or two in between. I cannot do dips, or at least not three sets of twelve. I'm not ashamed to say I have weak wrists; they couldn't always be depended on when I did gymnastics, and they gave me a lot of trouble as a cheerleader, despite the wrist exercises I did to try to strengthen them. Although dips are a great core exercise, they mainly work the triceps, so I substitute them for tricep kickbacks or extensions while seated or standing. Also, if I don't have access to a wall at my gym, I'll grab a dumbbell or medicine ball and hold a squat for as long as I can. At the end, I bike a few miles or do ten minutes on the elliptical. I actually went months without doing the elliptical; I was really into weights! But a few weeks  ago, I got back on it and really love it! Low impact but a great way to work up a sweat!!

**I tried to credit the above photo, but the Pinterest link was broken or defective**

Workout 2: High Rep, Low Weight

                                                              http://michellemariefit.publishpath.com/

    I call it "High Rep, Low Weight" because it took me trying to do it with way too heavy weights to figure out that it was not meant for anything over fifteen pounds (except dead lifts maybe!) I got this from my friend on Instagram; anytime someone posts a workout, I always give it a try! This is by far one of the best ones I've tried, and I have done it several times now.

     As you can see, it calls for 25 repetitions for each set. I guess I thought I was really cool trying to do twenty-five squats with a thirty or forty pound barbell on my shoulders. I took a step back and re-read the workout. "Dumbbell squats." The light bulb went off; this is a workout meant for much lower weight. I grabbed a twenty pound dumbbell for squats and tricep extensions (dips), and kept my thirty pound barbell for deadlifts. Again, I don't do the dips, per horrible wrists. I stuck with tricep extensions instead.
     The most challenging part of the second part are the fifty lunges. I take "25 stationary lunges" to mean 25 on each leg. I have a love-hate relationship with lunges, so I try to do ten on one leg, ten on the other, then fifteen on each. OUCH. Those lunges make the rest of this part seem easy! I do the rest with a ten pound dumbbell in each hand. I love the rows! When I'm at the gym, I don't do any cardio with this one until I'm done. The quickest I've been able to finish this workout is about twenty-five minutes. It typically takes a good half hour, maybe longer. But I love it! This has definitely become a new favorite of mine, and I plan on sticking with it once baby is here.

     Please enjoy these lovely gym selfies after this workout!

 

Red-faced and ready to ride the Hot Mess Express :) If you still look good after a workout you're doing it wrong!

Weight Training

     I love being that girl who can run on the tread for a little while, then hit the benches and squat racks for a heavy lifting session. I love weight training! I got into it last year with some classes at my old gym and have since developed my own workouts (my husband, the power lifter, is great help with this too). When hitting the gym strictly for weight training, I like to do three or four heavy, solid sets of squats, dead lifts, and bench presses, and two or three sets of other exercises that work the smaller muscle areas. Before pregnancy, I was really impressed with where my numbers were as far as weights. While carrying little Vaught, I've had to cut down on everything, but I still like where I'm sitting. I think constantly lifting and holding a baby in a few months will help keep the muscles in tact too :) I'm by no means the thinnest, most in-shape girl at the gym, but I love being able to tackle a hard workout, do it right, and get it done. I love being able to lift heavy and not be intimidated by all the meat-heads in the weights area. I'm definitely not afraid of some muscle, unlike many women.

Post squat-session grub with the hubs tonight :)

     Overall, I'm really proud to have been able to remain active throughout my pregnancy so far, and I have less than fifteen weeks to go! In my Week 24 update post, I revealed, unashamedly, that I had gained twelve pounds in four weeks. Since then, I have lost six! SIX! I cannot tell you the relief I felt when I realized that today. I even weighed at the same time as most of my appointments (mid-afternoon), so I know the scale read pretty accurately. For those who may be skeptical, rest assured that my doctor has okayed my diet and exercise plans (I recently began following the diabetic diet for pregnant women), and a small loss is good for me and baby after such a significant gain. In my situation, too much weight gain increases my chances of gestational diabetes, prolonged and/or difficult labor, delivery via C-section, and other complications. But if I can keep my weight in a healthy range, all is anticipated to go well! (Tomorrow, a post about the GD diet will publish, so you can read alllll about it).

     For my moms-to-be who may not be able to be very active during pregnancy (due to complications, high-risk factors, etc.), know that you're no less healthy than other pregnant women who can be more active. Whatever you've been told by your practitioner to do is exactly what you should be doing and is the healthiest option for you. It's okay if you've been clearly instructed to take it easy. My friend and I had this discussion the other day: we're both getting ridiculous amounts of unsolicited (and often unwanted) advice from all corners of our lives, even from family. I sometimes just want to smile and say, "Well, okay honey, that was your pregnancy, this is mine." Pregnancy, like other things women experience, is different for everyone. We are not all the same! My friend and I agree that although the advice is hardly ever sometimes helpful, we are relying on one person's opinion and instructions: our doctors'. And I love that my doctor is so very supportive of exercise during these nine months. My sister may have been told to stay off her feet as much as possible, but my doctor is telling me the more active I am, the better. Your doctor may tell you not to help paint the baby room or clean house due to the smell of cleaning fumes and chemicals; mine says open a window and paint/scrub like you mean it!

     In closing, pregnancy is this beautiful yet complicated thing all at once. Some of us have a hellacious nine months of torture, while others enjoy it for the most part and go about our usual routines with some added perks and kicks (pun intended). I'm no fitness professional (obviously--I'm writing about struggling with weight management), but I am very much a fan of being active and living as healthily as possible. And there's no standard size for that! I've been very fortunate to have had such an easy pregnancy, but I'm counting my blessings and realizing that could change at any minute. If you're able to exercise, pregnant or not, I want to encourage you to try one or both of the workouts above. Remember: go at your own pace and HAVE FUN! Exercise, for everyone, is so much better when you're enjoying what you're doing!

Feel free to leave a comment or send me an email with some of your favorite workout routines. I'm always up for trying new things in the gym! If you don't have a blogger account to leave a comment, follow me on Instagram, katepace12, and contact me there :)

 

Upcoming: some exciting news concerning a small company I've recently become an ambassador for. They will help sponsor and promote my blog, which is really exciting! I can't wait to write all about it but will wait until all details are finalized :) Thanks so much for reading!!

What It Is & What It Isn't

     No, I'm not trying to rap here. I'm talking about this blog. Since I've made it public to my family and friends, and social network acquaintances, I've gotten a lot of positive feedback, which I love. But I've also received a lot of questions too:

"Well, what's the purpose of it?"

 "Do you just talk about your life?"

 "Is it a blog about your pregnancy?"

 "Who is your audience?" 

     It's hard to answer it all to so many different people, so I decided to write a "brief" history of my blog, followed by an explanation of its role in my life now, to maybe clear up some of these common Q's.

     When I started the blog in 2010, it went by a different name, and I wrote entries about college and sorority life mainly. I've deleted many of those entries now because I would also talk about the nutcase of a roommate I had at the time and an unnamed friend who was suffering from an eating disorder (not negatively, just in general). I sounded so vain and immature sometimes. I would never release my full name or where I lived; it was like an online diary, I guess. I didn't really filter anything I wrote. 

     I grew bored with the blogging world and didn't really mess with it for nearly three years, but in the summer of 2013 (precisely a year ago), I came back with intentions of making this domain a health and fitness blog where I could journal new healthy recipes and smoothie mixes I was trying. I had also planned to begin blogging my workouts, which were pretty intense for a while, and list my muscle gain and fat loss along the way, but I never got around to it. Once again, I suppose I just lost interest.

     When I discovered I was pregnant, I came back to it and renamed the blog "Keeping Pace." One of the main questions I've been asked, even from my husband, is why Keeping Pace? What does the name mean? Well, if you're keeping pace, it means you're keeping up. It's a play on words; my last name is now Pace, so you're keeping up with me. Get it? Clever, I know. I decided that although I wanted to refrain from making it a blog about my pregnancy or baby, I really did want to keep the site up-to-date with interesting articles and lifestyle columns.

What it is:

      Lately, I have written a lot about my pregnancy; this is a lifestyle blog after all, and pregnancy is currently a pretty big part of my life! Plus, there's just so many interesting areas to explore with pregnancy. I really like being a member of the Baby Center community; I never post anything on the discussion boards, but I love reading the discussions and thoughts of other mothers; it gives me an inside look to how different all of our nine month journeys really are. Much of what they say inspires me for what I write about here, concerning pregnancy and children of course.
      As my life changes, so will the content of my blog. I'm really looking forward to blogging more about health and fitness once Vaught arrives and I begin working on post-baby body. I'm a seasoned runner and weight trainer, so expect some good pieces on that in the future. I follow thirty-four week pregnant, WBFF competitor Abigail Edwards on Instagram and get a lot of my pregnancy workout ideas from her, and I would love to blog about those sometime soon. Basically though, a random thought or topic will just come to mind one day. I'll open the Blogger app on my phone and begin writing from where I am, be it in line at the grocery store or waiting in my OB's office.

     Keeping Pace is a place for me to let everything out and be 100% honest--not that I'm not in real life, but I think that we understand ourselves and our situations so much better when we're able to put them down on paper, in our own words. Yes, I know this isn't exactly paper, but you get what I'm saying. Keeping Pace is not a reveal all, tell-all, but it is the one thing that can be all about me or whatever is going on in my life at the current time. It's not like Twitter or Instagram, or dare I say Faccebook, where you don't have a choice but to see what I post or Tweet. If you're reading this, then you made an effort to come here, meaning you're interested in my life and/or what I have to say, which I LOVE. Seriously, I love how many readers I've gained since going public! Even still, you're reading truly by choice; I can put whatever I please on here, and if you grow tired of me, all you do is simply stop visiting. Because of that, I can write whatever I please. There's much that I'd rather not say on Twitter or Instagram because I don't want to offend anyone or hurt any feelings. But this blog is an open range where I feel like I can write about anything I want without having to tailor much of what I say. That's what I truly love about blogging.

What it isn't:

     As stated above, it's not my online personal diary. If you're looking for deep, dark secrets you won't find them here. This blog is not where I hang my dirty laundry, trust me :)

     My precious baby boy... I love how many celebrity gossip magazines are adopting the "No Kid Policy," meaning that they are refusing to print paparazzo photos of celebrities' children; they will only print pictures of famous children if the photos were made public by the parents (i.e.: Channing Tatum posts a picture of his little girl to Instagram with millions of followers; therefore, People Magazine is safe to use it as well). I would almost like to adopt a "No Kids Policy" with Vaught. Yes, I will post plenty of pictures of him, I'm sure, but this blog is not the place to do it. Also, I do not want, and am very adamant in this, a "Facebook baby," where it seems like my child's entire life is documented on Facebook, or any social media for that matter. Before deactivating Facebook, I vividly remember a friend of mine posting question's about her newborn son's recently circumcised penis, open for all Facebook friends to see. And people were answering her questions like it was nothing. Maybe it was okay to many of them, but I just completely disagreed with it. To each his own, but personally, I would never, ever put stuff like that out there for everyone to see. First, out of respect for my son. Secondly... it's just not what I want to see on social media. And I don't want to do that to other readers. So, this is not a place where you'll read all about my son's life as he grows and develops into the handsome little stud I know he'll be. I'm extremely personal about pictures of young children and babies being everywhere, and this definitely is not the place for that.

     A ranting page. This should be quite obvious because I don't have any posts where I'm just throwing a fit. I've seen lots of blogs like that though... the writers just seem so angry! Who wants to read that?? Some of it's entertaining, sure, but this is not the thing I'll turn to when something or someone pisses me off. Positive vibes only!

     To sum it up, Keeping Pace is one of the things I am happiest about in my life. I know that probably sounds weird, but I love writing; therefore, I really love my blog. It's a place where I can be myself without worry and a place I can connect with other bloggers. We all have interesting things to share and talk about, and I love reading about others' lives and experiences. If you're reading, then I want to encourage you to continue doing so. It makes me so happy to log on every day and see the page view tab keep going up and up. It's inspiring and makes me want to go even further with my blog. Once Baby Pace arrives, expect my entries to tailor slowly back to the "lifestyle" area, with many articles about fitness, health, and of course, post-baby body updates. I'm seriously considering enrolling in a bootcamp after baby and tracking my progress, scary as that might seem right now.

 

You're not going to see breastfeeding selfies nor any opinion articles on breastfeeding here :) You're not going to be forced to listen to me whine and complain about the hardships of being a new, young mother. Keeping Pace is a positive, happy place. And I am hopeful that you'll continue keeping up with me.