Working It Out

Last Thursday I went to the gym for the first time since September. I hadn't been mostly because I spent my whole first trimester freaked out about moving. I also felt like crap 90 percent of the time and just wanted to sleep on my couch all day. So I hired a trainer that works with pregnant women so that I could feel comfortable and do the right exercises. Before I got pregnant I was already having back problems so 4 months of desk, couch, bed, repeat had done a number on my spine. Add a growing tummy and it is a bad situation. My trainer was nice. He was very patient with my many questions and concerns. He could tell I was very uncomfortable with the concept of working out. When we started I was so acutely aware of my belly that I couldn't focus and just kept thinking I should not be exercising. Especially when as I was leaving my office to walk to the gym my boss said to me "don't lift any weights" and 10 minutes into the session the trainer handed me weights. Thanks. But by the end of the night I relaxed and stopped thinking I was a pregnant lady working out and just that I was working out.

Other than getting my back strong and staying fit, keeping my weight in check is another concern of mine. I'm already over the suggested weight gain for the number of weeks I am along the pregnancy and I'm a little freaked out about it. On Friday we had a birthday party for a coworker with some really yummy chocolate cake and a very nice cookie platter. After I had a slice of cake I was reaching for a cookie when two other coworkers started talking about how they both gained about 40 pounds during their pregnancies. That cookie never made it to my mouth. I know I will gain weight and I know I need to gain weight. But 40 pounds is so completely out of the scope of my comprehension that I just can't even imagine how that would work. Even 20 pounds is hard for me to make peace with. Seriously where is it going to go??? Trust me I'm not going to turn into one of those wacko upper east side mommys that eats a cube of cheese for lunch in order to stay "all stomach". I like food way too much. But I will do better to think before I reach for empty calories and keep up a schedule at the gym so I can stay healthy and fit.

But tonight I'm having cake from the party I just left and tomorrow...yoga.