a new mentality during pregnancy | “pregnancy without pounds”

I am pregnant. Correction- I am very pregnant. I am now approaching the final month, and the end is within reach. Up until this point, I have been trying to stay active and eat healthy, but I always felt like I wasn’t doing enough. I felt a little confused as to what was okay for me to do activity-wise, as I progressed in my pregnancy. As I was entering my third trimester, I came across a lifestyle program specifically for pregnant women, called “Pregnancy Without Pounds.” I was so encouraged to learn about this tool for us ‘preggers’ to help us to stay healthy and active during pregnancy.

“Pregnancy Without Pounds” is a mindset really. It’s not about not gaining any weight, or about depriving yourself and exercising the entire time. It is about staying active and healthy through pregnancy, while listening to your body and its needs. Michelle Moss, its author and leading online pregnancy fitness expert, tailored a program specific to exercise and nutrition during pregnancy. She has three different workouts to choose from- ‘Tired Mama,’ ‘Moderate Mama,’ and ‘Fit Mama.’ Each includes strength exercises and stretching according to how you are feeling. She has an exercise plan for each trimester, where she maps out how much activity you should be doing. I love how she breaks it down into frequency (number of times per week), intensity, and time. She also differentiates between levels of activity- aerobic, weights/conditioning, and activity. I finally had very specific advice and expertise about exercising during pregnancy.

I started off with the exercise chart, where I wrote down my activities for each day. This simple act allowed me to step back and look at my week as a whole, and to see what exactly I’d done. I can’t tell you the freedom I felt. Freedom from my own judgment, saying, “Alissa you need to get off your big prego butt and do something for once!” I would look back at my week, and see that even if I didn’t lift weights or “workout” as I would have pre-pregnancy, I was still doing something. Michelle acknowledges that everyday stuff is still “activity”. I walked to the park, I walked all over the hospital for two days (I’m a nurse), I vacuumed the house, and I walked two miles with a friend. I could also see where I needed to do more, like if I was slacking in weights/conditioning one week, or aerobics another week.

“Pregnancy Without Pounds” has helped me to start thinking healthier. I am normally unhealthily critical of myself, as most women are. I always think that I should be doing more, or that what I do is not enough. I end up pushing important things aside (like exercise), because I need to get things done. Well Michelle has helped me to see the importance of staying active, and of making a conscious effort to exercise. It gives me more energy, it keeps me healthy, prepares me for childbirth, and is an important thing that I can do for my unborn baby. Not to mention that I feel like a total stud after exercising, and I can gloat to my husband about how good I am doing! I finally have a good answer to my husband’s question, “so what did you do today?” I was productive! Haha! No I didn’t just lay on the couch with a pillow in between my legs watching a movie, while my two-year old napped. I did the elliptical and my prego exercises and stretches (while watching the movie).

I love Michelle for showing me how exactly to accomplish my goal of being fit during pregnancy. Her specific, yet tailored-to-how-you’re-feeling program enables me to be active even though I can’t make it to the gym (or when I’m freaking tired… or lazy). And the sense of accomplishment really feels good too.

*for more information, amazing success stories, and before and after pics, check out PregnancyWithoutPounds.com

Shannon Hughes

Co-Founder/CEO of HappyHourMom.com, Freelancer, Internet Marketing Consultant, and Social Media lover. Wife to an amazing husband, mom to two beautiful little girls, and follower of Jesus Christ. I am a Happy Hour Mom…are you?