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Staying Hydrated and Satiated During the Second Trimester

As you guys know, I’m almost half way through my pregnancy. I pinch myself on a daily basis in disbelief that I’ve been on this wild ride for more than four months!

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Even though I am feeling energized these days, there are a few things that remind me daily that I am definitely growing a baby girl.

  • Early morning workouts aren’t very frequent. I used to be the queen of morning workouts, often waking up before 6 AM to workout before enjoying coffee, breakfast and work. These days, I find myself pushing snooze anytime I set the alarm for earlier than 7:30 AM.
  • I’m ALWAYS thirsty. Regardless how much water I sip throughout the day, I can’t seem to quench my thirst.  I try to ensure I have access to water throughout the day, keeping water at my desk and on my bedside table. The other thing that is helping is keeping our refrigerator stocked with sparkling water.
  • As of last week, I am ALWAYS hungry. Trust me, I’ve read enough books and spoken with enough doctors and friends to know that many people start eating for two WAY too early OR tend to eat for four instead of two. I am being concious of what I put in my body, but also listening to my cravings and hunger cues.  This means that I’m packing more snacks than ever before when I head to the office, gym or even out to run errands.

After trying to figure out the best way to answer my pregnancy cravings, I’ve found that eating lots of fruit helps me satiate both hunger and thirst. Whether it’s fresh grapefruit at breakfast or berries and yogurt for dessert each evening, I’m always just a few hours away from my next serving of fruit. Luckily, these handy Del Monte Fruit Refreshers are perfect for grab-and-go snacks that pack in the flavor without the unwanted additives like high fructose corn syrup, GMOs, artificial flavors or colors!

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If I’m heading out for a workout, I’ll toss it in my bag to enjoy right after class. When I’m in our WeWork office I keep a pack in the fridge for easy snacking. They are currently available in four different flavors:

  • Red Grapefruit in Guava Water (holy yum!)
  • Pineapple in Passion Fruit Water
  • Mandarin Oranges in Coconut Water (love the coconut water twist)
  • Grapefruit & Oranges in Pomegranate Water

These handy snacks are like fruit cups for grown ups – not too sweet and packing in a full serving of fruit in each 100 calorie cup. Around 3:30 each day, I find myself enjoying one of these alongside a handful of almonds and cup of tea.  Next time you’re at Target, Walmart or your local grocery store I suggest tossing a pack in your cart. You’ll thank me when these give you an afternoon pickup when you need it most.

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To learn more about Del Monte’s Refreshers product line, visit www.delmonte.com, or visit their Pinterest, Instagram, or Facebook channels.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Del Monte . The opinions and text are all mine.

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ashleyd /

OrangeTheory Brooklyn

As you guys know, I always enjoy a good, sweaty workout especially one that challenges me and can help me improve. However, since getting pregnant, I have been hesitant to push myself in boot camp or HIIT (high-intensity interval training) classes. Even though I’m working out with a heart rate monitor, since this is my first pregnancy, I am being very cautious.

Luckily, when OrangeTheory reached out to me, asking if I would like to try their Brooklyn Heights or new Park Slope location, I was thrilled to hear that they have coaches at both locations who specialize in working with prenatal and postnatal moms by providing adjustments, closely monitoring their heart rates and meeting with them before class. In addition, their heart rate based training makes it easy to stay in touch with my body throughout the workout.

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Suddenly I realized that it may be possible for me to have a healthy, cautious pregnancy and still get that great endorphin rush.  I was smiling like a kid on Christmas when I trudged through the snowy Brooklyn streets towards the Brooklyn Heights OrangeTheory.  The coach for the class, Garner, welcomed me with a huge smile and quickly reviewed the workout with me as well as giving me a tour of the studio.

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Since I’m still accustomed to the cramped, smaller Manhattan studios this location felt like a mansion. The location is spotless, features a huge entrance area where students can relax before and after class, showers, bathrooms and a locker area. As you can see, the studio is also spacious, featuring more than fifteen treadmills and rowing machines as well as a dedicated, spacious strength training area.

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Since OrangeTheory is a heart rate-based interval training class, each student wears a chest or wrist heart rate monitor that tracks your stats throughout the workout so you can see your heart rate on the screens during class.  While you can’t use your own heart rate monitor, students can use one for free during their first class and then rent or buy them for future classes.  The goal, for most students, is to stay in the orange or uncomfortable zone for at least a portion of the class. Since I am pregnant, we discussed my previous and current fitness, deciding that my goal should be to spend most of the class in the green zone with a few minutes in the orange zone.

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While each OrangeTheory class is different, most classes include a cardio portion, which is split between rowing and running, in addition to a strength portion.  This specific class session started with 25 minutes of cardio, rotating between the rowing machine and treadmill for intervals followed by a balanced strength portion targeting arms, abs, and legs.

By the end of the class, I was a sweaty mess but still smiling. With Coach Garner’s help, I made sure not to push myself too hard but still left class sweating and woke up the next morning feeling my hamstrings from the hills and feeling muscles I hadn’t pushed in the past few weeks.  In fact, I loved my first class so much that I was back just a few days later and am now seriously considering a package.

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If you’re interested in trying OrangeTheory, your first class is free. If you live in Brooklyn, the Park Slope location is offering discounted packages and specials to celebrate their opening.

 

This post is sponsored by OrangeTheory Brooklyn but as you may have seen on Instastories and Snapchat, I’ve already been back again! I love OrangeTheory and all opinions in this post are my own. 

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ashleyd /

Getting Back into Body Pump

Happy Thursday! After seven days down in Savannah, our Christmas vacation has come to a close. Cold, dreary rain kept us inside today and provided us with the perfect opportunity to unpack our suitcases and put away the Christmas decorations. Even though it’s only 2pm, I am ready for a break after working non-stop on cleaning and putting away the Christmas decorations all morning.  Is it just me or does it seem like it takes 2x as long to take the decorations down and wrap them with care as it does to decorate.

Now that our Christmas vacation in Savannah has come to a close, I will be blogging daily. I have a lot of content lined up for the next few days including two workout reviews, first trimester reflections and suggestions, as well as thoughts on 2016. Today’s post is the first of two workout reviews coming over the next week.

If you’re a new reader, you may not recall that I’ve been a BodyPump fan for years. When I lived in Wayne, Pennsylvania the neighborhood gym featured BodyPump on the workout schedule three mornings per week. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday you could find me in the group fitness studio lifting and laughing with the same group of women each morning from 6:30-7:30. I remember the first time I walked in the studio, unsure what to expect. But an hour later I walked out energized and exhilarated by the very balanced workout. Unfortunately, after two years of BodyPump classes, I had to say goodbye to my favorite workout when I moved to New York City other than a few opportunities to enjoy Les Mills classes like Body Attack when we lived in Switzerland.

Until last month, when we joined the Brooklyn Dodge YMCA, it was virtually impossible to include BodyPump in my workout routine. In New York City there are very few gyms that have BodyPump or the other Les Mills workouts. Luckily, once again, I have access to this workout since the YMCA offers it seven times each week.  Since some of you may not know what this workout is, even though you’ve probably heard friends talk about it or even seen it on your gym’s schedule, let me give you some background.

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BodyPump is a weight-training group fitness class which was created by Les Mills International, a New Zealand based company whose popular group fitness classes are taught at gyms around the world.  A typical class is 55 minutes long and features 10 different songs. During each song, the workout focuses on a different part of the body.

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As you can see, you are able to push yourself during each track since you are done with that body part after that song is over. The music ranges depending on which release or version your teacher uses that day.  On January 14th, 2017 gyms around the world will celebrate the release of Body Pump 100, the latest release.

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During each class, students use a step, risers, mat and a Les Mills branded barbell and plates. Students are able to add weight, as desired, using weight plates which range from 1 pound to 20 pounds.  If you’re a beginner, it is advised to experiment with the weights during your first few classes, starting light and adding on as needed in order to reduce the risk of injury.

Another aspect that I like about the class format is that the moves are simple enough for a beginner or pregnant woman to master without injury. In so many of the high intensity interval classes I’ve taken in NYC, the compound moves often result in me falling a step or two behind and sometimes not being able to keep up. Since BodyPump includes moves such as squats, chest presses, dead rows, and lunges it is easier to ensure I use the correct form. In addition, since I am able to personalize my weights and the moves include a reduced range of motion compared to many other types of resistance workouts, it is a great way for me to increase muscle tone and strength throughout my pregnancy.  Both the instructors who teach at the YMCA are very familiar with prenatal adjustments and suggest that once it is no longer comfortable to lie on my back, they will help me turn the bench into an incline as well as provide alternative ab exercises during that track. My goal is to include at least one, if not two, BodyPump classes in my prenatal workout routine during the next six months. I know that once Baby Girl Diamond arrives I’ll need lots of strength to lift, feed and keep up with her!

Your turn: Have you tried BodyPump before? What’s your favorite track? 

The above is a sponsored post in partnership with Les Mills but, as always, all opinions are my own.

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