First Trimester Recap

Wait…you didn’t know that I’m pregnant? Time to check back in to the Primal Potential podcast, my friend! I absolutely am and we’ve made it through the first trimester! Praise!

If you’d rather listen to this blog than read it, please hit the play button below. Otherwise, keep on reading! 

I’ve decided to more regularly document my pregnancy journey here on the blog. I know lots of you who are listening to the podcast are interested in updates, but some aren’t. I’ll keep the longer, more in depth updates over here. My plan is to add new updates every couple of weeks, but since this is the first one, we’re recapping the entire first trimester!

If you missed the story on how we found out, let me catch you up. We had decided to start trying and assumed it would take a while (or not happen naturally at all). I always pay close attention to my menstrual cycles and was certain I was about to start my period. Even the day my period was supposed to start and the day after, I didn’t give any thought to being “late” because I was so crampy. I kept saying to both the boyfriend and to Sarah that I knew I’d start any hour. The boyfriend wasn’t so sure. He kept saying, “I think you’re pregnant” (probably because I was quite a bit more emotional than normal). Two days after I should have started my period, Sarah encouraged me to pick up a pregnancy test. We had to get paint for the office so we went together to pick up blue paint and a couple of tests.

I woke up the next morning around 4:30 and went straight to the bathroom. When you’re half-asleep, those plastic-wrapped boxes aren’t so easy to open! The first one was the kind with “two lines if you’re pregnant” and the second was digital, displaying either “Pregnant” or “Not Pregnant”. I pulled the old-school one first and within just a few seconds it displayed two pink lines. I’m pretty sure I rubbed my eyes a few times and then re-read both the box and the instructions, making sure I understood what two lines meant.

Not believing it, I grabbed the digital test and immediately took it. Sure enough, it read “Pregnant”. I was STUNNED.

I knew the boyfriend would be waking up for work soon and I didn’t want to just blurt it out to him, so I gathered up the tests, hid them in my office and started my work day.

As soon as Sarah came into work that morning, I pointed her to our standing desk area where both the tests were. Needless to say, we had trouble focusing that day. In fact, we ended up going shopping for a baby onesie a few hours later. I told the boyfriend later that evening by hanging a chalkboard sign on our large jar of coins that said, “Reserved for Baby xxx: February 2020”.

A few weeks after we found out, I had a pre-planned trip to California to celebrate my birthday and Primal Potential’s 5 year anniversary with the Masters Club. Since I was feeling sick, exhausted and I’d be unable to drink alcohol, I knew I needed to tell them. Everyone would know something was up so even though I’d have preferred to wait a while longer, I knew it was time to share.

Not wanting our family and some friends to find out accidentally from social media or to be hurt that I told clients first, we announced to them around the 6 week mark. Though most people were supportive, a few visibly dispproved of us announcing so early. That kinda bummed me out. We fully understood that the risk of miscarriage is higher in the first trimester. We also realized that most people wait longer. Our circumstances were just different and I always pray that people are open to that. Pregnancy has been a great reminder that I am not the standard-setter for anyone but me.

Now that we have that backstory established, I thought I’d share what has changed and what hasn’t in the last few months.

First Trimester Food

Not surprisingly, the first couple of weeks after finding out were totally normal. I felt normal, I ate the way I’d normally eat. When the nausea hit, everything changed and there’s very much a “new normal” that likely won’t be normal for too long since things are changing so fast.

As most of you know, I’ve been primarily a primal-style eater for years. Lots of veggies, proteins and fats from whole food sources. Little starch. Little sugar. Not many processed foods.

As soon as the nausea and vomitting came into the picture, all of that whole-food stuff went right out the window. For at least a few weeks, Saltine crackers were the staple in my diet along with diet gingerale. I could sometimes mix it up with plain macaroni or a half a bagel.

Talk about a complete 180 from how things had been! Not only was I feeling bad physically from the all-day-sickness, I was also feeling bad because my body does NOT feel good on processed food and carbs. Of course I noticed bloating, weight gain and lower energy right away (but more about that later).

As I acclimated to the nausea, I got a little more adventurous with food but things like vegetables and meat were a hard NO. Even as I write this, the idea of some of my favorites like brussels sprouts, spaghetti squash and cauliflower rice make my stomach turn.

Just a few weeks ago, I went with some friends to one of my favorite restaurants where I would normally get a huge cup of lobster meat and some coleslaw. I ordered the lobster but barely picked at it. I couldn’t handle the coleslaw and went to town on sweet potato fries.

It hasn’t been a matter of cravings – I don’t think I’ve had many of those yet – it’s just a strong aversion to almost everything except carbohydrates. According to my doctors and lots of prenatal experts I’ve talked to, this is pretty common. Granted, absolutely everyone’s experience is different but yeah, nutrition has been QUITE a departure from the norm lately.

(Another little wrinkle in all of this is that I don’t have a kitchen. The downstairs has been demolished and as of the day I’m writing this, I’ve been without a kitchen for nearly 6 weeks and probably will be without one for another 4 months. True story.)

Here’s the mindset I’m choosing about it: it’s fine. I will not let stress about food be a factor for me at this phase of life. There are enough other things to stress over. Every day is different and I will continue to do the best I can, honoring what feels right and what doesn’t. When I feel like I can keep down a smoothie, I’ll try it. If I can get in some veggies or protein, I absolutely will. Along the way, I just refuse to stress about this piece of the journey. That is my choice and I make it repeatedly.

First Trimester Movement

Let’s put it this way: so far, I haven’t been that glowing CrossFit pregnant woman. Nope. Not even a little. The initial nausea and vomitting were so constant that I didn’t do any exercise at first and that’s fine with me. I did push myself to get to the gym 8-10 times just to move. Sometimes I’d row, sometimes I’d lift, sometimes I’d just walk. Maybe 2 or 3 of those workouts were intense. The rest were pretty mellow.

Since then, I joined a spin studio. Though that’s not a type of exericse I’ve historically enjoyed, I liked the idea of being able to completely control my intensity and speed while also being in a setting where there was no guesswork. I don’t have to decide what to do; I’m told. And within that, I still have a lot of control over what feels good for my body. I’m really enjoying it and find myself pushing harder each time. With that said, there’s definitely more cramping throughout my body during pregnancy than before. When I start to feel that, I ease off a bit and drink some water.

Here’s the mindset I’m choosing about it: it’s perfect. I want to move. That matters to me. It’s good for my mental & physical health and it’s great for baby. I’m completely accepting of the fact that movement will look different for every woman and every pregnancy. That’s the way it should be. I’m not judging myself against someone else’s experience or ability. I will continue to move without any attachment to how it “should” look or feel.

First Trimester Body

This where we can all just laugh, right? As I mentioned in the food recap, I noticed bloating and weight gain right away. It wasn’t because of baby, it was because of all the starch that got introduced. Every gram of carbohydrate we consume hangs on to about 4 grams of water and I’m also highly sensitive to carbs so I could see it and feel it.

I didn’t like that. It made me uncomfortable both physically and emotionally. Fortunately, I made a powerful decision…

I will not entertain negative thoughts about my body during this beautiful time. 

I don’t want to be the kind of person who let’s shame, insecurity or vanity influence my mood, my relationships, my experiences or this exciting process.

I don’t want to be the kind of person who uses the experiences of others to set standards or expectations for my own experience. 

I choose to be positive and excited about my body and the way it is changing. I choose to be open and not rigid. I choose to be kind and not harsh. I choose to be empowered and not fearful.

My pregnancy will look different than some people’s. It will the same as other’s. It really doesn’t matter because it is my own. Heck, my life looks different than most. My work looks different than most. My relationship looks different from most. And that’s just perfect.

There are plenty of things to stress about. I choose for this to not be one of them.

Does that mean I don’t care about being healthy? Of course not. I care very much about being healthy and my baby being healthy. These perspectives aren’t at odds.

These days, baby is definitely showing. It’s not the kind of bump that anyone else would notice as a baby bump, but we do. Someone who doesn’t know I’m pregnant would probably just think I’ve gained weight (they wouldn’t be wrong). I guess that can be the awkward transition between “showing” and “obviously pregnant”.

Here’s the mindset I’m choosing about it: it’s beautiful. This is my experience to share with my baby and my family. I will not allow insecurity to take away from it. My body will change. Parts of it I can control and parts I can’t. Some people will be supportive and some will be judgemental. Both responses will tell me a lot about the people and relationships in my life and I welcome that. It’s simply beautiful, no matter how it looks. 

There have been highs and lows in the first trimester and I won’t lie. It’s been very, very challenging mostly for reasons unrelated to the pregnancy which I’ll share a bit about.

The Peaks

  • Telling my mom that we’re having a baby was a huge peak. She was so excited. I brought a cake to my aunt’s house where my mom, my aunt, my sister and my grandmother were. The cake said, “Make room for one more” and it was such a joy to see my mom’s reaction.
  • Seeing baby on ultrasound for the first time
  • Hearing baby’s heartbeat and movements at my latest appointment

The Pits

I want to keep this real because I know lots of us go through very challenging seasons. This is one of them for me. I am telling myself that yes, things are hard and that’s okay.

Most of what has been hard is unrelated to the pregnancy but makes the pregnancy more challenging.

As many of you know, we are renovating our house in a big way. We had demo completed about 6 weeks ago and then things took a turn. Structural damage was caused during demo and the work was done illegally by the individual we hired and paid. That person is no longer working with us.

We are now in the process of hiring someone else but because of the structural damage caused, it’s taking a much longer time to get quotes, drawings and approvals. There are new twists and turns every day and there have been more downs than ups.

Meanwhile, our belongings are in a POD, we have no kitchen and we’re living out of a tiny room upstairs while we try to figure this out. We are still unsure of when work will begin again, how much it will cost and if it will be done before baby arrives.

Affirmations that are getting me through this are, “I can handle it” and “I am a creative, energetic problem solver” along with constant reminders to be in the moment I’m in.

That remains the biggest pit. The rest are trivial.

  • A family member’s first response to the news that we are pregnant was, “Aren’t you glad you lost so much weight now that you’re just going to put it all back on?” Oh, what a resounding display of love. Thank you.
  • I’ve been both highly emotional and pretty tired, which is a tricky combination especially with all that is going on.
  • As a self-employed woman, I can’t exactly call my boss and tell her I’m taking a 3-month maternity leave. Sure, there are some things I can get ahead on like the podcast and weekly emails, which I’ve been working towards. But, there are a lot of things that aren’t quite so straight forward. Fortunately, I have a coach who is helping me strategize but that definitely adds a level of pressure that has been tough at times.

We can’t end on a negative note now, can we? Now is as good a time as any to share:

It’s a girl!

We’re so excited and I’ll keep you updated every couple of weeks as things change!

 

634: Feeling “Blah” & Other Listener Questions

These listener Q&As are some of my favorites! Today Sarah and I are diving into so much stuff including:

  • Feeling blah and losing your zest for life
  • High cholesterol
  • What my first courses looked like and how they have changed
  • Dealing with “bad supervisors” or difficult people
  • Maintaining your “ideal” body size
  • Daily coaching audios
  • Knowing what your gut needs
  • Self-doubt & insecurity

I also recommend Chasing Cupcakes in today’s episode – if you haven’t read it, I’d love for you to give it a go and let me know what you think!

To get on the wait list for the Fall 12 Weeks to Transformation, click here!

Vacation State of Mind

I’m celebrating because I’m on vacation, in BERMUDA! I wanted to take a minute to share with you my intention/strategy for this trip.

If you’d rather listen to this email than read it, please click here. Otherwise, keep reading below.

Vacation used to be a total free-for-all. I’d eat whatever I wanted, as much as I wanted because, hey, ‘it’s vacation’. The problem was, I’d feel awful. Heavy. Tired. Self-conscious.

I’d come home feeling like I had to crawl out of a hole I dug for myself. It sucked. It wasn’t worth it and I didn’t have as much fun as I could have because the trip was clouded by thoughts about food and food choices. No bueno.

Then, I swung in the opposite direction. For a couple years, I sat on the sidelines. I was militant about my work, my workouts and my food choices. Sure, I was rested and my energy was great, but I was using “structure” as a barrier to connection and experience.

I told myself this story that indulging equals fun and not indulging equals not fun.

Fortunately, I now realize that’s total BS. It’s not either/or. And if it feels like it is, you’re doing it wrong.

I can eat in a way that makes me feel amazing AND really treat myself AND enjoy every bite of food that passes my lips without missing out. It’s really all about the story you tell yourself and the perspective you choose. There is always another way. Dozens of other ways. I will be looking for foods I will LOVE and enjoy eating that will also make me feel amazing (helllllllo ceviche & fresh fish!)

I see every day as an opportunity to enjoy life more and live in alignment with what I want most, so I thought I’d take a few minutes to share my perspective on this trip.

First – I want to feel amazing every single day. I want to feel happy, lighthearted, present, confident and energized.

My first step is to get clear on what kinds of things will make me feel that way and what kinds of things won’t make me feel that way.

Do:

Get lots of sleep
Journal every morning
Sweat every day
Play every day – prioritize FUN and connection
Drink lots of water

Don’t:

Overeat
Make choices that make me feel crappy
Submit to insecurity. Sexy is in how you carry yourself and drama ain’t sexy.
Work too much
Take anything too seriously
Worry

There’s a real simple filter I’ll put my choices through: will this make me feel amazing? If it’s not a hell yes, it’s a no. Maybe a bite of the dessert will make me feel amazing but having the whole thing is a NO.

Yes, I’ll work every day. I’ve set boundaries for myself that work is between 5am-10am.

Yes, I’ll drink alcohol. I’ll only choose drinks that are really worth it and I won’t have more than 1 drink per day. (More than that and I’m likely to not feel how I want to feel.)

Yes, I might indulge in sugar, but only if it’s worth it and only in a way that still allows me to feel how I want to feel (amazing). (As long as the internet connection is good, I plan to post everything I eat/drink on my IG stories)

However, my biggest focus isn’t on work, workouts, food or alcohol. It’s about connection.

Worrying about how I look in a bathing suit does NOT foster connection with the boyfriend. In fact, it’s a barrier to it. So, I’ll be choosing PRESENCE over projection.

Worrying about the emails that come in at 11am won’t help me connect with the boyfriend. That would be a barrier to connection, so I’ll keep my attention on the moment we’re in.

While these are my vacation practices, they’re also totally applicable to TODAY! To this week at work! For your dinner out tomorrow or absolutely any other time so try them on for size!

I asked you guys over in the Primal Potential FB group if you wanted to hear about podcast about the trip & the strategy in action and the answer was a resounding ‘yes’ so be sure to stay tuned for that soon!

Oh! And don’t forget that I’m doing free weekly coaching videos for everyone who is on the wait list for the summer 12 WT! Here’s a link to get on the wait list if you aren’t on it already!

“Elizabeth, Are You Keto?”

I got a fantastic question via direct message on Instagram the other day.

 

 

Sure, I was being a little cheeky but, to the question of whether or not I eat in a way that could be classified as keto, the answer is both yes and no.

If you’d rather listen to this blog than read it, please click play below. Otherwise, just keep on reading. 

One of the primary barriers to success and permanent change that I witness with my clients is that people are far too attached to a single way of eating.

They’ve convinced themselves that it needs to be “this way” or “that way”. They’ve convinced themselves that they need to pick a lane: keto, intermittent fasting, paleo, primal, low carb, high carb, carb cycling…

Here’s the real danger to that all-or-nothing mentality: the moment you make a choice that doesn’t align with the “way” you’ve chosen, you convince yourself that you’ve screwed up and you need to start over.

That is exhausting AND it doesn’t work.

The way you eat isn’t a religion.

If you decide to follow a keto, primal, paleo, vegan, vegetarian, low carb or high carb diet, it’s not a ‘way of life’. It’s a choice.

The problem comes when we treat it like a religion.

We’ve done a good thing if we’ve followed the rules. We’ve done a bad thing if we’ve broken the rules.

We’re “on track” if we’re following the rules. We’re “off track” if we aren’t.

That’s not how I choose to live and it’s not how I choose to work with my clients.

Some days, I eat a lot of non-starchy veggies – enough to prevent my body from being in a state of ketosis. Cool.

Other days, I eat fewer non-starchy veggies, a moderate amount of protein and a keto-expert would call that a ketogenic diet. Love it.

Some days I fast. Great!

Some days I eat at 6am. Perfect.

Other days, I eat a lot of protein – enough to prevent my body from being in a state of ketosis. Awesome!

On days like yesterday, I eat sweet potato fries. Winning!

Other days, I don’t have any starch. Yay!

Some days I don’t eat any meat. Perfect.

Am I a vegetarian? For that day I was.

I eat in a way that makes me feel my best.

I eat in a way that makes my body and my mind feel good.

I work to avoid the things that don’t make me feel my best.

It’s not a religion.

From the outside, some days are keto. Some days are paleo. Some days aren’t. Some days are gluten free. Some days aren’t.

It’s not about rules, it’s about paying attention to what makes you feel amazing and learning from your choices.

I’m all of it – keto, vegetarian, vegan, paleo, primal, cupcakes, intermittent fasting.

And sometimes I’m none of it, too.

What makes you feel your best? Do that.

 

542: Real Food Keto with Jimmy & Christine Moore

542: Real Food Keto with Jimmy & Christine Moore

Today I have the great pleasure of talking with Jimmy Moore and his wife Christine (a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner) about their newest book, Real Food Keto.

First and foremost, this episode is about far more than ketogenic diets. Even if you aren’t a ketogenic eater, you want to listen to this episode.

I was so excited to see a book come on the market that focuses on real food and nutrient density. Sure, there are lots of bars and shakes out there. There are an increasing number of keto cookies and brownies and paleo desserts. In fact, there are so many of these type of things that a lot of people are losing sight of HEALTH.

For the sake of health, longevity, mood, energy and overall wellness, our food choices must be about more than impact on our waist line and overall flavor. Nutrient density matters.

I could rant about this for days and weeks, but instead, let’s dive into the conversation with Jimmy & Christine. We have a thoughtful conversation about dietary individuality, myths surrounding ketogenic diets and the critical importance of nutrient density.

If you have questions about this book or want to dive deeper into any of the topics, be sure to leave a comment and let me know!

You can get Real Food Keto on Amazon here.

Resources:

Hop on the wait list for the Winter 2019 12 Weeks to Transformation

Want to learn more about what the 12 WT is and how it works? Listen to episode 515 of the podcast for all the details including who it’s for, who it’s not for, how much it costs, what’s included and more!

Predominantly Paleo’s Paleo Cowboy Chili

More about Jimmy & Christine Moore

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