I gained almost 45 lbs during my pregnancy, though I have to thank Ian, genetics and luck for most of it taking the form of a big, beautiful and high belly. Once I crossed into the second trimester and the nausea stopped, I ate bigger portions than pre-pregnancy. I also snacked a little more than before, but didn't go crazy. Also in the second trimester, I resumed my yoga practice that had been put on hold due to the nausea and the placental hematoma. In fact, the last two months of my pregnancy, I did yoga at least 4 times a week at a great yoga studio in Erie called, The Barefoot Buddha. After Ian's cesarean birth in September, I was told to wait 8 weeks before resuming exercise. I returned to the Buddha in November, though not as frequently. I haven't been exercising since we came back to Egypt and I've definitely been overeating. Still, I've lost about 30 lbs since the birth. I'm not aiming for my pre-pregnancy weight while I am breastfeeding but I do need to tone up and prevent post-pregnancy weight gain.
I'd like to walk outside, but the sidewalks are in such poor condition and the people drive so insanely, that I can't navigate the streets fast enough for exercise. When you add in the pollution, I think running outside is detrimental to your health unless you are in a club, park or somewhere away from traffic. Cairo American College, the private American K-12 school, has a track where a lot of people go to walk. If you don't have a student there, you have to join. When they open back up after Winter Break, I think we will.
We have a treadmill and a Bowflex in the house. I also have yoga, pilates and aerobics dvds. For the past two days, I've done 25 minutes of fast walking on the treadmill and Helene Byrne's dvd, Bounce Back Fast! Post Natal Core Conditioning. I will follow the Bounce Back program for a month and report my progress. It seems a bit slow, but the movements are precise and I can feel the work.
No comments:
Post a Comment