Loving your body

by: alisia

1. “You seriously need to lose weight.”

2. “Your arms are too skinny. You need more tone, more muscle.”

3. “Your love handles are totally hanging over your pant waistline.”

4. “You seriously need to work on those thighs.”

5. “You would look so much better if you could just lose 5 pounds.”

6. “You look awful without makeup on.”

7. “What are those spots on your face? Scars or zits?”

8. “You are so out of shape!”

9. “Your cellulite is showing.”

10. “You have big hips.”

11. “Wow, that girl has an amazing body. You don’t look like that at all.”

12. “If you could get to 18% body fat you would look so much stronger.”

13. “You are not that pretty. You have a pointy nose.”

Those are 13 negative statements. And no, they are not from a bad boyfriend or husband. Shockingly, these are awful statements women say to themselves every day. About one thought for every waking hour of our day. According to this Glamour article, on average women have about 13 negative thoughts daily. And 97% percent of women admit to having at least one “I hate my body” moment every day. 

Most women are unhappy with their bodies. There are a million different reasons why this is the case. Many of which I don’t want to go into today. We can blame society all we want for this problem. But it still doesn’t solve it. So how do we fix it? How do we stop this negative spiral of daily thoughts? Start seeing yourself though the eyes of love.

What are the eyes of love? Simple. It is how my two-year-old daughter sees me.

She doesn’t know what my body fat percentage is. She doesn’t know that I am still working on losing the last of the baby weight. She doesn’t know that I think my hips are big or that my nose is pointy.She doesn’t know if I am ugly or pretty. She isn’t yet penetrable by society’s definition of beauty. All she knows is that she loves her mamma. There is no fat or skinny, pretty or ugly in her eyes. She loves me for who I am.

1. “Mom, I love you!”
2. “Mommy, come dance with me.”
3. “Mommy! Good to see you.”
4. “Mom, I like you.”
5. “Mama let's play.”
6. “Maaaaaaaam! Maaaaaam! Where are you? I want to be wif you.”
7. “Hello mommy!”
8. “Mommy, so preeetty!”
9. “1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Yay! Mommy I did it!”
10. “Mamma, hug?”
11.  “Kiss it better mommy.”
12.  “Do we look alike? Yay! Wahoo!”
13.  “Mommy’s eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth, ears, cheek, chin, lips, hair.”

Every day she sees me and she loves me. When I was big and pregnant, she never once told me I looked awful. But she did love to see and touch my big belly. She knew there was a baby in there, and that is all that mattered to her. She sees my eyes and lips with or without makeup on them. And they are just eyes to her; eyes that see her, lips that kiss her and make her feel better. She doesn’t see me through society's eyes. But she does see me through the eyes of love.

And it doesn’t take a two-year- old to love you in order for you to love yourself like a two-year-old would. One day at a time, we can decide to see ourselves as beautiful and love ourselves for who we are with the innate beauty we each possess.

What about you? What helps you to see yourself in a more positive light? 

Quick and Healthy Breakfast

by Rachel A.

In an effort to lose a few extra [extremely stubborn] pounds of baby weight, I've been really watching what I eat and have been trying to find ways to make what I eat more healthy.  With two little kids running around, eating healthy can be a challenge. Here's one option for breakfast that is super easy to put together, tastes good, and leaves me with lots of energy to chase those kids around.

First, I start with about eight ounces of unsweetened vanilla almond milk.

Next, you'll add your dry mix-ins. Most of these can be measured out and put in a sandwich bag ahead of time, for more time-saving. I typically use the following combination, but feel free to use your imagination. If something seems like it would taste good - try it out!

Mix-ins:

Chia Seeds - This is the one essential mix-in to this drink. When soaked in a liquid for more than 30 minutes, the Chia seeds form a gelatin shell, which makes the liquid more yogurt or jello like. Chia offers many health benefits including being a great source of Omega-3 and helping keep you hydrated. However, claims regarding it's ability to aide in weight loss have been disputed. Regardless, I love the stuff! I usually put about 3 TBSP of Chia in my 8-oz glass of almond milk, and let it sit for an hour or so (this takes a bit of forethought), if not overnight.

Slivered Almonds

Cinnamon

Unsweetened Coconut - make sure it's unsweetened!

Fruit - In the picture above I show dried cranberries (make sure they are simply dried cranberries—most brands are loaded with extra sugar), which is one of my favorites, especially in the winter when fresh berries are hard to come by. This summer I've been using blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and even nectarines. I imagine frozen berries would taste great too, but I've never tried it. The fruit adds the sweetness you may feel you're missing with all the other unsweetened ingredients.

Other ideas:

Stevia - On days that I'm wanting a little extra sweetness, I'll add in a small squirt (a little goes a LONG way) of this Stevia sweetener. It doesn't quite taste like traditional sugar sweetener, but it is so much better for you to avoid the sugar!

Flax Seed - Lately I've been throwing in a tablespoon or so of flax seed, which is being called one of the most powerful plant foods around. This does add a bit more grit to the drink, but if you can get past it, the health benefits are huge.


Once you have all your ingredients together, throw them in your almond milk and stir it up. If you haven't let the Chia sit in the almond milk yet, you'll need to let the whole mixture sit for a little while to set up. I usually put this together as soon as I wake up, then help my kids get breakfast, or jump in the shower and it's ready by the time I am done.

As a heads up: I usually get hungry a couple of hours after breakfast when this is what I have. If this happens for you too, be prepared with a banana or LARA Bar (I'm a new lover of LARA Bars thanks to my friend Kristie Belliston of The Belly Fit Club) to hold you over until lunch.

Let me know how you like it! I'd love to hear if you have more ideas for mix-ins, or if you have other quick & healthy meal ideas.

Exercising Right After Baby: What You Need to Know

CONGRATULATIONS! After being pregnant for 9 months, you finally got to go through the incredible experience of giving birth. You are in love with your brand new baby. But you are not quite as happy with your new body. In fact, you may even still look 6 months pregnant. You might think, "What the heck!? The baby is outside of me, why does it look like he is still inside!?"

Oh the postpartum body!

It's not your real body. Yet.

Give it two weeks. Give your body two weeks to heal. Two weeks to rest completely. Two weeks to eat whatever sounds good. Two weeks to sit and hold that baby and nothing else. For two weeks don't even think about your body, and how that bulging tummy isn't quite gone yet. Give yourself two weeks because that is usually how long it takes for your uterus to shrink down. And it is not fair to be hard on yourself thinking about the weight you have to lose eventually when you don't even know what you have to work with yet.

After the two weeks, you will start to look a little more like you. Just a softer, more wiggily version of you. And now it is time to start thinking about eating better and getting a little more active. (And by little, I mean just a little. Don't jump back into your normal exercise routine yet!)

I have had two babies with two very different births. I had a c-section with my first and a vaginal birth with my second. And I can tell you one thing, It hurts like crazy no matter how that baby comes out!! The healing process is painful. After going through a c-section, I was actually pretty surprised at how painful a vaginal birth was. That first week is rough no matter what. For both recoveries it hurt to cough, to sit (or to get up from a sitting position), and to just move around. I feel like no one ever talks about how painful it is. And that is why it is so important to rest and recover. Give your body its much needed time to heal. You don't want to deal with a longer recovery because you didn't slow down and rest when you should have.

After two weeks and once you start feeling better a lot of women have questions about what you can or can't do. If you are like me, you may be anxious to start doing something active, but are not sure what is ok yet. After going through this experience twice, researching as much as possible, and talking to my doctor. This is the best advice I can give you:

If you have had a c-section:
Give yourself the full 6 weeks before you even think about doing any abdominal exercises. It is just not worth the risk of opening up that incision from too much strain on your abdomen. You need to heal. You need to rest. BUT you can walk. Go for walks with your baby. Walk around the neighborhood. Walk, walk, walk. After about 5 weeks you can start doing some abdominal breathing contraction exercises (explained below) And then after you see your doctor, you can go back to a regular workout routine. But don't push yourself until the doctor says it is ok.

If you have had a vaginal birth:
Wait until you can sit up without any pain. Make sure there is no pain when you cough/sneeze. Usually that is about two weeks. After the two weeks you can do some very simple abdominal exercises. (The simplest ones, such as breathing contractions, are even safe to do right after you give birth).  The important part is that when you start doing abdominal exercises you want to avoid excessive forward flexion, or crunches. The abdominal exercises should all focus on engaging your transverse abdominis by drawing your navel in and up.  Holding a plank is the perfect example of a safe exercise you can start doing. But it is not yet time to go back to a crunching/sit up abdominal routine.

Your first abdominal exercise: Breathing Ab Contractions, also known as the Tupler Technique.
Before you rush back to your body pump, or pilates class at the gym, I recommend starting with simple abdominal contractions. For many women if you had a Diastasis  (your abs split) this is the best thing you can do to knit the abs back together. You start by taking a big inhale, then while you exhale flex your abs by drawing your navel in and up or "suck in" your belly. Hold the abs in tight while you inhale and exhale for 5 deep breaths, drawing the abs in even deeper each time you exhale. Then release and repeat. You can do this while you are nursing your baby, or while you are doing your dishes. You can also mix it up by doing a set of shorter contractions with a series of flexing and releasing those abs for one count (instead of 5 breaths). No matter where you do it or how you do it,  the important part is that you train your body to engage the core by drawing your navel in and up. Once you are more aware of your body and you master this technique, you are then ready for more abdominal exercises.

Below is a video with a series of exercises you can do once you have mastered the ab contractions. This video is designed to be your very first exercise routine after giving birth. It is simple, and focuses on engaging the core without too much forward flexion. Make sure you listen to your body and are healed enough to do it. If you feel uncomfortable with any of the exercises, don't do them. It is ok to allow your body time to build up to it. Remember, you did just give birth after all! Once you have completed the video and feel that all the exercises are pretty easy, (and once your Dr. says it is ok) then you are ready to jump back into a normal exercise routine.

Pregnancy: Exercising during the Third Trimester

by alisia

Have you ever been punched in the stomach? If not, just do some forward flexion (ab crunches) during your third trimester of pregnancy. It is incredibly uncomfortable.  You can't breath because there just isn't enough room.

So how do you work out your abs during your third trimester? The answer is: very carefully and only a minimal amount. You want to remind your body that you do have abs, and that they should engage to support your lower back; it doesn't take a lot of work to wake them up.

I recommend spending about a minute or two every time you work out in a supported teaser (pictured above) or in a knee plank.  It is just enough ab work to help take away a lot of the lower back pain that many pregnant women suffer from during their third trimester of pregnancy. But don't worry about doing too much. As soon as you get that someone is punching you in the stomach feeling, then it is time to stop.

And here is a list of what you should avoid during your third trimester:

• Lying on your back for more than 5 minutes at a time (or shorter if you start feeling dizzy);
• Inner thigh work;
• Excessive hip flexor strengthening/stretching;
• Any exercises that have a higher risk of falling;
• Lifting heavy weights;
• Excessive abdominal work; and
• Breathing so hard during aerobic exercise that you couldn't carry on a conversation.

And of course, before working out at all, make sure you talk to your doctor. No workout is worth the risk of a pre-term baby. 

Even though it sometimes feels like you can't do anything during your last trimester,  (nor do you have the ability or energy half the time) there are a lot of exercises you can, and should do.   You can work your legs, arms, back and glutes all you want.  You can walk and walk and walk and walk. And lets be honest, if you are past your due date, I am sure you will want to do a lot of walking to help get that baby out.

For some women, your pelvic floor muscles are a great thing to focus on during your third trimester. You may need all the help you can get to prevent those "dribbles" when you sneeze. But for other women who may already be tight, working the kegel muscles may not be as wise. The last thing you want is to tear more down there when you give birth because of tightness. 

Most women experience a lot of anxiety during the third trimester. Your world is about to change. Exercising is a great way to help manage that extra stress, but what is more important that anything else is to listen to your body. You will know better than anyone if you are pushing yourself too hard or not enough.

And as tough as it may be at times, remember to hang in there. Just a couple more weeks and you will be holding your beautiful baby.

Here are some videos with examples of exercises you can do during your third trimester:

Pregnancy Abs

(Do this with 3-5 lb weights...even if you are not pregnant! It's a great arm workout.)

Glutes! Pregnant or not, try this one out!

Pregnancy: Exercising during the Second Trimester

by alisia

The second trimester of pregnancy is definitely the best trimester. The morning sickness goes away and you finally start feeling better. You start to look pregnant and don't have to worry about people thinking you are just thickening up. You get to find out the gender of your baby. You aren't too big and uncomfortable yet. I love the second trimester.

READ MORE>>

Pregnancy: Pilates for the 1st Trimester

by alisia

Right now I am in my third trimester of pregnancy. This is my second baby, so you would think that I would have this thing down by now. But no matter who you are, how many pregnancies you have had, or how good pregnancy looks on you, you feel huge. Period. Loving your body and welcoming every change in pregnancy is a challenge.

 I really have to remind myself that I am not just gaining weight, but that there is a new life growing within me. I am the support system for another human being. The miracle of that process is unfolding before my eyes every day, and every change in my body is a sign of the miracle that I am blessed to be a part of. 

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Are You Hard Core?

What does it mean to be hard core, and how can YOU get there? 

by alisia

For years I have had a very muscular client named Alex in my pilates mat classes. This guy is huge. I mean it looks like he could crush me with his pinkie. Alex has a six-pack that I could literally wash my clothes on. However, he suffers from back pain. Years ago when the pain became unbearable, he started seeing a physical therapist. After running some tests they told him that while he had lots of muscles, most were superficial and that he really needed to work on his deep supportive muscles. His physical therapist told him to take pilates classes. Once he came to pilates he began to really understand what “hard core” meant. After he did, his back pain went away.

Most people are more conditioned to using the larger muscle groups, but in pilates we work from the inside out and concentrate on using the supportive muscles near the skeletal frame. The emphasis is placed on mindful, focused, intentional movement. During each exercise we are reminded to activate through the “core” muscles before moving. These muscles include: 1) the Transverse Abdominals, the deepest layer of abdominal muscles that wrap around the torso like a girdle and work to stabilize the spine while allowing flexibility of movement; 2) the Multifidus muscles, small muscles that connect and stabilize the vertebrae (bones that make up the spine); and 3) the pelvic floor muscles (otherwise known as your Kegel muscles).

Just like Alex, I see a lot of clients with injuries or weakness of the postural muscles, as a result of work, lifestyle, or not exercising the right way. I tell them to think of a tree. Does it have all its strength in its limbs? No. The tree is only as strong as its trunk and roots. Without a strong trunk, the tree would topple over.

It's the same for human bodies. If we don't concentrate on building a good foundation and a strong trunk or core, we'll end up tight in some places and weak in others, injury-prone and susceptible to the pitfalls of our occupation or chosen form of exercise.

Just like Alex, you may think you are hard core, but you don’t know what hard core really means until you take pilates classes.



Don't have time to take a pilates class at a studio or gym? No problem, here are links to some of my favorite pilates DVD's, youtube channels, and websites:

DVD's:
Real Pilates: System 27
For the serious pilates student. This video is just as good or better than any mat class you would take at a pilates studio.

MTV Fitness- Pilates Mix
This is still one of my favorite pilates DVD's. It isn't too easy like most DVD's end up being. It is a good workout with lots of variations from the classic pilates routine.

10 Minute Solution: Rapid Results Pilates
This video and any 10 min solution pilates DVD is generally pretty good. Plus it is nice to pick and choose a 10, 20, 30, or 40 minute workout depending on how much time you have.

Winsor Pilates
Any Winsor pilates video is generally pretty good. She moves really fast and sometimes doesn't do enough reps to really get the burn in my opinion, but her videos are all pretty good.

Pilates Websites:

www.pilatesanytime.com

I use this website everyday. If you are going to pay for any online subscription, this would be the one. It has reformer/tower/cadillac/chair/mat pilates classes from instructors that are highly qualified from all different backgrounds and educations. It has a lot of mat classes you can do from the comfort of your own home and it is constantly updated. 

www.pilatesinteractive.com

Another subscription site. It is good, but it just shows one exercise at a time. A website for the serious pilates student to learn each exercises with exactness. 

UltimatePilatesworkouts.com

And their YouTube Channel with their podcasts: Pilates on Fifth (or just google pilates on fifth video podcasts). These ladies know what they are talking about and they have some really good variations

Pop Pilates/Blogilates

This girl is not as professional as the websites mentioned above, but she does have some really good variations to the classic pilates routine.

Tone it up
This is not a pilates website, but they have some pretty good ab and glute series that are very similar to many pilates exercises.

And a little extra treat for you: I love this butt burner workout:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZkTTv3GjRFA

(Don't judge the belly, I am 6 months pregnant in all these pictures )