​Have you ever left the doctor's office feeling overwhelmed, a little lost, or even defeated? 

We go in for a check-up, we learn something new about ourselves that we likely didn't want to, then the doctor makes recommendations for us to make changes. 

They say it like it's just so easy. "You just have to cut out _____ (insert food group here). Here is a brochure."  

We leave the doctor's office with the feeling of "this is it. No more. This time I NEED to make a change." 

Then, somehow in that time between getting in your car, driving home, and walking into the house you sit on the couch wondering "what next?" 

That's what happened to me when I went to the doctor for one of our first prenatal visits. I left with a 30-item to do list and a bag full of resources that I'm pretty sure weighed 12 pounds. When I got home, the bag sat there and the to-do list got mixed in with the rest of my lists. It was all too much. I didn't even know where to start. 

Recently, one of my new coaching clients went to the doctor's office and had a similar experience.  She was surprised to see the scale, the number was higher than she'd seen in a long time. She felt down when she saw that... like she just got punched in the stomach. 

She also KNEW this time was going to be different. This is IS different. 

When she went to the doctor's office this time she wasn't in a place of feeling defeated and lost. She was in a place of feeling in control, planful and ready to take action. Sure, the number on the scale took a second to absorb, but it didn't ruin her day.

Her doctor appointment was in between our first and second session. We'd already laid the groundwork of really putting our finger on what was slowing her down from making progress and identified what it was that led to this place of being the highest weight she'd seen on the scale. 

We then came up with a plan. I shared with her a system to make changes... a system that is 110% customized and unique for her. 

We then made some powerful goals.  These goals we made are ones she is excited about.  How do I know that? Because I listen to her. I HEAR her. What was an original idea for a goal was paired with a dull tone in her voice. After digging deeper and asking some questions her goals changed in the slightest and there was power & excitement in her voice. THAT is how I know the goals we set are right for her. 

Instead of walking out of the doctor's office last week asking herself "how the heck am I going to cut out wheat from my diet?" (per doctor recommendation) she left feeling okay about it. 

She left knowing she has a coach ready to help her shift from feeling overwhelmed about this fairly big lifestyle change. She left knowing she was ALREADY taking action to make changes in her life, and now she had more specific information about exactly what needed to change. 

In sharing her doctor news with me, we met it in a place of "Okay, we can do this. What do we need to do in order for you to not feel deprived? What can we do to make this change last for good?" 

What's one lifestyle change you've been recommended to make and it just felt like "TOO MUCH"? 

Connect with me about it. You don't need to feel overwhelmed. You CAN make this change and you WILL feel amazing! 

** side note: This client has already lost 3 pounds**

 At nearly 23 weeks pregnant, this morning I had a thought in my workout class that made it all just click. You see, before being pregnant I would only form my opinions about working out during pregnancy purely from observations and what I read, not experience. Now that I'm in it, it's a little more clear to me. 

I strongly believe in moving in a way that feels good.  Before becoming pregnant, it would feel frustrating to  me when I would hear of pregnant women not getting any form of exercise at all.  My thoughts were "can't you just go for a walk?"  On the other hand, it would also frustrate me when seeing women who would appear to be pushing it to their max well into their pregnancy. My thoughts were "How selfish. What impact does you pushing yourself this hard have on your baby?"

Looking back, I realize that was just me judging from the outside (yes, I admit it!) without having my own experiences to draw from. Now I get it. Now my thoughts on this topic are a bit more clear. 

We all have a baseline from where we start.  As someone who has built a pretty solid foundation (that I'm so thankful for) of working out consistently and moving in a way that challenges my body daily, working out while pregnant doesn't feel like something I'm struggling to continue with. What has been a struggle, however, is adjusting how hard I workout. 



Lately my mental state is driving my workouts more than my physical state.   I'm sure I could push it harder in my workouts if I really wanted to. Physically, I know I could do more jumping, and move a little quicker. Mentally, I don't want to. 

You could tell me it's fine and it's safe and everything will be okay, but at the end of the day I'm going to choose what feels right for me.   I don't want to jump a lot. I don't want to do fast moves. I don't want to lift really heavy. Why? Because it doesn't feel comfortable for me mentally.  

In one of my pregnancy books, "Girlfriends Guide To Pregnancy" I read something that helped it all make sense. This book isn't a scientifically based book, it's more so one girlfriend talking to another about pregnancy, so please take my takeaways from it as just that. Basically the book states that nature is doing something amazing to your body.  And, the human body is amazing in knowing exactly what to do.  When we work to contract our muscles, maintain our previous fitness levels and fight against the amazing thing that's happening to us in a way to control our exterior physical state we are essentially fighting against nature.  This in turn could create a more complicated delivery as our body has gotten used to fighting nature instead of giving in to it. 

Instead of fighting against the miracle that nature has created in my body, I'm trying to lean into what's occurring. Instead of being fearful of what my body will look like after pregnancy and how long it will take, or how hard it will be to get "back to normal" I'm choosing to *try* to surrender to the process.   

Is pushing my workouts to the max, getting red in the face and lifting heavier than I did before worth the anxiety that may come with what I'm doing to my body during this time while its working hard growing a human? No. To me, it doesn't feel worth it. Before I would workout without consequences, however now it's not just me that's impacted by my workouts, but our baby too. 

Before becoming pregnant I wasn't doing Crossfit, lifting heavy and doing box jumps everyday. Why would I start that now? On the other hand, I wasn't sitting on my butt all the time. I worked out at least 5 days a week. So, why would I stop that now? 

For this morning's workout, I didn't finish all four rounds prescribed like the "old me" would have. That's okay. I modified like crazy, because it's what felt right. I moved slower with intention and took several water breaks.  I showed up and moved without any expectation or goal to finish in a certain time. I  did what I could and left feeling physically pushed and mentally okay.  Truly, that's all I'm striving for right now, and I'm good with that.

We are each different. We each have a starting baseline and varying comfort levels. What's right for me might not be right for you.... and what matters most is doing what feels good for YOU.