http://fitbie.msn.com/eat-right/your-body-margarita?GT1=50002

I know, reality check right?! When you think about what drinking on empty does to your body, it kinda makes it not worth it. But I always say if you’re going to relax and have a fun night out go ahead and do it right. Eat, drink, and be merry! Just make sure you get up and do your Disaster Control Workout the next morning!

All the best,

Katie Kottmann, VP, CFT, SPN, Certified Pre-/Post-Natal Trainer

Goal Fitness & Nutrition, LLC

www.GoalFitnessandNutrition.com

What have YOU  got to lose?

Special thanks to Libby Salerno and Women’s Health Magazine

If you’re an expectant Mommy you’ll love DeFrump Your Bump. This site offers the what’s hot and what’s not of the most fashionable Moms-to-be. Whether you’re just starting out and are stuck in that first trimester awkward phase, starting to show and your pants aren’t fitting anymore, or you’re in your final trimester and don’t quite feel attractive in anything…. this site has tips for you! You’ll never wonder what to wear again, and you’ll definitely never have to sacrifice the pain of drab clothing for your sweet little pea.

Libby Salerno is a Personal Stylist and offers advice and assistance with every single stage of your life and wardrobe. My favorite service she offers (I’m biased) is helping clients who have recently lost weight and just can’t figure out how to dress their new bodies. Sometimes we just need a little assistance pulling it all together. I’m happy to refer my personal training clients to her, should they need advice. She also offers services for bridal parties, corporate clients, moms, and many others. She is affordable and totally worth it. Don’t look like a slob on accident… call her! Trust me, she’s a pro!

Both sites can be linked to through our blog in the ‘Links’ section.

All the best,

Katie Kottmann, VP, CFT, SPN, Certified Pre-/Post-Natal Trainer

Goal Fitness & Nutrition, LLC

www.GoalFitnessandNutrition.com

What have YOU  got to lose?

I started by using my personal weight, body fat, etc., and I figured if I ate around 2,300 Calories I could maintain my weight and gain about a half a pound per week in my first trimester (I believe it is recommended to gain only 4-6 pounds your entire first trimester, but I was working out, too.). If I was hungry I ate a little more. If I wasn’t, a little less. This was fine and dandy until those days filled with nausea and the others filled with ravenous hunger. I found some days I would eat only 700 Calories and others I’d eat closer to 3,000…. and I’m not talking junk food either, but most of what I wanted was carbs! I was so frustrated and felt so fat that I was starting to hate myself. I had gained 10 lbs, looked like I was already 6 months pregnant, and I was only 13 weeks! Ladies, I was pissed. So I threw away the calorie counting altogether. It obviously wasn’t helping, and the obsessing day after day about what I was eating was driving me nuts. I started to resent my body when I’ve always found pregnant women to be so beautiful. I wanted this to be a time of acceptance for my body, and I’ve realized that throwing away the calorie counting was the best thing I’ve done for myself and this little boy. In an effort to help other pregnant women out there, I wanted to let you know you are NOT alone!

Here are some tips to all you beautiful Mommies out there that want to stay beautiful while you have that bump:

-Sleep while you can. A clean house, late nights on the town, and extra hours at work are overrated. When the baby comes you will not have a choice about when and how much sleep you get, so take advantage pronto!

-Let someone else do the work. I know it’s hard to admit you either can’t do something or don’t have the energy to do something, but admit it. Start asking for help now because once baby is here, you’ll only have one hand to do anything. And if you already have other children, they are going to have to learn that you can’t be everything to them at every moment of the day. Mommy needs time to herself, too.

-A craving is only a craving. People get cravings every day, whether they are pregnant or not.  It’s up to you how you handle that craving. The story still applies, whether you are growing a child or not… Do you really need that package of Oreos? If you do, have a couple. If you don’t and it just sounds good, maybe wait on it. Reality check: You are not really eating for two, but more like 1.13 of you ; ) And remember, whatever goes in your mouth is what your child gets for nourishment. Be a good role model from the start!

-Exercise! Working out gives you energy, reduces anxiety and stress, makes for an easier labor, reduces blood pressure, and creates a healthy baby. My favorite thing about this whole pregnancy so far has been exercising, knowing my little man is in there with me. He’s got a sweatband on, I just know it! Whether you are a jogger, walker, weight lifter, pilates junkie, or whatever, just do something. There are a ton of classes out there geared towards pregnant women so look something up and get in the action! The best music I ever heard was my doctor telling me my son had a beautiful, strong heart beat and feeling as though I had some control over that. Atta boy!

Follow your doctor’s advice on what’s a healthy exercise plan for you. Most women that have been exercising can continue their current routine well into their pregnancies. I, personally, am still able to jog a few miles at a time without any problems at all and I can lift lighter weights with higher reps. Just be sure you don’t exercise if you’re overly tired, feel dizzy and/or out of breath, or have any other complications. Also, while you exercise be sure your core body temperature doesn’t get too high and your heart rate is also within a normal range…. no sprinting, heavy lifting, or anything that may shunt oxygen from the baby. You’ll know if you do to much. STOP immediately if you get dizzy, tired, sore, or start bleeding (call your doc on this one if it’s heavier than spotting or if it continues). Ask your doctor if you have questions.

-Listen to your body and use common sense. Hungry? Eat. Not hungry? Don’t eat. Full? Stop eating. Energy? Exercise. No energy? Don’t exercise, take a nap. Get the picture?! It’s really not hard to tune in and realize what your body needs. If everyone could be pregnant just once they would probably learn to regulate their food and exercise properly. You’ll probably find that your body ends up really wanting fruits, veggies, proteins, and healthy foods that give you natural energy instead of junk food that makes you lethargic and tired. I, personally, have found that I don’t want to eat the junk because I already feel big and tired and eating those things only makes that feeling worse. And the bigger I get, the more I can tell when I’m full. There’s just no room in there! With exercise, I want to do it because it gives me more energy. Sometimes it’s hard because I’m tired to start, but even going for a quick walk will wake me up. If not, I cut it short and sleep when I get home. If you listen to your body, weigh the pros and cons, and realize who you’re really doing this for, you’ll do right by your baby.

-Go with the flow and slow down. Us crazy women have overcomplicated everything in life. At least we can multitask, right?! Well this is one time where I say slow down and do one thing at a time. Everything will get done. However, if you’re having a surge of energy one day you should definitely use it to your advantage. Just remember that tomorrow you may be overly tired. Just go with the flow.

It’s funny how most advice during pregnancy is the same as I’d give to someone just trying to be healthy in general. It’s really not that hard. Skip the calorie counting, enjoy your new body (boobs and all, hey-o!), let your man enjoy your new body (double hey-o!), listen to yourself, and be pampered. Women are caregivers, but we often forget about ourselves. Make yourself a priority, at least for these 9 months, and enjoy the transformation. Being a Mommy is one of the best things life can bless you with so don’t waste your time worrying. You’ll be back in tip-top shape before you know it and you’ll probably miss that belly!

*Disclaimer: Please speak with your physician regarding your specific dietary needs. I am not a doctor, and this information is not intended to take the place of your doctor’s advice. This is simply my personal experience and has helped me through my pregnancy thus far.

All the best,

Katie Kottmann, VP, CFT, SPN, Certified Pre-/Post-Natal Trainer

Goal Fitness & Nutrition, LLC

www.GoalFitnessandNutrition.com

What have YOU  got to lose?

My whole life I’ve dealt with body issues. As you may have read in previous posts, I’m a bit of a control freak when it comes to food and exercise. Well let me tell you, this pregnancy has been quite an adjustment so far. I just started to bump out a little bit, so I’m still able to wear my old clothes, no problem. It’s just big enough for me to just look fat some days, not fat other days, and have me feel fat every day! I’m just waiting to wake up one day and have NOTHING fit me. I keep telling myself it’s okay and that I’m growing a human being, but it’s still tough. I’ll let you know how I adjust.

So far I’m still able to workout the way I was before I found out I was pregnant, minus bootcamps which I miss very much. I still jog, lift weights, walk, etc. Actually, I look forward to working out! I get excited that it’s something me and this baby can share together. I plan on telling him/her when they’re here. Just time for the two of us. I like to picture the baby (I don’t know the sex yet) getting some great cardio while I’m jogging. Or getting nice, healthy growth while I’m lifting weights. And eating is the same way. My child eats only what I provide, so it’s important to eat healthy things for it to thrive and survive! It’s quite a different way to look at things. But it’s fun!

Life is ever-changing, but life is good.

All the best,

Katie Kottmann, VP, CFT, SPN

Goal Fitness & Nutrition, LLC

www.GoalFitnessandNutrition.com

What have YOU  got to lose?

http://www.goalfitnessandnutrition.com/bmr_calculator.php

Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is basically the amount of calories your body burns in a 24-hour period if you were to just lay awake on the couch. Our calculator takes into account your activity level so you know even more accurately how many calories you burn each day. Once you figure this out, you can determine how much you should be eating to lose weight. Remember, an average healthy weight loss per week is 1-2 pounds. It takes a deficit through food or exercise of 3,500 calories to lose 1 pound.

Your body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on height and weight that applies to adult men and women. The only problem I have with this measurement is that if you’re really tall, really short, or really muscle-dense, you will be off the charts on your BMI. I’d stick with the BMR to know if you’re in the healthy zone as far as the amount you’re carrying around. Too much is no good!

All the best,

Katie Kottmann, VP, CFT, SPN

Goal Fitness & Nutrition, LLC

www.GoalFitnessandNutrition.com

What have YOU got to lose?

I know I’ve written blogs about this before, but it is seriously so important to know that nutrition will amount to at least 80% of your results!!! If you are busting your ass in the gym, but cannot seem to get your eating under control, you are completely wasting your time… and if you’re one of my clients, you’re wasting my time as well…. which doesn’t make me happy. You don’t have to work harder in the beginning to lose weight. You have to eat smarter! So here are some tips to get you losing fat (especially in the waist, hips, and thighs) as fast as possible!

*Eat more healthy fats! It takes fat to lose fat, so incorporate EVOO, almonds, natural peanut butter, and things of that nature to your daily nutrition. Try to keep it under 20% of your daily calories.

*Don’t eat carbs past 5 or 6pm. Carbs that aren’t used for energy get stored on the body as fat. The less excess carbs you have before you go to sleep, the less will be stored as fat.

*Do your low to moderate intensity cardio on an empty stomach. For the best benefit, do it first thing in the morning. This way you’ll be able to burn through any excess carbs and fat you may have stored overnight before you consume any more. Doing this type of cardio for 30-60 minutes will tap into your fat stores.

*Eat breakfast! Your largest meal of the day should be breakfast. This will give you energy to get through your morning and boost your metabolism by getting it going first thing.

*Fuel your activity. That is, eat for what you’ll be doing. If you have a desk job and you know you’ll just be sitting there for hours, don’t eat too much! One hundred calories per hour if you’re just sitting is fine. Now, if you have a pretty active job, you can up your calories.

*Eat 5-6 small meals/day. Doing so will keep your blood sugar stable, keep you satisfied, and keep you from crashing and eating too much. It will also keep your metabolism boosted.

*Eat your protein and green leafy veggies. Both of these take more energy for your body to breakdown than other nutrients. If you eat these, they can raise your metabolism and you’ll lose more weight without doing anything! Plus, protein is necessary for muscle repair and muscle building.

*Do a mix of weights and different intensity cardio. Heavy weights increase muscle growth which increases metabolism. High intensity cardio a couple of times a week boosts metabolism. Low to moderate intensity cardio burns fat. Doing a mix of all of these will keep you lean!

*Drink water! The average person needs 96 oz. of water/day. If you’re exercising or working hard, you need more! Get a water bottle and refill it all day long. You may pee more at first, but it will slow down as your body gets used to the increased consumption.

*Listen to your body. If you’re tired, rest. A lot of times we confuse fatigue for hunger so try a nap instead of the snack machine. And if you’re sore, give yourself a day to recover.

That’s a good start. If you have any other questions, send them my way. I’m always happy to help!

All the best,

Katie Kottmann, VP, CFT, SPN

Goal Fitness & Nutrition, LLC

www.GoalFitnessandNutrition.com

What have YOU got to lose?

You may be wondering why white rice cereal is so bad. Well, baby white rice cereal is no different from the white rice you and I have been warned against consuming. White rice is made by taking brown rice and stripping it of all the blood sugar-stabilizing fiber and essential fatty acids you need to keep you from crashing through the day, leaving you with a very nutrient-depleted substance. To make baby food, this basically non-nutritive ‘food’ is then processed down even further to make flakes that go in your child’s belly. Sounds good, huh?

I’m not a Pediatrician, RD, or whatever, but I am a Mom (that’s right, with a capital M) who cares where my food comes from and how it’s going to be handled by my body. When our son turned 4 months and his doctor said he could start on cereal he recommended baby oatmeal. Not only is it better for him, but it helps him digest better, leaving him with less stomach aches and BM issues. I thought about it, and I figured it made absolute sense to only feed him something I would put in my stomach. I wouldn’t eat white rice. I wouldn’t even eat quick cooking oats. So to Target we went, and I bought his very first box of Organic Whole Grain Oatmeal. He prefers it thick, full of texture, and when he eats it at night he’ll sleep all the way until morning. Now, I don’t know if this will keep him from being obese when he’s older, but I like to think I’m doing right by him for not shoving processed sugar and ‘fluff’ down his throat. The first steps I’m paving for him are hopefully going to continue into his adulthood, leaving him healthy and happy. Now if I can get through making his baby food we’ll really be on a roll!

I say way to go Dr. Greene!

All the best,

Katie Kottmann, VP, CFT, SPN

Goal Fitness & Nutrition, LLC

www.GoalFitnessandNutrition.com

What have YOU got to lose?

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41321656/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/

All the best,

Katie Kottmann, VP, CFT, SPN

Goal Fitness & Nutrition, LLC

www.GoalFitnessandNutrition.com

What have YOU got to lose?

We’d love to read your tweets and be able to offer some great daily info to you and yours. Have a very happy weekend!

All the best,

Katie Kottmann, VP, CFT, SPN

Goal Fitness & Nutrition, LLC

www.GoalFitnessandNutrition.com

What have YOU got to lose?

I feel twice as guilty because, as a personal trainer and nutritionist, I’m supposed to be a role model for others. How can people learn and listen to me when I’m not doing what I need to be healthy? But you know…. I’M HUMAN DAMMIT! I have weaknesses (in the form of cookies and crackers) that I have a hard time controlling sometimes. The winter is the worst. I joke that I put on the ‘winter 15′ but I seriously do sometimes! Again, it’s horrible.

My life has turned into this cyclical pattern of waking up thinking I’ll eat healthy, end up not eating so healthy or drinking too much, end up eating even more because I figure what the hell, stay up too late because I don’t want to wake up tomorrow thinking about what I did today, go to bed, wake up tired because I ate crappy and went to bed too late, hate myself for doing it, resolve to eat healthy today…. etc…. etc…. You get the picture. So at what point will I break this pattern? What will it take to end this? It is an addiction that has changed the chemistry of my brain. It’s been this way as long as I can remember. Let’s go back…

I’ve always had food issues. In grade school I pushed 200-lbs because the way I dealt with my feelings was food. And we always had processed, sugary, oh-so-yummy food in the house. Many times I was alone as both parents worked, both sisters had activities, and I had my teenage emotional baggage to deal with all alone in my house…. SWISS CAKE ROLLS!!! DORITOS!!! It truly spiraled out of control (I remember my sister mentioning my parents talking about a fat camp… NO THANK YOU!). Then one day we had a fire drill at school, and walking back into the building some dick behind me wouldn’t stop talking about how fat I was, chanting “Fat ass! Fat ass!” I went straight to the bathroom and cried until my teacher found me. She then promptly went into action getting him suspended… I loved her. The next day, I remember making swift changes in the way I ate. I even started to exercise! And by the end of junior high I was down to a healthy weight and no one recognized me. It was a great feeling.

Since then, I’ve managed to keep my weight to a reasonable number… sometimes I get too low, sometimes too high. I’m sure no one but my husband knows this, but I dealt with bulimia for awhile. Therapy helped that. But those thoughts come back every now and again. It sure seems like an easy answer sometimes, but it’s not. It just gives you a headache, sore muscles, and a really sore throat. Plus it’s just gross.

Now, I go through periods (usually months at a time) of ups and downs. And when my life is chaotic and seems out of control, I turn to food and drink to ‘cure’ it. But it only makes it more out of control. So here I am. It’s been a VERY crazy, out of control 6 months for my family. Actually, there’s really no end in sight right now. So I’m trying to figure it out again. Perhaps it’s something I will always deal with… I guess I should know that after 27 years and a degree in psychology. But it really sucks. I have to stay positive, keep the faith, and know that it just takes putting one foot in front of the other to get it done. I’m no better than anyone else. I’m human. I’m emotional. I over-complicate things. I lose control. And I won’t apologize for it…. to myself or to anyone else.

Thanks for letting me share. I’d love to hear from you if you’re in need of some support. I’m always here!

All the best,

Katie Kottmann, VP, CFT, SPN

Goal Fitness & Nutrition, LLC

www.GoalFitnessandNutrition.com

What have YOU got to lose?