Surprise, surprise! Shortly after starting PIYO at the beginning of August, we found out I was pregnant! Not too much of a surprise for us as it was part of our plan, but it did alter my goals and expectations of the PIYO program. I don't have any "traditional" before and after photos to share since I was obviously not going to be losing weight once we realized I was pregnant.
The photo above shows me at Day 1 of PIYO, unaware of the start of the tiny little life inside of me. It also shows me 13.5 weeks into my pregnancy journey. Still working out, but modifying as needed.
I've since completed the two months of PIYO but it was certainly not done how I would have done it prior to being pregnant. I had to slow down, keep an eye on my heart rate and make sure I modified any positions that felt uncomfortable or gave me an increased risk of falling over or hurting myself. Even though I don't have any traditional "weight loss" stats to share with you, I can tell you PIYO definitely helped me accomplish several other non-scale victories!
- My flexibility and balance were vastly improved.
- I could hold a plank for 90 seconds, pretty easily.
- My push up strength improved and I could do more of them on my toes instead of on my knees.
- I became more aware of my posture throughout the day.
- I stuck the Warrior 3 pose without falling over once.
- I just had an overall feeling of strength and health, knowing I was doing good things for my body.
- Before we knew about the pregnancy, I had been on my way to losing 5 pounds in the first month of PIYO. Obviously that changed and I've since put on weight, as I should be!
Even though I am officially "done" with my first round of PIYO, I'm certainly going to keep it in the rotation of exercises I plan on doing throughout my pregnancy, and after the baby is here. Currently I've gone back to my first Beachbody love, T25. I freaking love that program! The 25 minute workouts are the best part about it for me. And I can still get a good sweat on, just by following the modifier person they have in each workout. I wear a heart rate monitor and make sure to keep my heart rate below 140. This is all doctor approved...no worries!
I'm hoping my healthy habits before pregnancy and during will allow me a smoother (easier...ha?!) labor, delivery and recovery. This seems to be a great overall plan according to my doctors and friends who have been through it before!
Now, I just need to get my eating habits back on track. Once the doctor said, "Yep, you're pregnant!" all my mind wanted was carbs and cheese, haha! I do eat those, but I need to make sure I'm balancing it with fruits, veggies and lean proteins. I'm grateful to have an online support system in our Challenge Group that helps keep me in check. Good for me and good for baby.
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