Expecting to Stay Fit: The Benefits of a Fitness Journal During Pregnancy

Pregnancy is a very special time. It is a time of excitement, anticipation and joy. It is also a time during which your body experiences dramatic changes. These changes can be overwhelming and some women feel they have lost control of their body. During this time, it is important to remember that this is a normal, natural part of pregnancy. Additionally, your health has never been more important. A useful tool during pregnancy to help maintain a healthy lifestyle is a fitness journal.
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Obviously pregnancy is not the time to be considering a diet to lose weight. It is however a great time to be aware of your health and to monitor it. This can easily be done by using a fitness journal. Even if you have never used a fitness journal before you can benefit from one during your pregnancy. It is a valuable tool that can help you monitor what you are eating, how much you are exercising, and even the changes to your body.

A fitness journal can help you monitor your diet carefully. By simply recording what you are eating in your journal daily you can be more aware of what you are eating and when. This is valuable information for anyone, but especially for a pregnant woman. You will need more calories than ever before in your life. This can make it challenging to eat well. By keeping track of what you are eating you can ensure that you are making wise choices and eating nutritious food.

It is also important to record your activity levels in your fitness journal. Swimming is a wonderful exercise when you are pregnant because you are weightless. The complete body workout that it gives you is very beneficial. Of course, check with your physician before beginning any exercise program.

Although the amount of activity you engage in is very likely to fluctuate throughout your pregnancy it is still important to monitor it. Knowing how active you are and how your activity level is changing is priceless information during pregnancy. It can not only help you make day to day decisions but can also be of great use to your health care providers.

Each pregnancy is different, so keeping a fitness journal during your pregnancy is a wonderful idea. You may want to consider having a special fitness journal for just your pregnancy. Be sure to include notes, thoughts and other information in this journal. Decorate it, add pictures and celebrate your changing physique. If you become pregnant again, you can compare your notes.

This part of your life is very important and will become a memory before you know it. Keeping a fitness journal will be a great memento to treasure for years to come. It will be all about you and baby, before baby was born.

After the baby is born, your body will need a period of rest to heal and rejuvenate. Before you resume your normal fitness routine, consult your physician. If you are given the go ahead for exercising, you can record your meals and activities in your fitness journal. Use this journal to plan your fitness goals too. Be sure to measure yourself before pregnancy, during pregnancy and after pregnancy as well as weighing your self too.

For some women, resuming a regular diet is difficult after the birth of the baby. Having gotten accustomed to additional calories every day, we sometimes find it hard to cut back. Use your pregnancy fitness journal to continue recording your meals and physical activity. By being mindful of what you are eating, you can make food changes so that you eat fewer calories but are not left hungry. The fitness journal can help you monitor your weight loss or gain after a pregnancy too. It’s a great way to stay on top of your health.

Remember to take some time to devote to yourself after the baby comes. Your hormones may be off balance and you may feel anxious or overwhelmed at times. All of these things are normal and will usually pass. Use your journal to unload your mind of these thoughts and feelings and begin making goals for yourself, too.

You’ll want to stay healthy after the baby is born and your diet can help keep you that way. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables everyday, as well as getting enough calcium and protein. Try to avoid processed foods that are high in sugar and sodium. You can keep track of all of this in your fitness journal.

Trying to eat around a baby’s schedule can be challenging. Try eating five small meals instead of three. You won’t get so hungry between meals and if you have to delay eating to tend to the baby you won’t feel like you are starving.

Clearly there are many benefits to keeping a fitness journal during your pregnancy and after. Not only will it allow you to better monitor your health, but it will also help you to feel in more control of the many changes that come with pregnancy.

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