Nicole Tasker Woods

It is hard to keep up an exercise routine when you are tired ALL THE TIME! When I get in the car after a long day at work, I envision flopping down in bed for a nap. And some days, after an hour’s commute from work to home, that’s exactly what I do. But I try to get outside for a walk 3-4 times per week, usually 1.5 to 2 miles–just far enough to get my heart pumping.

For Christmas, from her grandma in NH, Cali got a new leash that has a light on it so that you can see what is in front of you (other than a basenji booty). It has a second light that shines down directly onto the ground and a third light that is red and blinking in the back of the leash. I use this to walk Cali at night so that we are both visible to other walkers and dogs, as well as cars passing by. She also wears a red-blinking heart around her neck on these nightly walks—I’m sure from a distance we are a sight to see!

I am afraid of gaining too much weight during my pregnancy and not being able to lose the weight after the baby is born. I know that being pregnant is a beautiful thing and (as one of my friends said) the bigger you are, the healthier the baby will be. But this fear has kept me moving, walking whenever I have the energy and working out with my Wii Cheer 2 video game. While I am sure the walking is more beneficial than the Wii Cheer-ing, the video game has kept my interest in staying active.  Hey, it can’t hurt, right?

Besides avoiding caffeine, sushi and whatever else is on my doctor’s list of food no-no’s, I don’t watch what I eat at all. If there are brownies in the kitchen at work, I eat them. If I am at a restaurant for lunch or dinner, I have dessert. I try to fit in some fruits and vegetables whenever possible, but I don’t make myself crazy over it. I eat when I am hungry and drink lots of water.

At this point, I am nearing my fifth month of pregnancy and all of the baby weight is in my tummy at the front of my body. It is like I am carrying basketball–I love it! My goal is to keep working out in an effort to avoid gaining excess fat on my hips and thighs. Though I wouldn’t mind if my butt got a little bigger. It’s always been so flat and blah.