Fitness and Pregnancy!

As you can see, I have majorly slacked in posting on this blog! I am 9 weeks pregnant with my third child. This is my first pregnancy since I’ve become more dedicated to fitness 3 years ago. I have been homeschooling my oldest (Kindergarden!) and working my home-based business with ItWorks. Life has been busy!

I have learned a lot in the past few weeks about staying fit through pregnancy. This article on Bodybuilding.com is my favorite that I have come across so far. It is certainly worth a read for anyone trying to conceive or mamas who are expecting! For me personally, with the first trimester taking a toll on my energy levels, I have noticed that I need more rest days between workout days. Instead of one or two rest days per week, I am only working out every other day. I have lowered the intensity of my cardio a lot, and kept my strength training the same. Various kinds of push-ups, pull-ups and squats are my strength focus…I’m sticking with the basics to keep my muscle tone!

Diet and Pregnancy – I am obviously not restricting calories or trying to lean out at all. I am ordering my mochas as decaf… and of course making sure I take enough folic acid each day. There were two weeks where I had no appetite for anything remotely “heavy”…all I wanted was cold fruit, veggies and salad! Nothing else settled in my stomach very well. My appetite has since returned though, thank goodness! This Italian girl LOVES food! 😉 I am simply focusing on clean, whole foods (with the exception of mochas of course!) and I’m not paying attention to how many calories per day…just stopping when I am full!

Pilates and Pregnancy – Pilates is an AMAZING form of fitness during pregnancy! There are so many ways to modify each exercise and it is great for the core. I am going to keep my focus on various planks….especially after the 1st trimester is over, I am going to be very careful about avoiding any twisting-type core work, as I don’t want to exaggerate the separation of the rectus abdominis muscles!

Pole Fitness and Pregnancy – I have taken the advice of the lovely Veena at studioveena.com. For the first trimester, I am only doing tricks and inverts that I am 110% solid on, and not learning any new ones. Then for the second trimester, I will stop inverting all together. Third trimester–I’ll be keeping both feet on the floor at all times 😉 No more spinning or lifts until after baby arrives!

I have a blog devoted to this pregnancy, check it out — fitmamaofthree2013.wordpress.com

Well, that’s all for now…I hope to post more about my fitness journey throughout pregnancy 🙂

Get Fit Giveaway by Atalante Project

Sooo, I am all about some giveaways, ESPECIALLY if it is beauty or fitness related…. I am LOVING this blog and I just came across this AWESOME giveaway! Check it out and enter to win!

Ultimate Thermofit

Here is another AWESOME product that I’ve been taking… The average person will burn an extra 288 calories per DAY by taking this supplement 3 times a day. Here is the list of ingredients and the benefits of each! -Kat

Ultimate ThermoFit

• Vitamin B12 – A water soluble vitamin. Helps boost energy level & speed up metabolism. Helps your body use iron fully & create red blood cells. Regulates the nervous system, fighting depression & stress. It is essential for healthy skin, hair, and nails. It helps in cell reproduction and constant renewal of the skin. Protects against heart disease by curbing and improving unhealthy cholesterol levels. Essential for healthy skin, hair, and nails. It helps in cell reproduction and constant renewal of the skin.
• Chromium – This mineral improves your body’s insulin sensitivity, helping to reduce body fat & increase muscle mass. Helps to decrease LDL (bad cholesterol) & increase HDL (good cholesterol). Reduces amount of sugar in your blood.
• Capsicum fruit extract – Antioxidant. This lowers triglycerides in the fat deposits in blood corpuscles. This not only burns extra calories, but also energizes the metabolism. Prevents blood clots. Prevents carcinogens from mixing with DNA.
• Raspberry Ketones – increases secretion of adiponectin, which aides in catabolism of fatty acid.
• Acai fruit extract 5:1 – Antioxidant. Neutralizes toxins in the body. Increases metabolism.
• Green tea leaf extract – antioxidant. boosts metabolism. supports immune system. enhances the production of adiponectin, which leads to burning fat.
• Guarana seed extract – memory enhancer. boosts energy & mental alertness.
• Bitter melon fruit extract – prevents cancer. controls blood sugar levels.
• Dandelion root extract – Aides in lowering LDL and triglycerides while increasing HDL. Because of its positive effects on the liver and digestion, dandelion root may help boost the effectiveness of other vitamins, minerals and nutrients. Provides B vitamins, which stabilizes mood & fights depression.
• Gymnema leaf extract – controls sugar cravings.

Here is what I’ve noticed personally while using this product: I started taking this twice a day when I began eating cleaner (10 days and counting!) and adding cardio into my daily routine. I don’t feel like I NEED soda or desserts like I normally do when trying to eat cleaner, so the sugar cravings are much less. I have already noticed a big difference in seeing fat disappear & seeing more visible muscle tone, especially in my tummy! YAY abs!!! I can’t WAIT to see the results after 30 days. 

Check out ALL of our products at: http://katsays.itworks.net

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“What’s in the Body Wraps?”

The Ultimate Body Applicator

I’ve been researching each ingredient individually and here is what I’ve found! (I used various skin care sources on the internet.) Another distributor of ItWorks products had a doctor tell her that these are like a giant multivitamin for the skin! Love it 🙂 ~Kat

Ultimate Body Applicator

• Glucose – skin conditioning agent that draws moisture into the skin for hydration
• Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride – an oil extracted from the meat of coconuts. It is non-greasy, light weight, and rapidly absorbs into skin. It is also known to be compatible with most skin types, making it an excellent choice for use in products for sensitive skin. Used as an emollient in skin care, creating a barrier on the skin to help skin retain moisture.
• SD Alcohol 40 – used in skin care to decrease the “dry down” time of a product. Expert Panel (CIR) in 2008 and found to be safe as used.  Likewise, because they are denatured with the above denaturants, SD Alcohols all are considered safe as used in cosmetic formulations.
• Gycerin – used in cosmetics and personal care products mainly to improve skin’s smoothness and moisture content.
• Propylene Glycol – In skin care, this acts by retaining the moisture content of skin or the formula, preventing the escape of moisture or water. It’s versatile ingredient used in over 4,000 products and formulas in the cosmetics and beauty industry. It is also a frequent food additive.
• Stearyl Alcohol – a naturaly fatty alcohol derived from stearic acid or coconut oil. Used to soothe and soften as a conditioning agent and as an emulsifier.
• Urea – Naturally occurring humectant. Hydrophilic (helps skin retain hydration), accelerates the skin’s cellular renewal process, natural exfoliant, increases skin’s permeability.
• Decyl Oleate – Lubricant found in anti-aging skincare
• Jojoba seed oil – amazing moisturizer. minimizes fine lines & wrinkles. softens and adds suppleness to skin. promotes rejuvenation of skin. Unclogs pores. Prevents dehydration.
• Glyceryl Stearate – derived from palm kernel, vegetable or soy oil and is also found naturally in the human body. It acts as a lubricant on the skin’s surface, which gives the skin a soft and smooth appearance. It easily penetrates the skin and slows the loss of water from the skin by forming a barrier on the skin’s surface. It has been shown to protect skin from free-radical damage as well.
• Magnesium Aluminum Silicate – a naturally occurring mineral derived from refined and purified clay that is used primarily as a thickener in cosmetics and beauty products
• PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate (Coconut Glycerides) – Derived from coconut. Acts as a lubricant on the skin’s surface, which gives the skin a soft and smooth appearance.
• Phenoxyethanol – preservative that functions as a topical antiseptic in cosmetics and beauty products. It has become a widely used ingredient because of its positive reputation as a gentle preservative that is considered non-irritating; it is also one of the few synthetic preservatives that does not release formaldehyde.
• TEA-Hydroiodide – a water soluble organic iodine compound, it can help stimulate lipase activities and restore normal morphology and function, acts rapidly and efficiently on the adipose tissue. It is widely used as an ingredient in anti-cellulite products.
• Menthol – Gives cooling sensation. Used as a topical analgesic to relieve minor aches and pains.
• Caprylyl Glycol – humectant and skin conditioning agent. Because of its multi-functioning nature (moisturizer & anti-microbial), it’s used in a plethora of personal care products.
• Tocopheryl Acetate – a fat-soluble vitamin, a form of vitamin E. A natural skin-conditioning agent and antioxidant.
• Camphor – Derived from camphor tree. Antimicrobial. Produces a cooling feeling similar to menthol.
• Panthenol – a plant-based form of Vitamin B. Penetrates into the deepest layers of skin. Diminishes wrinkles by moisturizing into the deepest layers of skin. Reduces inflammation, soothes irritation and initiates the rebuilding of your skin. Counteracts bacteria.
• Triethanolamine – used as a pH adjuster, assists in emulsion formation by reducing surface tension of the substances, enabling water and oil-soluble ingredients to mix.
• Carbomer – widely-used thickening agent that helps control the viscosity and flow of cosmetic products.
• Rosemary leaf oil – tones and firms skin, reduces puffiness/swelling. astringent. antibiotic. Circulatory benefits of rosemary lead to an improved complexion, allowing nutrients to effectively reach the skin while removing waste products and toxins.
• Horse chestnut seed extract – anti-aging ingredient that protects and strengthens the veins and capillaries. It prevents cellular filtration (leaking). It promotes better and healthier collagen. It fights inflammation.
• Eucalyptus leaf oil – promotes regeneration of skin tissue. improves blood circulation. antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral.
• Sorbic Acid – derived from the berries of the mountain ash tree, and has traditionally been used as a preservative for food and wine due to its ability to prevent spoilage caused by yeasts, fungis and molds, as well as some other bacterias. In skin care, it functions as an antimicrobial.
• Myristic acid – a fatty acid found in nutmeg, palm oil and coconut oil. It is used in cosmetics as an emollient and a stabilizer, preventing separation. It smooths the skin and prevents moisture loss.
• Sodium Benzoate – found naturally in cranberries, prunes, plums, cinnamon, ripe cloves, and apples. As a preservative, it prevents bacteria and fungi from developing in products.
• Methylsilanol mannuronate – an organic derivative of seaweed that binds moisture in the epidermis therefore firming and strengthening the skin. It is often used in spa wraps and treatments, but is also now seen in many beauty products and skin creams. The sea algae extract found in Methylsilanol Mannuronate has long-lasting moisturizing properties that help combat the deterioration of collagen and elastin fibers, giving it skin firming properties; it is also known to fight free radicals.
• Green Tea Leaf Extract – rich in polyphenols, free radical-fighting antioxidants, found to help prevent premature aging and guard against UV damage. The polyphenol most abundant in green tea, EGCG, is also thought by some scientists to reactivate dying skin cells.
• Gotu Kola Leaf Extract – A mildly antibacterial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcerogenic, anxiolytic, a cerebral tonic, and circulatory stimulant. Some studies done by University of Maryland Medical Center indicate that triterpenoids found in Gotu Kola strengthen the skin, boost antioxidants in wounds, and increase blood supply to the area. It’s also thought to boost the production of type I collagen and myofibroblasts. Based on these findings, Gotu Kola has been used topically for minor burns, psoriasis, prevention of scar formation following surgery, and prevention or reduction of stretch marks.
• Horsetail Leaf Extract – reduces hemorrhaging (including menstrual bleeding), promotes faster healing of wounds. Diuretic (promotes release of toxins). Antiseptic. Astringent.
• Bladderwrack Thalle Extract – form of kelp filled with minerals that help nourish and cleanse the skin of toxins that cause dryness, wrinkles and excess fluid retention.
• Ivy Leaf Extract – antifungal, antiviral, antioxidant… also used to treat sunburn (anti-inflammatory). reduces water retention. reduces cellulite.
• Guarana Seed Extract – One of the most powerful benefits of guarana is its energizing effect. Boosts metabolism by increasing thermogenesis. Good for cardiovascular health.
• Butcher’s Broom Extract – promotes healthy circulation, preventing varicose & spider veins. It has diuretic properties that help to rid the body of excess water and toxins. Anti-inflammatory. It’s considered to have a balancing effect on hormone levels, which may help with the mood swings associated with PMS and puberty.
• Sunflower Seed Oil – rich in oleic acids and contains a high content of Vitamins A, D, and E. The oil also contains lecithin and unsaturated fatty acids, making it a nourishing and conditioning oil for skin and hair. Sunflower oil is typically used in products designed to treat dry, damaged, or mature skin and hair as an emollient. Sunflower oil provides moisture and a protective layer to the skin
• Heptadecanoic Acid – fatty acid found in dairy fat, rye, and some fish. Has beneficial impact on metabolism.
• Retinyl Palmitate – Vitamin A, increases collagen production to reduce wrinkles. Used in many anti aging products.
• BHT – an antioxidant that helps fight against the deterioration of cosmetic products caused by chemical reactions with oxygen. It’s also known to work synergistically with other antioxidants.
• Limonene – a scent ingredient and solvent naturally occurring in the rind of citrus fruit
• Linalool – a naturally occurring substance that is used to make fragrances and flavors.

All of this means moisturized, supple, tightened toned and firmed skin, diminished cellulite, faded stretch marks, and many more amazing benefits! 

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