Hello, Friend! Happy Tuesday!

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Another Tuesday-Blogday where I have multiple ideas on what to share, soooo I’m sharing multiple things in the form of a 3-2-1!

3 Pregnancy Updates

At almost 18 weeks, and with the babe the size of a large onion (or a Pop Tart, which I like better than onion!), I’m starting to feel more pregnant. I’m still not looking it all that much, with the exception of my boobs which are basically huge, for me at least. There’s definitely a little belly there, but I imagine if you didn’t know I was pregnant you’d probably just think I’d put on a few lbs lately ;)
Despite not looking like it, I’m definitely finding myself breathing harder during walks and workouts. I’m still moving well, challenging myself appropriately, modifying things as needed, but it’s just getting (expectedly) harder.
Post-workout photo from last week!
I’m also finding myself wanting to buy all the baby things and putting a whole bunch of items on my baby registry… isn’t it early for nesting?! Maybe, but I’m enjoying being excited about it, so while I haven’t purchased anything just I’m going with the excitement!
Luckily, my appetite is fully back and nausea is basically nonexistent lately (except I still can’t swallow pills… though I’ve never really been someone who can just throw ‘em back anyway). And with the increased appetite it feels like I’m eating A LOT lately! I remember when I wrote my first pregnancy update, I said I wasn’t really craving/enjoying treats. That has since CHANGED! While I’m eating healthy and balanced meals and snacks, getting my protein, etc, my want for sweets is definitely higher, so there are more little bites of chocolate during the day and/or cookies or treats at night. I imagine it’s at a reasonable level, though!

2 Instagram Accounts I’m Loving Lately

Dr. Idz (@dr_idz)
I’ve really been enjoying this account! In his posts, Dr. Idz debunks/breaks down misinformation claims out there using real science and studies, like this one and this one. I also appreciate that he can be self-critical and look at his own posts/claims for their validity, too. That’s an important skill which many “influencers” are missing these days.
Jordan Syatt (@Syattfitness)
I may have mentioned this account already… forgive me if that’s the case, but this guy is good! I like to follow his account in general, but specifically lately, because he’s been doing his own little weight cut and has been documenting the whole thing. It’s been something like 5-6 weeks and every day he weighs himself, adds the data to his graph, and puts it on his IG story. He’s lost something like 6-8 pounds so far, but the graph is the amazing part because it shows the natural fluctuations of weight, mini plateaus, spikes, dips, and most importantly, the overall trend line of his weight loss. This is from his story today:
I think this is important because so many of us get caught up in the number on the scale day to day and may not see the big picture.
Is it right for everyone to weigh themselves daily? No. But I do appreciate him bringing attention to this using himself as a test subject.
Aside from this current cut he’s doing, he also shares factual and reasonable-to-life nutrition information that is beneficial and educational to the average human.

1 Book Review

A few weeks ago I wrote up a whole book review, and also mentioned that I started listening to Burn: New Research Blows the Lid Off How We Really Burn Calories, Stay Healthy, and Lose Weight by Herman Pontzer. I’ve since finished it and wanted to do a mini book review here!

I listened to this book, and in retrospect wish I had a physical copy of the book instead. Not only because there were a lot of graphs and tables mentioned that I didn’t get to see without looking up the supplemental information, but because I would have highlighted and underlined the shit out of it!

This book was GREAT and I highly recommend it!

He breaks down the principles of metabolism, shares a clearer understanding of burning calories than I’ve ever heard before, compared how different individuals who move different amounts use calories, discusses evolutionary changes in metabolism, shares his personal experiences living with tribal communities in Africa, what they eat and burn on a daily basis, and explains what we can do to make changes in our nutrition to reach various goals.

Here’s the thing, like we already know, he talks about the need to adjust caloric intake to change body composition, but that you do not need a special diet to do that. And, in fact, diets like keto, paleo, low carb, etc. are likely not be all they’re cracked up to be anyway. He clarifies how it’s more effective to make those caloric adjustments via food intake as opposed to exercise (but that exercise DOES serve a purpose for health and longevity).

Anyway, my explanation here likely isn’t doing this book justice. Bottom line: if you’re looking to learn more about metabolism, calories, health, exercise, and then deduce what that might mean for you in your life, this is the book for you. It’s also significantly less dense and more fun/easier to read than the last book I reviewed.

Okay, that concludes today’s 3-2-1! If you have questions about anything or want to speak further about any of it, I’m here for you, sara@nutrtionforlifeproject.com!

As always, thank you for reading!
xoxo,
Sara

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The Nutrition For Life Project Blog

3-2-1: Pregnancy Updates, Favorite Instagram…