If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time, you likely know I declare balance as an integral part of healthy living. Balance is hard though! Recently, I have learned just how exceptionally hard by trying to balance food as a pregnant lady. I still enjoy my favorite vegetables and lighter, healthier dishes, but it takes a lot more planning and effort to eat those meals. I desire hefty, savory dishes while pregnant. BBQ sandwiches, Mexican food, pizza, hearty casseroles. Sweets sound good too – cake, candy corn, icecream, and cookies. Even McDonalds manages to squeeze its way in as an undeniable craving despite its utter lack of appeal outside of these 9.5 months.

You know what else doesn’t help? The almost insatiable hunger of the 2nd trimester. The first one you feel like you spent the last night chugging tequila and have no desire to eat. The last one your stomach is basically in your throat thanks to the jabbing and kicking bundle of joy taking up any room where food could fit. The second trimester though? Ohhhh….bring it on! Hunger strikes sometimes mere minutes after putting your dish away. And the food tastes so insanely delicious. Unless its veggies. My normal beloved meals simply taste meh right now.

However, for the sake of balance and to keep from going overboard on the way my body wishes to eat, I do take some proactive measures.

1. Have reasonable portions of the foods I crave.

While my plates may include larger portions than the norm due to pregnancy, I still never eat to overfilled and try to eat when genuinely hungry instead of when a case of the munchies hit. I also try to keep treats to single serving sizes…like dividing up the oh so tempting candy corn pumpkins into baggies and being certain to eat no more than one handful baggy per day.

2. Make healthier versions of favorite meals.

I can make healthier chicken enchiladas, my favorite healthified sloppy joes, pulled pork tenderloin sandwiches, casseroles hiding containing veggies, veggie filled pasta dishes, etc. These satisfy me but still provide nutrition.

3. Allow for treats regularly.

Once a week we go out to dinner for me to get whatever I may be strongly craving. I order what I want and feel no guilt over it. Having that meal to look forward to makes it easier to actually prepare the healthier options during the week. We also have pizza Fridays where we make some pizza at home for a chill evening.

4. Keep meals that don’t have cravings lighter.

Since heftier meals call to me, I typically face the worst cravings at night. For that reason, it’s easier to stick to healthful staples for breakfast, lunches, and snacks. Things like oatmeal, green monsters, fruit, hummus, yummy sandwiches, leftovers of those veggie dishes I make myself cook at night still sound appealing at those times. I get in all the nutrition I can during those meals.

5. Don’t fret!

I know that within a month after delivery my old taste preferences and eating habits will return. I know guilt and stress over food does nothing positive for my body or the truly amazing experience of pregnancy. This will likely be the last pregnancy I experience and I will not dwell on not eating my absolute best. I may be in a 70/30 ratio instead of a typical 90/10 ratio of health to more indulgence, but it does not matter. I know I will have strong health practices and live as a healthy example to my children. And I know I still do my danged best now…even if it isn’t quite in line with my best ever.

• What situations make it hard for you to balance your eating?
• Any other tips or suggestions you would like to share?

Before getting into today’s 30 DSLR post, I want to take a moment and declare my gratitude for all the warm comments and support I felt from you after last night’s post. I do not know where those dark forces came from to try to make me doubt this initiative. Going into this project, I only placed on myself the expectation to write what I felt strongly about. Any amount of support, participation, and reach from that would come as a blessing.

I still feel just as strongly about the 30 Days as I did when it first grabbed hold of my heart. If possible, I would never want it to stop and to carry on reaching people in some way because I believe in it so much. I don’t know what got into my mind to cause me to fret over such trivial matters. I have overcome it and realigned my focus. Now let’s get to what brings us here and what we all need – an uplifting moment. After all, a big reason I shared all those thoughts last night was to show that I need this just as much as anyone else.

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Last week, we began the first installment of the weekly "Gifts of the Body” posts. To view that post – click here. I decided that every week needed a day to take a closer look at our bodies and appreciate the blessings they provide us. Critiquing our bodies comes easily to many of us but finding praise in our physical attributes can pose a challenge. For this reason, I believe we must make the effort to change how we view our bodies.We need to shift the qualities with which we define them from aesthetic ones to purposeful ones. Hopefully, after completing 4 rounds of this exercise and having to come up with 12 different parts of ourselves we recognize as a gift,  we will grow to love our bodies more and more. Are you in for today’s challenge?

Today I will focus on three parts of my body I recently have questioned appearance wise thanks to the body changes from pregnancy.

My Legs

Thank you legs for giving me the ability to walk and move! Not everyone has this luxury and I need to recognize exactly how much you give me. You support me and carry me through life. Not only that, but the two of you are pretty strong too. You endure thousands upon thousands of squats, lunges, cardio hours, and kicks. You still hold me up even when I try to tear you down. You help me carry out a part of my life I could not live without – fitness. Thank you, legs.

My Butt

You reflect my mom and my sister…and even miss M. We all have the same badonkadonk and that fact alone has provided us many laughs and bonding over the years, like shaking it to Sir Mix A Lot. Without you, my legs wouldn’t have the capacity to serve me either. You play an integral role in my life. You also have a way of alluring my husband and that’s never a bad thing. Even when larger than I like, you still fill out a pair of jeans nicely. Most importantly though, you are a part of me and I love you.

My Breasts

You add strain to my back, get all tender, and overwhelm my body for a reason. To one day feed my child, just as you blessed me with the opportunity to feed M. You reflect the battle scars of one of the most beautiful things I have ever done – pregnancy. I also thank you for being the only place I tend to get those “battle scars” of stretch marks. Thank you for also giving me curves and displaying my body’s feminine beauty.

I hope all that wasn’t too uncomfortable to read. 😉 Take a few moments to think about 3 new things you appreciate about your body. I would love to hear about any of them!

Quote to Reflect On
Beauty in things lies in the mind which contemplates them. ~David Hume

The first question I ask myself when something doesn't seem to be beautiful is why do I think it's not beautiful. And very shortly you discover that there is no reason. ~John Cage

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*For more 30 Days Inspiration visit these bloggers who shared their personal 30 DSLR messages and let me know if you share anything relating to the 30 DSLR on your blog!

• Lauren Sheenan
• My Wellnest
• New Adventures in Eating & Life
• Coffee Is My Carrot
• Adventures in Weight Loss, Cooking, & Life
• Lindsey Ann Live
• Respectfully Captivating
• Making A Change
• Ulterior Harmony