The world needs people, who have walked the path towards their own self. The kind of people, who have done the hard work to build their own personality, to overcome their fears and rise above their limitations. The world needs the kind of people, who are the living proof, that every dream can be achieved, as long as you believe in yourself and as long as you dare to go after it. Today I will introduce you a person like that- the beautiful-Marisa Inda.
She is a 37 year old inspirational woman, a mother of two wonderful, healthy children. She will share with us everything about being pregnant and working out through each trimester. How has her nutrition changed during the pregnancies. She will share some tips for time management, as well as how has her life changed now that she is a mom.
She is a really powerful woman, that will light the fire within your heart and prove you that you can be a woman, a mom, an athlete. That you can be everything, just as long as you let go of your excuses and redirect your energy towards chasing your dreams.
So glad, that there are women like her! Enjoy her story!
Before you read it, don’t forget to join my Facebook page( HERE).
And don’t forget to visit Marisa’s webpage: www.bodystrut.com and follow her on Facebook (HERE)
Ines Subashka: Thank you for agreeing to give an interview for my blog. Introduce yourself.
Marisa Inda: Thanks for wanting to interview me Ines. It’s such an honor to share my love for working out with other women. For those that do not know me my name is Marisa Inda, I am 37 years old, a mom of two, personal trainer and a raw powerlifter with an elite total of 792 at 114lbs. I compete in the USAPL which is a drug tested federation.
IS:First of all did you work out while you were pregnant? Could you share with us how your workouts varied through each trimester and exactly what you did?
MI:So glad you asked this question because I think a lot of people think pregnancy will derail everything and it doesn’t have to. I trained while pregnant with both of my kids clear up until the day before I had both of them.
By the time most women find out they are pregnant you’re well within your first trimester. Therefore, in the beginning my workouts didn’t change at all. I was very fortunate that I did not suffer from morning sickness with either of my children.
For the first 6 months the only thing I did differently was adjust the weight I used and increased reps while focusing on squeezing. My main goal was to keep the muscle I already had and have a”fit” pregnancy with no complications. I followed a bodybuilding style routine with both my pregnancies, meaning, I did body part splits.
This allowed me to really adjust my workouts to my changing physique. Once I passed the 6 month mark I avoided movements that put me directly on my stomach. I did, however, do everything including squats all the way through (again I adjusted and the last 3 weeks I stuck with goblet squats). The main thing is LISTENING to your body and not pushing it-the babies safety comes first.
IS: How did you eat before you got pregnant? Did your nutrition change in some way after that? How did you adjust your diet and did you feel the influence of some “raging hormones”, increasing your appetite?
MI: My eating did not change at all. I was following a bodybuilder 6 times per day type of meal program that included protein, carbs, veggies in each meal. In the 2nd and third trimester I increased calories a bit but nothing crazy. A common thing you hear women say is they “eating for two” and the fact is your baby does not require a 6000 calorie diet. I didn’t feel any hungrier and I think that’s due to the fact that I was eating every 2.5 hours on the dot. I was very regimented with my meal prep.
IS: What was the biggest challenge for you?
MI: The biggest challenge for me was dealing with people and their opinions in the gym. It was a daily barrage of criticism. I mean I wasn’t even a mom yet and my parenting was already being attacked.
IS: Were you concerned with your appearance and how much weight you would gain? What would be your advice to women, who have such kind of fears?
MI: My first pregnancy I was very concerned with my appearance. When you are used to being in shape it is a scary thing to see your body go through a huge change.
There is always that fear that you won’t regain your previous shape. But, after you see that first ultrasound though it becomes exciting and you welcome it. I gained 20lbs with my first child and about 23lbs with my 2nd which is the ideal amount for a healthy pregnancy. My advice for the expecting mom is to stay away from the scale (which I think women should do pregnant or not) because the health of the baby comes first and you can’t be concerned with weight gain during this time
IS: Did you have any health concerns, warnings or advices from your doctor? Would you share them?
MI: I had none with my first but my second pregnancy I had a condition where my placenta had absorbed my amniotic fluid (this happened at the very end) and they are not sure why but it can cause a still birth. I had to be induced and he was about 3 weeks early but healthy.
IS: How much weight did you gain during the pregnancy, and how long after you gave birth did you start working out again?
MI: I gained 20lbs with my first child and about 23lbs with my 2nd which is the ideal amount for a healthy pregnancy. I started working about 3 weeks after birth with both of my kids.
IS: Did you give birth with a c-section or “naturally”? And what is your opinion on the topic?
MI:Both of my kids were natural childbirth with no epidural or drugs whatsoever. I am not against a c-section if it is medically necessary, however, recovery from a c-section is a lot longer!
IS. What is your opinion about breast feeding? Did you breastfeed your kid and how do you think that this influenced your weight loss? ( by this I mean do you think women refuse to breastfeed their kids, so they can get back in shape faster?)
MI: I tried to breastfeed and lasted a measly 2 weeks. I couldn’t do it with having to return to work and honestly it just hurt. The consensus is that you lose weight faster if you breast feed, it causes the uterus to contract and shrinks it a lot faster. Breastfeeding is a personal choice and it is really pushed on new moms, but if you do not want to do it I don’t think you should feel bad about it either. Both of my kids are fine and rarely sick.
IS: How do you feed your children now? Do you try to feed them with healthy food or do you allow junk?
MI: Both of my kids eat fairly well but I also do not deprive them “junk” foods. It’s kept within reason. Everything in moderation, they are active with no weight issues and I think kids should be allowed to be kids. Teach them to control portions without avoiding foods altogether.
IS: How did you manage to get yourself out of the world of “the sorry for themselves mothers”, who blame their out of shape physique and unhealthy lifestyle to having kids? What was your motivation?
MI: I didn’t want to be an out of shape mom. I had people telling me while I was pregnant that I’d now be fat. KIDS are not a reason to let yourself go. I felt like I needed to prove not only to others but to myself that you can get back in shape, hell even better shape, after kids. I also love that my kids see me exercise. It teaches them good habits early on.
IS: Would you share some tips for busy mothers? How do you manage to find time for your family, for healthy nutrition and working out?
MI: Finding time is the hardest part but totally possible. In order to fit everything in I get up very early. It can’t all be about me working out and neglecting the family. I don’t want to deprive my kids of good quality time. Cardio is done at home on a bike or with a jump rope at 4 a.m. while they are sleeping. Workouts are kept to an hour only 4 times a week. Before I became a personal trainer this was done during my lunch break.
IS: How has your life changed, now when you are a mother, giving her best to be fit and healthy?
MI: Kids change your life for the better. You are now responsible for little people that look up to you for everything. I think a mom that works out and eats good is the best example a child can have. Family activities are centered around being active, hiking, biking and things of that nature. They look at it as an adventure and you are playing an active role in keeping your kids fit in an age where all they do is play video games. The absolute best part about being a mom is hearing your kids cheer for you at a meet!
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Marisa Inda is the definition of awesome. Great role model for women and girls everywhere. Thanks for doing the interview with her.