It's a GIRL!...and other musings...

Yay, we found out we're having a baby girl and we are just over the moon. Somehow knowing the sex of the baby makes her more real to me...rather than referring to her as "the baby" or "the cub," I've been using her name and for some reason I have not examined, it crystallizes it a lot for me ("It's really happening!").

I also attended our "What's Your Real Age" health seminar given at Pavia by Dr. Kim Millman, MD, PhD, this past weekend and have now been motivated - no, galvanized! - into changing my diet and exercise patterns. As a vegetarian for the last 13 years, my diet consisted of carbs, carbs, carbs. I figured, hey, bread is vegetarian! Cake is vegetarian! Cookies are vegetarian! And when I got pregnant, I used it as an excuse to eat even more of those items ("Hey! I'm eating for two!"). As for exercise, what exercise? I get no exercise unless you count taking the 3 flights of stairs to my cubicle 4 days a week (at my consulting job). So, diet was bad, exercise was nil.

This is all going to change as a result of the Bio-Impedance Analysis that Dr. Kim gave me. I was so mortified at the results that I don't know if I can share them. Well, first of all, I am 31.8% body fat. Are you kidding me? I am almost one-third fat? I think that qualifies me as obese. None of my other measurements -  phase angle, ECM/BCM ratio, fat mass, etc.- are where they "should be" either. That little slip of paper has really served as a kick in the pants for me. No longer will I put my own health or that of my daughter's at risk.

Dr. Kim recommended that I up my protein intake (eggs or tofu, since I don't eat meat), my intake of category 1 veggies, and take more EPA/DHA (fish oil). She also wants me to make sure I get my daily supplement of nuts (so I raided Trader Joe's and bought out their inventory of walnuts, pecans, and almonds), fruits, and category 2 veggies (the veggies that are waxy and convert directly to sugar). I also started an exercise regimen last night, with the hubby calling out the number of reps I have to do. I was amazed at how quickly I got winded (yes, I was deep in self-denial), and so I feel really grateful to have this chance to change my health and my life!

It's just like what I've been saying about getting pregnant at 37: Better late than never, right?