Fit Mom One-on-one: Brittany Donnelly
[vc_row][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text]Instagram: brittany.donnelly Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself A: I'm Brittany Donnelly, and I'm a full time Project Manager for an IT consulting firm based in Chandler, AZ My baby is Camden, and he is a little over 1 ½, and will be 2 in October. We live in San Tan Valley which is about an hour SE of Phoenix, AZ Q: Why did you choose Camden as your baby's name? A: My husband and I have very common names ( Brittany and Mathew) we really wanted something more unique but, easy to pronounce for our son. My husband came home from work one day and said “let’s name him Camden”. I loved it and it stuck. Q: How would you describe yourself in one word? A: Supermom (haha)
Weight
Q: What was your pre-baby weight? A: 150ish Q: What was your weight before giving birth? A: 180 Q: What is your weight now? And what is your ideal weight? A: My weight right now is 167 but I am 8 months pregnant with our second son. My weight before I got pregnant was 128-130. My ideal weight is around 130-135.Exercise
Q: When did you start to exercise? A: I have always been a very active person. I love walking, hiking and yoga. I really started hitting the gym and working with weights in my early 20s when my husband started introducing me to weight lifting. Q: What exercise did you start with? And what exercises do you do now? A: Yoga. I was all about Hot yoga. It is my go to stress reliver. Since, I am 8 months pregnant now I can’t do Hot Yoga but, I am actively walking and chasing Camden around. Q: How many times do you work out per week, and how long per day? A: When im not pregnant I like to do something active every day but, ill aim to hit a class or the gym at least 3X a week. 1-2 hours is usually good for me. Q: What is the most effective workout you recommend? A: I think it depends on the persons goal—toning and stress relief – I always recommend a good yoga class. Endurance – HIIT or a cycling class does the trick – tone and tightening – HIIT plus some weight lifting. Q: How do you find time to exercise as a new mom? A: I wanted to still find a small amount of time for “me”. Im sure it sounds selfish but, I knew that the best way for me to avoid PPD was to stay active. I really started with walks so I could bring my little guy. It became part of our morning routine and something that we enjoyed doing together. Q: Who do you follow on social media as workout / lifestyle inspirations? A: I love Rachel Brathen (@yoga_girl) for my yoga inspiration and Lori Harder (@loriharder) for more of the fitness inspiration.Breastfeeding Diet
Q: Are you breastfeeding/Did you breastfeed and for how long? A: I exclusively pumped from Day 1 to about 8-9 months. I plan to do a mix of breastfeeding and pumping this time around as well. Q: What is your diet look like /What was your diet look like when you breastfed? A: Protein, protein, protein. I needed the calories and energy that healthy proteins provided. I found that almonds were my snack of choice while nursing. Q: Do you feel like you are hungry all of time? A: Right now, YES lol. Growing a baby really works up the appetite. Q: How do/did you keep up with your milk supply? A: Water, water, water and making sure I fueled my body every 2-3 hours. Q: Could you please share with us your favorite quick and easy snack/recipe? A: No – bake protein granola bars• 1 cup peanut butter • 3 tablespoons honey • 1 cup old fashioned oats • ⅔ cup Rice Chex • ¼ cup dried cranberries • ¼ cup chocolate chips • 2 tablespoons chia seeds [optional]
Q: What’s your favorite place for brunch in your city/town? A: Pita Jungle is my favorite brunch place right now. They have a chicken salad that I just LOVE [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/2"][vc_column_text]