How to feel your best in the first trimester: training, nutrition & mindset
Let's be honest…the first trimester sucks.
You're exhausted. You're nauseous. You're sleeping more than you ever have. Some of you are throwing up constantly. Others just feel that constant yucky, queasy feeling that never quite goes away.
Your digestion is all over the place. Food aversions are real. And if you're someone who's been paying close attention to your training and nutrition before pregnancy, it can feel really frustrating when suddenly nothing feels the same.
If that's you right now…it’s okay. It's okay to struggle. It's okay if you feel completely off. You're not alone, and pretty much everyone else is going through the same thing.
Mindset matters first
Before we get into training and nutrition, let's talk mindset, because it's the foundation for everything else.
It's so common to compare what you're doing now to what you were doing pre-pregnancy. But that's unfair to yourself. Your body is going through massive changes. Hormones, digestion, literally growing a human. Of course you're exhausted. Of course things feel off.
You have to release those expectations.
The version of yourself from before pregnancy is not who you are right now. And that's okay. Give yourself grace during this rough period.
Here's a quote I love:
"Pregnancy is both temporary and a hard thing. We as women do hard things every single day and there's no doubt those things get harder while you're pregnant. At the very least, give yourself grace.”
You're not only successful if you get a workout in and eat perfectly. You are successful regardless of what your week looked like because you, my friend, are growing a human. That's your main priority right now.
And here's something I realized between my two pregnancies: you decide your fate.
With my first pregnancy, I kind of leaned into the "pregnant identity”- the cravings, feeling terrible, the whole thing. Not that I didn't take care of myself, but I let myself believe that's just how it was supposed to be.
My next 2 pregnancies felt tremendously better. And when I look at all of them, I'm not doing anything drastically different. A lot of it comes down to where my mindset was at.
Training in the first trimester
When it comes to exercise, the best question to ask yourself is:
"What is doable for me today?"
Maybe that's just a walk outside. Maybe that's your normal workout at your normal intensity. Maybe it's your workout at a much lower intensity: dropping the weight, doing fewer sets, or skipping some exercises altogether.
There are ways to scale your workouts without being all-or-nothing about it.
Your biofeedback matters.
What's your body telling you?
- Your energy levels are likely low due to fluctuating hormones
- Your sleep is probably off
- Your recovery is lower if you're not eating normally
- Your fatigue is higher due to all of the above
You have to account for these things. Assess what you can do today, commit to that, and understand it's a sliding scale. Some days will feel great. Others won't. That's normal.
PS- Movement actually helped my nausea. I found that when I was sedentary for too long, I felt worse. Walking was my saving grace. Lifting helped too. It didn't mean I never napped or had lazy periods on the couch, but when I moved, even a little, I felt better.
Nutrition in the first trimester
Protein and veggies are the most common food aversions during pregnancy. And if you're someone who's paid close attention to nutrition before, this can feel really hard.
Here's the truth: if things are off for a little bit, it's not the end of the world.
With my first pregnancy, I didn't touch a vegetable for a good 10 weeks. Protein was a little easier for me, though I couldn't prepare raw chicken. But we've had many clients struggle with both and the key is to get creative:
Strategies that help:
- Pay attention to when you feel best. Maybe mornings are better for you. Prioritize a high-protein meal then. Or maybe you feel better in the afternoons, get something in during that window.
- Switch up your protein sources. If meats and eggs aren't working, lean into dairy products like full-fat Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. Try higher-protein carb sources like Banza pasta, beans, or Dave's Killer Bread.
- Aim for 0.6g of protein per pound of body weight. If you hit that most days, you'll retain muscle mass. But understand it won't be perfect every day and that's okay.
- Don't go too long without food. For me, eating every 2-3 hours was key. The longer I went without food, the worse I felt and then I definitely wasn't eating anything quality. Staying ahead of the nausea helped a lot.
- Smoothies and overnight oats are great ways to sneak in nutrients and vegetables.
- Keep your options open. You don't have to eat the same way you did before pregnancy.
If you're in the thick of the first trimester right now, it will be over soon. I promise.
You will feel better at some point. Hopefully sooner than later.
Pregnancy is both a hard thing and a temporary thing. Give yourself grace. Focus on what you CAN do. And remember…you’re growing a human. That's the main priority right now.
Everything else? Just do your best!
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