Lindsay Ferrer, featured on Fit Mama Friday today, is one amazing mama-to-be. She’s a personal trainer, who at 24 weeks pregnant is striving to be an example for her clients. As a pre & post natal certified trainer, Lindsay has had experience with pregnant clients, but nothing could have prepared her for what it was like to be pregnant and working out herself. And this is a woman with some major accomplishments under her belt – the word “IRONMAN” springs to mind!! I met Lindsay when we were both training in New York a few years ago and I was impressed then with her dedication both to her clients and her own workouts. I’m thrilled to be featuring her on Fit Mama Friday!

Meet Lindsay.

Lindsay, you haven’t always been a fitness professional – how did you become a personal trainer?

I’ve been a personal trainer since 2010. I started my personal training career after losing my job as an architect in New York City in 2009. I dabbled in non-profit work and architectural writing, but it wasn’t until I worked as an office manager and event planner at Tough Mudder that I realized that I wanted to work with athletes to achieve their fitness goals, rather than just plan and manage their events.

As a former college cross country and track athlete, I was also lucky to have a fitness background. With this experience and interest, I decided to pursue a career in personal training. Through Equinox, I was able to study for and receive my Personal Trainer Certification (NCSF) as well as get a my first job as a personal trainer at the Greenwich Avenue Equinox location.

Greenwich Ave! Love that gym. 🙂 Then you and your husband Nick made a big cross-country move. What made you decide to leave New York?

In 2012, after living in New York City for almost ten years, my husband Nick and I moved to Seattle, Washington. As much as we loved NYC, we were looking for a change in pace and lifestyle. We also wanted to more exposure to the outdoors, own a house, and start a family. We found these things in Seattle, where we are lucky to have family and friends.

And you’re working as a trainer in Seattle, too. What was the transition from New York to Seattle like, professionally?

When I first moved to Seattle, I worked as a trainer for a small personal training studio. It was a great way to learn about the city and its culture. I quickly learned the city’s attitude towards fitness, which turned out to be very different from New York.

In Seattle, people train to be healthy and to enjoy the great outdoors, such as skiing, running, hiking, biking. They definitely want to look fit, but the emphasis is on being healthy and functional. As you know, New York’s attitude towards fitness is more aesthetically driven – people train to be skinny, attract dates, and overall look HOT. It doesn’t matter if they can run 100 miles, as long as they look AMAZING doing it.

After working for at this studio for about a year, I decided to start my own business, LDF Fitness LLC. It was created in June 2013, and I couldn’t be happier or more fulfilled with my decision to branch out. It gives me a great sense of accomplishment, provides me with exciting challenges, and allows me to continuously learn new things and push myself to be a better trainer, businesswoman, and person.

I am lucky to train a variety of clients, as well as lead senior citizen exercise classes at local community centers. I consider myself lucky to be a small part of each of my clients lives!

Image via LDF Fitness

And is your husband Nick super fit as well?

Yes! Although we have different approaches to exercise, I’m passionate about endurance events (such as triathlons and marathons) and Nick is really into alpine and backcountry skiing. We don’t usually necessarily do these things together, but we find a way to exercise as a couple to benefit each other’s sport, such as weight training, running, biking, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing.

During the summer, he gives me the flexibility to train for my events, and cheers me on during my big events. During the winter, I encourage him to ski the local mountains as much as possible, and I’ll join him for his destination ski trips. As in any relationship, we compromise to make sure each other is happy and fulfilled.

So, you’re 24 weeks pregnant now (congrats!!) and just last year you became an Ironman! Can you tell me what your workouts were like before pregnancy?

Throughout high school and college, I ran track and cross country. With this background, I have always been invested in exercise and nutrition. Post-college I continued to run and compete in marathon events, as well as got involved in triathlon events.

Many of my workouts before pregnancy were therefore aimed towards competing in these events. I did a lot of running, indoor and outdoor biking, and swimming (open water and indoor). I  also strength trained regularly.

Seattle has a huge triathlon community, and soon after moving here, I became motivated to sign up for my first Ironman. I trained intensely for six months and finished my first Ironman in June.

In the back of my mind I knew we were going to try to get pregnant post-Ironman, so I threw myself into preparation for this sport. Along with training days of 2-4 hours, I ran numerous half-marathons, participated in olympic distance triathlons, completed my second half-Ironman and finally finished my first full Ironman. It was tough, but awesome.

How have you had to adjust your workouts, since you got pregnant?

The hardest aspect of being pregnant was scaling back the frequency and intensity of my workouts. I had to shift my focus: I am no longer training for an endurance event, I am training for a baby event.

Since being pregnant I’m still very active. I lift weights twice a week, and run, bike, or swim throughout the week. On the weekends, my husband and I workout and snowshoe  together.

Being a personal trainer, I am also very active with with my clients. Therefore, at the end of the day, I’m usually pretty tired, and just have to remember to try and pay attention to my fatigue levels. I allow myself to take more days off to rest and recover.

What was your diet like prior to pregnancy and what is it like now?

Prior to pregnancy, I was training for an Ironman, and working full-time. Translation: I was always hungry. I ate small meals throughout the day that consisted of lots of lean meats (chicken and salmon) and ate a good amount of veggies and healthy carbs. I snacked on hummus, trail mix and energy bars throughout the day. I definitely drank a lot of caffeine to stay alert! I was also a moderate drinker – wine, whiskey, and beer were welcome on the weekends, and occasionally during the week.

Now, I still work as a personal trainer and have a good appetite, but my diet has shifted. I definitely eat a variety of protein, including beef, pork, and lamb (less interested in fish and hummus for some reason). I still eat a lot of trail mix, veggies and healthy carbs. I find that I eat bigger meals, and graze less during the day.

I find that I crave sugar – such as sour patch kids and dark chocolate. I do give into my cravings here and there, but lately I try curb them by eating cut fresh fruits, topped it with honey and a few pieces of semi-sweet morsels to make things more “healthy”!

Giving up caffeine was TOUGH – but switching to decaf made it more manageable. As for giving up alcohol – that was pretty easy. I do miss partaking in those magical and delicious first sips of wine with friends after a long day.

Tell me more about what it’s been like watching your body change and having to adjust for pregnancy. Do you think it’s harder because you’re a trainer?

Personally, it’s been really hard watching the numbers on the scale increase, and hitting numbers that I’ve never seen before. Professionally, it’s challenging as well. It’s counterintuitive to gain weight as a trainer, and train clients who are working hard to watch their numbers go down. I have to continuously put things in perspective and remind myself to relax and just “be pregnant”. I do the best I can to maintain my exercise regimen and diet now.

I’m extremely goal oriented, and I’ve already mapped out my training schedule and events for this fall and next year, which include lots of distance races, and a few triathlons. As my body changes, I try to remain calm by staying focused on when I can start training again and compete in these events!

And being a certified trainer for pre and post natal clients, you must have had some experience with how pregnancy affected their bodies and workouts. Have you reflected back on those experiences as you go through it yourself?

I received my PPN certification in 2011. I really enjoyed earning this certificate; it was fascinating learning about how a pregnant women’s body changes, and the exercises women should (or should not) engage in during their pre-natal months.

I have trained several pregnant clients; it was really fun creating their individual and purposeful workouts. Overall it was an honor to be a part of their pregnancy journey.

Being a part of their experience allowed me to prepare for my pregnancy. It has helped me create and tailor my own workouts, and has made me more aware of my changing body. Most of all, my clients have kept me motivated to keep working out! If they could do it, so can I!

What has feedback on you being a fit, strong, working-out mama-to-be been like? Have you had anyone question if it’s safe to work out? Or has it all been positive feedback on how kick-ass you are?

Upon finding out I was pregnant, my husband and family wanted me to slow down right away. Everyone questioned my workouts. After consulting my doctor, I continued to workout on a regular basis. At 6 weeks I ran a 5K, and at 10 weeks I ran a half marathon. I continued to be active on a regular basis with no huge changes to my routine.

One month ago, my doctor told me to stop lifting heavy weights and decrease the intensity of my cardiovascular workouts. I’ve definitely scaled back my workouts and stay within these guidelines. In a few weeks I am run-walking a half marathon and plan on being smart about listening to my body and taking it easy.

Now, at 24 weeksI don’t have a prominent belly, so I haven’t gotten many comments from strangers yet. The few people who’ve noticed or know I’m pregnant at the gym are usually impressed and say that staying active is one of the most important things a woman can do while pregnant.

Why is it important for you to be a fit mama and workout through pregnancy?

Exercise makes me really, really, REALLY happy. I like feeling healthy and fit, and pushing my mind and body to new and rewarding limits. I love training for and competing in running and triathlon events.

It’s important for me to be active during pregnancy to keep myself happy and relaxed. Exercise also benefits the baby, so I feel great about contributing to the early health of our child. I am looking forward to getting back in shape and continuing to be active post-pregnancy. Staying active now will just make that transition easier.

As a personal trainer, my goal is to set a positive example for my clients. If your pregnant personal trainer can wake up at 4:45am to kick her client’s butts from 5:30am to noon and then go to the gym to do her own workout – then you’d BETTER get your workout in too! I also look forward to losing the weight post-pregnancy, and inspiring my clients to stay motivated to reach their goals as well.

Congratulations Lindsay, you’re an inspiring fit mama-to-be! Thank you so much for sharing your story and experiences on Fit Mama Friday today and I can’t wait to hear the news of baby’s arrival in June! 🙂

If you’re in the Seattle area, you can contact Lindsay through her website for LDF Fitness, if you’re looking for a talented and motivating trainer who will definitely inspire you!

 

Fit Mama Friday – Fit Dad Friday

Every Friday on Fine Fit Day I feature a Fit Mama or a Fit Dad story of how and why a fit and healthy mama or dad ensures fitness is a priority in her or his life. You’ll read about all kinds of parents and their fitness stories. Some are stay-at-home parents, some are single parents, some juggle more than one job on top of parenthood, but they are all committed to a fit and healthy lifestyle. As you’re getting ready for your weekend, I hope you’re inspired to be active after reading about these kick-ass mamas and dads on Fit Mama Friday – Fit Dad Friday!

 

Do you want to be featured on Fit Mama Friday? Or do you know someone you’d like to see featured? Please contact me for details!