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Fitness

Pregnant Athlete Journal, Week 16: My Chat with Bryan Kest

I've resisted doing yoga because classes here in LA seem too competitive, but now I've got a personal invite from Bryan Kest to come try out his class - he says it's perfect for the pregnant ladies.

Written by Zen Gray Last updated on January 8, 2013

My belly is popping out now as I’m officially at four months. I wore a festive, clingy outfit on New Year’s Eve and it’s the first time people squealed, “Oh my God! Look at your baby bump!” before putting their hand on my stomach. I guess pregnant chicks get used to being felt up constantly. I suppose that’s not a bad thing.

I still feel pretty good teaching my strength training, boot camp and spin classes, although I’m definitely backing off my intensity quite a bit. I’m trying to be more aware of asking clients to rack their own weights instead of just automatically doing it for them, too. I know I should find a less intense and more relaxing form of exercise that I might enjoy. Of course, yoga would be the obvious choice but I’ve resisted it for a while because the classes I’ve been to in Los Angeles seem too competitive and clique-y and I get bored doing workouts by myself at home.

Ironically, this week I had the pleasure of chatting with Bryan Kest – the famous yogi in Santa Monica that swears like a sailor but is totally charming about it. (Pictured to the right.) I found out we’re both from the Midwest and grew up eating the Standard American Diet of McDonald’s and other crap food – and felt perfectly healthy doing it for years. And we both came to the realization after trying vegetarianism that it wasn’t for us. And we’ve both adopted a similar philosophy about eating organic, locally sourced food that includes meat, a little dairy, fruits and veggies – along with deviation from time to time.

Kest says he’s a big fan of The Paleo Diet by Dr. Loren Cordain and that it’s philosophy knocked him on his ass when he first read it. For example, for years we’ve all heard we should eat brown rice instead of white, right? Well, he says paleo philosophy argues that white rice is actually easier to digest and the hull of brown rice causes an inflammatory response even though the fiber is supposed to be good for us. And he felt gassy and bloated while eating grasses (like wheat and corn) for years until switching to the paleo diet. I never really noticed belly bloat from eating wheat until just a few years ago but now I’m totally aware of my body’s negative response. (Perhaps it’s just something that catches up with you after a while?)

Kest says he doesn’t crave sugar any more, however, and I wish I could say the same. Although, let’s face it – he’s not pregnant, so I think I win that argument. He did, however, convince me to give his power yoga classes a try and said many of his members went to class until the full term of their pregnancy. I hope I like the vibe there, but if my conversation with Kest is any indication, then I’m sure I’ll feel right at home. I’ll keep you posted on my yoga experience.

About Zen Gray

An ACE Certified Personal Trainer and Group Fitness Instructor, Zen has spent over twenty years helping thousands of people get fit around the country: from showcasing her coaching talents on Season One and Season Two ofWORKOUT - Bravo TV's docu-drama about the lives of personal trainers, to writing and hostingThe Skinny - amusing and easy health tips for the newbie exerciser on ExerciseTV (Time Warner's online and video-on-demand exercise site), to teaching hundreds of conditioning classes from Chicago to Los Angeles.

Zen’s blog, Love and Fat, discusses the relationship between love and body weight, personal struggles and triumphs in the quest for a healthier and happier life, and suggestions on how to keep the love…but lose the love handles. With an extensive business background, Zen also relates to the diet and fitness pitfalls of working in corporate America.

It’s no coincidence that Zen enjoys motivating her clients with playful routines and humor as she’s also performed stand-up comedy for over ten years and frequently studies techniques from the masters of motivation like Tony Robbins. Have you ever done a 14-foot fire walk? That takes powerful focus…and Zen’s done it twice.

With a healthy respect for Western medicine, Zen also encourages people to take control of their own health through holistic choices and explore lifestyle changes to include unprocessed and organic foods as well as natural remedies. She’s a huge fan of nutrition and devours the latest studies in diet choices that help people lose weight.

Zen teaches others to stay curious about their limits and to push through their comfort zones. In sticking with that philosophy, she’s raced one marathon, two triathlons, and she just published her first ebook, From Flab to Fit.

To see video of Zen’s training style, fitness tips, and public appearances, please check out: www.zengray.com.

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