Fit Chic: Q & A with Knocked-Up Fitness Founder Erica Ziel

I recently came across Erica Ziel (a fitness expert and chic mom of three) the same way I find many people and brands: Instagram. Of course, that darling name caught my attention and I then I was inspired to follow one of her videos. Hence, I wanted to learn more about her and her company. I am glad I did. During the time of pregnancy and shortly after it can be very hard to stay fit and feel good about yourself. This fitness guru knows all about this and is here to tell us moms that we can be fit chic too, and just because we may feel like a whale doesn’t mean we should act like we are beached. xx

MCbJ: The name of your company is darling. How did you come up with it?

I came up with the name during a small group entrepreneurial meeting.

MCbJ: What advice do you have for the newly pregnant mommy that is fearful she will never get her body back?

Staying active during pregnancy can really help you lose the baby weight. Plus, it can help you feel your best even on those days you feel so exhausted you think you have no energy to workout. That’s why most of my workouts for pregnant and busy moms are short. You never know… you may find a 10 minute workout and it turns into 30! Plus, I can’t stress how important it really is to strengthen your deep core muscles because that’s what can help you push your baby out more easily (and hopefully faster). It also helps with recovery too. Not to mention, it helps to get your flat belly back and can help decrease/prevent back aches and pains.

MCbJ: Exercising (especially in your first pregnancy) can be a little nerve-racking. Is it safe to workout while pregnant? What type of exercise should be avoided?

It is absolutely safe and you should workout during pregnancy as long as you have been cleared to exercise from her doctor. I do recommend avoiding high impact and jerky-type exercises. You don’t necessarily have to work out harder for the workout to be effective. I make my clients really focus on what they are working on so each movement they do really counts! If you turn your focus on that at home, you might just find a workout that you thought was too easy a little bit more challenging. Most importantly, always listen to your body – if something or an exercise doesn’t feel right or good for you then skip it and move onto the next.

MCbJ: You look amazing. In addition to working out, we are dying to know what type of diet do you follow? Any “go-to” superfoods?
My best advice for nutrition, as I’m actually in the final stages of putting together my 21-day program, “Healthy Lifestyle for The Busy Mom,” is to eat real food! You can eat delicious, and satisfying food and be fit, strong and of a healthy weight. I even eat butter and put real cream in my coffee…that usually gets a great reaction! But what I avoid is sugar – my sugar/carbs mostly come from veggies, fruits, and occasionally I’ll eat some grains, but I’m completely gluten-free so that helps me avoid a lot of temptation for anything processed and the dreaded “carbs.” That said, carbs aren’t bad either, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, and an avid exerciser – you must eat carbs. With each of my pregnancies and while nursing I ate a lot more higher carb foods but then your body needs it and now I don’t. My go-to for a higher carb pre-workout snack is a banana, and post workout I love my Justin’s Chocolate Almond Butter.

MCbJ: Lastly, what do you love most about being a mom?

I LOVE seeing my kids enjoy life and I’m really cherishing those little moments with them. Having kids really brings a whole new meaning to life and I love it, even when it all gets crazy! That’s kind of how I explain having 3 little ones is…crazy, crazy, but tons of fun and lots of great moments that just make you love them more and more each day! Plus, we are a very active family so getting out and doing activities, playing at the park, going to the beach, those are the best. One more thing, because I am always teaching about health and wellness and do so with my kids (even without knowing it sometimes, they really are watching) is when you see your kids start to make healthy choices on their own.

*Knocked-Up Fitness is offering an exclusive discount to MCbJ readers. Enter code MOMMYCHIC and receive 20% off on your entire purchase during checkout.