Emily Skye Gets Real About Diet And Exercise Struggles

If your Instagram is flooded with images of toned ladies who you look to for fitness inspo (in between all the images of cronuts and celebrities--your true passions), then you’re probably one of the 2 million users who follow Emily Skye, a wellness junkie who transformed herself mentally and physically with exercise and is a true advocate for body positivity. These days the Reebok Global Ambassador has been shedding some light on another topic of conversation: her pregnancy. She is currently 19 weeks with her first child, and she is sharing her life-changing journey exclusively with instyle.com.

Read on to find out all about her prenatal eating and exercising habits and how pregnancy has made her throw all her old habits out the window. Well, temporarily, at least.

I always thought that when I became pregnant I would be really healthy and not eat any junk food at all. I also planned on exercising throughout (provided it was safe to do so). None of that happened.

Before I even found out I was pregnant, I noticed that my sense of taste had changed and I was avoiding foods that I had always loved, predominantly healthy foods. For example, I have always loved drinking coffee, but I stopped drinking it about four weeks into my pregnancy.

During the entirety of my first trimester, I would become nauseous at even the thought of healthy food. All I ever wanted was high carb, sugar-filled, salty, fatty foods like chocolate, fries, hamburgers, and ice cream. But, as my pregnancy progressed, I started having cravings for oranges. I couldn’t get enough of them! Apparently, you desire foods that contain the vitamins and minerals that your body is lacking.

🤰🏼 #16weekspregnant . I have cellulite on my butt & thighs & my muscle mass & strength continues to decrease... but you know what?! I'm absolutely loving all of the changes my body (& mind) is making. I know many women struggle with bodily changes during pregnancy and I probably would have too years ago but now I'm completely embracing and celebrating these changes. Every little change excites me and makes me happy because I'm growing @recdedmond's & my little person which is incredible! 😃 I know going through these changes can be difficult for many people but just remember the BIG picture & what is truly most important. How we look or having some extra body fat or cellulite is insignificant. I know I've said this before but I just want to remind you all (pregnant or not) that you are amazing and beautiful and how much body fat you have doesn't change that. It's always good to get some perspective and remind yourself of what's most important in life. 😊💗 . .

Eventually, I ended up eating whatever my body craved. However, I made sure to also eat foods that were high in vitamins. I also had regular blood tests done to monitor my levels to ensure that I was not vitamin deficient, which luckily, I was not.

I'm almost eighteen weeks pregnant now and my food aversions are not as bad as they were during my first trimester. But, it's still difficult for me to eat healthy foods, such as salads and vegetables, without feeling nauseous. I almost have to force feed myself sometimes! However, I believe that I am slowly working my way back into eating healthy and nutritious meals.

In terms of exercise, during the entirety of my first trimester, I spent most of my time on my couch and hardly ever worked out. At that stage of my pregnancy, it felt like the bouts of nausea were nearly constant! I have no idea who coined the term 'morning sickness', but I have renamed it to 'all day and night sickness'.

A few weeks ago, I started to become more consistent with my workouts after I stopped feeling so nauseous. However, I always make sure to not push myself and keep my workouts as safe as possible. I call them 'feel good workouts', since I only do them to feel good and maintain my strength and fitness level. Under the guidance of my OB, I have modified my workout to be at a lower intensity and impact. I have also ceased any workouts that include ab work--I personally just don’t feel comfortable doing them.

Currently I focus on my pelvic floor and core muscles through compound movements such as front squats, deadlifts, lunges and kettle bell swings, making sure that my core is tight and my torso is stable during any type of 'lift' movement. While I do miss plyometric training, such as sprinting and box jumps, I don't feel comfortable doing them, and if I can't exercise, I don't beat myself up about it.

This post is NOT about comparison nor is it a competition. It's also not an "I have it worse than you" post and it's definitely not me complaining at all. The point of this post is simply to remind you that we're all human and imperfect, we're all different and on our own unique journeys and we all have different experiences. I have been exercising for 8 years and I have maintained a lean physique over that period of time. Since becoming pregnant I have gained some fat and cellulite and I've lost a fair bit of muscle - which I'm completely fine with. 😃 . Now you might be looking at this thinking "Pffft that's nothing" or "you think THAT is cellulite 🙄?!" - Again this is not about comparison nor is it a competition. I just wanted to highlight the fact that nobody is perfect, we are all different and all of our pregnancy journeys are going to be different too. Some women don't gain any fat, cellulite or stretch marks, while others gain a lot - one isn't more "normal" than the other. I have seen many beautiful pregnant women who are still extremely lean and they look absolutely amazing but just keep in mind that it's unrealistic and unhealthy to compare yourself to anyone else. ☺️ My life many years ago was once all about how I looked, how lean I was and how much muscle I had. Nowadays these things aren't even close to being my priority. My health (mental and physical) is most important to me and it's always about how I FEEL. Sure I like to look good, but not if I have to sacrifice my health for it - especially my mental health. My priority right now is the health of my baby - nothing else comes close in importance. ☺️ . I feel so incredibly blessed and grateful for my precious growing baby that all of the "downsides" of pregnancy are insignificant. 🤰🏼👶🏼 . Instead of criticising ourselves and each other, let's celebrate our individualities, embrace what could be seen as "flaws" and support and uplift each other. Most of all let's love all that we are and stop focussing on what we don't like or don't have. Just because you're not where you want to be ultimately doesn't mean you can't love yourself just the way you are now. . 💗 Sending you all love. 😘 .

To get a glimpse of this mama-to-be in action, watch Skye's upper and lower bodyworkout videos. If you are pregnant, consult your physician before conducting any type of exercise.

This article originally appeared on InStyle U.S.