Fit mommy, indeed! Fitness blogger Sia Cooper hasn't lost her six-pack abs — despite being eight months pregnant. The former nurse, 26, opens up exclusively with Us Weekly about her second pregnancy, her eating habits and the backlash she's received online for keeping up with her grueling workouts.
The social media star, who is due to welcome a baby girl in May, has been documenting her journey on her website, Diary of a Fit Mommy. She works out for an hour five days a week (while her son Greyson, 2, is napping), and her routine includes squat jumps, lunge kicks and lifting weights.
"I want to inspire other moms out there that you can get a little creative and find ways to fit your workout in. One of the most common excuses that I hear is, 'I do not have time,'" Cooper tells Us. "The truth is that we all have time — you just have to make it and not feel guilty about doing something for yourself."
Despite the encouragement, the Destin, Florida resident admits she's been criticized for her fitness regimen. "Many people will say it's unhealthy or that I am hurting my baby, but everything is perfect as I am currently at a 20lb weight gain," she explains. "With my first son, I worked out as well and I ended up gaining 30lbs."
She adds: "It used to affect me, but over time I grew a backbone and realized that I can either sit there and listen to the negativity from people who have no idea about my pregnancy or my body, or I can let it go and not think twice about it and just keep doing what works for me."
Something else that works for Cooper? Not counting calories. "I feel that if you listen to your body, it will tell you everything you need to know," she tells Us. "I am more relaxed the second time around as I know to trust my body with eating clean and exercising regularly."
Cooper usually eats healthy, however. For breakfast she chows down on either banana-nut oatmeal or eggs, bacon and toast. Lunch is often chicken or salmon filet, while her favorite dinner is a homemade chipotle chicken burrito bowl. She'll occasionally treat herself to a meal at The Melting Pot, too.
The second-time mommy-to-be didn't always have such a healthy relationship with food. As a teen, she developed an eating disorder after being picked on for her weight. "It has been a work in progress, but I am much more confident about who I am and how I look — especially with a little girl on the way," she says. "I never want her to go through the things that I went through as a child and teenager. I have stretch marks, I have cellulite, and I know that I am not perfect and that I never will be — that's completely okay."