Friday night was pretty low key. I cooked my Chicken Marsala Recipe for dinner and then Marc had a softball game.

I stayed home because Ava was exhausted from being in the sun all day so she went to bed early. That meant I was asleep at 945pm, what a loser!

Saturday morning I woke up feeling refreshed and energized. We took a walk with Cooper to Dunkin Donuts to get some iced coffees and then I taught an Outdoor Boot Camp class at 9am. It was awesome and super sweaty, but I think we all got in a great workout. There’s something about exercising outdoors that’s so enjoyable, even though Burpees & Pushups are grueling.

After class my body was pretty spent so I refueled with a Chocolate Shakeology with Coconut Milk, it was delicious!!!

Ava was pretty tired because Marc took her to the park while I had class. When we got home she had a snack and zonked out for a while. In the afternoon we headed to my parents to play in the pool, except Ava decided to play mostly in the sandbox.

When we got home, Marc put some Blackened Salmon on the grill and we decided to eat home and enjoy the night outside on the porch!

Sunday was a day to shower my best friend Lauren who’s getting married in October!

I always love Bridal showers and spending time with my best friends. This one was extra special because Lauren and I have known each other since we were born so it was an honor to be a part of her big day.

We played a few cute Bridal Games and enjoyed yummy food.

Lauren’s mom and sister put their hearts into the shower and every detail came together perfectly.

The Watermelon & Mint Spa Water was one of my favorites!

It was such a beautiful day and the Bride got to celebrate with her family & closest friends.

The picture below is of the bridal party!

Once I got home we just relaxed and I got ready for another work week. It was an awesome weekend!

What’s something fun you did this weekend?

Do you have a lot of weddings planned this year?

The weather around here is supposed to be pretty nice today & tomorrow so I’m excited to be outside and hopefully play with Ava in the pool at her Grandparent’s house! She gets so excited when you say POOL!

We are dog sitting my friend’s dog Barley this weekend. I think I sense doggie love when Cooper is around her. He literally smiles so big and wags his tail for hours & hours. It’s pretty fun to watch them play together.

Ava enjoys giving them treats too!

Besides dog sitting I have a secret party I can’t really talk about. If I gave you details the person might find out!  Maybe I shouldn’t have brought it up!

Anyways, last night before Boot Camp I whipped up a SUPER EASY Chili recipe that took me about 3 minutes to throw together. So any lazy chefs out there, feel free to give this recipe a go because there’s no prep involved and its very healthy!

This chili doesn’t have beans and that’s because I wasn’t in the mood, but feel free to add a can of whatever beans you like it would be delicious.

We served this chili over a little brown rice and I topped it with Avocado. If you are a cheese lover, cheddar cheese goes great and for added spice sliced jalapeños would kick it up a notch.

Easy Peasy Turkey & Veggie Chili Recipe

INGREDIENTS:

• 1lb Ground Turkey
• 1 can Petite Diced Tomatoes
• 1/2 bag of frozen butternut squash chunks
• 1/2 bag of frozen mixed bell pepper strips
• 2 tbsp Chili Powder
• 2 tsp Oregano
• 1/2 tsp Garlic
• 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
• 3/4 cup water
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 tsp Sea Salt

DIRECTIONS:

Drizzle oil in a large pot on medium heat, add ground turkey break it up as it cooks. Let cook for 5 minutes until evenly browned. Add in spices & mix. Add in diced tomatoes, squash & peppers plus the water. Mix well. Let cook on medium-low for about 20 minutes. Enjoy with sliced Avocado, Cheese, or salsa over Brown Rice or a corn tortilla!

I usually choose simple meals before boot camp for the pure fact that I am jumping around like a crazy woman instructing and working out. Bland foods are usually preferred but I was really in the mood for chili so I went with it.

About 2 minutes into the warm up I got a big cramp in the side of my stomach but I fought through it and it was totally WORTH IT!! I’m still happy I ate that chili it gave me great energy, but now I know why I usually choose bland foods.

Okay enough rambling over here, it’s time to head to work. I hope you all have a great weekend!

Do you like chili? If so, do you like it spicy?

Are there certain foods you can’t eat before a workout?

I taught a morning and an evening Group Power class that were almost about 12 hours apart. I thought I was going to be tired for the 2nd class, but I wasn’t! I had a ton of energy and was able to lift and push myself more then I thought.

It didn’t hit me until I got home and sat on the floor to do some stretching that I realized my quads and back were already tight!

I had a surprise guest in class last night. My mom wanted to come over to see Ava, so she offered to hang out with her so Marc could get a workout in. It was nice having Marc in my class, it’s been such a long time since he’s been to any of my classes because he’s usually home with Ava when I teach. I feel like having him there definitely made me push a little harder!

I wanted to talk to you all about my workouts over the past week so lets rewind a bit, here’s what they looked like last week:

Monday: 1 Hour Strength Training Group Power class, senior fitness class and 20 minutes of Insanity Max 30

Tuesday: 1 hour Boot camp Class, (2) 20 minute walks with Cooper

Wednesday: 1 Hour Strength Training Group Power class, (2) 20 minute walks with Cooper

Thursday: 1 hour Boot camp Class, Senior Fitness Class, (1) 20 minute walk with Cooper

Friday: REST DAY, Ava was sick and I had a sore throat so we watched movies and laid around all day.

Saturday: REST DAY I still didn’t feel well. I can’t say I was really really sick, but I was fighting whatever Ava was trying to give me!!

Sunday: REST DAY With all intentions of being active, I decided my body needed to rest more so I took Cooper for a 25 minute walk in the morning and then called it a day.

Monday: (2) 1 Hour Strength Training Group Power classes, Senior Fitness Class

While I love taking a rest day 1-2x a week, last week was a very rare occurrence of 3 rest days in a row. Yesterday my body was ready for exercise, I was SOOOO rested up that I think I had too much energy to let loose. It was great though and my body thanked me in the end.

I have been doing some thinking about my workouts and I decided I need to add in a little more cardio. Besides Boot Camp, Insanity workouts, and walking Cooper I don’t do PURE CARDIO! I know boot camp and insanity are cardio based, so yes I am getting in my cardio but I guess I’m looking for something different to mix in.

I’m not a huge fan of elliptical or treadmill machines because I get bored easily so I am trying to think of extra cardio exercises I can do that are fun.

Maybe some jump rope circuits or agility ladder ciruits, what do you think? I am open to cardio suggestions!

Have a great day

Here I am making excuses about not walking Cooper as much but I hate to see Ava get sick or even myself!

This winter must end soon!!!

Now it’s time to share my food journal from yesterday. Thanks Jenn for hosting another WIAW!

Breakfast was 1 egg 1 cup egg whites with spinach & mushrooms and whole wheat toast. 

Mid morning I had a hard boiled egg with avocado and tomato plus a banana.

My lunch didn’t go according to my game plan. My dad watches Ava Tuesday mornings for me and he offered to pick me up a salad from Cosi, of course my answer was yes! I had a mixed greens salad with roasted red peppers, cucumbers, pistachios, grapes, gorgonzola w/ a Sherry Vinigarette. It was quite delicious and actually very filling.

I didn’t have any big protein with my lunch so I ate my leftover piece of tilapia with baby carrots & an apple. (random snack but actually good)

(I also had 2 pickle slices, but I did not take a picture!)

Yesterday I did a lot of computer work for my Boot Camp class and for my fitness coaching. It took up my whole afternoon. Luckily I had a quick and easy dinner planned before Boot Camp.

Chicken Sausage with peppers and oven baked sweet potato fries. This meal took me literally 15 minutes to make. Ava LOVES this sausage. Actually she likes any sausage.  is that weird for a 1 yr old? This chicken sausage was from Trader Joe’s and I wish I bought more it’s pretty tasty.

Post Boot Camp I had my Shakeology protein shake. I also ate some Sweet Cinnamon Plantains. If you haven’t tried pan roasted plantains I highly recommend it!

Also, I am trying to figure out what Marc said to me to make me laugh in this picture. I am nice and sweaty post Boot Camp, and I can’t say I like this pic but I thought you might like to see my goofy smile… is there a Tan filter yet because I need some sun!!

What was your favorite meal from yesterday?

Do you feel like you are less active when its cold out?

I figured I would share my food journal with you guys before I head off to Rhode Island to enjoy a Thanksgiving celebration with Marc’s family.

I am linking up with Jenn for a WIAW (What I ate Wednesday) post.

My morning started off a little later then usual because Ava had us up from 330-430am. She was coughing like crazy. Poor little girl, plus she has an ear infection. I had a cup of coffee and scrambled eggs with mushrooms & squash, 2 pieces of bacon, and a piece of toast. 

This breakfast was filling and held me over for a while.

Around mid-morning I had a banana and a slice of banana bread. It wasn’t over-kill on the bananas it was actually amazing.

This gluten free banana bread is AWESOME. I highly recommend it. I could seriously eat the whole loaf!

Since I was home with my sick child all day, I chose to eat some leftover turkey meatloaf, a white potato, & some spinach with olive oil. I have a canker sore in my mouth, have you ever had one?? This meal was perfect because the foods were soft and didn’t irritate it.

My afternoon snack was a Purium shake, A string Cheese, & some raspberries . Nothing crazy here.

We are trying to clear our the fridge before we leave for the next couple of days so we enjoyed some leftover baked chicken that had garlic & herbs on it, I chose a sweet potato on the side, and some green beans. It was simple but filling.

Ava loves green beans and chicken too.

She also enjoyed some Annie’s Mac & Cheese. Lucky girl!

As usual right after boot camp I refuel because my body muscles need it, and opted for a Quest Protein bar and some pan fried plantains! YUMM.

What is something delicious you ate? 

Do you like banana bread? 

Today is a rest day for me. I got in some fabulous workouts this week, but my body is telling me to lay off the squats, pushups, and anything involving weights!

I wanted to share with you my favorite new exercise of the week!! We practiced Plank Punches this week in Boot Camp and I loved it. I am a huge fan of planks because they help to build a strong core. Having a strong core is the foundation for everything you do with fitness!

PLANK PUNCHES!

For this variation of the Plank you start in a Pushup Position on your hands and toes.

(Little miss Ava snuck in this picture! She can’t sit still)

Keep your body straight as a board. Lift up one arm and punch directly in front of you.

Return to your plank position and switch sides.

You can add this exercise into any workout! Try starting with 3 sets of 30 seconds! Remember to keep your core tight and your hips pointing towards the floor, so we get the most out of this exercise!

I am super happy to have no plans on my schedule this weekend. We are going with the “go with the flow” attitude and see what the weekend brings!!

Have you learned any new exercises? If so, please share! 

Are you a Planker?

Do you have any fun plans this weekend?

We had a small area to work with from all the rain the night before but it worked out perfect.

Here is a sample from our workout:

TABATA 20 seconds on & 10 seconds rest (3 rounds of each exercise)

BURPEE

TOE TOUCH CRUNCH

PUSH UP

QUICK FEET (using the stairs)

I love Tabata’s and there are so many different variations that you can create! They get your heart pumping in a short amount of time. So we were definitely huffing and puffing at the end of them.

Ava had her own fun on the swing with Grandpa while we worked out.

Saturday afternoon flew by as we got ready for the wedding we had Saturday night at the beautiful Black Rock Yacht Club. It was such a perfect day for a wedding on the water, it was beautiful!

We had a lovely time catching up with friends and enjoying the weather outside during cocktail hour.

After getting to bed around 12:30 it was so hard to get going when Miss Ava decided to wake up at 5am.. I’m not going to lie, I wasn’t happy! When I finally woke up I was okay… but I was dragging at some points during the day. After breakfast we took a nice long walk with Cooper and I attended another Barre class at Pure Barre in the afternoon. Man my butt was on fire, and when I left the class my legs were yelling at me as I slowly stepped down each of the stairs in my house haha.

Well now it is Monday and we are back to work, I’m sure it will be an early night for me especially having taught 2 classes already this morning! I hope you all had a great weekend.

I got a pumpkin spice latte.. with skim milk. Somehow it was TOO sweet for me and I had maybe 10 sips total.

So onto the blog topic of regaining strength…. This week I really jumped back into my fitness routine. My body was ready and I was mentally ready to get back to it. With 2 Boot camp classes this week, I was super sore but it felt good. I didn’t go 100% because i didn’t want to pull a muscle or injure myself by working too hard, but I got in some great workouts.

I was surprised at the strength I had to complete the workouts considering I was only 6 weeks postpartum and hadn’t seriously worked out in a while. I took for granted how strong I was during my pregnancy and I am super thankful that I exercised my entire pregnancy.

Last night’s workout seemed so much easier compared to Tuesday night. I felt stronger with my planks and I was able to do the cardio at a little faster pace. My pushups got a little lower to the floor and my squats were a little deeper.

Although regaining strength takes time, I can already see progress and that is so motivating for me. I can’t wait to get my stomach back in shape. A strong CORE makes exercise so much easier. Bathing suit season is right around the corner and who doesn’t want to feel good in a bikini????

Today is my off day.. my body is telling me to rest and relax! I am all for it Tomorrow I will be focusing on learning the Group Power workout and I hoping Sunday will just be some walking cardio outside with the Baby and Cooper!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!

On Sunday I did the first disc of the T-25 workout. Shaun T really knows how to kick butt… but he also has an easier version of the workout and one of his instructors demonstrates the modified exercises so I followed her. It still had my heart rate up and 25 minutes was plenty for a first full body workout!! I have done most of the exercises before and it’s similar to my style of boot camp training so I was all for it.. I can’t wait to try his next workout!

Last night at boot camp, I was much more involved in the exercises and was able to do more. I still have to ease back into the jumping exercises and core work but I already feel like I made progress by participating in more of the boot camp workout. The workout was based on cardio & strength using body weight and man did it feel great to sweat! I know it’s gross but wiping sweat off my face felt nice.. I haven’t done that in a couple months!

When I got home my inner thighs and glutes were FIRED up! A mini-stretch session is a must today! I can feel how tight my quads are today and I know they will thank me if I get them warmed up and give them a good stretch.

I prefer to do a light warm-up before stretching, that way I get some blood flow to my muscles!

My to do list for stretching today: Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings, IT Band, & Calves

I will take some pictures of the stretches I do so you can try them yourself at home.

Do you stretch? Do yoga? How do you keep your muscles loose?