The Fit Skool

by Kelly

November 11, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
4 Comments

WIAW: Give me more

Monday was a very busy day for me, but I fueled my body with healthy eats all day long.

I am linking up with the What I ate Wednesday crew to share my food journal from Monday.

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My Monday started off early as usual. I woke up and immediately drank a glass of water to get going. I wasn’t really feeling the whole coffee thing, I know its’ weird but I had 2 sips and I was done. I thought to myself I’m going to be tired today but lets try without the caffeine.

I made myself 2 eggs, sautéed spinach and potatoes.

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It was perfect and filling. Before I knew it, I had to head out the door to go teach my Group Power class. After teaching the same class the day before, I went into the workout a bit sore and my muscles were tired. I had to lighten my weights on a couple of the exercises so that I could make it to the end!

After class, I refueled with a Chocolate Shakeology with banana, and a serving of Pistachio nuts.

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OMG I love pistachios. They are hands down my favorite nut and that’s why I need to portion them out or else I could eat them all. Ava also snacked on some with me.

We packed up and headed back to the YMCA so that I could teach Fit For Life while Ava played at the childcare. My class was packed and we all agreed it was a good workout.

For lunch I ate some leftover chicken cutlets, green beans, baby carrots, 1/2 sweet potato and a granny smith apple.

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Healthy & Filling, AGAIN.

Ava napped after lunch, I did my computer work, some blog stuff, & laundry. When she woke up we took Cooper for a quick walk and then I ate a bowl of Peanut Butter Oats with some strawberries.

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YUM! (yes that’s a toddler bowl, we ran out of regular ones)

I dropped Ava & Cooper at my parents and headed to one of my in-home clients for a training session. I know it’s my job to train people and help them get into shape but I LOVE IT. There’s something so rewarding about being a personal trainer and I’m so glad I have that opportunity.

I picked Ava & Cooper up, we headed home and I quickly threw some dinner on the table.

When I mean threw together dinner, I mean I opened the fridge, took out some leftover thai food, heated it up and served it on a plate ;)

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I had brown rice topped with Chicken Basil and some chicken brown with veggies. It was SO delicious and I must say, I thoroughly enjoyed not cooking on a Monday night. I also had seconds which are not pictured!

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I finished off my night with a slice of my homemade pumpkin bread & some raspberries and strawberries. The recipe is so good, we have already gone through 2 loafs. I will be posting the recipe soon.

What’s something yummy you ate this week?

Are you a fan of pumpkin bread?

November 9, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
0 comments

Cousins & White Christmas

We had an action packed weekend to say the least.

Saturday morning we woke up bright and early to head to Rhode Island to visit my sister in law and their new baby girl Amelia.

We were all very excited. Marc and I didn’t tell Ava where we were going because we figured it might excite her too much and she wouldn’t rest in the car.

We dropped Cooper off at Wagmore so that he could play with other dogs for the day while we were gone.

Once we arrived in Rhode Island we hung out at Marc’s sister’s house and got to hold baby Amelia while Ava & Natalie played with each other.

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Ava loves babies so she payed extra attention to Amelia throughout the day. It’s SO cute.

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Amelia is such a doll and beautiful just like her mommy.

It was a very special day and we wish we could’ve stayed longer.

The drive home was quick and we were back home to hang out for the last few hours of the evening which involved Thai food take out and some relaxing on the couch.

Sunday morning I subbed a Group Power class at the YMCA. It was a sweaty one and I left the building with JELL-O legs.

I ran home quick to shower, refuel and change. I got back in the car around 11am to head to Waterbury, CT to see the show WHITE CHRISTMAS with my mom, my sister in law Sue, my mom’s friend Debbie, her daughter and a few others!

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The show was fantastic and it got us all in the Christmas spirit.

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I know it’s not even Thanksgiving yet, but I felt like it was appropriate to get excited for the holidays in general.

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It was such a fun afternoon and I loved seeing my mom enjoy her favorite show!

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This weekend was a whirlwind and tiring but I really enjoyed every second!

What is something fun you did this weekend?

Have you ever seen White Christmas or any other holiday shows?

November 6, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
0 comments

Things I’m Loving This Week!

Happy Fridayyyy!!

This week started out slow for me, but the last 2 days were rather quick. I can’t complain. Overall this week has been productive, fun and exciting.

I want to share with you some THINGS I’M LOVING FROM THIS WEEK:

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What’s not to LOVE about the weather here in CT this week. With temperatures in the high 60’s and low 70’s I felt like being outside every second that I could. We took Cooper to the Park and on extra long walks, Ava was able to go to the playground in a T-shirt, and we played outside in the yard at my parents house.

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I can’t say I’m really looking forward to winter, but I guess I’ll appreciate the season change when it happens.

I’m on a FRUIT kick this week. Give me all the fruit. I don’t know if it’s the warmer weather or just the fact that fruit is ridiculously expensive so I haven’t bought a ton of it.. it just makes me want more! I’ve been eating raspberries, grapes, apples, bananas and

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 I even bought a mini watermelon this week!!

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Today is my rest day. I will not be exercising and I’m kinda excited for a day off! I have been working extra hard this week with my workouts and also with the extra classes I’ve subbed so my body is craving some relaxation. I will of course walk Cooper but that will be the extent of my exercise.

Since starting my 21 Day Fix Holiday Challenge Group on Monday I really haven’t eaten anything bad or processed so I don’t have a ton of “packaged” goods to share with you. I’ve been eating a lot clean, real food.

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I’m really digging breakfast as usual, and home cooked meals that involve meatballs, and chicken cutlets!

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I finally found a PUMPKIN CHOBANI yogurt this week. There was 1 left, do you think it was a sign? Or a tease? I saved it for last night after Boot Camp class, I figured i could get in some extra protein and I topped it with a little granola. So delicious!

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I found this interesting clip on Shakeology’s Instagram feed about Cinnamon Bun Calories vs making a shake. Growing up when my mom made cinnamon buns we used to all go nuts. There’s something so yummy about the SMELL of them alone. Looking at the calories on this bad boy, it definitely made me want to try out the shake instead ;)

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I found this picture of my mom and I, from my friend Lauren’s wedding and I had to share!

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Ava’s birthday is officially less then a month away and I need to think of something fun to get her. I am open to present suggestions.

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She will be 2, and this girl loves everything. She loves being active, reading books, playing with here toys, coloring, pushing her baby in the stroller, playing hide & seek. I need something creative to get her. I always tend to buy educational stuff but I need something that she can use her imagination and have fun with!

Now I’m off to train at the YMCA and then we have an action packed weekend ahead of us that includes a trip to Rhode Island to see our new baby niece, I’m subbing a Group Power Class on Sunday and then heading up to Waterbury CT to see the show WHITE CHRISTMAS!!!

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What are some of your favorite things from the week?

Do you have any fun plans for the weekend?

November 5, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
0 comments

Something I haven’t done in a while..

On Tuesday morning I had a little break in my day that I considered “FREEtime. I used that free time to my advantage and did something I haven’t done in a while…

I hopped on an elliptical with a magazine. Yes a magazine. I can’t tell you the last time I did this. I know this topic sounds random, which it was, but it’s something I used to do a lot before Ava was born when I was in between clients and needed something to do to pass time. From my experience with training, I’ve learned that exercise doesn’t always need to be INTENSE. Although I tend to gravitate towards the most difficult workouts that leave your body spent like  Group Power & Boot Camp classes. Sometimes  exercising in a leisurely way feels good.

I didn’t up the resistance, I didn’t do any intervals, I just strolled and read a couple articles. (reading while ellipicalling is DIFFICULT by the way) hence why I don’t do it often! These articles were not educational if anything they were useless information, but it was nice to give my mind a break from my usual routine and my usual reading on health & fitness.

I finished my low key workout with 15 minutes of stretching. I used the foam roller to stretch my IT Band, Quads, Hamstrings and Glutes. I also did some standing adductor/hamstring stretches, calfs and chest/back.

I walked away from my workout feeling loose and relaxed. It was just what my body needed.

Over the weekend I realized how tight my legs were from teaching extra classes, so I’m glad I made the time for myself to loosen up my muscles and let my body relax from all the intense classes I teach.

Speaking of classes, I’m off to the YMCA to teach my Fit For Life class. They are such a wonderful group of people that continue to motivate to help others reach their fitness goals no matter what age!!

How often do you stretch?

Have you ever read a magazine while doing some sort of low impact cardio?

November 4, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
4 Comments

WIAW: 21 Day fix style

On Monday I started another Challenge Group for the 21 day fix. The start date for this challenge was perfect because it finishes up right before Thanksgiving and is a great way to get ahead before the holidays officially begin!!

I am a huge fan of the meal plan, it’s balanced, allows for any foods, and it makes me feel satisfied and healthy!!

I am linking up with the WIAW crew to share my food journal from Monday. It’s a day of eats using the 21 day fix meal plan!

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I started my morning off with a glass of water and 1/2 cup of coffee! I woke up feeling energized from the extra hour of sleep this weekend, so to be honest I barely touched my coffee!!

I did tons of meal prep on Sunday so I already had my breakfast potato hash browns ready to go. I made 2 eggs over easy, had my usual sauteed spinach w/olive oil and lots of those delicious potatoes. I could eat this every day (and I do on most days)

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(1 Green, 1 yellow, 1 red, 1 tsp)

I taught Group Power and after lifting a little heavier I left feeling a little jell-o-e all over. I refueled with a banana, a protein shake and oatmeal with peanut butter and a random bag of carrots

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(1 purple, 1 yellow, 1 red, 2 tsp, 1 green)

After a quick trip home we headed back to the YMCA for my 2nd class.

Thanks again to meal prep, I had lunch prepared: Turkey Meatballs over Spaghetti Squash.

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Also a Granny Smith Apple and avocado! The avocado was random, but that’s because I cut some for Ava and she didn’t want it

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(1 red, 1 1/2 green, 1 purple, 1 blue)

I did a couple hours worth of work on the computer, I probably should’ve showered at this point but I didn’t because I was afraid to wake Ava up from her nap! I’m glad I used her nap time to get work done.

Once she woke up I made a quick Chocolate Shakeology with Peanut Butter Powder. This snack fueled me for our long walk with Cooper. It was 65 degrees out so we took advantage of the weather. I also snacked on some sunflower seeds

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(1 red, 1 orange) I didn’t count the PB2, I guess it would be an extra teaspoon but it’s only 20 calories for a tbsp

Marc wanted Steak for dinner so that’s what we had :) We both love steak. It’s such an easy meal to cook up so I’m never against it. With our steak we had sweet potatoes & roasted brussel sprouts!

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(1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow, 1 tsp)

For some reason on Mondays, my appetite is ravenous. I had some Good Bean Sea Salt Chickpeas and Marc and I also shared a bowl of grapes & strawberries

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(1 yellow, 1 purple)

It was a yummy day of eating for me. The 21 day fix has helped me stay on top of my food prep and when I prep I make smarter choices. It’s an overall win in my books.

What is something yummy you ate yesterday?

For those of you who have done the 21 day fix, what is your biggest challenge with the meal plan?

November 2, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
2 Comments

Candy in moderation & Halloween recap

My post came a little late today. We had a busy, productive, fun weekend and I just let myself enjoy every second of it without thinking about writing a blog post.

I hope you all had a wonderful Halloween!! I think this was one of my favorites in a while. To see Ava all dressed up and excited to go Trick or treating made the holiday even more special to me.

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While I didn’t capture any AMAZING pictures of her smiling, Marc was able to capture a picture of her knocking on a door, which made my night.

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We had practiced knocking and saying trick or treat prior to the big night.

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After a few houses, Ava started picking up on the tricks and I could tell she was more into it.

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She started grabbing more and more candy each time!!

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The big question did we let her eat candy???

YES. If she didn’t show any interest, I wasn’t going to open it and put it in her mouth but she said “mommy open” to almost every piece of candy. Rather then un open all of them, we decided to give her a few M&Ms. Those are smaller in size and she lost interest so we put them away.

I don’t want to deprive Ava of anything in life. She needs to learn everything in moderation just like all of us.

I’ve heard so many stories as a personal trainer of kids that were deprived of pizza and “bad foods” there whole childhood who go on to binge and eat bad foods after high school and in college when they live on their own. I believe that if we set good examples at home and allow a little bit of fun & treats everyone can live healthy & happy ;)

What are your thoughts on kids having candy?

Did you grow up in strict household or were you allowed to eat whatever you wanted?

October 30, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
2 Comments

Things I’m loving this week

TGIF!!!

I’m so happy it’s Friday, this has been a long week. I’m looking forward to the weekend and seeing Ava and her cousin Emily dressed up for Halloween.

I am collecting a few things from the week that I have been loving, here goes:

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MEATBALLS & RAVIOLI from Arthur Avenue.

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I believe everything in moderation is healthy! ;) especially this meal. It was such a treat and I thank my dad for buying us this delicious food from New York. Meatballs are my weakness, actually italian food is my weakness. I enjoyed every bite and if I could eat them every day I would.

My boy Cooper got a haircut. I know I mentioned this earlier this week but I can’t stop hugging, petting and smelling him. He probably thinks I’m crazy but he’s so soft and I can’t help but be excited to have a clean fluffy dog.

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PRO BARS. At Target the other day I purchased these delicious bars that pretty much tasted like a chocolate chip cookie. They had a good amount of protein, healthy fats and they kept me satisfied!

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Speaking of Bars. I got a shipment last week from QUEST and it felt like an early Christmas gift arrived. I love having these bars after my boot camp workouts this week. I feel like I’m getting the protein I need and satisfying my sweet cravings at the same time.

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SORE LEGS. I don’t really LOVE sore legs, but I love knowing that I was able to get in some good workouts this week. I’m also subbing another Group Power class today so you can bet that I will be doing a whole lot of nothing tomorrow!

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Ava says I love you. Ava has said I love you before but broken up and not that clear. On Wednesday night when I put her to bed. She gave me a kiss on her own and she said I love you after I said it to her. I almost melted. I couldn’t help but smile as I came downstairs to relax for the night!! It was awesome.

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(Flashback to 1 year ago when Ava was a ladybug for halloween at 10 months old!)

I can’t wait to see Ava dressed up tomorrow for her 2nd Halloween!! I know I said before but I’m excited :)

What is one of your favorite things from the week?

Do you have any fun halloween plans?

October 29, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
0 comments

Keeping my family healthy

I decided to write this post after just recently going to my Doctors Appointment for a “yearly physical” check up. To be honest I wouldn’t call it a yearly thing for me. I hadn’t been to the doctor in a long time for a Physical and I scheduled my appointment because my Dad told me to! HA just when I thought I was a mature 30 year old adult, my dad says you haven’t had a physical? You should be going regularly to get examined. Of course he was right.

 I was at the doctor all the time during my pregnancy with Ava but I hadn’t gotten the basics checked in a while and I was glad I did.

When I arrived at my appointment I was nervous, I think for the pure fact that it’s like taking a test and waiting to hear the results is always torturous… there’s a fear of the unknown.

I had done my blood work and urine sample a week earlier so that I could discuss my results with the doctor during the appointment.

My doctor is amazing, PERIOD. She is thorough, she is brilliant, she makes me feel valued, and she takes the time to make me feel comfortable by explaining all the details and answering my crazy questions.

Like I said earlier, I was nervous for the appointment but I shouldn’t have been. I eat healthy, I exercise regularly, I sleep well, I have found good ways to keep my stress at a minimum and I live a happy life.

My blood work showed excellent levels of HDL Cholesterol and LDL Cholesterol, Calcium, iron, blood pressure, blood sugar, thyroid and everything else was at perfect levels. It felt great to hear that I was doing everything I possibly could to keep myself healthy.

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A clean bill of health is an awesome thing.

I titled this post Keeping my family healthy for a reason. This is my #1 goal and something I work on every single day so that we can live a healthy & happy life together.

I know that leading by example has helped me a lot with Ava, but here are some simple steps I take to give my family the healthy & happy lifestyle I hope for.

SIMPLE STEPS TO KEEPING MY FAMILY HEALTHY

1. Eat at home. 

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During the week, we make it a priority to cook and eat meals at home. Sure it’s convenient to get take out but we don’t do it on a regular basis. It costs a lot and it takes away from time at home with the family. Ava has learned to help me in the kitchen and I believe we are setting a good example for her. That’s the way I grew up and I want her to have the same. Plus home cooked meals are usually way healthier then take out options :)

2. Exercise as a family. 

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Every day we get outside to take Cooper for a walk, we also take time to exercise ourselves through workout classes and at home workouts. Ava plays soccer and goes to parks and playgrounds to run around & we take Cooper to the dog park. It’s so important to stay active and have fun while doing it.

3. Rest when needed. 

When we are tired, run down, feeling sick or just need a break, we always listen to our bodies and take a break. I look for Ava’s signs of feeling run down because obviously she can’t tell me how she’s feeling quite yet but I think I’ve done a good job of getting her to bed at a reasonable hour and letting her nap when she needs it.

4. Make time for fun activities with friends and family. 

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Who doesn’t love to have fun? If we didn’t make each other laugh and do activities that got us excited we would feel terrible.

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We try to do fun activities whenever we can, for example going to the beach, the parks, apple picking, out to dinner, visit markets, go shopping, hang out with friends & family and explore as many new places as we can.

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I’m not perfect, but I try my best to do everything in my power to live a balanced life!

How do you keep your family healthy?

Is this one of your priorities?

October 28, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
2 Comments

WIAW: On the go

Like all weeks, this one is busy and flying by!! I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited for Halloween. I can’t wait to see Ava dressed up :)

Today I am linking up with the What I Ate Wednesday Crew to share my eats from yesterday!

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My morning started off with a glass of water and a 1/2 cup of French Vanilla Coffee with a splash of milk. I woke up hungry so you can bet I immediately started preparing breakfast.

Resorting to my easy go-to breakfast, I made 2 eggs, sautéed spinach in olive oil, a piece of bacon and a slice of whole grain toast. This meal never disappoints.

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Yesterday I had an amazing opportunity to spend the ENTIRE Tuesday morning with Ava, without any clients or classes!! Woohoo. WE dropped Cooper off at the dog groomer at 830am and then ran a bunch of errands.

We ended up shopping in Target for a full hour. I love that store but I want to buy everything. I swear we went for diapers, toilet paper, and eggs and somehow I left with a new shirt, halloween decorations, candles, food, a new toy for Ava. It was worth it though, Ava loves shopping and I love seeing her happy!!

On the way home I was starving, I had brought a banana with me so I snacked on that and a PRO BAR. This was an impulse purchase at Target and I am SO happy I bought them. They were healthy, sweet and filling.

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We dropped off all our bags, played outside for a bit and then had to pick Cooper up from his groomer.

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Doesn’t he look handsome?

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And also 3 years younger?

I’m glad we had limited food choices in the fridge because I was hungry for lunch but had no clue what I wanted. There were 2 options, Kale Salad with pumpkin seeds & Turkey Meatloaf and of course I finished both.

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I also snacked on some of this large Red Delicious Apple and I may have dunked some slices into a jar of peanut butter!!! 

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Ava napped after lunch and I spent time doing my coaching computer work. Once she woke up I made a quick Chocolate Shakeology with PB2 and ran out again to do some more errands.

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Ava seemed a little off to me when she woke up from her nap. Around 4pm she threw up out of no where, and this girl literally ejected everything in her system. I stayed calm even though it was disgusting and the smell alone could’ve made me sick to my stomach. I cleaned up the mess, changed her, & gave her a bath. She seemed to be doing a little better after, so maybe it was for the better.

When I looked at the clock and realized it was dinner time I starting panicking that I didn’t have enough time to get food in my system before Boot Camp.

I snacked on some baby carrots while I started to make dinner.

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Luckily I had one of my go to easy dinner meals in the fridge!  Al Fresco Chicken Sausages are amazing and they whip up in a jiffy. I haven’t had one flavor that I didn’t like! I served the sausage with peppers and baked potatoes.

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After teaching my Boot Camp class I came home and snacked on a Quest bar & some roasted plantains (not pictured sorry I was hungry!!)

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With no food plans in mind yesterday, I was able to make some healthy choices and satisfy my taste buds without having to think too much!

What is something yummy you ate this week?

What’s your go to simple dinner meal?

October 27, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
0 comments

Battle Ropes, TRX & Bosu workout

Just like every busy working mom out there, sometimes its hard for me to squeeze in a workout of my own choice. When I do, I try to take advantage of some of my favorite workout equipment.

On Tuesday I did a fun, challenging & sweaty bodyweight workout using the battle ropes, TRX and Bosu ball at the YMCA.

I started my workout with a 5 minute warm-up. I alternated between Box Step-Ups, Quick feet on the Bosu, and some side shuffle drills.

Once I was warm I completed the following workout:

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BATTLE ROPES, TRX & BOSU FULL BODY CHALLNGE

2 ARM ROPE SLAMS

ALTERNATING ROPE SLAMS

BATTLE ROPE JUMPING JACKS

TRX BODYWEIGHT ROWS

TRX BODYWEIGHT PUSHUPS

PERFORM EACH EXERCISE FOR 30 SECONDS, REPEAT 3X (REST AS NEEDED)

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In between each round I did 30 seconds of Side Shuffle on the BOSU ball for an added cardio blast!

This workout probably took me about 25 minutes. It was short but challenging and I’ve learned that I don’t need to spend hours working out. Sometimes my best workouts are the ones that are under 30 minutes!

I promise this one will leave your arms feeling like Jell-o and your heart pumping. I love adding the battle ropes into my training, its not only great cardio, but its a great stress reliever!!!

**Always consult a Doctor or physician before beginning a new workout program**