The Fit Skool | by Kelly

July 23, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
1 Comment

Save yourself $25

Well hello there! Before I get to the topic of this blog I feel like rambling for a little bit.

Yesterday was one of those days that nothing seemed to go right, have you ever had one of those??

First up, I woke up to a headache & sore throat. My sore throat actually started Tuesday night before boot camp but it was worse the next day probably from yelling in class. Second, my car wouldn’t start. My car is 7 years old and I have never had a car problem before so I really can’t complain if the battery just died but I think its something else.

Rather then have Marc wake Ava up to drive me to work. I decided to leave for work 20 minutes early and walk to work. (the perks to working close to your house) I was booking and it only took 11 minutes! It was actually a beautiful morning to walk and I used it as an extra warm-up to group power.

After class I walked home (still not feeling great) but the endorphins kicked in a little and Ava had some good moments that made me laugh.

BUT….the rest of the day I felt drained, I had a headache and all I wanted to do was lay down but with a toddler that was quite hard. She wasn’t feeling great which is probably why I got sick in the first place.

Walking Cooper down the street even drained me!

To speed this up a little, Ava wouldn’t nap, my mom came over to help me and I’m so thankful for family close by. We decided to go grab a salad for lunch and I finally got her to sleep in my moms car! I got home ate lunch and showered and then Ava woke up… I didn’t get to rest or lay down. Little by little things started to irritate me more and more, the grill wouldn’t start to make dinner and then I threw in the towel! I won’t ramble anymore and tell you anymore of the details from my day but it ended on a good note. I went to bed early only to wake up feeling a bit more energized!

OKAY….

The topic of this blog post “How to save $25!”

This isn’t a contest or a giveaway I was just simply talking to Marc this morning as I made eggs, bacon, sauteed spinach, coffee, & toast and thought why do people waste money to go to Starbucks, Mcdonalds or a nearby Deli to grab their coffee & breakfast when breakfast is one of the EASIEST and CHEAPEST meals to make at home?!?!?!!?!?????

I know people that drive out of their way in the morning to get their favorite coffee that costs $5 of their favorite breakfast sandwich that costs $3 when the driving and waiting in line only takes away more time then to throw 2 eggs in a pan and throw it over some veggies with toast. Not to mention when you by a $6 bag of Dunkin Donuts coffee it can last you more then a whole week for 2 people. You can do the math and realize eating breakfast out is a waste of $$$$$$$$$$.

To Save MONEY & TIME:

Cook extra veggies at the beginning of the week
Make a big healthy Veggie Frittata at the beginning of the week and slice it up place it in baggies so you can eat it in the car or throw it on a couple pieces of whole grain toast for a sandwich
Cook your favorite sides like potatoes or bacon (baked on a rack and not fried)
If you are really short on time Grab a greek yogurt throw some berries & nuts or nut butter on top

I don’t cook extravagant breakfast but it is my favorite meal and I enjoy eating it at home because I know I am eating clean & healthy ingredients! Plus it’s tasty.

Sometimes I use leftover potatoes & veggies and throw a couple eggs on the side and I’m set!

Even a yogurt with berries and nut butter is a decent breakfast choice!

The point of this post is that if you cut out 1 of your takeout meals per day you can save yourself $25 PLUS dollars per week, and you can put that towards something rewarding for yourself like a new workout shirt, a pedicure, or even a back massage!

AVA loves eating breakfast and I’m happy that she enjoy eating at home!

Do you eat most of your meals out or do you take the time to prepare and pack your foods to bring with you?

Do you have any tips to avoid eating out?

July 22, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
4 Comments

Sample 21 Day Fix Meal Plan & WIAW

I have received tons of questions about the 21 Day Fix and the meal plan so I thought it would be great to share my meals with you. I started another coaching a new challenge group on Monday and this group has so much motivation and it is so empowering! I think that’s one of the perks to being a part of a challenge group. You are there to support each other, you keep each other motivated and focused.

The reason I do this program is to keep my eating on track. Although most people are trying to lose weight and tone up I’m looking to maintain my weight but would like to increase my energy and more toning is always a plus.

I find that even though I eat healthy, there are some days where I consume too much nut butters & carbs… so this program really teaches me the right portions.

I think Marc could tell you how many scoops of peanut butter I would really like to have on any given day

I’m linking up with Jenn and the What I ate Wednesday crew to share my food journal with you!

I fall into the 1800-2099 calorie guide for my weight plus my activity level. As far as containers go, this calorie guide gets 5 green containers (Veggies), 5 Red Containers (protein), 5 tsp (oils & nut butters), 3 purple (fruits), 3 Yellow (Carbs), 1 Orange (nuts & seeds & dressings) 1 blue (healthy fats)

BREAKFAST: 1Egg + 1 cup Egg whites Scrambled with Spinach, 1 tsp oil and 1 piece of Whole Grain Toast (1 Red, 1 Green, 1 Yellow, 1 Teaspoon)

POST WORKOUT SNACK: Oatmeal, Banana, 1 tsp peanut butter, protein powder and baby carrots on the side (1 red, 1 yellow, 1 tsp, 1 purple, 1 green)

LUNCH:Salad with Cucumbers, Peppers, Red Cabbage, Avocado, Balsamic dressing & grilled chicken (1 red, 2 green, 1 blue, 1 orange)

MID-AFTERNOON SNACK: Shakeology + an apple (1 Red, 1 Purple)

DINNER: Turkey Meatballs with Zucchini Noodles & Tomato Sauce plus a Baked Sweet Potato with butter (2 Green, 1 Red, 1 tsp, 1 Yellow)

NIGHT TIME SNACK: While watching Mistresses on demand I snacked on Blueberries & Grapes (1 Purple)

and then had a teaspoon of Peanut Butter because I was still hungry (1 tsp)

To be honest, its super helpful to follow this plan and when I do I feel energized, satisfied and less bloated because I’m eating real clean simple foods. It’s the type of eating I hope to do for the rest of my life!

Have you ever tried the 21 day fix or another BeachBody program?

What’s the hardest part of eating healthy for you?

July 20, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
2 Comments

Summer Weather and Relaxation

I’m sad the weekend is over, but I’m super happy we were able to spend time with friends and family while enjoying the lovely summer weather.

I am going to do a quick “Photo Recap” of the weekend with some random comments to sort of explain how our weekend went:

Friday night we had a kid and adult play date with our neighbors.

Ava had a blast playing with her friend Grace.

Saturday morning Marc played golf and my mom came over. We organized my closet (I’m so unorganized and messy when it comes to closets)

We ate grilled chicken & grilled veggie wraps from Garden Catering.

In the afternoon we had a pool play date with our neighbors at NYAC

It turned out to be a beautiful day.

We got some take out dinner. I chose Chicken Marsala and shared it with Ava.

Sunday I trained in the morning and then did some food prep. We had sandwiches and salads with Marc’s family for a light lunch.

In the afternoon we took Ava to the toy store. It was great entertainment because what kid isn’t happy in a toy store! Can we talk about Ava’s hair in this picture? I’m a bad mom for not brushing it before we left.

Anyways It was such a great weekend and now I’m off to teach Group Power.

What do you do to keep cool during the hot weather?

What’s something fun you did this weekend?

July 17, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
2 Comments

Things I’m Loving Lately…

As I look back on the week, it didn’t seem to go by that fast but it was a good week and I felt very productive. I’m heading to the YMCA shortly for some training and I’m also subbing a Fit For Life class which should be fun.

I’m really enjoying the “Things I’m Loving Lately” posts. It makes me look back and appreciate new foods I’ve tried, fun things I’ve done with family, and things I want to share with you guys!

Here’s a few new items to share that I’m loving this week!

I’m all about trying new things, especially when they are “clean” products. These PALEO Wraps were a random purchase on amazon. I must say they are very coconutty but these are the most durable wraps I’ve ever eaten if that makes sense. Most wraps break and fall apart and these ones hold up really well. If you are a coconut fan you should definitely give them a try. I can’t wait to try them with almond butter and banana, it just sounds like a good combination.

I think I always end up posting a picture of fruit during these posts but the truth is I LOVE my fruit and I’m definitely a seasonal produce eater. Cherries are pretty amazing right now, and I think they are fun to eat. I sometimes feel like I might choke on the pit but I do love the process of eating cherries.

While shopping at Stop and Shop last weekend, these “Burgers” caught my eye. They are Sweet Potato & Spinach Burgers with cheese and some other fresh ingredients, and they were surprisingly tasty. I ate mine plain so I could really taste all the flavors! They are 240 Calories and have 10g of protein, not bad! I ate these burgers on 2 other occasions this week, so they must be good. I loved how convenient they were, I popped them into a frying pan for a couple minutes on each side and they complemented my lunch very nicely! It’s an easy way to get veggies in too. I’m thinking about recreating them in the near future!

My dad loves Costco and somehow he always manages to buy us something even when I tell him we don’t need anything. He bought us a case of Poland Spring Sparkling Waters. At least he knows we like them and they are healthy! I am a big water drinker but every once in a while I need some flavor. I’m really loving the lemon flavor.

Since it’s FLEX FRIDAY I figured I would give it a go. I have been working hard on my back muscles and I can finally see some popping through;)

Marc also made it to Boot Camp this week. I love the energy he brings to class, he goes 110% during the whole workout and I know he maxes out. His shirt was soaking wet in the picture, he probably could have rung out some sweat.

Ava is starting to talk and use her words more and I’m LOVING it. Someone told me once kids start talking they don’t stop, but to be honest I really appreciate the fact that Ava is telling me what she wants more. I can ignore the stuff I don’t want to hear, but I really do love that she tells me she wants cheese or crackers or milk! It makes my life a little easier and its cute to listen to her try to pronounce words.

That’s it for this week. Happy Friday

What’s something you are loving this week?

Do you have any fun weekend plans?

July 15, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
3 Comments

WIAW: Food Volume

Hello there! I hope your day is off to a great start. This week is flying by once again and I’m pretty pumped about it.

I decided to share my food journal with you from Monday this week. For some reason I felt bloated on Sunday (and the bowl of cookie dough ice cream I ate didn’t help) so I really focused on healthy eating on Monday to avoid that blah feeling once again.

Thanks Jenn for hosting another What I Ate Wednesday (WIAW)

My Monday morning started off with a cup of French Vanilla Coffee with milk. I made a quick breakfast scramble of eggs, spinach, potatoes. It really doesn’t look pretty but it was delicious and filling. This was exactly the type of meal I needed to fuel my Group Power workout at 730am.

We taught the new workout for Group power and it felt great to bring in some next exercises. It was a great class and I dripped so much sweat I immediately drank a protein shake after the class to refuel my muscles. I also ate a bowl of oatmeal with peanut butter and a banana my appetite was crazy.

After I taught my Fit For Life class I was craving a salad so I quickly made one. We ran out of avocado and I was super bummed not to have some in the mix, but it was still yummy. My salad had peppers, cucumbers, carrots, bbq chicken, & balsamic fig dressing. I love simple salads and I also love Marc’s BBQ chicken so I was thankful for the leftovers from the weekend.

With my salad I also had an apple with peanut butter.

My afternoon snack came a couple hours later after I finished my coaching work on the computer. I opted for a Chocolate Protein Oat bar and a few pieces of fresh mozzarella (ava was snacking on it and it looked too good)

Marc had a manager’s meeting all day at work so Ava and I had dinner without him. I didn’t have to cook which was great. That meant I opened the fridge and took out the food items that looked the best out and put it on a plate I had a piece of Chicken Francese, with Asparagus in olive oil, and a simple baked sweet potato.

It wasn’t fun having a weeknight alone but I was able to catch up on a lot of work once Ava was asleep.

I finished my night with a Chocolate Shakeology and some strawberries.

When I look back at my day of eats everything was pretty nutritious but also FILLING. Did you ever notice there’s more volume to foods that are WHOLE & REAL. For example my oatmeal bowl was huge and satisfying but it has the same calories as a KIND bar. Whenever I eat KIND bars (they are so tasty) but they don’t fill me, which means I end up eating more than I actually need. Anyways, it was a good day in my books and even though my food choices aren’t creative, the less thinking I have to do with a toddler running around the better!

Happy Hump Day.

Whats been your go to lunch lately?

Do you prefer creative meals over simple ones?

July 14, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
2 Comments

Pull-Ups Are Hard

I tried guys… I tried but I didn’t reach my goal of 5 consecutive Pull Ups over the weekend. I was pretty happy though because I’ve made a lot of progress over the past 6 months. Although I didn’t hit the “GOAL” I still was impressed at my increase in strength.

I attempted to do my Pull Ups on Saturday morning because I promised you all that I would. If I hadn’t made that commitment to you I probably wouldn’t have done them. My body was sore, I woke up tired, and I just felt a little on the blah side.

I chugged coffee and told myself I was going to do the pull-ups and after hyping it up in my head that I could complete those 5 Pull-ups I attempted my own challenge.

After 3 reps… my attempt at 4 was a complete fail. My arms gave out even though my brain said I could keep going.

I was frustrated when I let go but I knew I gave it my best shot. After I finished I questioned whether or not I would have completed more pull-ups if my “pull up challenge” was on a day that I wasn’t sore. That created another challenge in my head… and I will keep at it.

SO backing it up a bit..

Here’s what my Pull up Workout looked like:

SET #1: 3 REPS (this was the only set I planned on doing)

SET #2: 1.5 REP (I convinced myself to get to 5 reps even if it wasn’t consecutive)

SET #3: 2 REPS (I got to 5 reps and kept going)

SET #4: 1.5 REPS (my arms were shot…. but it felt great)

Going into my challenge I really only planned on doing one set of 5, but I am glad I kept going, Believe it or not my 4th set felt better then my 1st set and I was overly pleased with my mini workout.

So I know I’m kinda rambling here a bit, but I’ve learned that creating challenges for myself is the little push I need to make me stronger.

Can you do a Pull-Up? If so, do you find them to be easy or challenging?

What’s an exercise you love doing?

July 13, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
0 comments

A Workout Filled Weekend

Okay Monday… Lets do this!

Today I am launching the new Group Power workout at 730am. To say I don’t get nervous would be a lie. It’s incredibly hard to remember every move for an hour straight but I do feel confident about it and I really do like this workout.

Lets back up a bit and chat about my weekend.

Friday night was a low key night, Ava had just went to the Doctors for her 18-month check up (a little late because she’s already 19 months) she had to get some shots so we opted for a lazy night because she was tired and drained from her appointment. Saturday morning we woke up took Cooper and Ava for a walk, played in the pool, did some grocery shopping and I had a work obligation in the afternoon.

I also managed to get in a Pull-up workout that I will recap tomorrow.

Saturday night we ordered take out food from and Italian restaurant down the street called Bella Nonna. I got Chicken Francese with veggies & potatoes and we split some Mussels Fra Diavolo to start. It was pretty good.

We spent the rest of the evening on our porch hanging out with our neighbors while Ava played with her friend Ella and our dogs wrestled until everyone was tired!

Sunday morning I headed to the YMCA to support my Co-worker Michelle while she launched the first Group Power workout.

It was a packed house and we barely had enough equipment to go around. I didn’t have a step box to use so I really think it made some of the exercises a little more challenging, but I took one for the team

The rest of my day was spent doing coaching work on the computer, food prepping in the kitchen and playing with Ava outside in the pool again.

Ava and Cooper had a blast and it was really cute to see them playing together in the pool.

It was a lovely relaxing weekend and now I get to go pump some iron with the New GP workout!

Did you do anything fun this weekend?

What’s your favorite italian dish?

July 10, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
0 comments

Things I’m Loving this week

HAPPY FRIDAY!

I literally might do a dance right now, I’m so excited its Friday. I am SO sore that I’m pumped to have a rest day today with no classes to teach. I woke up in the middle of the night to my legs screaming at me.

My workout today will be walking Cooper & about 10-15 minutes of serious stretching!

Before I head to the YMCA to train some clients I figured I would share some Things I’m Loving this week:

Fruit has been my number 1 snack this week. I have been enjoying extra strawberries & cherries at night for a snack!

Last weekend Marc bought these Dark Chocolate Espresso beans at Citarella. I only try them in the morning time because I’m so sensitive to caffeine, but they are a nice chocolate fix!

Al Fresco chicken sausage has been a weekly dinner staple for us on Boot Camp nights.

They are so easy to whip up and we all love the taste of their different sausage flavors.

Now that the weather is hotter, I have been wanting to cook less and less. Every day this week I have thrown together cold salads with leftover Chicken and whatever veggies we have in the fridge.

This weekend we are launching our new Group Power workout and I have this workout to blame for my soreness. It’s challenging my muscles in a new way and I love it!

Last but not least, Ava is surprising me every day with new skills and just how incredibly smart she is. In this picture below she is walking across a mini balance beam at the playground.

It’s just so amazing to see kids learn new things right in front of you!

With the weather looking hot & sunny this weekend I have a feeling we will be outside playing in the pool or at the beach! I can’t wait

What things have you been loving this week?

Do you have any fun weekend plans?

July 8, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
4 Comments

WIAW: hot days = cold foods

A hot day calls for colder foods! Yesterday the weather was hot & sticky and I leaned towards some colder food choices to keep me cool.

I’m linking up with the What I ate Wednesday crew to share with you my food journal from yesterday!

I woke up around 6am and was a little more tired then usual. I felt like I could’ve slept for another 3 hours! I was so happy Marc had coffee brewing because I knew I needed a little boost. Ava seemed a little sluggish too, she started the morning on the couch drinking some milk!

I whipped up my usual 2 eggs, sautéed spinach with olive oil and a piece of toast. This time my eggs were from a friend who has chickens. Fresh chicken eggs are pretty tasty and you can totally see the difference in the yolk color.

That’s Ava’s hand in the picture… clearly she wanted some of my breakfast!

After training a few clients at the Y, I headed back home to whip up a Chocolate Shakeology with Banana. It was so cold and tasty. I realized I drink things a lot faster when there’s a straw in the mix.

Ava napped earlier then usual and I was able to complete a solid hour and 1/2 of computer work. It was great.

For lunch I had leftover Orange glazed chicken in a salad with tomatoes, mushrooms, gorgonzola cheese and Balsamic Fig dressing! It was perfect. I also had a leftover sweet potato because I was craving some carbs.

Also some watermelon… (not a great picture)

My afternoon snack was an Granny Smith apple with 2 spoonfuls of peanut butter. YUM!

It seems like we have been eating Chicken Sausage at least once a week lately and I’m not complaining. Al Fresco’s chicken sausage are so tasty and soo simple to prepare. Tonight we mixed sliced sausage with Brown Rice, peppers & eggplant!! This was a great pre-boot camp meal.

After Boot Camp I had a few Cookie Dough Protein Bites and a bowl of green grapes!

It was a great day of foods and I enjoyed everything I ate! Now I’m off to teach Group Power class and get my sweat on.

What’s something yummy you ate yesterday?

Do you tend to eat colder foods when its hot out?

July 7, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
0 comments

Trainer Tip #13: Follow through with your commitment.

Trainer Tip #13: Follow through with your commitment.

How many of you tell yourself “I am going to workout 3 times a week” or “I am going to stick to a clean eating program for 30 days”? Do you usually follow through? or Do things get in the way?

It got me thinking about commitment and what it means to me. Not just to fitness and health, but the word Commitment in general.

I have committed to eat healthy 90% of the time and I have stuck with it. The other 10% are treats here and there that I don’t feel guilty about. If Marc asks me if I want ice cream or a glass of wine, sometimes it’s hard to say No Sometimes I’m the one asking him! I have found a great balance with nutrition and I am happy with that. I think once you find that balance you have made healthy eating a lifestyle change.

On a different note, I made a fitness commitment on New Years that I didn’t quite follow through with. I told myself I was going to complete 5 consecutive Pull-Ups by summer. I can’t say I didn’t complete this task because I never put myself up to the pull-up bar to do the challenge. While I didn’t fail I still haven’t completed my goal.

We all have excuses and mine was for the pure fact that I was fearful of pushing my body too hard. I workout 5 days a week for my job so on my rest days I felt it was important to rest and when my shoulder was bothering me I didn’t push it.

I have spent extra time strengthening my back and shoulders and I know I can do it! Because I am a committed person I am going to put the test in front of me this weekend to prove to myself that I can do those 5 pull-ups.

So to finish up my point, I feel like if your heart, mind & body isn’t fully into something then you shouldn’t commit to it. It’s easier said then done, we have all broken commitments before, but I am asking you to think very carefully before you make your next commitment.

For more tips, check out the links below!

Trainer Tip #12: Check your ego at the door

Trainer Tip #11: Listen to your Body

Trainer Tip #10: Take your Warm-up Seriously!

Trainer Tip #9 Keep your muscles confused

Trainer Tip #8: Make time for yourself

Trainer Tip #7: Get more out of your Group Fitness Class

Trainer Tip #6 Choose exercise that you enjoy doing

Trainer Tip #5 Quality vs Quantity

Trainer Tip #4 Lift a little heavier

Trainer Tip #3 A short workout is better then no workout

Trainer Tip #2 Exercising outdoors

Trainer Tip Tuesday #1: If you don’t like an exercise, start doing it!

Have you stuck with any new years commitments?

What’s something you set out to complete and followed through with?