The Fit Skool | by Kelly

February 9, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
2 Comments

Opening up to you

I hope you all had a great weekend! Mine was great, it actually felt like a long weekend and it didn’t fly by too much. Maybe it is also because we have a delayed start (with fitness classes) at the Y this morning.

One thing that stuck out to me about this weekend was that we didn’t eat out once. Every meal was home cooked and it felt great to eat clean & healthy.

Here are a few snapshots of some of my meals!

Friday was blackened salmon.

Saturday I had lunch at my friends house she made salads and mini sandwiches.

Ava had so much fun!

Saturday night Marc cooked me steak when I got home!

If you didn’t already know I started my Insanity Max30 program last week and I also have recently became a Beachbody coach.

I already help people with fitness on a daily basis but I am super excited to add in this type of coaching to help people reach their goals. We all need support when trying to lose weight or get fit and this is an awesome way for me to encourage and motivate others!

A week from today I will be hosting a FREE 5-day clean eating challenge (I will talk more about that later this week). I have been following it myself this past week and I feel GREAT. Even though I eat healthy and I’m fit, just like you I have areas of my body that I want to change.

My main struggle over the last year has been tightening my core. For all you women out there with babies you know that “the struggle is real when it comes to belly fat and having a little extra something under you belly button area!”

I eat healthy 90% of the time, but clearly that wasn’t cutting it. On occasion I enjoy a slice of pizza, a small bowl of ice cream, or a glass of wine. I really wanted to see changes and I knew for that to happen, I needed to work on that last 1o%. I had to give 100% effort, make a commitment and stick to it. When I say I’ve seen a difference in only 1 WEEK, I absolutely mean it; BELIEVE ME! All of my meals for 5 days were clean & healthy and I worked out every day.

It was yesterday that I woke up and felt the difference. The little bulge that has been driving me nuts has gone down. I actually should say its tighter. That’s what I wanted!!! It was never about the number on the scale for me, it was about feeling more confident. It is mind boggling to me that I didn’t focus this hard sooner.

The other crazy thing is that I have never been open about this with you. If you could ask Marc, he would tell you too, I’m very insecure when it comes to certain things. Although I may seem positive a lot of the time, I still have my areas of weakness too and my stomach was one of them. I was SO nervous to share with you guys and I can’t say I’m even sure why I was fearful, but Marc convinced me and I am glad I did. If I don’t share my journey with you, then how can you learn or how can I help you change?

Anyways, I will stop rambling and I don’t even know if this all came out clear… but I can honestly say I feel great today and I hope I can help you feel the same!

Without a morning class to teach I am going to jump right into my Insanity MAX workout!

What is the most difficult part for you when it comes to losing weight (Diet or nutrition)?

What is your driving factor to look and feel great?

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

Quick Back Workout & Insanity Max30

HAPPY FRIDAY EVERYONE!!!

I am always looking forward to the weekend because it’s time to spend with friends and family! Free time is always nice.

Tomorrow morning I am running a morning Boot Camp class, and then Ava & I will be going to Stratford, CT to hang out with my best girl friends for the afternoon.

This week I started the Insanity MAX30 program. They are 30 minute bodyweight workouts that are seriously no joke.

I even took a selfie so you could see my sweat..

BUT you can’t see it in the pic. Just super red cheeks. This workout was similar to my boot camp workout but I was dying and I maxed out at 9 minutes and 55 seconds. I was gasping for air but for some raeason kept going.

I also started drinking the Shakeology which pairs with the workout and it is super delicious. I looked forward to drinking it last night after Boot Camp.

On Tuesday I completed a quick back workout that I wanted to share with you. I didn’t have a lot of time to spend in the gym for myself so I got to it right away with an 8 minute Warm-Up on the elliptical. I got my heart rate up and my body warm pretty quickly. I then completed this workout:

15-MINUTE BACK WORKOUT

Complete 3-4 sets of each exercise.

SEATED ROW (single arm attachments)

Set 1 Complete 10 reps

Set 2 Complete 8 reps

Set 3 Complete 6 reps

PULL-UPS (using assisted pull-up machine)

Set 1 Complete 10 reps

Set 2 Complete 8 reps

Set 3 Complete 6 reps

SINGLE ARM DUMBBELL ROW

Set 1 Complete 10 reps

Set 2 Complete 8 reps

Set 3 Complete 6 reps

For each of these exercises I increased the weights with each set. I also took 30 seconds rest in between each exercise.

In combination with shoveling my back was crazy sore the next day! Wow

Do you ever focus on just lifting your back?

Do you have any exciting plans for the weekend?

*** Always consult your Doctor or Physician before beginning a new workout program***

February 5, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
2 Comments

Ava 14 Month Update & A little about me

Today Ava is 14 months… it’s funny how for some reason it jumped out at me this month. Last month it slipped past me and I never gave it a thought. That’s probably because she keeps me super busy.

I thought I would bring you guys an update because it’s fun for me to look back and reflect on all the crazy changes since the last time I posted one for you guys!!

Ava is officially the energizer bunny. I almost said energizer battery. She runs and runs and the only time she sits down is when she’ ready for a nap or bed (or sick). That being said, she tires me out more then teaching my fitness classes does!

Some fun new things Ava is doing..

She waves, blows kisses, high fives (all on her terms but sometimes we get them when we ask)
She gives wet kisses & big hugs
She knows where my nose, ears, toes, and belly button is
She opens the back door to let Cooper out. She can’t get the screen door yet so we are safe and keep it locked
She loves her Little Tikes Car from Uncle Chuckie and Aunt Sue. She gets in it, closes the door and honks the horn. Sometimes she goes Duke’s of Hazard style and just climbs over the closed door!
She rocks on her giraffe rocker like she’s actually going some place
She DJ’s on her activity center and thinks she’s so cool while doing it (I love every second)
As soon as its time for bed and I start to bring her upstairs she cries and clenches her legs around my waist. Clearly she hates bedtime.
She runs faster then me.
If I give her a snack she will hold it tight in her hand and put it up to Cooper’s nose so that he will chase her. She loves playing with him and even holding his bone.
She loves hiding, behind tables, chairs, under blankets

I am sure you are getting bored reading all this so I’ll stop.

A quick update about me. I am still working hard on gaining strength. I started Insanity Max30 and I’m taking Shakeology (once a day). I started yesterday.

I’m hoping to see some drastic improvement in my core strength this month! Even though this isn’t a postpartum update anymore it helps me to focus and think about my goals and progress. My arms are definitely stronger and my back has improved a lot, ever since I started practicing Pull-ups!

What are your fitness goals?

Do you have a little one at home? What is something fun & new they are doing?

February 4, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
10 Comments

WIAW: Not into food

Yesterday I was not into food at all. Usually I look forward to my meals but for some reason I just didn’t have any excitement towards my food choices. I think my body was off!

I woke up up at 4:45am with Ava. She apparently was hungry so I gave her some milk but she wouldn’t fall back asleep. Lucky me!! So I got up and grabbed a cup of coffee and turned the TV on because she was lazy and so was I.

Eventually I ate breakfast but had no desire for veggies or anything healthy really. I quickly made 2 eggs with a piece of toast

and a banana.

Mid morning my appetite kicked in. I had egg whites with spinach and olive oil.

I also had baby carrots and a spoon full of Peanut butter (random I know) Don’t worry this wasn’t all at once.

Lunch was leftover Thai Food. It was Ginger Chicken with veggies and some brown rice. This was actually really good. I had a granny smith apple as well.

I did some work and then found myself hungry for a snack. I made a turkey roll up with avocado, tomato and muenster cheese.

On my way to the store I found myself still hungry and used one of my “Car snacks.” this delicious KIND bar!

My throat was kind of bothering me at this point and I chugged a couple of glasses of water. I couldn’t seem to quench my thirst. I decided a vitamin water might help!

I had no energy to cook a pre Boot Camp dinner but quickly whipped up some chicken cutlet, a baked sweet potato and some broccoli. Plain & Simple just how I wanted it.

I was exhausted after class and couldn’t wait to go to bed but my throat felt better, go figure! I had all intentions of making a nice post workout shake or a delicious snack, but out of pure laziness I refueled with a Chocolate Quest bar!! I don’t think I tasted a bite because I ate it so fast haha.

Now I am off to teach my Wednesday morning Group Power class. I have zero energy wish me luck!

For other WIAW posts check out Jenn’s Blog.

Do you ever have days where you aren’t into food?

What is your favorite pre-workout meal?

February 3, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
3 Comments

Trainer Tip Tuesday #11: Listen to your body

Yesterday we had another snow day. I really think this snow storm was worse than “Blizzard Juno” butI think that’s because we really didn’t get the blizzard conditions that were expected so that storm was more hype then anything.

We got about 10 inches of snow from Sunday night to late afternoon Monday.. and this snow was not light & fluffy it was heavy & wet! I literally spent an hour shoveling and felt like I got no where! I thought I was tired but I think the snow was just kicking my butt. My legs were tired, my arms were tired, and I got cold!

Thankfully Marc did the other half (the harder side)

Last night I was thinking about a post and immediately this trainer tip came to mind:

Trainer Tip Tuesday #11: Listen to your body

I find myself listening to my body for EVERYTHING! Our bodies are SO smart. They tell us when they are hungry, tired, energized, happy, sad, stressed, anxious, sore, injured, I think you get it.

When it comes to Health & Fitness, here are some ways I listen to my body:

When I am sick I rest unless I have a head cold. Sometimes exercising makes me feel better but I usually will know within the first few minutes and if my body says no I stop and I will make sure to “lay on the couch!”
When I have an injury I rest. There’s a difference between being sore or having aches and pains that don’t go away or nag at you day in and day out. Those signals should not be ignored. Over the course of the last 4 years I have had a torn hip labrum (I had surgery) and I broke my collarbone a year ago. Those injuries side lined me for a long time. Mentally it was a huge challenge (but that is another blog post). I did however, listen to my body and of course my doctor’s orders. I immediately took the amount of time that was necessary for my body to heal.
I make sleep a priority. Seriously guys I turn into a pumpkin at 10pm. I get up early for work so its crucial that I am asleep right around 10 that way I can get between 7-8 hrs. When I get 5 hours I get run down and I don’t function!! Luckily I’m not one to hit snooze but the days that I feel like I need more sleep are usually the nights when I don’t get to bed on time or Ava has a surprise for us in the middle of the night. Sleep is key for health & fitness success!!!
If you feel pain with anything you should STOP. Yesterday I started to get some pain in my shoulder while shoveling. I immediately stopped and came inside to ice. I was so frustrated and I can’t even begin to tell you how mad I get when I feel pain. Injuries are not fun and with my job they just can’t happen so I am glad I did the right thing. You should never push through pain and if you are taking a fitness class or working with a trainer you should always let them know if something doesn’t feel right.

I use these ice packs when I need to ice my shoulder or hip, I love that they have the velcro strap it makes it so much easier to keep the ice in place!

I could go on and on about how I listen to my body when it is hungry or thirsty or when it tells me not to do something but I know you can all relate in some way or another. The point is, if you listen to your bodies cues you can successfully live a healthy & happy fit life!!

For more tips, check out the links below!

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!

What are some ways you have or have not listened to your body?

Have you ever pushed through pain and did it lead to an injury?

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

Super Bowl Weekend & Patriots Victory

So somehow it’s Monday already. I can’t say I was productive this weekend but I did kick up my feet a lot and just straight chill on the couch. That doesn’t happen too often. Usually my mind is always busy and I am constantly doing stuff so it was nice to just chill.

I watched the Grey’s anatomy episode from Thursday that I missed, and man I do love that show! It never gets old.

Saturday morning I taught a kick A$$ boot camp class with some awesome people. We were dripping sweat and working hard. Marc was able to come to class because my dad offered to hang out with Ava. We both had sore inner thighs today and as painful as that can be it’s always nice to have tight thighs

The rest of the day I ran some silly errands like CVS & the grocery store. My friend Lauren stopped by with her fiancé, which was a nice surprise!!

Shortly after we got Thai Basil takeout for dinner.

If you haven’t had Thai food before you probably should try it. I’m obsessed. I would eat this every day this week if I could. The flavor was on point and I didn’t have to cook. Two Thumbs up over here.

Lets back up a bit… somehow I forgot to mention that we only got 4 hours of sleep Friday night. Little miss Ava decided to wake up from 1:45-4:5am. I don’t know how I forgot to say that. I think her teeth were bothering her. I am assuming it’s the molars because she literally can’t shove her little fingers any further in her mouth. I felt so bad for her and that she was uncomfortable but all I kept thinking about was when I would get to go back to sleep!!! Luckily I mustered up energy and made it through the day. Bed time definitely came a little early.

Now lets talk SUPER BOWL SUNDAYYYYYY.

I woke up early, grabbed some DUNKIN coffee (because I wanted a treat) and then did some laundry at the laundry mat. I needed my comforter washed and I can’t fit that thing in mine at home so I had no choice! I also went to Kohl’s to buy some workout gear. Seriously that store is so cheap, I love it!

Marc did some food prep for the big game while I was gone. (I can’t believe I pulled off not prepping food yesterday!!!) Seriously all I made was my Creamy Pulled Buffalo Chicken and Marc and my dad cooked the rest. It was so nice!

We took Cooper to the dog park to tire him out.. and he had so much fun. There must’ve been 10-12 other dogs and he ran around like a mad man!

Ava enjoyed watching him from the sidelines.

We headed home and started getting ready for the game. Look how cute Ava’s jersey is!! Her’s is even authentic.

My family came over around 4pm to start the party. We literally had enough food for 20 people.

Look at that spread!!

My dad told me he is trying to eat healthier so he GRILLED BUFFALO WINGS before putting them in the Crockpot!! This helped to get rid of some of the “unhealthy fats.”

Guys there were delicious but so spicy my mouth was on fire. It made me so happy to hear that he is really trying to focus on eating better. Even though he is fit, he doesn’t always make the healthiest food choices so it was nice to see him put a healthier spin on fried wings!!

We all had fun entertaining Ava and watching her play.

She even played us some music on her activity center. (Future DJ?)

Can we talk about a nail biter game?? We were on the edge of our seats the entire second half. With some terrible plays by the Patriots, Marc started getting a little negative about the outcome of the game. I reassured him the Pats would come back and win. They are always better under pressure.

Sure enough they did!!! We were ecstatic and so pumped at the end of the game I am surprised we didn’t wake Ava up

Wouldn’t this have been cute after they game if Ava said Cooper WAKE UP, THE PATRIOTS WON!!!!!

I’m sure just like most of you, our evening was spent sitting around in front of the big screen and EATING all the food. I didn’t over do it, but I did eat a lot!! Now I am back to clean eating this week, who’s going to join me??

Did you enjoy the Super Bowl? What was your favorite part?

Did you do anything fun this weekend?

January 30, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
5 Comments

Bite Size Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms

This week was a short week since we had Tuesday off due to a snow day! No complaints over here, I just really can’t believe it’s Friday already.

Last week I said I was excited for the weekend and then it turned out a little differently so I guess I won’t say I’m pumped for the weekend

Before I talk about more food, I wanted to share this picture of Ava.

She has been obsessed with rocking on her giraffe this week. She climbs on and off and she loves the tunes this toy plays when she starts rocking. It’s pretty fun to watch her get excited.

In case you missed my post yesterday, I shared some of my favorite Super Bowl Game Day recipes with you.

I also have one more delicious recipe to share with you. It’s Marc’s Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms! I have requested him to make these on NUMEROUS occasions. They are pretty easy to make and I can’t help but love the fact that they are also healthy.

These will definitely be on our menu this Sunday!

SPINACH STUFFED MUSHROOMS

Ingredients:

1 package of button or stuffing mushrooms
1 5 oz package of baby spinach
1 small onion
2 garlic cloves
Olive oil
Salt & Pepper
2-3 tbsp Parmesan Cheese (to taste)

Directions:

Heat oven to 375. Remove the stems from the mushrooms, finely chop the stems and put to the side. Coast a baking sheet with spray. Bake the mushroom caps (stem side down until just tender 10-12 minutes.
In a medium skillet drizzle olive oil and turn stove to medium-high heat. Chop onion & garlic finely. Add onion, garlic, and mushroom stems to pan and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until soft. Add the spinach, salt, pepper, and add 1 tbsp of Parmesan cheese. Cook 2-3 minutes.
Place the spinach mixture in a bowl and spoon the mixture into the mushroom caps. Sprinkle the top with Parmesan cheese (if you like more, load it on) and bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown!!

I hope you enjoy them as much as we do! Tonight will be a relaxing night in our house, tomorrow morning I am teaching a Boot Camp class so everyone can work there butts off for the Super Bowl!

Will you watch the Super Bowl? Or are you more likely to watch commercials/half time

Who do you want to win?

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

Healthy Super Bowl Sunday Appetizers!

Super Bowl Sunday is in 3 days, are you ready?

I have always treated the Superbowl like any other holiday and I get super excited. It’s even better when your team is playing in the BIG Game. With all the football nonsense that has been going on about the Patriots, I can honestly say it has diminished some of the excitement however; once the game begins I know that will all go away and I will be pumped up to watch.

I love indulging in game day food (Who Doesn’t?) but I have always been conscious of adding in healthier ingredients and making foods a little less junky if you know what I’m saying.

There’s no reason not to eat wings and chili but lets try to make them a little more nutritious so we don’t feel guilty after!

Here are some of my favorite recipes to make for Sunday Football:

Paleo Lean Beef Chili (with extra Veggies)

Healthy Creamy Buffalo Chicken (with Chobani)

Buffalo Chicken & Veggie Chili

Healthy Spinach & Artichoke Dip

Stuffed Mushrooms

This Sunday we are having some family over to watch the Super Bowl. I plan on making my Creamy Buffalo Chicken and serving it with buns, lettuce wraps or just as is on a plate. I will also be making Stuffed Mushrooms and Marc said he is going to make a batch of Beef Sliders!! I can’t wait

Please check back tomorrow for Marc’s Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms recipe. They are healthy, delicious & simple to make!

Will you be hosting or attending a party? And if so are you making any appetizers?

What is your favorite Super Bowl recipe or food to eat?

January 28, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
6 Comments

WIAW: Foods that warm me up!

Yesterday was a snowy day and we were snowed in which was actually quite fun and relaxing. Luckily we had a stocked fridge in preparation for the blizzard so we had some tasty meals.

I am linking up with Jenn for yet another WIAW (What I ate Wednesday) post. Here is my food journal from yesterday.

For breakfast I kept it simple with 2 eggs over sauteed spinach and a baked potato with olive oil & sea salt. Delicious.

After shoveling a lot of snow I had a banana with a spoonful of peanut butter on the side. Then I completed my real workout of the day.

Since boot camp was canceled, I figured I would get my workout done early and I am glad I did because it gave me enery.

We played with Ava around the house and then had a delicious warm lunch. A bowl full of Lentil & Veggie soup with a sweet potato on the side. Lentils are so filling and super nutritious. Ava even enjoyed it.

I also had a greek yogurt with strawberries and granola.

The afternoon got a little lazy, maybe its from just being home all day but I watched some TV, did some laundry and watched Cooper play in the snow.

Mid-Afternoon I snacked on an orange and a turkey lettuce wrap with avocado & tomato! I also snacked on some baby carrots

For dinner we decided to try something new. I made Paleo Stuffed Peppers using ground chicken as the base. In the mix was cauliflower, tomatoes, onions & seasonings! On the side we had some Roasted Sunchokes in olive oil…. they are SO good. Basically they taste like an artichoke french fry. (more to come on sunchokes)

Because no winter storm is complete with out a glass of red wine.. I indulged and had a glass of red wine with Marc and we snacked on some plantain chips. It was a super relaxing way to end the night!

What was something yummy you ate yesterday?

Do you enjoy soup in the winter?

January 27, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
4 Comments

The Shovel Workout

Yesterday I taught 2 classes before the YMCA closed early because of the anticipation of Blizzard Juno. I suggested to my classes that they should do a quick warm up before they jumped outside and started Shoveling! There’s no doubt shoveling is a workout, it can actually be a challenging workout depending on how much snow you have to clear and how heavy it is.

Lets back up a bit before I talk more about shoveling. Last night I was pumped from all the hype of JUNO that Marc and I decided to do takeout even though I had already made a big pot of chili. Oops!

I ordered some Chicken Marsala

with Veggies & Potatoes.

After dinner we pretty much lounged around the house watching the news and trying to figure out when we would get hit with all the snow.

Ava enjoyed relaxing with Cooper before she headed to bed.

When Marc and I headed to bed a few hours after Ava was asleep, the snow still had not arrived. It was quite sad because I was looking forward to watching the snow come down.

Anyways… we woke up this morning to about 8-10 inches of snow. Some areas had more then others due to the wind. After breakfast I couldn’t wait to get outside, so I bundled up and headed out.

Now back to the “SHOVELING WORKOUT.” Just like any workout it is so important to warm up so you don’t pull a muscle or get injured. Before going out to shovel this morning I did a little warm up inside. Yeah it felt a little silly but seriously I didn’t want to hurt my back or legs from just grabbing a shovel and lifting heavy snow. My body wasn’t exactly awake

I don’t have a legit shovel workout to share with you besides warm up inside for 5 minutes. I did some jogging in place and some jumping jacks. Jumping jacks in a a few layers is quite tough and looks pretty funny. I’m pretty sure Marc called me crazy and both Ava & Cooper were looking at me confused.

I headed out once my body felt warm.

Lets just say I am thankful that we didn’t get the 2 feet of snow that was expected. Luckily the weathermen were off with their predictions for our area and we just missed the BIG snowfall. 10 inches is still a lot but it’s definitely nothing we haven’t seen before.

I shoveled for about 25 minutes and decided to come in because my fingers were ice cold. I didn’t have warm enough gloves on because I could unfortunately only find 1 of my heavy duty gloves. It did feel pretty good to shovel though and I had a nice little sweat going.

Now it’s Marc’s turn to finish up the rest of the shoveling.

I hope all of you who were hit with Juno are safe and staying warm!! I am enjoying my day off at home with my family and I am sure there will be plenty of trips outside to play in the snow with Cooper!

Do you ever think to warm up before shoveling snow?

Were you effected my storm Juno?