The Fit Skool | by Kelly

December 30, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
2 Comments

New Years Resolutions that stick

Do you set New Year’s resolutions?

It isn’t the only time we should set short & long term goals for ourselves but for some reason it is the ultimate motivator for people to make BIG CHANGES for the NEW YEAR.

As a trainer, I always ask my clients what their resolutions and goals are. I like hearing their goals and I remind them to make goals that are small and attainable so they can set themselves up for success. For example: losing 4% of body fat in 2 months, or to be able to perform 10 consecutive full body pushups in 8 weeks.

The typical resolutions are:

I want to lose 10 pounds

and I am going to eat healthy the whole month of January.

While those are great, I think being more specific helps you to stick to your resolutions.

How to stick with your New Year’s Resolutions:

Choose a few small goals that you are willing to work at all year long.
BE SPECIFIC and detailed.
Write down your goals on paper, with a comment on how you will achieve your goal.
If your goal is related to weight loss or fitness, share it with friends and family members so you have a support system.
Post it on your fridge or bulletin board as a constant daily reminder.
Keep in mind, you can do anything you put your mind to!!

**Remember to choose goals that you are willing to work at day after day and not just give up after the first 2 weeks in January**

Here are a couple of my small New Years resolutions.

#1 I would like to be able to complete 5 consecutive pull-ups by the summer. My left shoulder is still weak so I am up for a strength challenge and I think this is perfect!! I am motivated and have already started to practice.

I will focus each week on increasing my weights with my back and upper body exercises.

#2 I would also like to work on laughing off the small things. Usually I am pretty good at that, but I can still work on it and I will keep it in the back of my mind when Ava squeezes her food pouches all over the rug and couches!

It’s time for you to think about your resolutions and share them with me!!

What is your new year’s resolution?

Do you think you can stick to it?

December 29, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
2 Comments

Christmas all wrapped up

I LOVE Christmas, but there is something so relaxing about the days following Christmas. We did a lot of lounging around the house, it was very enjoyable to kick my feet up with nothing to do!

This was hands down my favorite Christmas ever. We had some quality time with family in Rhode Island on Christmas Eve and then with my family in Connecticut on Christmas Day.

Tuesday night we headed to Rhode island to begin our holiday festivities.

Here is a quick recap of the 2 BIG days.

Marc and I managed to get a picture in before all the craziness began.

Who wore the Santa Hat better?

Ava loved all her snuggles from her Grandma.

One of Ava’s favorite gifts on Christmas Eve was her stroller. She puts her baby in it and pushes it around…. it was very cute to watch!!

One of the best parts about the day was seeing Ava’s curiosity while unwrapping gifts. We had to start unwrapping her gifts for her and then she would finish it. I think by the end of the day she got the hang of it.

Well actually by the end of Christmas eve day this girl looked like a ZOMBIE!!! (hahah, no joke) She still enjoyed her snuggle time with Cousin Natalie.

Ava truly made Christmas more magical for me and has brought so much more excitement for my family too!

They definitely made my day easier by playing with her and her new toys!

I can’t forget about my other child…..

Cooper was quite a character and loved playing with all the toys that Ava would leave behind.

We managed to get another picture together. (no I am not pregnant, Marc just placed his hand in an awkward spot)

OKAY.. to wrap up this long post.. here is a video of Ava with one of her Favorite presents.

IMG_1845

Ava impressed us all with her Basketball moves. She is a quick learner and really listens to everything you say.

Clearly she takes direction well. She can already slam dunk a basketball!!

Did you get everything you wanted for Christmas?

Will you be doing anything fun for New Years Eve??

December 26, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
2 Comments

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE GAROFALO FAMILY!

(A day late)

I hope your holidays are filled with fun, laughter & love!!

Ava has a lot of love to share!! She gave both Rudolph and her Mickey Mouse ornament a big old Christmas KISS.

I had a blast with her on Christmas Day. More pictures to come

XOXO,

Kelly

December 24, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
0 comments

WIAW- Clearing out the fridge

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVE from Rhode Island!! We will be celebrating Xmas Eve in RI and then heading back to Connecticut late tonight so Ava can open presents at home in the morning.

Today I am linking up with Jenn for quick WIAW (What I Ate Wednesday) post.

I am sharing my food journal from Monday to give you a different look at my food, since my schedule is different on Mondays.

I wake up bright and early on Mondays and I typically try to have my food and snacks ready to go, so that I don’t have to rush around like a mad woman.

My breakfast was 1 egg, 2 egg whites scrambled with spinach & mushrooms.. with some potatoes in olive oil plus extra salt. I always do extra salt because I have 2 morning classes that I teach. I also drank a Pumpkin Coffee

After Group Power I immediately refuel with a Coffee Protein Shake. I also have a banana and 2 big old spoons of peanut butter.

My next class is my senior class from 1030-1130am. They were so sweet and bought be a Rose & a bottle of Champagne for the holidays!

Believe it or not I sweat a good amount in my senior class and I leave class hungry again. Lunch is leftovers.. we were trying to get rid of all the food in our fridge before we headed to Rhode Island! We don’t waste food in our house. My meal was simple and plain… Rotisserie Chicken, Green beans, & Sweet Potatoes with butter.

I also ate a string cheese and some baby carrots (i didn’t take pictures because I was too hungry)

After running some errands I realized I was hungry again. I ate a quick greek yogurt parfait with granola and blueberries.. Man do I love blueberries. I wish they didn’t cost a fortune for a small container that I could eat in 3 seconds.

I also ate a delicious Sugar Cookie to balance out all my healthy eating.

Thanks to my mom, I didn’t have to cook dinner! She made some Turkey Chili that we ate with some tortilla chips. It is the Doc’s Chili recipe from the BIggest Loser. If you haven’t tried it you definitely should, we love it. I turned my family onto this chili recipe when I was living at home and it has become a staple dinner recipe in our family!

My night finished off wrapping some Christmas Gifts with Marc.

What are your plans for Christmas?!

Will you work out?

December 23, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
4 Comments

It is hard to handle a sick baby!

If someone had told me Ava was going to be sick 300 out of 365 days of her first year I would have been a little more prepared. That is an exaggeration of the number but she has been sick on and off since she was born and it seems like we can’t get a long enough break.

I read tons of blogs and they have children that seem happy and healthy 100% of the time and that is not the case over here. Although I love sharing pictures and comments of all my fun days together with Ava, the truth is that the days she is sick are the worst and I wanted you to know that.

I feel helpless, I get frustrated, I want to cry and I don’t understand why.

When I say I don’t understand why, it means I don’t understand how come Ava seems like the only child that is ALWAYS sick. Or is it just that when Ava is sick it stresses me out?

I just want her to be healthy forever and not get sick.

Sometimes when Ava is fussy (because she is sick) I try to ignore it and play with her, I try to distract her from feeling so miserable and unwell.

Even if I have to push her in this car for 30 minutes.. whatever works to get that little smile out of her!

Well sometimes it works and then other times I have to move from toy to toy and then it’s Mickey Mouse on TV. If that doesn’t work I try reading a book, usually I have no success with that by this point.

Then I panic, I text Marc or call him…. “I don’t know what to do!!!! I feel so bad for her.” He gives me suggestions and usually I get a second wind. I think to myself “I can handle it. She’s fussing because she’s trying to tell me something.” She’s hungry, she’s thirsty, she went to the bathroom, she’s tired.. it has to be one of those. Once I narrow it down I’m like WHY was I getting so worked up. She can’t talk, and she’s making noises to tell me what she wants.

Then I get mad at myself for getting all worked up. SOOOO…

I bring myself to the computer to sit down and write a blog post. I decided to share this struggle with you. Handling a sick baby is one of my weaknesses. Again I’m not perfect, I’m a new mom and I’m trying to figure it all out.

As I finish up this post I feel 100x better, that is not a joke. Blogging is a way for me to relieve stress. Sharing this stressful experience with a sick child has honestly been stress-relieving and I am happy to share with you both my good and bad experiences.

This isn’t just a fitness blog it’s a health blog too!

Here are some ways to deal with stressful situations:

Go for a walk or get some fresh air
Exercise
Read a book
Practice Yoga or meditate
Get a massage or doing something fun for yourself.

If I don’t manage stressful situations and I let them build up with out dealing with them right away, I end up getting run down and sick. Of course I ended up catching Ava’s cold and yup I felt run down and tired. Lucky for me I can take medicine.. unfortunately she can’t! Does anyone else tend to get sick around the holidays?

I am feeling so much better now, but I plan on getting lots of rest tonight so that I can enjoy Christmas!!

Here is a sneak peak at Ava’s Christmas outfit... she is giving Rudolph a big KISS on his RED nose.

Moms out there, have you ever had a similar situation?

How do you handle stressful situations? How does your body handle stress?

December 22, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
0 comments

Holiday things & a Healthier Sugar Cookie Recipe

I can honestly say I am happy it’s Monday. Is that weird? I love my job so I never hate Mondays, but I am excited for today. It brings us 1 day closer to the Christmas Holiday festivities.

I LOVE Christmas.

This weekend was all about productivity. I jammed a lot in to a small amount of time but I am so proud of my accomplishments!

Friday night I had a cookie party with my mom.

But first we ate some take out! I had Chicken Marsala & Veggies… so good!

Once I finished eating we got prepared for a night of baking. My mom and I each chose a different cookie recipe to make. My mom chose my Grandma’s Anisette Cookies which are a family favorite. They are loaded with eggs & butter but they bring me back to my childhood Christmas celebrations so I was all for it.

I chose a Soft Sugar Cookie recipe that I incorporated a Chobani Greek yogurt into. They came out GREAT! I was a little nervous and went back and forth about making it, but I went with my gut and I’m glad I did! We all agreed that they were yummy and how could you not enjoy a HEALTHIER traditional sugar cookie.

SOFT SUGAR COOKIE

Ingredients:

1 Egg
1 container plain Chobani greek yogurt
2 cups of flour
1/4 tsp of baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar

Directions:

Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix well. Place softened butter, egg, vanilla, and sugar in mixer and beat well. Slowly add in dry ingredients until dough has formed. Roll dough into medium size balls and flatten them on the pan. Add sprinkles. Bake at 350 degrees for 5-6 minutes or until golden on the bottom (all oven’s are different so make sure to watch them, they cook fast)

Enjoy!

Saturday morning I did Christmas shopping fairly early. I was able to get all of my shopping done by 10am. I was super pumped and impressed with all my good finds. I can’t wait to give everyone their gifts!

In the afternoon we headed to the YMCA to play while Marc worked out. Ava loved chasing the ball around, we had fun!

I didn’t need to use any of the equipment in the gym. Chasing Ava around for 45 minutes was plenty enough exercise for me!

Apparently being ultra productive and running a crazy amount of errands Saturday really did me in…..because I woke up with a sore throat on Sunday. I think it was a combination of not giving myself a break and catching a bit of Ava’s cold (YUP! She has another cold) She literally can’t win!

Not feeling too great and with a super productive Saturday already behind me, meant my Sunday was going to be a relaxing day around the house! However, it wasn’t too long after 10 am that I found myself out running a few more errands and continuing to check things off my holiday to do list! I did take it easy though… I watched a little football, took Cooper for a long walk, and then both Marc and I spent lots of time playing with Ava around the house.

We had a little Tea Party… Ava played with this toy set for 30 minutes. That is a long time for her to sit still.

Thankfully I can say I was feeling a bit better by the end of the day and Now I am off to teach Group Power!

Are you all set for the Holidays?

Do you make cookies for Christmas?

December 19, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
4 Comments

Bosu Ball At Home Workout

Happy friday!!

Yesterday afternoon I completed a quick but intense workout that left me sore. I am so happy to say that I will NOT be picking up a single dumbbell or weight today.

As I have mentioned in my Postpartum Journey Posts, I would like to practice and gain strength to be able to do consecutive full range Pull-Ups. Right now I can only do 1. My goal is 4 and I am giving myself 2 months. Ever since that collarbone injury back in early February, Pull-ups have been extremely tough because they place an enormous amount of stress on my shoulder. That is why I have been slowly working up to them! The Jumping Pull-ups in this workout are a great way to target all the muscles a normal Pull-up would, without placing too much stress on the upper body.

This is Marc’s new Pull-up Bar that I got him for his birthday. It is kind of like a present to me too.

Here is the workout:

Bosu Ball at Home Workout

Warm-up 100 jumping jacks, 100 butt kicks, 100 jump rope passes

(I did both close and wide grip jumping pull-ups)

8 Bosu Burpee to Press
8 Jumping pull-ups
8 Push-ups
30 seconds Bosu side shuffle
30 seconds Plank dips on the bosu
8 Bosu Squats

Repeat this circuit 4x.

The jumping pull-ups got me! My back is feeling it this morning

The game plan for this weekend revolves around Christmas!! Tonight I am making some Christmas Cookies with my mom! I will be sure to share the recipe if they come out good.

I will also be finishing up some shopping. I have a few stores I need to quickly get to at some point this weekend. I’m sure the stores will be a ZOO.

I hope you all have a great weekend!

I would have loved to film my workout but I didn’t have someone to help me film!!

Here is an Example of a Jumping Pull-up

Bosu Lateral Side Shuffle

What is one exercise you want to work out?

What is one muscle or area of your body that is weak?

December 18, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
2 Comments

Secret Santa & Carb Cycling

Did anyone else watch the Michael Buble Christmas special last night!? He is such a great singer and it looks effortless when he sings!

Christmas is exactly 1 week from today, are you ready?? I still have a little more shopping to do but I am confident I will get it done tomorrow. I have my list ready to go!

For the past 10 plus years my best friends and I have been doing Secret Santa together, before we started secret santa we would just do small gifts for eachother! On Monday night we had our girls night and Christmas celebration at my friend Danielle’s house.

The five of us chatted, snacked on good food, and enjoyed our night together! Plus we all got great gifts.

This is Baby Addie, she is 3 months old isn’t she cute!?

We exchanged gifts which was always a blast. My friend Lauren got some awesome slippers to wear on the airplane since she travels all the time.

My Secret Santa got me some awesome workout pants, a manicure gift card, this awesome head massager.. etc.

Cooper LOVED the head massager, it basically put him to sleep!!

I think it is so important to spend time around the holidays with the people that you love. It was so fun!

__________________________________________________________________________________________

SOO.. Now lets talk about Carb Cycling…. a totally different topic. I am a huge Chris Powell fan. I love his approach as a trainer and I love his book Choose More Lose More. It is a sensible program and easy to follow. I enjoy it.

I am not one of those people that can cut carbs. I live on carbs. I need them in my life and when I don’t have them I’m cranky and I crave them!!

Tuesday I started with Low Carb, Wednesday I did High Carb, and today I am on Low Carb again. You alternate back and forth.

Here is a brief rundown of how it works:

eat 5 meals
eat a high carb breakfast that includes both carbs & protein within 30 minutes of waking
Drink a Gallon of water
eat your remaining meals either High-carb or Low-Carb depending on which day you are following

For more details check out Chris Powell’s website for Carb Cycling 101

When I follow his approach I have noticed my energy is stable and I am not starving through-out the day. This program is great for people trying to lose weight, but It is also great for those who are trying to maintain. I am trying to maintain my weight and it has helped me feel great during my workouts and the best part is that I can eat the foods I love!

Have you ever heard of Carb Cycling? How do you feel about it?

What are some tips you can give that have helped you lose weight or maintain your weight?

December 17, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
6 Comments

WIAW Low Carb Day

Is it me or are the weeks flying by?? How is Christmas only a week away? I am here to share my food journal with you today.

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

I woke up feeling energized yesterday and ready to tackle the day. I decided this week that I was going to do some Carb cycling. I followed Chris Powell’s Carb Cycling and Yesterday was a low carb high protein day. It felt great.

For breakfast I quickly whipped up some scrambled eggs with peppers and broccoli, I had that with a baked potato and a little smear of butter. It was tasty and super filling.

Snack time came around 10am. I had a banana and a Vanilla protein shake made with Whole Milk and 1 tbsp of peanut butter. SO GOOD.

For lunch I ate some leftover Buffalo Pulled Chicken on Lettuce wraps with carrots and celery. Seriously you guys need to try this recipe. It is so versatile.

I also had some sliced sweet potatoes on the side with butter and a few pickle rounds (I know random!!)

My afternoon snack was a little early.. I was hungrrryy. I had a greek yogurt with strawberries and a sprinkle of granola. With a handful of nuts.

After my last client I had time to eat a quick dinner before it was time for Boot Camp. Chicken & Veggie stir fry with olive oil & soy sauce. Simple but satisfying.

I couldn’t wait to try out the new S’mores Quest Bar after Boot Camp. I quickly broiled it to warm it up. Wow it was awesome. I also ate some cherries.

That’s it for today!!

What is your pre & post workout snack?

Do you like Quest bars? if so what is your favorite flavor?

December 16, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
1 Comment

Healthy Creamy Buffalo Chicken with Chobani

Step aside buffalo wings, this lightened up version of the traditional hot wings is SO delicious and even better it’s healthy.

Sunday is a typical football day in our household. When the Patriots play a 1 oclock afternoon game we always need something to snack on and this is a perfect appetizer or meal for the big game!

The husband approved!!

There’s something so satisfying about the creaminess that our hidden secret weapon Chobani brings to this dish.

Ingredients:

1 small container of Chobani Plain Greek Yogurt (5.3oz)

1 1/2 lbs of chicken breast

3-4 tbsp Frank’s Buffalo Hot Sauce

1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles

Serve with Sliced Carrots and Sliced Celery

Directions:

Place 3 large chicken breasts in the Crockpot 1 cup of water and 1 tbsp hot sauce.

Cook on high for 3-4 hours. Shred chicken in crockpot using 3 forks.

Empty out any extra water from the Crockpot. Return the chicken to the crockpot and add Chobani greek yogurt, remaining hot sauce, & blue cheese crumbles. Mix well and turn the crockpot to warm until you are ready to eat! .

One of the best parts about this buffalo chicken recipe is that you can use it as an appetizer with lettuce wraps, tacos or sliders

or you can make it a meal by serving it over a salad or as a sandwich!

Either way this Healthy Creamy Buffalo Chicken with Chobani is sure to please

#MADEWITHCHOBANI

Feel free to add more hot sauce if you like things spicy!!!

Have you ever used Chobani Yogurt to replace unhealthy creamy sauces??

Are you a fan of buffalo wings or buffalo chicken?