The Fit Skool | by Kelly

August 13, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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What I ate Wednesday!

Today I am linking up with Jenn and sharing with you some of my eats for a What I Ate Wednesday post. Don’t we all get a little curious as to what other people eat? I mean no one is perfect but I am posting my daily food journal for the day to share what I stuffed my face with and hopefully I can inspire you to eat healthier or help you get out of your food rut. Keeping track of my food also helps me stay on track

I may not be detailing exactly everything I have put into my mouth, but here goes!

Breakfast was 2 eggs and a piece of whole grain toast

with pretty much a 1/2 cup of coffee and a side of pineapple

Snack was a scoop of peanut butter (because a day without peanut butter is not fun) I lied it was 2 scoops of PB and a Banana

For lunch I had some leftover BBQ chicken, spinach, mini baked red potatoes.. I didn’t eat all the chicken in this picture

and some kalamata olives

My afternoon snack was a greek yogurt with strawberries, almonds, & granola, and then some baby carrots (random I know)

Before I teach boot camp I keep my dinners simple and light.. I made Honey Dijon Chicken Thighs, Steamed broccoli with olive oil and a baked sweet potato

After Boot Camp my post workout snack was a Chocolate Quest Bar (so delicious!) & Watermelon

It looks like a lot of food huh???

What are some of your daily eats?

August 12, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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What does the number on the scale mean to you??

When is the best time to weigh yourself? How often should you weigh yourself? Daily? Monthly? Weekly?

We all have got on a scale before; whether it is at the Doctor’s office or your own scale at home. Sure the scale tells you how much you weigh but what does that number mean to you? Does it make you happy or does it make you angry? Are you are closer to your goal or was the number not you were expecting?

Plain and simple weighing yourself can be awesome and it can also suck!!! (excuse my language)

I use the scale for different reasons, but try not to get hung up on the number. Sometimes I use it to make sure I am eating enough calories to maintain my weight and other times just to monitor it. For the most part my weight stays within a 3lb range and that is usually contributed to my water intake while exercising.

Here is an example of how the scale can be AWESOME:

Each week during my pregnancy with Ava I weighed myself to keep track of my progress and make sure I was gaining the appropriate weight. Gaining too much or too little can really effect the growth of the baby and my main goal was to stay healthy and on track. I’m sure other women who have had a baby can relate, it is definitely weird to see numbers on the scale that you have never seen before!! As the numbers steadily increased I knew I was accomplishing something with each pound that I gained. This made me feel good about the NUMBERS on the scale.

Many of us have examples of how the scale can SUCK! Our main example would be if you get on it and it says a number that was higher then what you expected or not as low as you wanted it to be. This is where the scale can be your enemy.

As a trainer and someone that helps people get fit and lose weight, I believe the scale is a great tool for tracking progress. It will show you that your diet and exercise is working and whether you are headed in the right direciton. It can also show you that maybe you are not doing enough!

However, there are some problems people face when weighing themselves frequently. One problem is the scale DOES NOT show you how much muscle or fat you have. (Muscle weights more than fat, and if you are gaining muscle through training, the number may not drop as much as you would hope). The scale can also cloud your thoughts if you get on it and the number isn’t what you wanted to see. While it is hard to do at times, try not to let the number depict how you are feeling about yourself.

What does the number on the scale mean to you??

August 11, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Vacay Weekend Recap

We are back into a normal routine today after a nice long mini vacay weekend. I really appreciated the lovely weather we had over the last few days it made traveling that much more enjoyable!

I decided to do a quick picture recap of our little vacation:

Thursday we headed to Rhode Island bright and early! Cooper watched Ava in the back seat for us.

We spent the day at the beach.

I absolutely love the Rhode Island beaches, the noise of the waves really has a calming and relaxing effect on me

Ava seemed to enjoy herself.

I had a delicious Grilled Salmon Salad from Matunuck Oyster Bar!

Marc and I attended a beautiful wedding for our college friend. The place was gorgeous!

I loved the little details of the wedding..

The food was delicious… and so good that I only snapped the picture of the salad.

Did I mention that I love weddings!?

It was our first night with out Miss Ava and we missed her!

Happyyy Monday……

August 7, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Thursday Rambles

My post today will be rather short and sweet since we are about to head out the door to Rhode Island for a mini-vacation weekend. We have a wedding tomorrow just outside Boston which should be fun! This will also be our first night away from Ava. As sad as I may be, I think we will enjoy a date night!

This morning I scarfed down a quick breakfast as I wrote this post.. a couple over easy eggs and a piece of whole grain toast, it always does the trick!

Marc was so kind to run to Dunkin and grab us some iced french vanilla coffees, we both could use the pick me up since we were up with Ava at 5am!

Yesterday we went to the beach and enjoyed a vacation day in Greenwich. We got there kind of early and as you can see NO one was on the beach.. it was awesome!

Ava enjoyed playing with her toys as usual.

I assume my workouts this weekend will be based around the outdoors… long walks and maybe a mini outdoor boot camp circuit!

My weekend starts now, see you all later….

August 6, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Parmesan Crusted Tilapia with fresh parsley!!

It seems like every Sunday night Marc and I have fish for dinner… it is totally coincidental but we both always crave it on Sundays.

I decided to share this recipe because we both loved it.. it was very refreshing and super quick to make!

Parmesan Crusted Tilapia with fresh parsley!!

Ingredients:

1 lb Tilapia
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
3 tbsp parmesan cheese
2 egg whites
salt & pepper
1/2 tsp oregano
canola oil
1/2 lemon
3 tbsp fresh chopped parsley

Directions:

Chop parsley and place it to the side. Squeeze lemon juice into a small dish. Drizzle canola oil in a large frying pan and turn heat to high. Combine breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, oregano, salt, & pepper in a bowl and mix. Take each piece of Tilapia and dip it in the egg white and then dip it into the breadcrumb mixture. Add to the frying pan.Cook the fish 3 1/2-4 minutes on each side (if your fish is thicker cook it a few minutes longer). Once cooked remove the fish and place on a serving dish. Turn heat to low, and de-glaze the pan with the lemon juice and drop in the fresh parsley..

cook for about 30 seconds until parsley wilts, pour on top of fish, and enjoy!

August 5, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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8 Month Baby & Postpartum Update

This past week has been quite fun with Miss Ava. Today marks 8 months since she has been born and a lot has changed over the last month.

Ava is weighing in at roughly 18 lbs and is 29.5 inches long.

WHAT IS NEW?

Ava is now actively crawling ALL over the place. I thought I was fast, but man, she can move!! Sometimes I think to myself as she is crawling “I have plenty of time before I have to chase her” but then she surprises me at how quickly she can get into things… especially when she crawls so fast towards Coopers water bowl where she dumps it all over the place.

She tries to pull herself up on everything…..clearly she will be walking before we know it!

Oh yeah, and Ava also has 2 bottom teeth.

AVA LOVES:

Crawling towards Cooper’s food & water bowl and thinks its funny to bang his bowl on the ground.
Pulling herself up on the dishwasher or any cabinet.
Her eating from her squeeze pouches and she likes little puff cereal
the mirrors and looking at herself
Pulling Cooper’s tail and touching his paws or face.
Peek-a-boo… it never gets old to her
obstacles.. and will crawl over pillows, Cooper, or whatever is in her way.
sesame street.. whenever she hears elmo’s voice it excites her
music
being outside and being in her pool

EAT, SLEEP, & PLAY:

As long as her teeth are not bothering her she sleeps really well. Generally around 8pm-6:15am. Her naps are usually around the same time each day now. She either takes 2 good naps or 3 small ones. I am fine with either

It seems like she’s getting sick of a lot of the toys she has. She prefers to explore the cabinets (the ones that are childproof), she likes to hold spatulas, drop her toys from her high-chair to hear them bang on the floor, and likes to pull herself up and look out the front door to people watch.

This past week has been fun for me as Ava explores her VOICE. Yesterday she was clearly making mmmmmm sounds all day and I swear I am not making this up you can ask Marc, but she said Mom. She definitely doesn’t associate the “mom” word with me, but she got me fired up when I heard her say it!! Bababa and dadada had been her lingo for the past few weeks, so clearly I was excited for the MMMMMM break through!!

POSTPARTUM UPDATE

I am pleased with the strength progress I have seen my upper body this month. I have been focusing on my arms, chest, and back a lot lately and I can tell that some exercises are getting easier. I have also been able to increase my weight in Group Power on the triceps, biceps, and back tracks. My cardio strength is on point. When I did a cardio workout over the weekend, I was surprised at my speed and energy compared to Month 2 postpartum where I was incapable of completing a lot of the exercises.

I look forward to challenging my body in new ways in the next few months and learning new exercises to teach you all!!

August 4, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Working out at home with a baby

My job makes it a lot easier for me to get my workouts in through group fitness classes, but I still have to find time to workout at home on my own. Having a baby’s schedule to work around can be difficult at times but I make it happen!

Yesterday I chose to do a quick T-25 workout called Speed 2.0.

There is no equipment necessary for this workout which makes it 10x easier to complete with Ava around.

(Go figure, Ava was even entertained with the box!)

Speed 2.0 is a cardio based workout and my heart was pumping the entire time. The moves are simple to pick up on and the 25 minutes was over before I knew it.

(My hear rate averaged 140 bpm and my max was 176, pretty good!!)

Back to being a mom and exercising…..I can definitely relate to other new mom’s that struggle to find time to exercise when they have to take care of a baby all day. That being said, just like anything else…. with a new baby you have to make time for exercise. For example, yesterday I planned my workout right after Ava had a bottle because I knew she would be content and entertain herself with her toys and of course play with Cooper. She even got a few laughs in at me jumping around the living room.

i have a few tips for making time for exercise as a new mom or even for anyone that can’t seem to get in a workout at home on their own!

3 Tips for Working out at home with a Baby:

1. Choose a time when you know your baby is okay on their own with some toys and books, or better yet when they go down for a nap.

2. Mark it on your calendar or put a reminder on your phone. There is no way around it when its set in your planner.

3. Plan for a QUICK workout that is around 30 minutes long. Your workout doesn’t need to be an hour to get the job done!

What small change can you make in your schedule to squeeze in a quick workout daily?

August 1, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Walking for Low Impact Cardio!

I had no idea it was going to be so humid out this morning, but I strapped Ava in the stroller and we headed out for an early morning walk. I was DRIPPING sweat practically the whole time. We went up several hills and I could feel the sweat rolling off my face. I loved it but I’m not going to lie I couldn’t wait to step in front of the AC.

We walked for about 45 minutes with a pit stop at my mom’s office to say hi.

My heart rate monitor showed that I burned 282 calories! My heart rate got up fairly high and I was walking at a very fast pace. Obviously if I walked slower I would now have burned as many calories.

I know I have posted about walking before, but I have grown to love walking as cardiovascular exercise. After 4 days straight of intense exercise and being on my feet at work it is nice change of pace. It helps to loosen up my muscles and because it is low impact I know I am not stressing my joints!

Ava loved it.. can’t you tell?? Just kidding she was ready for a nap when we got back!

I hope you all have a happy weekend

July 31, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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I’m rambling….Ab Rollout & Final day of the Pushup Challenge

I am writing this post SUPER late today and I apologize but it seems like Thursdays always get the best of me. I get mad at myself when I don’t post early, but I am human and I need to remember that my Blog is my hobby so it is okay

Now lets talk about my CORE… it is SORE!

Yesterday I was thinking about an ab exercise that I haven’t done in a while. It is an ab rollout! Have you ever heard of an ab wheel or ab roller? I don’t own one but we have them at the YMCA and they are great for the core.

This picture shows me demonstrating the ab rollout, except I am using a dumbbell that I have at home instead of the ab wheel. It rolls out pretty well but the grip hurts my hands.

My Abs have gotten a lot stronger since having Ava, but they still need some work! I tried the ab rollouts again today and it was much more challenging with a sore belly.

I wonder if you could do this on your carpet using paper plates if you didnt have an ab roller?? I will try it!

Can you believe tomorrow is AUGUST??? How did that happen? That means today is the last day of our PUSHUP CHALLENGE!! How did you do? Yesterday Marc told me he completed 225 pushups in one day! I definitely didn’t get that high but I came pretty close at 150.

Did you surprise yourself with the amount of pushups you could complete in one day?

July 30, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Teaching Update & Quest Protein Bars

My schedule has changed starting today! Wednesday mornings I am now teaching Group Power instead of teaching on Wednesday nights. This is a BIG change for me. It is bittersweet because I will definitely miss my regular Group Power attendees who have been coming to my night class for almost a year, but now my days will be balanced a little better. Teaching 3 nights in a row, doesn’t give me flexibility to do things at night during the week and forces Marc to rush home from work every day. This will work out better for all of us!

I have had many people tell me “your life will change when you have a baby” and over the last month I am starting to get hit with that. Being a mom is so rewarding but it is the most difficult job out there. My life revolves around little Miss Ava! When she’s sick it feels like I’m sick.. I need to reschedule my clients & find subs for classes. When Marc is running late from work I have to call up Grandma and ask her to watch Ava so I can go teach!

I really wouldn’t change anything, I just thought you wanted to know what was on my mind these past couple of weeks

On a TOTALLY different note, I tried the new Cookies N Cream Quest bar yesterday.

People have been raving about the new flavor. It was pretty good!

I know i have been talking a lot about protein lately but seriously I don’t consume whey protein ALL the time. I am just one of those people that has to try anything that has the word NEW labeled on it. I am always looking for the next BEST thing.

Quest Bars are high in protein, gluten free, & low carb. This particular bar has 20g of protein, 7g of fat, and 170 Calories. It is a good balance for a quick post-workout snack.

I had this QUEST BAR after my Group Power workout Monday morning and it didn’t sit well with my stomach. I prefer a protein shake post-workout in the morning… it goes down easier. The bars are better for me after my evening workouts, go figure!

What is your favorite post-workout snack or drink? Have you ever made changes to your work schedule… and was it hard to adjust?