The Fit Skool | by Kelly

July 14, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Weekend Recap & Lots of Salads

How was your weekend? Mine was rather relaxing with some good eats!

Saturday morning we went for an early walk, we were out of the house by 630am that rarely happens! The temperature was perfect, it was the first time it wasn’t humid in what seems like forever. Thank you rain!

After our walk and breakfast, we packed up and headed to the beach! Since it was still kind of early there weren’t too many people there and we were able to hang out until Ava was ready to leave.

She likes being outside and playing with her toys so it was nice to hang at the beach.

For lunch Marc made us some delicious olive oil & herb grilled chicken with a chopped spinach salad. It was healthy & delicious.

In the afternoon we had some more play time outside in Ava’s new pool that she got from my friend Megan. She absolutely loved it. I think she would’ve stayed in there all day if her little feet didn’t get all wrinkly!

Sunday we went for an early walk again, and then I headed out to run some errands. I brought us back some salads. Apparently we are on a salad kick? They had mixed greens, pistachios, grapes, roasted red peppers, cucumbers, & gorgonzola with a sherry shallot vinegarette dressing. It was awesome!

In the afternoon I practiced my new Group Power release that we are launching in 1 week from today! I am really enjoying the new workout. Learning the Group Power workouts has gotten easier and easier for me. I work well under pressure so I usually wait until the week before to cram!

This morning I taught Group Power bright and early… and then the rest of my day was go-go-go! Catch ya later

When you need to learn something new do you cram for it, or take your time and spread out your studying?

July 11, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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DAY 2: BBQ Pulled Chicken & Cole Slaw

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

Are you ever looking for an easy, healthy lunch or dinner idea? My go to family summer meal is BBQ pulled chicken. Click on that link for a simple recipe!

It is SO yummy and goes perfectly with some cold cole slaw. You can even toss it over a large salad for more veggies.

This batch was made by my mom so it was a double win for me!! Make sure to choose a BBQ sauce that does not have ADDED SUGAR. Whole foods sells some great BBQ sauces.

Also for the cole slaw dressing. Try making it at home, that way you can control the ingredients and again that unwanted sugar. Here is a SIMPLE & EASY recipe for Homemade Cole Slaw Dressing.

What is your go to summer meal?

July 10, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Test Kitchen Smoothies

Today is DAY 1 of my Healthy Eating Challenge!!

This morning I tested out a couple SMOOTHIE recipes in the kitchen! The two I tested out were an Energy Booster and a Berry Delicious Smoothie. These are two totally different tasting drinks. The first one has spinach which you CANNOT taste at all. The banana flavor really takes over in this one! In the Berry smoothie the sweetness of the Raspberries will keep you going back for more. Yum!

Both of them are a refreshing treat on a hot day!

ENERGY BOOSTER

1/2 cup fresh baby spinach (packed)
1/2 banana
1/4 cup frozen raspberries or blueberries
1/2 cup coconut water
4 ice cubes
1/2 container of plain greek yogurt

Directions: combine all ingredients in a food processor until mixed smoothly.

(The color of the smoothie doesn’t look so appealing in this picture but it tastes great!)

BERRY DELICIOUS

1/2 container of plain greek yogurt
1/2 cup coconut water or water
4 ice cubes
1/2 cup frozen raspberries or strawberries
1/2 banana

Directions: combine all ingredients in a food processor until mixed smoothly.

You can even make a double batch of these and throw them in the freezer so they are ready to go the next time you want one!

With my first attempt at throwing greens in a smoothie I thought it would taste gross but to my surprise it wasn’t!! I wouldn’t lie to you guys.

Do you have any smoothie recipes?? Please share!

July 9, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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7 Days of Healthy Clean Eating… are you in??

Are you feeling stuffed or bloated from 4^th of July weekend festivities? Or are you looking to get rid of the junk food in your life?

If so, join me in a week long HEALTHY EATING CHALLENGE starting tomorrow JULY 10^th!

I am not going to set strict rules, it is up to you to make the smart choices. Focus on avoiding SUGAR, WHITE CARBS, & PROCESSED FOODS.

So what should you focus on eating??

o Vegetables: all of them are acceptable and eat lots of them

o Fruits

o Lean Meats

o Healthy Fats

o Limit your dairy to low fat or if you are up for more of a challenge avoid it completely

o Grains: make sure your grains aren’t processed and are whole grains.

The key to this challenge is to eat Healthy Foods and make sure you can pronounce your ingredients.

I am asking you to do something active 5 of the 7 days. If you can’t make it to the gym… go for a walk or run outside, do some gardening, or chores around the house so you aren’t sitting. Stay active and keep moving!

Remember you can do anything for 7 days! WHO IS IN??

***Please note: I am not a Registered Dietician or Doctor. Check with your physician before beginning any new diet of fitness program***

July 8, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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7 Month Baby & Postpartum Update

Ava’s baby update has become part of my healthy living blog. Her health and progress is just as important as all of us right?

This past weekend Ava hit the 7 Month mark. I absolutely love this age. She is progressing so quickly and it excites me for all the fun stuff ahead.

7 month Stats: Ava weighed in at 17lbs 5oz, she is so long and I don’t have an update on her length but she keeps stretching out. She outgrew most of her 6 month clothing so I will say she’s in 9 month gear!

Eat

We have been slowing down on the eating front. Since Ava has been sick solids are really not as appealing these last couple of weeks. She clenches her mouth shut when I try to feed her oatmeal or bananas but will open her mouth for peas, sweet potatoes, squash etc. Girl knows what she wants! The doctor said when babies are sick not to worry about the solids and just focus on the bottles which works for us right now.

They love eachother

Sleep

We had a few rough nights with Ava when she was sick and coughing. She would wake up thirsty which would mean we were up a little longer then we like but its okay! She’s back on track now and sleeping from about 730 or 8pm until 545 or 6am. This works great with our schedule right now.

She usually gives us 1 good nap and 2 small ones! She’s just not into napping and doesn’t want to miss out. That’s kind of how I am..

Play

This should be titled Play & Exercise because Ava is on the move.

Ava started crawling about a week or so ago. She’s not moving quickly yet, but every day she is picking up the pace! She learned how to sit up and stand up in her crib, she flies around in her little walker, and all she wants to do is stand on our laps or pull herself up. I have a feeling she won’t be crawling long and will skip right into the walking.

I am excited for this but everyone warns me that it just gets harder! Oh well, I am up for the challenge.

MY UPDATE

I said I was going to end these updates about my postpartum progress but I will post one more. I was sick with a sinus infection and laryngitis over the past 10 days so my workouts have been super limited. I am feeling much better and yesterday I was back to my normal routine. I am so SORE today thanks to all the pushups I did.

My weight has stayed the same this past month and hasn’t fluctuated at all. I am focusing on gaining strength in my arms. My shoulder is still not 100% so I am finding ways to work around it and get back to my normal self. Injuries take time to heal and man does it feel like its been a while but we are almost there!

DSCN1438 DSCN1437

My goal this month is to increase my strength with body weight exercises like pull-ups, burpees & pushups. Since they all put a lot of pressure on the shoulder it is crucial that I don’t over due it and progress slowly.

I have another push-up challenge coming to you guys this week so get ready!!

July 7, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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4th of July Weekend Recap

Don’t you just love long weekends?? Usually they fly by, but I think since it rained here on Friday the weekend actually seemed like 3 days

The 4th of July was a relaxing day for the most part. We were able to get in a nice long walk outside with Cooper & Ava before the rain came. After that Marc and I headed to Greenwich Avenue to meet my brother and my sister in law for lunch at Gingerman! It was great. I got an amazing Chopped Salad.. It took a while to come and after I scarfed it down I realized I never snapped a picture oops. It had spinach as the base, with goat cheese, tomatoes, avocado, hearts of palm, pistachios, beets, with an herb dressing! YUMMY. I am not a big beet fan, but I tried a few of them.

It seemed like we celebrated the 4th of July on the 5th. Does anyone else feel that way? The weather was gorgeous! We woke up early took a family walk again, and then decided to bring Ava to the Doctor because she was wheezing/coughing a ton. I was a little worried about her.

Sure enough she has Bronchiolitis… pretty much bronchitis but for infants. Poor little girl. She is taking medicine and I am happy to say she is doing MUCH better today.

In the afternoon we headed to Todd’s Point Beach for an afternoon BBQ.

You can’t even tell Ava is sick. She’s a trooper!

She had lots of smiles with Lauren

My Dad is already trying to get her to swing a baseball bat!!

As much as I love the water… It was still too cold for me to jump in.

Ava wasn’t allowed to go to daycare today.. so we worked around my schedule and I had some help from my brother. I was able to teach Group Power early this morning. I was so pumped to do an older release from last summer. It was my first time doing this workout not pregnant! I honestly loved it.

Marc made me a PB & Banana Vanilla Protein shake to refuel with. I don’t really like bananas in my shakes but this was good. Thanks for making me try it Marc!

Here is a trick…make it the night before and put it in the freezer.. I took it out about an hour before my workout and when I was done it was ready to go!

I taught 1 more class and now I am home the rest of the day with Ava. I am happy to say she is on the mends..

One more thing before I go….. you need to make a fruit salad. This hot day calls for one and it is sooo good.

July 4, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Tips for a Healthy & Happy 4th of July

HAPPY 4th OF JULY!!!!!!!!!!

I absolutely love this time of year, the weather is warm, I am outside more, and there are tons of BBQ’s and Parties to attend.

Come Monday are you that person that regrets your weekend choices? Holidays of course are for celebrating but by making a few smarter choices you can keep your health & fitness goals on track!!

Tips for a HEALTHY & Happy 4th:

Avoid all the processed snacks. The chips & cookies may look good but they are not going to keep you full and they will most likely have you craving more sugary and carb rich foods.
Take a small plate… load up on as much of the fruits, veggies, tossed salad, & lean protein as you can. If you are still hungry go back for seconds but only choose one scoop of the things you REALLY want to indulge in. Better yet have the burger but throw it on a huge salad and skip the bun!!
Limit your alcohol. Avoid sugary drinks like Margaritas and Pina coladas; they are loaded with sugar and calories. IF you’re going to have a drink, have a beer or wine and make sure to mix in a glass of water to stay hydrated.
Skip Dessert. This will throw your calorie budget over the top! If there is fruit…dive in! If you really need it, take 1/2 of a brownie, or 1/2 of a piece of cake and then throw it out!
Get your workout in! Just because it is the 4th of July doesn’t mean you can’t get a quick workout in. Even if it is at home with some pushups, squats, & sit-ups. You will thank me later

These little TIPS will help you feel better in the long run! Happy 4th Of July

Do you have any Healthy Eating BBQ Tips to add to the list??

July 3, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Healthy Summer Strawberry & Avocado Tossed Salad

Doesn’t this hot sticky weather make you crave cold things?? Marc told me he wanted a salad Monday night so I was looking through the fridge to see what I could throw together. We had a large container of Strawberries that I didn’t want to go bad so I decided to add them to a salad.

If you have never had strawberries in a salad before, PLEASE try it. The sweetness of the strawberries goes great with the salty gorgonzola cheese, yum!!!

Strawberry & Avocado Tossed Salad with Gorgonzola Cheese

Ingredients:

sliced strawberries
about 4 cups spring mix salad blend
1/2 avocado, cut into chunks
1/2 cucumber sliced
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 container of grape tomatoes
1/4 cup gorgonzola cheese
balsamic dressing your choice (drizzled over the top)

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl toss together and serve! (serves about 2) Simple & Easy!!

(this salad picture is without the dressing) Over the salad we had some Olive OIl & Herbed chicken thighs. It was so light, healthy, & tasty!

Do you have any favorite salad combos?? Please share!

July 2, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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A lot to say but no voice!

This post may be all over the place because I feel like I have so much to say! I lost my voice over the past few days so typing is the easiest way for me to get all my thoughts out!

I taught Group Power Sunday and Monday morning and then taught a second class later on Monday where my voice almost completely gave out. I tried resting my voice Tuesday, but when I taught Boot Camp last night I guess I did too much and today my voice is almost non-existent…

I never realized how much I like to talk!! Talking on the phone isn’t an option so I am resorting to texting, emailing, & blogging for my means of communication.

Unfortunately I had to get a sub for my GP Class tonight which totally stinks since I love teaching! Anyways…. hear are some of my rambles…………..

1. Monday night I whipped together a delicious Strawberry & Avocado Salad for dinner. I will post the recipe tomorrow.

It is nutritious, contains healthy fats, and is like fireworks in your mouth. Just kidding but it is super tasty and I will eat it again.

2. I feel like I have been using my own made up version of sign language at home and with my clients. I resort to pointing and mouthing words. Some of my signs work and others confuse people but I am trying!

3. I am looking forward to a long 4th of July weekend! How about you??

Have you ever lost your voice before? Do you have any tricks to getting it back????!?!

July 1, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Ava’s Baptism

On June 22nd we celebrated Ava’s Christening and we couldn’t have lucked out with a more perfect day! I promised last week I would have an update and I finally have some pictures to share with you.

The weekend completely revolved around Ava and getting everything ready for her big day! My family, Marc, and I ran numerous errands and finished up some house projects to get everything ready for the Baptism Party in honor of little Miss Ava!

We all helped paint my parent’s deck which let me tell you is an AWESOME upper body workout. I painted the outside spindles with a long roller and my shoulders were feeling it! Plus I was able to catch some sun while painting… win!

Saturday we spent the day setting things up… including this large tent!