The Fit Skool | by Kelly

February 10, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Calf workout & Ava’s First day at daycare!

This past Thursday was Ava’s first day at daycare. With the crazy snow storms and my collar bone injury her start date got pushed back! When we went to drop her off I can honestly say I wasn’t nervous. Being an employee of the YMCA had a lot to do with it, and I knew she was in great hands.

I was so happy & surprised to receive 2 separate emails throughout the day with pictures sent from Ava’s daycare teacher Tara. It made my day to see her smiling and enjoying her class.

When it came time to pick her up I couldn’t wait to see her. She was sound asleep but I was still excited to bring her home! They expressed how wonderful Ava was and that everyone just adores her. It was a great first day

Friday.. I made a trip to the Y in the morning and completed a bike workout (minus an arm) It was nice to break a sweat but I really wish I could’ve done more! It will have to do.

Saturday was fun. My mom’s friend relocated their restaurant Villa Italia to a different part of Stamford, CT and we were invited for a private party to check out the new place and also to eat dinner! Yummm. We had Chicken Cacciatore, Beef Stew, salad, & pizza which wasn’t pictured. Oh and I also had a glass of wine which is cut off in the picture on the left. As you can see below Marc’s plate was a little more packed then mine, and he opted for the beer with dinner!

It was delicious! We are actually invited back tonight for another opening event and I can’t wait to sample things off the menu! Who doesn’t love some good italian food..

Onto Sunday… we were very productive in our house. By productive I mean we went grocery shopping, went to the gym and made a lovely blackened salmon & sweet potato dinner.

Before we headed to the gym yesterday I was checking out some on demand workouts on the TV. I stumbled on a calf & ankle workout which intrigued me. Of course I had to try it.. it was only 8 minutes long. The workout was primarily calf raises but the angles and pace of the exercise changed throughout. As I woke up this morning and walked down the hallway I immediately remembered this workout WOW. Talk about tight calves. Here is part of the workout!

CALF Workout:

20 toe-lifts, each leg (keep heel on the floor lift front of foot)

20 inner lifts & 20 outer lifts

50 straight calf raises (don’t let heels drop)

30 calf raises with toes inward

30 calf raises toes outward

Now I am off to the YMCA.. I will be riding the bike at some point for sure and stretching. I gotta loosen up these calves

February 6, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Postpartum & Baby: 2 month Update

I have been MIA this past couple of weeks. It was pretty tough to type up posts with 1 arm. Yesterday at my doctor appointment he told me I could move my arm more and typing was okay!! Soo here I am with an update for you!

I cannot believe 2 months has passed since Ava was born, time is flying by. The picture below was a week after she was born… look how tiny she was!!

Here is our 2 month update!

As far as me and my body:

I am down a couple more pounds which is great, but wasn’t part of my plan. My goal was to get stronger and increase my lean muscle.

(2 months postpartum, sling and all..)

Once I got cleared from the doctor I eased back into exercise and slowly increased my intensity/duration over the course of 2 1/2 weeks. I was feeling FABULOUS and after 2 1/2 weeks of exercise I felt stronger and more like myself. My stomach felt a little tighter and I wasn’t as winded. I was just starting to increase the weights a little too.

And then… I broke my collar bone. Ouch! Literally, it was so painful. Talk about SETBACK. I was so psyched to get back to teaching/training and I was heartbroken from my injury. I was frustrated that my first day back at work never happened because it ironically occurred on the same morning I broke my collar bone. I have come to grips with the injury and that everything happens for a reason so I have been enjoying a little more time with Ava. I love exercise and work but getting my body as healthy as possible is more important. I realize that I am mentally a lot tougher then I think and when I do get back to my work/routine I will be unstoppable

AVA

Ava is a growing machine. At 2 months she is a long and lean 11lbs. She is wearing mostly 3 months of 0-3 months clothing because her legs are too long for anything smaller! She is still on a 3- 3 1/2 hr eating schedule, but she gives us usually a 5 hour stretch at night which is lovely.

She is very strong and can keep her head up for quite some time on her own. She is so observant and follows me with her eyes as I walk around the room. She LOVES music and when I exercise she thinks its funny. Cooper loves to lick Ava’s hands and feet and she seems to have no problem with it!

(Ava secretly gave me an I LOVE YOU hand gesture in sign language! she’s too smart)

Ava also enjoys play time! She likes her play mat and all the toys, music, and noises that go along with it. Yesterday she was fussing a bit so I turned on Sesame street and just like that she went silent and stared in amazement at the TV. She smiled, kicked her legs, and made happy noises. Now I know what to do to keep her happy!

I can’t wait to share more updates. I hope my next update is on the progress of my shoulder recovery. Let’s keep our fingers crossed for a speedy recovery!

February 3, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Weekend highlights & Dip Recipe

This weekend was very low-key. We pretty much just hung around the house with my family and relaxed. Well I relaxed. My mom helped us with some cleaning and laundry since I am super limited with my injury and my dad helped Marc with some house projects. So I guess it was a productive weekend.

We even snuck in a walk at Bruce Park

and Cooper had a doggie play-date

I enjoyed a lot of play time with Ava this weekend. She has been all smiles and laughs which is so much fun. She really loves looking at her stuffed animal toys and playing on her play mats!

With the Superbowl yesterday, we did a fair amount of cooking! We made BBQ chicken sliders, baked wings, stuffed mushrooms, guacamole, dip, etc. My favorite appetizer was the Spinach and artichoke dip. I am always a huge fan of this dip, and I like it even more because it is loaded with veggies! The secret ingredient is GREEK YOGURT which helps reduce some of the fat content. I enjoyed this dip with some whole grain crackers, YUM!

HEALTHY SPINACH & ARTICHOKE DIP

Ingredients:

1 can of artichoke hearts

1 10oz package of frozen spinach (thawed and drained)

¼ red onion (diced)

4 0z of plain Greek yogurt (it’s about 1/2 cup)

¼ cup Parmesan cheese

4oz of shredded mozzarella cheese

¼ cup of light mayonnaise

1/8 tsp garlic powder

Salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Chop artichokes, spinach and onion. Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and combine well. Spray a baking dish and pour ingredients into dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.

Enjoy with baked chips/crackers or as a side dish!

February 2, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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How to make your Super Bowl Sunday healthier!

Super Bowl Sunday is definitely a big day in our household. It is one of my favorite “holidays” and I always get excited to make game day snacks! Do you ever notice that Super Bowl parties have more food then Thanksgiving dinner??? Wings, layered dips, Chips, Sliders, nachos, etc… it can be food overload!

It doesn’t all have to be “JUNK FOOD” and we can definitely turn that junk food healthy!

Here are a few tips to make your SUPER BOWL HEALTHIER:

Replace mayo and sour cream based dips with plain yogurt
Bake your chicken wings instead of frying them, and remove the skin so they have less fat
Make chicken tenders from chicken breast and bake them or fry them in a little canola or olive oil
Use BAKED chips instead of regular
Serve dips with fresh veggies instead of crackers/chips
Choose leaner meats for your chili, sliders, or nachos
Make stuffed mushrooms with spinach and low fat cheese instead of sausage and cheese
Drink water in between quarters!
Get your workout in before the game to burn some extra calories

Okay.. Now what is on MY menu for today!

The Game-Plan is:

Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms, Baked Buffalo Chicken Bites, Lean Beef chili, Baked Chicken Wings, and Spinach & Artichoke dip with yogurt base!! YUM

Enjoy your Super Bowl Sunday!

January 28, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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My “ALMOST first day back to work”

I haven’t posted in a few days, but I’m back today! I had a somewhat relaxing weekend at home. I spent time running errands for Ava’s first week at daycare, and getting all her things organized for the big day. I also tried to soak up my quality time with Ava at home since Monday was supposed to be my first day back to work.

On Saturday, I practiced my Group Power workout with Marc.. I couldn’t wait to get back to teaching. I even made it to the YMCA on Sunday morning at 830am to attend Michele’s Group Power class. It was awesome to be part of the class and not be the instructor. I loved it! It is honestly such a different energy being part of the group vs. teaching the group. They are both great experiences.

After my workout on Sunday I ate this QUEST brownie protein bar. I was almost done with the bar when I got an idea to heat it up in the microwave. OMG why did I wait so long to do this. It was AMAZING and literally tasted like a warm brownie. I am not lying!! I need to get my hands on more of these ASAP.

This weekend I ate this pesto sandwich on 2 occasions. It was delicious even though my picture does it no justice. The sandwich had Chicken, Eggplant, Provolone, Lettuce, Tomato & Pesto on a sandwich thin! Simple, healthy, & delicious.

If you read the title of this post you might be a little curious… “my ALMOST first day back to work”

Yea… so… I am in a sling for the next 3 weeks! I broke my collar bone…. I know, I can’t believe it either. How did this happen??

(I am smiling but I am really not happy that I am on the recovery list again)

Here’s how it happened.. First off, I have low blood pressure and low blood sugar. So to keep everything normal I eat small frequent meals to prevent me from getting the drop in pressure/sugar. I woke up startled in the middle of the night because Ava was crying. It was like 3:30am and normally when she wakes up she isn’t crying she’s just making noises and squirming. I jumped out of bed in a panic and immediately picked her up. All of a sudden I felt extremely nauseous, light-headed, and thought I was going to throw up. I handed Ava over to Marc and attempted to walk to the bathroom. I felt too sick so I headed back to my bed. Marc handed me a glass of water as I sat in bed.

I told Marc I thought I was going to faint and sure enough I did. I then literally fell and landed all my body weight on my shoulder. We went to the ER and of course I knew something wasn’t right. I broke my collar bone.

Why did this have to happen!! I was literally heading back to work that same morning and Ava was starting daycare. I am SO frustrated and almost can’t believe it happened. Now I am on the mends AGAIN.

I’ve decided to take a positive spin on my whole injury. I get another week or so with Ava. Her smiles, laughs, and crazy faces are making everything better!!

January 24, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Rest & Recovery

Rest & Recovery is so important when following an intense training program… and I am happy to say today is my off day. I have been go-go-go with my workouts this week so I am excited for a day of relaxation.

I am a good sore from my boot camp class last night. I feel it all over but I am not too sore where it will effect my daily tasks

As a former athlete I have realized the importance of taking rest and recovery seriously. If we don’t there is a risk of overtraining and injury. I have experienced overtraining and it really effects the body in a negative way. Here are some symptoms of not taking rest and recovery days:

fatigue that lasts more then usual and can be chronic
you describe your workouts as draining and not energy boosting
you don’t get proper sleep, or are over tired
you aren’t able to perform as well as you used to, in the gym you might notice you can’t lift as heavy as you used to or you get tired easier

When I played softball in college I experienced overtraining. On my “OFF DAYS” or days we didn’t have practice I put in extra hours in the gym. I would go to the weight room and lift extra and then I would run extra outside (sprints or long distance running). I thought this would put me at the top and give me an advantage but it didn’t. I was more tired and I felt that I couldn’t keep up. All my extra hard work wasn’t working. I soon realized I just had to work 110% on the assigned practice and game days and then let me body recover on the days we weren’t training.

With this approach I achieved faster results.

Now that I am not playing a sport I use the same method in the gym and with my work schedule. As much as I would love to teach classes all week long it isn’t realistic. I need rest to keep going and to get stronger.

Nutrition also plays an important role in this process…. blog post to come on this topic!!!!

SOOOO all this talk about rest and recovery means I am going to entertain Miss Ava with lots of smiles & kisses. I am back to work on Monday so I am taking advantage of this lovely relaxing day. HAPPY FRIDAY!

January 23, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Polar Vortex Workouts

Have you ever heard of a Polar Vortex until 2014? I hadn’t!! Leaving out all the scientific details.. I’m pretty sure we have figured out it means persistent subzero cold temps and deep freeze! Brrrrrr.

This is my last week home with Ava and because of the Polar Vortex we have been pretty limited and forced to stay inside most of the week. That means my workouts have been indoor and somewhat limited.

I honestly can say these workouts have been SO FUN.. and I am giving all the credit to Ava. The last two days I got in 2 strength training workouts each lasting an hour!

I was able to practice my Group Power routine which was great. Ava laughed and smiled the whole time so I kept going. It was the fasted hour long workout I have ever done and she motivated me to keep going. As long as I was moving she was HAPPY. It was a win-win for both of us. Except when I was spent she wasn’t happy haha.

It is very hard to capture that smile on camera but I will get it soon! At least we know how to put her in a good mood! Play some music and workout… whatever works!!

Polar Vortex Indoor Weighted Workout

Warm-up with some jumping jacks, jogging in place, or jump rope

Choose a medium size weight for this workout. Perform 8 slow reps followed by 8 quick reps of each exercise for 1 set. Complete 3-4 sets total!

Chest press

Squats

Tricep Presses

Deadlifts

Bicep Curl

Lunges

Bent Over Row

**Before beginning a new workout program, consult your doctor or physician first **

What motivates you to workout??

January 22, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
4 Comments

You only need 1 banana “Banana Bread Recipe”

The weather was very snowy yesterday and I was forced to cancel my boot camp class because the place I teach at was closing early. That meant I was stuck at home with Ava. This wasn’t a bad thing but I do get bored easily. I decided to try out a banana bread recipe. I rarely have 2 over-ripe bananas sitting around the house, but 1 is definitely more common. Do you agree?

So with my 1 banana, I whipped up this recipe in no time. I was overly pleased with how the banana bread turned out especially since I snuck in some oats and wasn’t sure how that would effect it! With only 1/2 cup oats left in the container I figured I should use them up. I am really glad I did because it added some great texture to the banana bread.

Some banana bread recipes take a while to cook in the oven but this one was super quick. 24 minutes according to my clock!

The 1 banana “Banana Bread Recipe”

Ingredients:

1/2 cup brown sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
3 tablespoons egg whites
1 medium ripe banana, mashed
1/4 cup fat-free milk

1/2 cup regular oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine brown sugar, banana, egg whites, oil & milk and mix well. Combine remaining dry ingredients. Add flour mixture into wet mixture until moist.

Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray, add the batter and bake for 25 minutes or until tooth pick comes out clean. YUM!

Makes 8 Slices, per slice approximately 148 calories, 2.6g fat, 28.4g carbs,1.3g fat, 3.3g protein

January 21, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Quick & Easy Turkey Burgers

My schedule during the week usually calls for quick & easy dinner recipes. As much as I love cooking, fast meals are my go to during the week because I teach classes on most nights.

I don’t like recipes that are too heavy before a workout so a turkey burger and some veggies does the trick!

Give this Turkey Burger recipe a try! It doesn’t take long, it is light, and has great flavor!

Turkey Burgers with Peppers & Mushrooms

Ingredients:

1lb Ground turkey

½ cup red pepper, diced

½ container sliced mushrooms, diced

salt & pepper

2 teaspoons olive oil

whole wheat buns

sliced tomatoes and lettuce

Direcions:

Heat a small skillet to medium heat, Saute peppers and mushrooms in olive oil for 5 minutes or until soft.

Mix ground turkey with veggies and sprinkle in some salt & pepper. Make 5 patties with the meat mixture.

You can either grill them or bake them in the oven. I baked them because it was freezing outside. Bake 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until cooked through.

Build your burger… Serve on whole wheat buns with lettuce & tomato, avocado and your favorite condiment!

January 20, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
2 Comments

Weekend Highlights

This weekend flew by!! How is it Monday already? I have just 1 week left before I am back at the Y personal training and instructing classes. I am going to soak up as much Ava time as possible!!

Friday I did get some food prep in… Chicken crusted parmesan, fresh cut pineapple (because I eat 2 a week!), & bran muffins w/ applesauce. Not a whole lot of preparation but it helps!

Let’s start with a little recap of my weekend. Friday night Marc and I headed to Barcelona on Greenwich Avenue for dinner. We love their tapas and I couldn’t wait to dig in.

We ordered 6 tapas.. crispy brussel sprouts with siracha sauce, garlicky broccoli rabe, butternut squash with pepitas and manchego cheese, steak with truffle sauce, albondigas (beef/pork meatballs) and duck meatballs.

My favorite were the butternut squash and brussel sprouts. They were AMAZING. I might go back just to get those 2 again. I love that Barcelona’s food menu changes with what is in season. They always inspire me to try new things and also experience new flavors to cook with. I have re-made some of their dishes and have even incorporated them into our weekly dinner menus!

Saturday morning I was super excited to head to the YMCA to practice my Group Power workout with a couple of the instructors. It felt great to run through the routine! I got a pretty good workout in too. I can’t wait to teach it next Monday.

Saturday night was fun… we headed to my best friend’s sons 1st Birthday party.

On Sunday morning, we quickly got Ava ready and headed to Rhode Island for our niece’s 2nd Birthday. Yes this weekend was packed with kid parties but so much fun. Our niece is SUPER cute, and just loves Ava. She even held her, how cute!

After a crazy busy weekend.. I thought I would make today just as jam-packed. I am now off to practice the Group Power workout at home while Ava is napping! Then I am going to head to Target to get fun baby stuff for Ava to bring to daycare with her next week, and lastly take Cooper to the dog park for some play time.

Have a great day!