The Fit Skool | by Kelly

January 17, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Regaining strength

This morning I met a 2 of my clients for coffee at Starbucks so they could see the baby! It was so nice to catch up and I know they enjoyed meeting and hanging out with Ava.

I got a pumpkin spice latte.. with skim milk. Somehow it was TOO sweet for me and I had maybe 10 sips total.

So onto the blog topic of regaining strength…. This week I really jumped back into my fitness routine. My body was ready and I was mentally ready to get back to it. With 2 Boot camp classes this week, I was super sore but it felt good. I didn’t go 100% because i didn’t want to pull a muscle or injure myself by working too hard, but I got in some great workouts.

I was surprised at the strength I had to complete the workouts considering I was only 6 weeks postpartum and hadn’t seriously worked out in a while. I took for granted how strong I was during my pregnancy and I am super thankful that I exercised my entire pregnancy.

Last night’s workout seemed so much easier compared to Tuesday night. I felt stronger with my planks and I was able to do the cardio at a little faster pace. My pushups got a little lower to the floor and my squats were a little deeper.

Although regaining strength takes time, I can already see progress and that is so motivating for me. I can’t wait to get my stomach back in shape. A strong CORE makes exercise so much easier. Bathing suit season is right around the corner and who doesn’t want to feel good in a bikini????

Today is my off day.. my body is telling me to rest and relax! I am all for it Tomorrow I will be focusing on learning the Group Power workout and I hoping Sunday will just be some walking cardio outside with the Baby and Cooper!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!

January 16, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Spinach, Mushroom, & Egg White Scramble

Eggs are my go-to breakfast. I am most satisfied when they are part of my morning so I usually opt to eat them over anything else!

Here is a quick recipe for an egg white scramble. It doesn’t take long, it is low calorie, and tasty. I usually have my eggs with whole grain toast, but a side of oatmeal would be great too!

You can double this recipe if you eat this as a post-workout meal or if you are following a low carb diet.

Spinach, Mushroom, & Egg White Scramble

Ingredients:

1/3 cup egg whites

¼ cup spinach

¼ cup mushrooms

1 tsp olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

Directions: saute veggies in a frying pan with olive oil. add in egg whites and scramble!

Nutrition: Approximately 85 calories, 5g fat, 10g protein

January 15, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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All cleared for exercise!

Yesterday I had my 6-week doctor checkup. It was amazing to hear that I was ALL CLEARED and everything was great. Although I had started walking and some light exercise a week ago I am finally ready to get back into some of my old workouts and moving more. The most important thing I have been doing is listening to my body. I think we all know when we have over did it or when it’s okay to push it a little more.

On Sunday I did the first disc of the T-25 workout. Shaun T really knows how to kick butt… but he also has an easier version of the workout and one of his instructors demonstrates the modified exercises so I followed her. It still had my heart rate up and 25 minutes was plenty for a first full body workout!! I have done most of the exercises before and it’s similar to my style of boot camp training so I was all for it.. I can’t wait to try his next workout!

Last night at boot camp, I was much more involved in the exercises and was able to do more. I still have to ease back into the jumping exercises and core work but I already feel like I made progress by participating in more of the boot camp workout. The workout was based on cardio & strength using body weight and man did it feel great to sweat! I know it’s gross but wiping sweat off my face felt nice.. I haven’t done that in a couple months!

When I got home my inner thighs and glutes were FIRED up! A mini-stretch session is a must today! I can feel how tight my quads are today and I know they will thank me if I get them warmed up and give them a good stretch.

I prefer to do a light warm-up before stretching, that way I get some blood flow to my muscles!

My to do list for stretching today: Quads, Glutes, Hamstrings, IT Band, & Calves

I will take some pictures of the stretches I do so you can try them yourself at home.

Do you stretch? Do yoga? How do you keep your muscles loose?

January 14, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Things I am loving lately!

Here are some random things that I have been Loving!

Kashi Brownie Bars- there’s a hidden ingredient in here.. sweet potato. You cant even taste it and these will definitely satisfy the chocolate craving you have during the day.

BLUEBERRIES- they are so tasty and even better they are on sale right now. I grab handfuls throughout the day or top my yogurt with them

YOGURT- This yogurt has minimal ingredients and 7g protein, not a bad snack for 150 calories.

Dried Prunes- a tasty snack on the go, and a good way to add in some more fiber to your diet (this bag was $1.00 at CVS)

6 ingredient pumpkin cookies- I quickly whipped these up the other day for a snack since i had some leftover pumpkin. Here is the recipe if you want to try.

1/2 can pumpkin
3/4 cup oats (I used quick oats)
1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup chocolate chips

Mix all the ingredients together, roll into 10 balls, and Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes

I have also been loving my walks with Ava… doesn’t she look so comfy in her stroller.

January 13, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Weekend Highlights

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend!

Mine was very relaxing and family filled. On Saturday Marc’s parents came for a visit to see Ava and spend some time with us.We enjoyed some take-out Thai food for lunch. I got the Chicken Brown which comes with lots of veggies and brown rice. It was quite tasty.

I have been slightly obsessed with the show Scandal, have you seen it? We have Netflix so it’s super easy to watch a few episodes in a row! We are nearing the end of the second season, and I don’t know what I am going to do when we are all caught up!! Any suggestions on a new show to get hooked on?

Saturday night we watched the PATRIOTS win and move on to face the Broncos in the AFC Championship next Sunday. WOOHOO.

Sunday morning I woke up at 530am with Miss Ava. I was wide awake and well rested because she had slept for 6 straight hours. I’m loving that she’s getting in bigger stretches.

Once she was back to sleep I started watching my Group Power video and taking notes on the new workout. When I finished that I put together a new workout for my seniors which I think they are going to love. Fun homework!

After I finished some work… I made a quick trip to the mall to grab a few gifts for birthday parties I have next weekend and also to do some returns. I love the mall on a Sunday morning, it’s empty! When I got home Marc and I decided to go on a family walk with Ava & Cooper.

We bundled Ava up, and off we went! It was so nice to get some fresh air, and I am pretty sure Ava loves the stroller. She slept through all the bumps and turns!

DINNER was Turkey Burgers (with red peppers and mushrooms in the mix), Baked french fries, and spinach & chickpea casserole! Delicious.

RECIPES to come. This is a super easy and healthy dinner with lots of good flavor!

Now it’s time to do some more homework I will be making workouts for my clients this morning since I have less then 2 weeks before I am back at the YMCA.

Have a good day!

January 10, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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1 month baby & postpartum update!

My morning started off rather early this morning (4:45am) so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on my leftover decaf pumpkin coffee, I barely drank any of it yesterday. Since it was an early morning I added in some regular coffee, I needed a boost of caffeine!!

Wow 5 weeks have passed since Ava is born… I guess I should’ve posted the 1 month update last weekend but I got a little side tracked with my excitement for the start of teaching my boot camp classes this week.

Lets start with that, man did it feel good to get back to boot camp. It was so nice to see my class, to move around and also give them a good workout! Although 5 weeks of not seeing them seemed like a while, I feel like we never missed a beat. Except that my legs and their legs are more tired then usual. I think that should be expected, these muscles need to get back into shape.

Ava update…

Ava is growing!!! At her 1 month check up she weighed 9lbs (she was 6.6lbs at birth) she is also 22 inches (19.5inches at birth). That is great news and according to the Doctor she is right on track. We always like to hear that!

She is a cuddler and loves to be held. I can’t blame her and I love it too, except for when I need to get things done or in the middle of the night when she just wants to snuggle and I want to sleep.

Cooper can’t get enough of Ava.. he protects her!

SLEEP has gotten SOO much better and I really can’t complain. She had been waking up just once a night for the last week compared to 2 or 3 times that first week or too. We are making progress.. anddd last night Ava slept through the night!! 6 hours, holy moly it felt amazing. I woke up a little earlier then she did so I got a little less then 6 hours but I didn’t care, I was pumped up.

I am not going to get overly excited because tonight could be a different story but I am extremely happy to have gotten some solid sleep.

Ava is much more alert and really enjoys staring up at her mobile in her crib. She reaches her hands up and her eyes follow the stuffed animals. It is so much fun to sit there and watch her. Who ever thought watching a mobile spin around could be such great entertainment for me. She makes a lot of faces like her mom and I get overly excited when she smiles.

Update on mama..

I am feeling like a million bucks this week. I think it’s a combination of having boot camp back on my schedule.. sleeping more.. and just overall feeling great. My body is ready for exercise again. Mentally I was ready a couple of weeks ago but my body said no, and now they are on the same page. I can still tell jumping exercises will take some time to get back into, but the strength training and weights are movements I feel comfortable with.

My weight is right where it should be. I have a couple pounds I could lose but I am not going to try to lose those couple of pounds. Instead I want to increase lean muscle. My mid-section is a little looser and needs some tightening and my legs could also use a little more muscle! I like having something to work for

I won’t be setting a date for my goal. I know I will get there but it doesn’t need to be a week or month from now, it just needs to happen and it will because I am focused and motivated. Right now my goal is to keep Ava healthy and enjoy being a mom!

Happy Friday everyone..

January 9, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Quick & Healthy Pork Marsala Recipe

I have eaten chicken marsala hundreds of times before but I have never had pork marsala so I decided to give it a whirl. Pork chops are fairly cheap and they cook up very fast and since the recipe is made the same way as chicken marsala it’s easy.

I served mine over some brown rice but it would be great with mashed potatoes or a baked potato!

PORK MARSALA

ingredients:

4 boneless pork loins (about 4oz each)

1 8oz package of sliced mushrooms

1 small onion chopped

6 tablespoons of flour (I used white, only because we ran out of wheat flour)

1/4 cup marsala wine

3/4 cup chicken broth

1 tsp oregano

salt & pepper

Directions:

Heat a non-stick pan with cooking spray. Place 1/4 cup flour in a shallow dish. Dredge pork in flour. Place pork chops in pan and brown for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove pork and set aside on a dish. Add onions & mushrooms and saute until brown. Add flour & oregano too the pan and mix. Add in chicken broth and marsala wine and stir until sauce is smooth, bring to a boil and then reduce and simmer for 3 minutes. Add Pork chops back to pan for 2 minutes, sprinkle with salt & pepper and Serve!

January 8, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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The Amazing Avocado

I have been on an Avocado kick lately.. I put it on my sandwiches, enjoy them with tortilla chips, in lettuce wraps, with brown rice and chicken. It is so versatile!

The reason I have been eating more avocado is for the omega-3 fatty acids and the essential vitamins & minerals it provides. Monosaturated fats help the body absorb antioxidants!

Did you know Avocados are FRUITS???? Did you know they grow on trees??

Anyways, with just 50 calories in 1/4 cup serving Avocado has been incorporated into my diet as much as possible.

Instead of choosing cheese on my sandwich I slice up some avocado. Instead of dipping chips in cream based dips make guacamole, it is so much healthier and satisfying!

Yesterday for lunch I made a rice bowl… Brown rice, diced chicken, diced red peppers, 1/4 cup avocado, a little lemon juice, olive oil, salt & pepper. It was delicious!

Have you ever had Avocado in your eggs? I haven’t but I am going to try it out…. I will let you know what I think but I am sure it is great!

January 7, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Still going strong?

We are almost 1 week into the New Year.. are you still going strong with your New Year’s resolution??

I am doing well with my resolutions! Miss Ava has been sleeping better for us and it couldn’t make me happier. I am enjoying her middle of the night feeding more. I have been keeping calm, relaxed and not focusing on the fact that I am up from 230-330am has helped make getting up at the wee hours part of my routine. I get very excited when she gives us a long stretch of sleep!

Ava’s getting more alert! and love’s the mobiles

My buddy Cooper keeps us company even through the WEE hours

My health resolution of eating healthy is going great. I am always conscious of what I eat, but since I am taking care of Ava and feeding her, my nutrition needs to be on point. We have been eating lots of salmon, avocado (healthy fats), along with tons of veggies, lean meats and as much fruit as I can handle. I have been pretty bummed because berries aren’t that cheap anymore. This means I have been eating the fruit that is on sale like clementines, bananas, apples and pineapple. I need to start using my frozen berries that I have stored in the fridge, I might just make a berry smoothie for you this week. Buying produce that is in season keeps the grocery bill lower and I try to do that. It keeps variety in my diet!

As far as my fitness resolution.. I will be easing back into exercise this week and I couldn’t be more pumped! As much as I have enjoyed resting and relaxing at home with Ava, I am CRAVING some exercise endorphins. Don’t you feel good after exercise? I need that energy boost and it starts with BOOT CAMP TONIGHT!! Woohoo, I can’t wait to see my class.

So now that it is almost 1 week into the New Year.. if you feel like you might have slipped up on your resolutions, don’t quit just yet.. try starting over. There’s nothing saying that January 1st is the only time you can start a new resolution or a new goal.

RESOLUTION TIPS:

**If you are dieting or changing eating habits, don’t use the words CHEAT DAY. Allow yourself the foods you want in moderation. No one likes to be told not to eat something, so don’t think of it as cheating if you eat something that you think is “BAD.” Take these sweet potato fries for example.. they are baked and not fried so are they bad just because it’s called french fries????? Make your bad foods healthier..

**If you are focusing on exercising more, or increasing strength why don’t you try a new workout. Keep your body guessing and don’t do the same routine over and over. That is why I love boot camp, the workouts constantly change.. I don’t get bored and I am using different muscles each class.

January 6, 2014
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Heart Healthy BLUEBERRY OATMEAL MUFFINS

In case you didn’t know I love healthy muffins! I made this recipe for the first time this morning for a mid-morning snack and man are they good. I could have eaten the whole batch but believe it or not they are actually quite filling since they are packed with hearty oats.

For a well balanced breakfast these blueberry muffins would be great with a couple of eggs!

BLUEBERRY OATMEAL MUFFINS

Ingredients:

2 1/4 rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1/3 cup canola oil

1 cup skim milk

1 cup blueberries

3/4 cup water

Directions:

1. PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees and line muffin pans with paper liners. In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, oats, brown sugar, flax, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.

2. Add eggs, oil, skim milk and 3/4 cup water. Mix until combined and then fold in the blueberries. Fill each muffins cup to the top and bake the muffins for 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

As you can see, I took a big old bite right away!! YUMMMMM

Makes 12 muffins, approximately 210 calories, 8g fat, 2.8g fiber, 4.8g protein