New Year Challenge and Holiday gift to yourself....

It's easy to put together Resolutions for the new year. We never seem to have too many imperfections we want to, "fix". Ever notice how hard it is to say thank you when some one else compliments you? This year before you begin your resolution list, give yourself the gift of PROPS!! List your accomplishments and pat yourself on the back!! Even the most trying year can produce great accomplishments that can miss acknowledgement, due to heavy circumstances. Go ahead!Take a moment and reflect on what you learned or accomplished this year!

This Year I....

Made clean eating at work easier
Discovered Hot Yoga
Finally got closer to Balance
Improved the health of my knee
Took on a heavy bag class
bought my dream Jeep
Started my kiddo in college
Let go of expectations and allowed things to "be"
Discovered my love for Eckhart Tolle and The Dalai Lama
Achieved internal happiness with external stresses
Let go of perfection and strived for balance
Learned about living in the moment
Paid off our house
Started blogging
Rediscovered reading
Re-established Priorities
Got rid of my water bed
Stayed with my healthy goals and further improved

Coming up on the New Year, I challenge you to list your 2011 accomplishments before listing your 2012 goals. It will give you a great sense of pride and confidence as you enter the new year! =]

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!

Yes!! Even I am Human......

Yes!! Even "I" am human...

It's funny that I would even say this, given who I've been my whole life. An over eating sugar addict, who until about 5 years ago was over weight and unhealthy. People who take my classes, know me in the gym, or read my posts and blogs tend to believe that I have always been this way. I am always amused by the natural assumptions that some come up with. I once had a conversation with a friend and class member Kari, who declared, "I'm sure you never eat at Red Robin, you don't eat red meat, do you?" Or another fitness instructor I ran into at the grocery store that was mortified that I saw the chips and cookies she was buying for a party. Or my sister in-law who was quite surprised to see me eating chocolate cake and ice cream (my favorite dessert) with much passion, on my mother in-law's birthday. Or my co-workers (on my day job) who have strong feelings of guilt when I walk by and see them eating something "naughty".

Truth is, I am just as human as the next. Sure, I workout, eat clean as much as possible, and reach my goals, but I am darn sure to have fun while doing it. I go out to eat, indulge in ice cream, and I'm pretty sure I consumed a whole gallon of egg nog in 2 days (with the help of my sis-in-law to-be) over Thanksgiving. Holiday parties....baked goods...lunch dates with old friends...My scale would move during this time of year if I stepped on it, trust me! But I don't! I have a very healthy relationship with myself and enjoy the holiday treats with moderation. {Backing up} I do realize consuming a gallon of egg nog is not moderate, but that's where the human part comes in .

The point of this blog? This is not a, "Avoid packing on the holiday pounds" type of blog. While I have written a couple of those, and many social network posts and articles shared as well, this is more of a, "Accepting your human side" blog. Many of us (Fitness Professionals) preach and encourage you to make good food choices and stay in the gym during this time year to avoid holiday weight. And while we (for the most part) heed our own advice as well, it is equally important to to be forgiving if you aren't perfect. If a few holiday pounds creep up, don't beat yourself up or punish yourself. Just pick those healthy habits right back up and as you return to your "healthy ways" and your weight will follow.

It was a looooong and winding road, but I have learned over the years that to be great, I have to be humbled. What can be more humbling than our "human" side? The more you can embrace this, (whatever the situation) the more you can enjoy your journey and not obsess over your mistakes or indulges. Please note, this is not a free pass for you or I to eat away....It's just a reminder to live in the moment and not beat yourself up when you temporarily get off track. Rather, use it as a tool of experience and added knowledge.

Never let your mistakes or perceived failures define how you feel about yourself. Without those, you can't shine!

Giving the over zealous Trainer Sales Guy the ol' 1-2!!

I get tired of hyper, over zealous, trainers and health club sales associates, that think that they have the single most important job. Mind you, all are not this way. I know some really awesome trainers that are really focused on helping others. I'm talking about the ones that focus on looking like they are helping others to help themselves.

Tonight I literally 1-2'ed ( jab cross) a young sales guy out of my class. He came up to my front row gal in the middle of a choreographed Kickbox Cardio class, papers in hand trying to solidify a deal and exchange contact info. As I'm cuing my class, I am telling this kid that that this is so uncool and he needs to go. He ignores me and continues writing down info. I put my class into a bob weave and bob weaved myself right up to his left shoulder....Then I said, "You got to go Dude" He kept writing....So I cued my class "right lead....Jab Cross bob weave!" At first I didn't make contact....He just looked at me and kept talking. I began tapping him with my 1-2's until I inched him out of the room.

To the guy I 1-2ed out of my class....I have two words for you...."Car Sales!"

"Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow"

Tuesday nights are usually very intense. A heavy lifting day and an intense heavy bag/interval class (taught by a respected colleague).
Yoga has become my weekend gig. Friday I hit the weight floor and then a yoga class. Saturday is just yoga.

Last night (trying to be more in tune with my body's needs) I stepped outside of my Tuesday night "box" to honor my knee. It was an upper body day, so I hit the weights and then the yoga studio with Sherry.

What a beautiful practice. She began the practice quoting Steve Jobs, "Oh wow, oh wow, oh wow!" Perfectly aligned with finishing the book, "The Power of Now", this week, her cues and inspirations re-enforced everything I was reading. My newly found muscular build, less then flexible body, and clumsy balance poses felt completely at ease with being humbled in the moment. The moment was.

Work Week Lunch Box Turkey Style!!

Open Faced Turkey Swiss, and Cranberry Feast!












What you need!

• 1 slice Dave's Bread, "Good Seed"
• 2 oz. Deli sliced smoked turkey
• 1- deli sliced Swiss cheese ( great without if you need less calories in this meal!)
  
• sliced Roma tomatoes
• sliced purple onion
• sprouts
• red leaf lettuce
  
• brown spicy mustard
• horse radish
• 1/8 c - organic whole cranberry sauce

Assemble as you would a sandwich, (only do not top with 2nd peice of bread) top with cranberry sauce! Grab a small knife and a fork and dig in!!

SOOO Holiday GOOD!!

Calories =398
Protein = 23

I prep all ingredients and package up on Sunday to take to work on Monday and make a fresh sandwich each day for lunch. If you do not have a work fridg, you can prep for the week and throw it together in the mornings before work!

NOTE: I use organic cranberry sauce because all others are made with High Fructose Corn Syrup. If you want to go healthier and have the time you could make your own...=]

Bon Appetit!

MY HOLIDAY CHALLENGE TO YOU...

November to January, is where I am at most risk of packing on the pounds!! Halloween candy, baked goods, Thanksgiving dinner....and left overs, Christmas parties, egg nog, Santa cookies, Peppermint Mochas, apple pie....ala mode, the list is never ending!! I know I'm not alone. NY Times reports, the average person packs on 7-10 pounds with in this time frame. I've surpassed that a time or two!

One way I choose to hold myself accountable is to keep a food log. I love myfitnesspal.com
( http://www.myfitnesspal.com/ ) I use this site to track my calorie intake, food choices, and exercise deficit. They also have a great phone app that syncs up with your account!

I am at a point in my journey where I don't need to use it all of the time, but during the holiday months, I can get a bit carried away if I'm not diligent about my accountability. I at least, have to own it! It is during the holiday months that I go ultra public as well. You'd be surprised how much more you care, when you know everyone is watching. I go public for a couple of reasons.

• Accountability
• prevention
  
• Motivation
• Inspiration

My hope is, through putting myself out there for all to see, that you will do the same. Whether you are trying to reach goals, maintain good health through out the holidays, or want to be an example of good health for others, I invite and encourage you to join me on myfitnesspal.com and Facebook and go public with your efforts, successes, and failures (which without, we can't succeed). You can link or share your progress on both sites and encourage others to do the same.

You can find me on myfitnesspal.com through the "community" tab, and click on "Find Members" (on the blue bar just below), and type in my user name, "KellyShredFit" next to the Search Bar, and "Search". Feel free to friend me and follow!

Are you brave enough to get serious about your goals, and publicly own your positive and negative behaviors that help or hinder your success?

You must be 100% honest...We are all human, so no worries! Something you may find interesting about me...I could EASILY scarf down a pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream.... and not feel the least bit sick...but if I was really being honest, I could also grab a spoon and a half gallon tub and go to town!! Ssssshhhh....don't tell anyone...

Take the Challenge! Reach your goals...learn about yourself...stay motivated...and INSPIRE others!

Who's with me??
Check out my page!
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/KellyShredFit

Created by MyFitnessPal - Free Calorie Counter

CHANGE YOUR FOCUS......CHANGE YOUR RESULTS!

"I've been working so hard in the gym and I'm not seeing results!" I hear this more than any other complaint! It can be beyond frustrating to work that hard and still be in the same pant size that you started in!! I remember when I was trying to lose weight. I found myself frustrated to tears, declaring, "The weight only comes off when I'm perfect! As soon as I slip up, it comes right back on." It felt like the truth....

Truth is, I wasn't being very honest with myself. Sure, I would do great for a while, but when I slipped, I fell into the deep pit of my old ways and it took forever to completely climb back out. I was good at lying to myself, declaring how one slip up would put all that weight back on. Well, that one slip up wasn't a cheat meal, it was a cheat weekend leading to a cheat week, followed by more cheats into the next week as I tried to get my act back together.

It wasn't until I decided, "I'm not going to try to lose weight, I am going to be "healthy" that it really started to happen for me. With that came some realizations:

• Occasional indulgences were healthy. Carrying that indulgent into the next meal...day...week...was not.
• Working out was healthy. Restricting too many calories and not feeding my body to support my workout was not.
• Learning about calories in/calories out was healthy. Counting calories on a Big Mac was not.
• Switching to lighter lunches was healthy. Lean Cuisines and other "diet" foods as a replacement were not.
• Cutting fat was healthy. Avoiding fats like, nuts, avocado, and olive oils, was not.
• Cutting out sodas was healthy. Switching to diet Sobes and other chemical ridden drinks was not.
• Extra hard workouts were effective! Over eating because I worked extra hard was not.
• And finally, looking good didn't equate to feeling good....Feeling good equated to looking good!
  

When I focused all of my efforts on losing weight, I inevitably failed (even though I would occasionally and briefly succeed). The "diet" industry is HUGE!! We all want to lose weight, look good and feel great. These goals are very emotional and emotions are easily marketed! Pills, cleansers, programs, diet foods, strange exercise contraptions, and unsafe shoes with big weight loss and sculpting promises. We are complicated creatures that want instant gratification without having to put down the Big Mac. Large corporations give us permission to have our Big Mac and eat it too!! Focusing on weight loss allowed me to buy into all the untruths that kept me fat and allowed me to play victim to the "diet" world.


When I focused on being healthy, I began to change my thinking and make choices that revolved around being healthy. I came to the mind set of,

"Number one Goal should be to get healthy and balanced....Everything else will fall into place."

IT DID!! It began to fall right in place. With every step I took to get healthy, I learned what healthy was. AND IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE "WEIGHT LOSS" OR "DIET" INDUSTRY! It had to do with:

• balancing all of the fundamentals of fitness
  
• education
  
• fresh, whole, clean foods
• educating myself on proteins, carbs, and fats (and how important each is, despite what the diet industry wants you to believe)
  
• proper sleep and adequate water
• stress reduction
  
• developing a healthy relationship with food
• And most important, developing a healthy relationship with self

None of this comes in a magic bottle and you can't put a time frame on it. It's called life. As with everything, it takes time to program ourselves to reach new mile stones. Get out of your head that you need to look a certain way by a certain time, and begin a journey to a healthy life style. You will be surprised at the difference and how it all begins to fall into place!
CHANGE YOUR FOCUS, CHANGE YOUR RESULTS!

WORK WEEK LUNCH BOX !!

CHICKEN SALAD SALAD!







Chicken Salad:

** 2 - 10 oz. cans chicken breast
** Light mayo ( sparing if your a mayo junkie like me)
** Brown spicy mustard (to taste)
** Chopped red peppers
** Chopped purple onion
** Chopped jarred (tamed) jalapenos
** Chopped raw pecans
** Sea salt/ pepper to taste
** 2 tbs. wasabi sauce (optional)

Salad:
** Organic's mixed greens
** Red and yellow pepper strips
** Chopped tomatos
** Avocado (chopped fresh when piecing salad together *)
** Pecans
** Craisins
** Eating Right blue cheese yogurt dressing (I only use this if my chicken salad portion was not enough for the salad - Usually the chicken salad dresses the salad nicely on it's own)

Throw salad together and add a generous (ice cream scooper) Scoop of Chicken Salad on top!
YUM!
*Avocado keeps best after opened when stored in ziplock with all the air sucked out!

When sick, Take care!

Being sick this past week has really given me time to reflect on my fitness journey. Once upon a time, I would be very stressed about being out of the gym this long and what it would do to my waist line.

Truth is, my waist line has probably incurred a bit of a swell from all the comforts grilled cheese, soup, and ice cream has offered my throat and tummy. Why am I not stressed? Because I am healthy. I finally understand what it means to have a healthy relationship with myself and food. I know as I begin to feel better I will return to my healthier eating habits and workouts in the gym. Any swell my waist has incurred will subside before long. I feel no stress. No worry about gaining weight, no big rush to slam on a bag before my lungs are ready for a cardio workout. I could easily go to the gym tonight and knock out a light weight lifting session and go boxing (Ya'll know I really want to!), but I'll wait one more day and save the other gym goers the stress of listening to me cough, wondering if they will get it next. One more day to give my body ample time to recover from the virus it worked so hard to fight off.

So the next time you get sick, remember; your body knows best, so listen to what it is telling you. Just as a stomach flu may cause you to lose weigh, a flu or cold may put on a pound or two. No matter which category you fall under, your weight will return to normal when your eating and exercise get back to normal. Much to my dismay, I have never had long term weight loss success with a stomach flu. Just sayin'.

THE LOADED BOWL from the Clean Eating Magazine

Ingredients

3 c quinoa, rinsed and drained

1 can balck beans, rinsed and drained

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

1 c fresh chopped cilantro

2 avocados, pitted, peeled, and chopped

fresh lemon juice, to prevent avocado from browning

salt and pepper

juice of 4 limes

zest of 1 lime
Sauteed shrimp (optional)

DRESSING:

1/4c EVOO

1/4 c white vinegar

2-3 cloves minced garlic

salt and pepper

Directions *

1. Prepare quinoa according to package directions. Cover and set aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add beans tomatoes, and cilantro. Toss to combine.

3. Dice avocado, drizzle with lemon juice, and set aside in fridge.

4. Add all dressing ingredients to a food processor or mini chopper. Pulse until garlic is blended and dressing appears creamy. Set aside in fridge.

5. Fluff quinoa with a fork and add bean mixture. Season with salt and pepper and add lime juice and zest. Toss to combine.

This salad keeps well, covered, in the fridge for 3-4 days. For best results, add avocado just before serving.*However when prepping for work, I keep the dressing, shrimp, and avocado in separate bowls and assemble daily for added freshness!

Love Clean Eating Magazine for inspiration!! Packed with Great ideas!

MY GOLDEN 5

So I finally finished The Happiness Project, by Gretchen Rubin. This was a fun read for me. I am naturally drawn to psychology, new ideas, and self improvement, so this book was right up my alley. I had people ask me when I was reading it if I was looking for happiness. I have been wonderfully blessed with the happiness gene. In the worst of times, I have always been able to see my way through and turn it into a positive learning experience. Where others would crack and fall apart, I've always been able to pep talk myself out of a bad situation and strategize ways to turn things around. I am by nature happy. I am also by nature a happiness seeker. I love new ways of thinking, new ideas, and learning about myself and others. This book had some fun ideas.

You may ask, why is this in a fitness blog? Well, that's easy! Being fit and healthy is not all about food and exercise. As a matter of fact, I would even go as far to say, if you don't look at improving your relationship with self, than the obvious components if being healthy will always be a struggle to maintain. Believe it or not, being healthy and fit does become second nature when you get this component in check. This is where your attitude and relationship with food changes.

I have created 5 golden rules for myself on areas I need to improve upon. These were areas of my life that give me the most trouble. You will notice that while I am naturally happy, I am also naturally high stress. A funny little personality glitch. Gotta love yin and yang. The thing about personalities is, you are who you are, but you can improve on how you handle certain traits that cause you the most issue.

Here are my issues at hand that I want to work on now.

My 5 Golden Rules


1. Loved ones Always come before loved things.

I seem to be very ADD these days. It takes every ounce of concentration to involve myself in a project. I have a developed a really bad behavior pattern over the years of getting visibly frustrated or exasperated when interrupted while planning or choreographing a class, blogging, emailing, or reading important info. This is certainly not because I love my jobs or hobbies more than my family, but I'm pretty sure it feels that way as I huff and moan when someone interrupts me. I don't ever want my family to question if what I am doing is more important to me than they are, so this is my number one rule.




2. Stress has as much power as you give it.

I hate those moments when things don't go (or aren't going) as planned, or as I had hoped they would. So much of my stress is caused by high expectations of myself or others that are not met. I have gotten much more flexible in my old age, but I still feel the need to chill a bit and let go of the idea that everything has to be perfect or under my control. Why is taking the pressure off of yourself the hardest thing to do?

3. Eat the biggest frog first.

Procrastination was never in my nature, but for some reason, it seems to be now. Maybe all of the added responsibilities and expectations I have put on myself has made me a bit passive aggressive with what I get done in a day. As a result, I seem to be constantly playing catch up. I guess the first step is to figure out what is important to keep and what can I simplify. Then I can give myself a swift kick in the butt to getter done!

4. Relax! Chasing your tail is a waist of time....You don't have one!

Notice a theme? This seems to nicely pair with rules 2 and 3. Putting too high of expectations on myself typically has me chasing my own tail. Letting go of these expectations is the hardest thing for me to do. I want to give everything I do 100%... 100% of the time and then get frustrated when I see areas slipping. (I wonder if the "new math" has a solution for this!) At the end of the day what I desire isn't a perfect fitness class, but a fun one with laughter and lots of sweat. Not a perfect house, but one with lots of love and laughter, that is welcoming to friends. Not a perfect body, but one that is strong and healthy and does not come with a tail to chase.



5. Live in this moment, it's the only one you have.

Now that I am done reading The Happiness Project by: Gretchen Rubin, my plan is to pick up, The Power of Now by: Eckhart Tolle. I have the book and read half of it 2 years ago and put it down because the more I read, the more unattainable it all seemed. I think I am now in a place to pick it up again and re-read it, knowing that perfection does not have to be the goal. Living in the moment seems like such a peaceful, balanced way to be. Unlike always chasing my tail to catch up from what I've missed, or get ahead of where I am now.


So those are my 5 for now. I probably could have condensed 2-5 into one, but this has always been my issue, so I broke it up into several parts.

I challenge you to create your own list. The more you concentrate on learning about yourself the richer your relationships with others can be. You may also find a deeper relationship with self that allows to naturally draw towards the healthier things in life.

What is Your Golden 5 for Self Improvement?

HEALTHY BREAKFAST FOR BUSY MORNINGS!

Fall Inspired Steel Cut Oats

I love clean eating on the go that doesn't come out of a box. Sunday night is a great time to make a large batch of Steel cut oats!
Tonight I made this Fall inspired breakfast for Monday morning and beyond.



** Bring 4 cups water to boil

** Add 1 cup steel cut oats

** Simmer 25-35 mins. stirring occasionally

** Stir in:
~~ 1/2 can organic pumpkin puree
~~ 1 chopped honey crisp apple
~~ 1/4 cup raisins
~~1/4 cup chopped pecans
~~ generous amount of pumpkin spice
~~ 3 good sprinkles of Cinnamon sugar

Refrigerate and heat up in the morning!

HAVE A HAPPY AND HEALTHY FALL!

WORK WEEK LUNCH BOX !!

CHICKEN SALAD ON RYE

I stock my work frig every Monday with everything I'll need to throw together my lunch each day. Like many of you I have little or no time in the morning to pack a lunch. The night before doesn't work for me either because of my night job. I find this method to be the most efficient. If you don't have a work frig, or are a student, this same method works for a quick morning throw together as you head out the door.

This particular meal is great for those times (ladies) when we are craving extra carbs, but don't want to eat the things we crave. The dark rye is very healthy and helps to satisfy the extra hunger we sometimes feel during certain times of the month. I Also find this to be more hardy when I am in need of something more filling than a salad.
Here is what I pack Sunday night to take to work Monday morning:


** Chicken Salad ( recipe below)
** Oroweat Dark Rye ( I put it in a ziplock since the rye bread is cellophane)
** Romain lettuce
** Sliced tomatoes
** Sliced onion
** Sprouts
** Avocado

Chicken Salad
** 2 - 10 oz. cans chicken breast
** Light mayo ( sparing if your a mayo junkie like me)
** Brown spicy mustard (to taste)
** Chopped red peppers
** Chopped purple onion
** Chopped jarred (tamed) jalapenos
** Chopped raw pecans
** Sea salt/ pepper to taste
** 2 tbs. wasabi sauce (optional)

People are particular about their chicken salad which is why I didn't add amounts for most of the ingredients. I like mine full of texture and favor, so I add a lot of vegies and pecans. I also love the taste of wasabi so it goes in my salad! I don't feel the heat of it but I get a hint of the taste.

HAVE A GREAT WORK WEEK!!

And so begins the Fall season....

For many, this is the time we "fall" off our healthy living habits and indulge more. Cold weather sets in as our favorite TV shows return, and we become less active and crave all the fun comfort foods this season has to offer. Candy corn, Carmel apples, pumpkin spice lattes...before we know it we're five pounds heavier, and can't fit into our favorite jeans and sweaters without the extra muffin top appearing ("Hey, where did that come from??")

Fall is my favorite season! Over the years I have found healthier ways to enjoy the comforts of Fall without killing all of my hard work. I still indulge once in a while, but not nearly like I use to. Here are some healthier ways I enjoy the season without packing on the pounds:

**I love Fall scented candles! I buy a few each year! The smells are so comforting and create a relaxing environment!

**World market sells lots of fun pumpkin goodies! With lotions, soaps, and decor, it is my favorite place to shop! I love their All Natural Pumpkin Pasta Sauce paired with a wheat penne and a pear salad for a Fall inspired lunch!

**Pumpkin butter is great on whole wheat English muffins! You can find some at World Market, or Trader Joe's.

**I love an occasional pumpkin spice latte, but for a regular Fall treat, try a coffee with creamer and some pumpkin spice from the spice rack! (I am sipping on one right now!) I love the Coffee Mate's "Natural Bliss" creamers! Sometime I use the regular vanilla caramel as well and they still has way less sugar than the pumpkin spice latte (49 g of sugar in a 16 oz latte, compared to 5 g in a drip with creamer and spice)!


** Don't forget to stay active! Fall is a perfect season for nature walks, running, hiking, biking, raking, corn mazes, and exploring the great outdoors!

**Adding pumpkin puree, chopped apples, raisins, pecans, and Cinnamon or pumpkin spice to steel cut oats, or oatmeal is a super yummy and healthy way to celebrate the season!




**Sweet potatoes are deemed the healthiest vegetable!!! Add a little plain Greek yogurt and Cinnamon and you have a healthy Fall snack!


** Wet weather is a great time for indoor skating, rock climbing, GROUP FITNESS CLASSES (What?? You knew I had to fit that in somewhere), dance lessons, boxing , self defense classes, or even pick up weight lifting as a hobby (muscle mass raises metabolism and makes it easier to fight holiday pounds)! Don't let a rainy stop ya from staying active!!

Make it your goal to approach every Fall activity or indulgence with a mindful eye on your healthy lifestyle. The first year can be tough breaking those habits of daily pumpkin spice lattes, and a steady supplies of candy corn and pumpkin bread...but as the years pass, I am still amazed at how easy it has become as a result of consciously making that effort. I have created new traditions and habits that support my healthy living goals and allow me to still enjoy the comforts of Fall foods and activities!!

SHRED WOD!!

Today's workout was created to provide a good workout while spacing out the high impact to go lighter on my knee (due to osteoarthritis).

HIIT - COUPLET STYLE SHRED:

~~WARM-UP~~

COUPLET #1 = 3 ROUNDS of:

60 sec. Kettle bell burpees
60 sec. Alt. kettle bell forward lunge pass through (pass bell under leg)

60 sec. single hand mnt. climbers (set #3 = both hands)
60 sec. kettle bell Goblet Squat raise

RECOVERY =
15 Hindu push-ups ---------->


COUPLET #2 = 3 ROUNDS of:

60 sec. Crazy Apes *
60 sec. Squat pickup lunge*

60 sec. Alt. kettle bell swing
60 sec. trench crawl + knee ins*

RECOVERY =
15 Hindu push-ups

COUPLET #3 = 3 ROUNDS of:
60 sec. Jump rope
60 sec. Spiderman push-ups ---------------------->

60 sec. lateral leap dumbbell pick-up*
60 sec. kettle bell sit-up/leg raise

RECOVERY =
15 Hindu push-ups

STRETCH!

Exercise descriptions:

* CRAZY APES! =(I created this move and it is my new fave!!)
begin facing your mat.
2 Ape runs forward (on all fours run 2 hands together, 2 feet together)
1 tuck jump
2 Ape runs back
1 tuck jump
repeat for 1 min.

*SQUAT PICK-UP LUNGE = Feet wider than hips 1 dumbbell center
squat
pick up dumbbell
vertical swing as you spilt lunge back (same leg and arm together)
jump to regular squat
put dumbbell down
repeat, other side

*TRENCH CRAWL-KNEE INS (on end of mat, plank position on forearms)
Crawl or inch plank forward to top of the mat
alternate knee to elbow (1 each side)
Repeat moving down to the bottom of your mat-knees in

*LATERAL DUMBBELL PICK-UP = dumbbells set 4 feet apart,
leap to right db ( L-foot taps behind as you go into a drop squat
pick up R dumbbell w/ L hand
leap to L dumbbell (into drop squat)
pick up left dumbbell w/ R hand
leap right (into drop squat)
put down dumbbell (from L hand)
Leap Left (into drop squat)
Put down dumbbell (from R hand)
Feel free to ask questions in the comments, or email me at: kellyshredfit@gmail.com =]

STRESS: A More Personal Blog....

Stress can reek havoc on healthy living. I have been reminded this week how true this can be. With two jobs, a family and all the other responsibilities of life, it sometimes takes just one of those to fall of kilter and completely turn your world upside down.



Well, this week was a doozy!


My day job as a Para educator has left me confused and wondering if I will get a pay check this month. Our teachers are on strike, and with all of the attention focused on a resolution, the rest of us have been left with a lot of uncertainty about our role in all of this. I have chosen to support our teachers by not crossing the picket line and at times even march the line with them, knowing full well of the uncertain consequences. My belly aches.

My night job is my haven. A group fitness instructor who not only relies on what little money I pull in from this job, but more than anything relies on the sanity this play ground provides to get me through the rest of my life. This job is my creative outlet, my grip on sanity when everything else goes haywire! This is where I release my tension, and connect with people on a unique level that inspires much of how I carry myself through life's crazy, ever changing ways.

This week my playground has turned me into a frazzled stress ball. With changes coming from every direction and new tensions felt,I'm holding on for dear life as this roller coaster of change tries to settle and create a new norm. My belly aches. Faced with more decisions on an ever changing situation, I feel like I'm gonna burst....I have left the gym frustrated and skipping my own workout due to lack of time or drive. Talk about insult to injury!

Last night, I so was tightly wound, the pit of my stomach was tight and nauseous. I felt like I was having a really bad reaction from large amounts of sugar and caffeine even though I had nether.


I wanted to cry, but too angry to shed a tear, I grabbed my boxing gloves and headed for the gym. I bypassed the desk and avoided eye contact with anyone who wanted to talk about more changes and possibilities. Making a bee line for the kettle bells, I spent twenty minutes in kettle bell Therapy followed by 1 hour of slamming my frustrations on the heavy bag. Driving home last night, I felt so light. The air was no longer thick, happy, thoughts about the positive changes (like the new boxing class I'll be teaching next month) and fresh inspiration on how to ride out the rest!

It's so easy to allow stress to dictate how you handle life. The constant negativity of everyone elses feelings quickly engulfed my own thoughts and was becoming toxic. I am now back to me. Working it all out on the kettle bells and heavy bags has given me clarity and perspective. I hope to remember this for the next roller coast ride....life is full of them!

My Happiness Project

I have been sipping on this book all summer and now into the fall. At only 296 pages, I am on 196 now. An ADD reader, and someone who teeters between planning fitness classes, reading fitness and yoga magazines, blogging, chillin' on Facebook or perusing You Tube for new tunes, I pick up a book once in a while and get through a chapter before I move on to the next.

Despite my slow pace, I am really enjoying this book by Gretchen Rubin. In brief, after much research on physiology, and human behavior on what makes people happy, Gretchen started her own happiness project using monthly resolutions to work on improving her own personal happiness. She has tackled decluttering, relationships, exploring new adventures, making time for friends, spending money on happiness, boosting energy, healthy habits, and much more. I have been inspired to begin my own Happiness project! Why not, right? Part of being healthy and fit is exploring the world around you, learning, improving, and growing!



What?! Did you think it was all diet and exercise?

No matter what you do in the gym and at the dinner table, you will not be successful if you are not looking at why you didn't take care of yourself before. Most of us let ourselves go because we put everyone else ahead of our own needs. In fact, we tend to do this to the point of believing that everyone else is more important. When we do this long enough, we subconsciously create a poor relationship with ourselves and there lies the problem. I love this book, because it nurtures a way to make yourself a project. By doing this, you learn more about yourself and create a more positive relationship with you (which by the way, allows you to be that much stronger for the people in your lives)!

In future posts I will be sharing some of my own resolutions and how they work out. I hope to gather some people interested in following and doing the same. The more you share, the more you learn about yourself and inspire others as well! Also, the more you share, the more accountable and successful you are at reaching your own goals!

You can create a blog account here to follow this blog and/or start your own!

WORK WEEK LUNCH BOX !! HEALTHY AND YUMMY!

Organic Whole Wheat Pasta with All Natural Pumpkin Pasta Sauce and a Chicken Pear Salad



This is a new fall inspired lunch! I just put this together tonight and can't wait to try it and let you know how it tastes! Here is what I packed for the week:

• Cooked Organic wheat pasta



• World Market all natural pumpkin pasta sauce



• Eating Right oven roasted chicken (salmon would be really tasty too)



• red and yellow pepper strips
  


• chopped pear and honey crisp apple w/ lemon juice



• rosemary
  


• roasted soy nuts (unsalted)



• Litehouse pear Gorgonzola vinaigrette

I will add to the blog and let you know how it turned out!
TURNED OUT GREAT! YUMMMMMMM.....