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.....

STRONG IS BEAUTIFUL!

MY STRENGTH IS BEAUTIFUL BECAUSE:

1. I stand strong in the face of adversity
2. I am not afraid to sweat...it brings results
3. I lift heavy and have slammin' shoulders and triceps
4. My abs are made of steel....but so are my obliques and back
5. I'm not afraid of limitations, I honor them....or at least I am learning to...
6. I don't diet! I don't fall for food plan gimmicks and fads! I use common sense, basic nutritional knowledge, clean eating, and I fuel my body to give back what it gives me. I allow myself wiggle room with no guilt.
7. I love all of my imperfections!
8. I am a realist. I don't buy into magic pills or products that promise results with little to no work. I'm smart enough to know there are long term consequences to using those. You can keep your Shape Up shoes and fat burners! The only results I want are the ones I worked my ass off for.
9. I believe competition is with-in and that enables me to admire and learn from those who have succeeded before me
10. I use my success to push people closer to their goals
11. I can rap Salt n Pepa's Shoop in a Karaoke bar, but giggle every time I have to sing," They want my bod, here's the hot rod. Twelve inches to a yard and have ya soundin' like a ......" when I can't find a guy to rap it with me!.... hehehe
12. I can laugh at myself (see #11)
13. I bench 135 (and climbing)
14. I am an open book and live out loud
15. I control my destiny and make no excuses
16. I'm not everyone's cup-o-Joe.....and I'm okay with that
17. My quietness is confidence observing
18. My Christmas wish list consists of kettlebells, boxing gloves, and A LIFT KIT FOR MY JEEP!... No frills, just the bare essentials...
19. When a friend told my husband he thought I was looking too masculine....it made me laugh...then smile ;)~
20. Whether I am in a fully stocked gym or I have nothing but my body weight, I can devise a brutally effective training session!

Even though my body reflects my strength, only when you look past my physique, will you ever see my true strength.

Who has Time to Pack Healthy Lunches Anyway??

I am such a girl of convenience! Before getting healthy, I was the queen of fast food, take out, and processed frozen and boxed foods. Anything that made life easier! Even now I love finding the easiest, quickest way to get the job done. While I no longer eat fast food, and I loathe processed foods like, mac-n-cheese, chicken patties, fish sticks, frozen diet meals, and so on, I love finding short cuts, to eating clean! I do still eat some processed foods like breads pastas, yogurts, and cereals, but I rely on ingredient labels to tell me what is healthy and what is not.


Like most, I'm a very busy girl! I have a full time day job, a part time night job that requires a lot of time and planning off the clock , a family, house, laundry, yard work, friends, bills, and.... well you get the point. In this day and age, I am no busier than anyone else reading this blog. Like most of you, I would not be successful in my clean eating habits if I had to chop vegies and make a fresh salad, or wrap every morning before work. Back in the day (when I was trying to lose weight) I relied on Lean Cuisines for a quick lunch. While is was calorie controlled, it certainly didn't fuel me with the nutrients I needed to get through my day! Not to mention, I was always hungry an hour later! So how did I do it?

Prep!! Prep!! Prep!!

I'm still a girl of convenience! Every weekend I decide on one (yes one) lunch for the week. I don't mind having the same thing each day for 1 week if it means quick, easy, and healthy! Some of the lunches I choose from each week include:

~ Wheat Pasta w/ sauce and a chicken Caesar

~ Santa Fe Quinoa salad (aka Clean Eating's "The Loaded Bowl")

~ The Chicken Salad, Salad

~ Salmon Salad

~Turkey and vegie Wrap

~ Tuna and vegie on Rye

~ soft taco on wheat

~ Santa Fe Chicken salad

~ Spinach and shrimp salad

~Spinach, salmon, and fruit salad

Once I pick my lunch, I shop for the week. Sunday night I prep all of my ingredients. Because I know a mixed salad or pasta with sauce won't hold all week long, I keep it all separate. For example, If I'm having wheat pasta w/ sauce and a chicken Caesar, Sunday night I will prep it all separate to take take to work. It looks like this:

• 1 Jar of pasta sauce
• 1 gladware full of cooked wheat pasta (add a little olive oil for no stick)
  
• 1 gladware w/ cooked, chopped chicken breast (or canned chicken breast if crunched for time)
• 1 zip lock bag of mixed chopped vegies (broccoli, red peppers, purple onions, cherry tomatoes, ex.)
• 1 ziplock bag full of mixed baby greens or romaine
• 1 bottle Newman's Own light Caesar

Monday morning I bring it all to work and put it in my work fridge ( you can put it together in a lunchbox each AM if you don't have access to a fridge). Each day at lunch, I have an easy lunch to put together in just 3 minutes!

I'm fueled, satisfied, and never feel left out when others go for a fast food run!
Stay tuned for more lunch ideas! I'll blog my "Lunch of the Week" each week for great lunchbox ideas for your work week, to keep you on track and less temped to eat on fly!

Get Those Shoulders and Tris POPPIN'!

People ask me how I get my shoulders....Here is a sample of what I do on my shoulder/Triceps/Ab day!


Yesterday's WOD
Shoulders/Triceps/Abs
~~~~~Plus~~~~~~~~
Taught 1 hour Kickbox Class

3 Rounds of each Circuit!

(DISCLAIMER: Weights will vary by individual. Do not try my weights! Test your own. Your last 2-3 reps should be very difficult)


3 Rounds of each Circuit!


CIRCUIT # 1:


Shoulder Press Machine Weight/Reps = 50, 60, 60/10 ,10 ,9
Triceps Ext. Machine W/R = 50, 60, 60/12, 10, 8
Decline Abs R= 15, 15, 15

CIRCUIT # 2

{Superset #1}
Barbell Overhead Press W/R = 50, 50, 50 / 10, 10, 8
Barbell Upright Row W/R = 50, 50, 50 / 10, 8, 10
{superset #2}
Bench Triceps Dip (feet on ball/plate in lap) W/R = 35, 35 ,35 / 16,16,16
Full plank Triceps Push-up R= 6, 5, 5
Bench Abs w/ Plate W/R = 25, 25, 25 / 25, 25, 25

CIRCUIT #3

Dumbbell Single lateral Raise W/R = 15, 15, 15 / 12, 12, 12
Dumbbell Single Triceps Kickback W/R = 15 ,15, 15 / 12, 12, 12
Incline Ab Leg Raise to 6" R= 12, 12, 12