Week in review + Honey Crisp Apple Oatmeal Recipe

Happy Monday fitness friends!  I hope that you had a wonderful weekend. I went to a kickboxing class on Friday night, it was the first time I have worked out anywhere but home in over 2 years, that is hard to believe!  It was a great class and really challenging, I woke up sore in places I haven't been sore in for a while.  Then Saturday the hubby and I had a date night, which was nice and yesterday we had a family party for a few cousins of mine that were in town visiting.  What did you do over the weekend?  Do you stay active or take a few rest days? 

Like I mentioned over last week, I have finally gotten back into my weight lifting groove.  I got 6 days of workouts in and a day of rest.  I was also able to keep my eating on track, and I feel like I am eating more normal after the whole IIFYM debacle.  How was your week?  Are you working on achieving some goals or are you in a maintenance phase?

Here is my week in review:
Monday- Chest/arms
Tuesday- Kickboxing legs and abs
Wednesday- Back and shoulders and kickboxing legs
Thursday- kickboxing legs and yoga meltdown
Friday- Kickboxing class
Saturday: Legs and yoga meltdown
Sunday: Rest!

This week will look mostly like last week, except I will do my kickboxing class on Saturday morning and legs on Friday.  I am looking forward to another great week.  What do you have planned for your week in fitness?

My menu for this week is pretty simple, and since my hubby is doing a Biggest Loser competition at his gym, we will be making a lot of food so we have healthy eats on hand!
Menu:
Chicken and veggies, baked potatoes or sweet potatoes
Salmon and Brussels sprouts
Mexican night- black beans, brown rice and ground beef with a salad
We always make extra to have leftovers for lunch.
Breakfast is usually Ezekiel Sprouted grain toast, eggs and fruit or oatmeal and eggs.  I will probably make some peanut butter pancakes this week too.  What is on your menu?

 

This morning I made oatmeal with honey crisp apples and walnuts.  It was the perfect bowl of oatmeal for a chilly fall morning.  It was filling and tasty and will keep me full and ready for my morning workout.  I paired it with a ham (Applegate, nitrate free) and feta cheese omelet.  The perfect meal to start my day.  Here is the recipe for the oatmeal.  It is delicious!

Honey Crisp Apple Walnut Oatmeal

Ingredients:

1/2 fresh honey crisp apple

1/2 cup oatmeal, uncooked

1 cup water/milk or milk alternative

5 walnuts

cinnamon to taste

Instructions :

1. Boil water or milk add oatmeal and simmer until water is absorbed

2. While oats are cooking chop up apple to small pieces

3. Place cooked oatmeal in a bowl,  mix in apples, walnuts and cinnamon. Enjoy!

A few notes this week:  

-I have added a testimonial page from some clients I have worked with. 

-I have added a services page with some awesome online personal training packages.

Have a wonderful week!  As always I would love to hear from you.  If you have a topic you would like to read about or if you have any questions please email me at onfirefitnesspt@hotmail.com!

Consistency + Balance= A Healthy Lifestyle

Good Friday Afternoon!  I have had a great week so far, it has been just busy enough without being overwhelming.  I have been able to get in all my workouts and I love that I am back to my weight lifting routine. I feel so strong after each workout.  Ariana has been wanting to be carried more often and I am thankful that I am strong enough to do so.  We were at the park last weekend and I was able to climb, crawl and keep up with her.  My purpose for working out and staying healthy is solidified when I know I am able to do these things with her.  I also want to stay fit and active during my next pregnancy, whenever that is, and I know I am setting the foundation for that now.  What are your reasons and motivation to stay or get fit? 

Since I my mission is to inspire you to live a healthy lifestyle, I want to share some tips on what it means and how you can start making changes to move toward a healthy lifestyle.  Over the next few weeks I will post some of the things I do in my life and also share with my clients.  I would love to hear any things that you do to live a healthy lifestyle.

When it comes to losing weight and keeping it off there is no quick fix, one size fits all, magic pill that will get you to your goals. There are however things that you can do that will help you to be successful in not only losing the weight but being able to keep it off for good. You have to set goals that are realistic and achievable, and set short term and long term goals. This will help to ensure that you are working toward a goal with a purpose. This is important because it helps to keep you motivated when you need it. Weight loss and living a healthy life is a journey, you have to embark on it mentally ready to stick with it even when things are not always going your way. This is where consistency comes into play.

Consistency is important when you are making healthy lifestyle changes. When I say consistency, I mean having a plan and sticking to it. You will be making a commitment to working out and eating healthy, not just until you reach your goal, but for the rest of your life. In this consistency you also need to plan in some cheat meals, one a week should help you stay on track and give you a meal to look forward to. When you start to have consistency in your day, eventually it just becomes habit. Working out is now a part of your day, it is no longer will I work out today, but when am I going to make the time to exercise today? When you start to have the mentality that this is how I live my life, it no longer feels like you are “on a diet”, it is just how you live. You become a strong person who is goal driven and makes time to take care of yourself. You deserve every second that you spend making yourself a better person, mentally and physically.

Balance comes in to play when you are making lifestyle changes, because it is important to keep everything in balance if you want to keep on track to reaching your goals. When you start out on your journey, it is quite easy to be excited and go all in, but if you are not taking rest days and are not eating the right foods to keep your body fueled you will burn out. Make sure that you plan out your week and take your rest days, you need it to feel refreshed and for your body to rest and for your muscles to repair. I also want you to have balance with your meals, in a few aspects. The first is not depriving yourself of all your favorite foods, you can either work in these in one cheat meal a week, or by making a healthy version of your favorite foods. If you can eat a little of something that you love, ie. chocolate, and stop after one or two pieces then it is okay to have a little a few times a week. However, if one or two pieces are going to make you go into a landslide, then take it out completely. You have to know yourself when it comes to these types of food choices. On your journey you will start to learn about your eating habits and why you are doing some of the things that you are doing. Make sure to keep notes in your food journal, these will come in handy. The second is to eat balanced meals throughout the day. Make sure you are eating enough protein, healthy fats, complex carbs, fruits and veggies. This will help to keep you full and satisfied.

Consistency + balance= Healthy lifestyle 

Have a wonderful fit weekend!  I look forward to hearing from you. 

The Mind Body Connection + Yoga Meditation Stretches

I took this photo at a local Metropark.  Before I had my little one I used to do trail walks a few times a week.  I loved this place it was so quiet and peaceful. 

Hi Fitness Friends!  I hope you are enjoying this Wednesday afternoon.  I have been away from posting for a few days, but I missed it and I'm back.  I hope that your week is treating you well.  I feel like I have finally gotten back in my rhythm with my workouts.  I have made sure to plan when I'm going to get it in and in sticking with it.  Today I did my back and shoulders workout followed by kickboxing lower body.  When I finished I had that euphoric feeling that comes with having an awesome workout.  Do you get that feeling after you workout?  I love that feeling and crave that feeling.  That is what keeps me coming back for more.  When I am not feeling like getting my workout in, I take a moment and think about how great I'll feel in about an hour and then I get it done!  There is a definite mind and body connection that comes with working out.  It has been said that working out is the most underused anti-depressant.  I truly believe this.  No matter what kind of workout you love to do, get moving and you will feel awesome when you are done.  Have you ever started a workout not really motivated, but once you step on the treadmill to warm up and put on your favorite song you are getting into the groove?  When you are warming up, take some time to visualize your workout, maybe challenging yourself to try heavier weights  or finally adding some burpees.  This is where your mind can strengthen your workout.  

Your mind is such a powerful tool.  When you are doing your sets and reps be present in that moment, really focus and concentrate on what you are doing.  This focus will have a positive impact on how your workout goes and the progress you will make.

Also, learn to take some time each day to sit and meditate.  Quiet your mind and just let yourself be.  If you have a hard time getting to sleep at night, right before bed is the perfect time.  On the nights that I am feeling too wired to sleep I will do some light yoga stretching along with deep breathing and meditation.  Here is a series if moves you can do after a great workout, when you're feeling stressed or before bed.  Remember your mind is a powerful tool, take the time to nourish your mind, body and soul.  You will feel the benefits and hopefully let go of things that are bothering you easier.  

Yoga series for calming the mind and body:

Standing forward fold

Down dog

Up dog (or cobra)

Child's pose

Seated butterfly

Pigeon pose (each side)

Cat/cow (alternate poses) 

* hold each pose for 5 deep breaths and move slowly into each pose.  Repeat series 3 or 4 times. 

Feel the peace in your mind and heart. 

Namaste my friends! 

Workout Timing + Clean Eating Treat Recipes

Good Afternoon!  It is cold and rainy here, a true fall day.  So far my day is going well, I woke up early to get my workout in, 40 minutes of Kickboxing with Jillian Michaels.  Then Ariana and I met my mom for a Halloween kids show and had lunch after.  When we got home, I snuggled up with Ariana for a rainy day nap!  Later we are meeting with our friend who moved to FL for a nice dinner out while he is in town.  I am going to plan my meal ahead of time so I don't go too far off track, which is easy to do with Italian food.  Do you plan what you eat before you head to a restaurant?  

I usually work out in the afternoon, but last night I worked out around 7 and then I did my kickboxing this morning at 6:30.  So it got me thinking about workout timing.  Does it really matter when you workout?  I did some research and came to the conclusion that it doesn't actually matter what time you workout.  You just have to pick a time that works for your schedule so you are more apt to get your workout in.  I usually plan the time I am going to workout the night before based on what I have going on during the next day.  If we have a lot going on in the morning I will plan to workout while little A naps, or at night.  It just takes a little planning and scheduling to get your workout in.  However, what you eat before and after you workout matters.  If you are planning a weight training workout you should have some protein and complex carbs about 1 to 1 1/2 hours before you plan to train.  I will usually have a snack of a mozzarella cheese stick and an apple if I have already eaten breakfast for the day.  Then after my workout I will have a protein shake, see some recipes here.  It is important to have protein after a workout to help repair your muscles and to help with building them as well.  I choose a protein shake because it is quick and easy.  I usually don't feel like eating a full meal right after my workout.  Do you schedule your workouts?  What time of day works best for you?  Do you have any favorite pre or post workout meals/shakes?

 

Recently I started using PB2 in my shakes if you remember.  I ran out and when I was at The Vitamin Shoppe I found this little treat, Organic Chocolate Peanut Butter!  It is so good in my shakes, it gives it a nice taste and kicks it up a notch. My sister asked if it tastes like a Reese's PB cup, and I think that if you close your eyes and pretend, it does!  You can't deny that putting chocolate and peanut butter together was a genius idea, and now I have this little baby to add to my shakes...YUM!  I haven't made it as a spread yet, I will let you know when I do!

source

source

I am going to leave you on this rainy Saturday afternoon, a perfect day for baking, these two links for some clean eating treats.  I am going to gather some of these ingredients tomorrow when I am grocery shopping and make some clean treats to have on hand.  Like I always say, you really can't have too much chocolate! 

Apple Walnut Bread from Fit Kim

9 Clean Desserts from Oxygen Magazine online

 Let me know what you think of these yummy clean treats if you make them this weekend!  

I will talk with you tomorrow for my weekly review and some weekly meal planning ideas.  Have a wonderful Sweetest Day!  I hope you spend it with someone you love!