Happy Memorial Day!

Happy Memorial Monday! I hope everyone gets to enjoy the day off but also remembers what this holiday is really all about! Today is to remember all the people have died for our country! It makes me a little emotional to think of the selfless men and women who have died for a country that sometimes does not seem to appreciate their (and their family’s) sacrifice. So whatever you do today, please take a few minutes to remember why this day is so special!

I started today with an awesome workout. 8 miles of running just for me. I laced up the shoes, hit the pavement, left the IPOD at home and just enjoyed it. Once I got home I cooled down with 20 minutes on the elliptical followed by some core work. I feel really good! Coffee is definitely in order. Keith always tells people, “that post workout nothing better come between Kelly and the coffee pot or else it aint pretty!” So true! That boy knows me well! 🙂 Breakfast is a ginormous bowl of oatbran! I LOVE this stuff! I mixed in a little brown sugar, flax seeds, and some cinnamon. YUM!

Breakfast of THIS champion!

Today, Keith and I don’t have much planned. We are probably going to head over to my Dad’s house to frequent his pool! My shoulders are finally not peeling anymore after the “I don’t need sunscreen because I don’t burn” debacle at the beach two weeks ago! So I am finally ready to sun it up again. This time with SPF 30 safely on! I promise!

What are your Memorial Day plans?

Sunday is MY day!

Happy Sunday everyone! Mine has started off beautifully. I slept in (albeit only until 7:00) but considering I wake up at 4:30 every morning, 7:00 feels like a TREAT! Sundays are my rest days from working out so I have lounged around and made some deelish coffee and am considering breakfast…but first I have a date with the LA Times crossword! And I would like to present you with last’s weeks edition:

My best crossword accomplishment!

HOLY YES, I FINISHED IT, 100% IN PEN!!!!! (okay so it might have taken me 3 days but I actually finished it! Alone, by myself, finished! I can die happy! I kid, I kid, But seriously this is a HUGE accomplishment in the life of Kelly. So I am excited to delve into today’s!

Do you have any weird obsessions? Mine is definitely crossword puzzles!

So yesterday, I saw Sex in the City 2 with Hilary and I really liked it! It was LONG (I warn you) and there were a few scenes I thought could have been left on the editing room floor, but all in all I give it a solid B+. Also after seeing it I am now 110% sure that the character I am most like is Miranda! I loved her…and I loved her in the sequel!

Today Keith and I don’t have too much on the agenda. I am truthfully kind of missing my husband. I know that sounds odd but I feel like we are always both running around in a million different directions that we hardly see each other sometimes. So today I am hoping to get some good wife and hubby time! 🙂 This week was crazy busy for both of us!

What are you doing on this fabulous Sunday?

Last, I just want to say that I KNOW I don’t say it enough…but I love all you faithful readers! I tend to forget sometimes that it is a choice for you to read my blog and I am really thankful and glad that you like me enough to do so! 🙂

HeLLLLLLo Saturday!

YAY! It is Saturday!! We made it! This morning has started off quite nicely. I have done my workout…holla! It was a 90 minute cardio fest: 4 miles running @ 7.3, 30 minutes walking at 10.5 incline at 4.0, with a 30 minute elliptical climb to finish it all off! Hello butt cheeks! 🙂

Now I am sipping some coffee and eating breakfast! Mid-way through my workout I got an intense craving for toast. Yup, plain ole toast. I have learned not to question the cravings but to just roll with it! So to go along with my egg whites,  I toasted some gluten-free Udi bread with some Brummel and Brown butter…sometimes the simplest things makes me smile the biggest!

YES PLEASE!

Last night’s dinner was scrumptious too! I had orange roughy with a salad and 2 slices of pan-seared polenta! It was another happy tummy moment in Kelly’s life! 🙂

Another winner!!

The highlight of my day today is going to be seeing Sex In The City with, Hilary! I am very excited! I didn’t watch Sex In The City when it was on HBO but I ended up renting all the seasons on DVD and sat through them all! Episode by episode. Thankfully my roommates at the time (Hi Amy and Belle) were SITC obessed too and were glady willing to watch with me! So I will report back tomorrow on how I liked it! 🙂

Last thing before I go. Can I please toot my own horn really quickly? Yes? Thanks! Toot! Toot! I had one of my recipes published on another site, Allergies and Me! It was Celiac Disease Awareness Month and my Fettuccine with Walnut Sauce (made with gluten-free noodles) fit the bill!

‘Allergies and Me’  are always gathering the best cookbook authors, food bloggers and amateur “Food Allergy” chefs to help provide you with wonderful recipes to try at home. Go here if you want to see other really awesome recipes, find out more about the recipe authors, or possibly submit your own!

I want to say a BIG thank you to Jamie Stern for this awesome opportunity to be a part of her fabulous website and mission!

Okay with that…I am O.U.T. Happy Saturday my friends!!

Product Review

So I am usually VERY brand loyal. Once I find something I like I rarely change it up. This goes for most things in my life. I usually order the same things at restaurants, wear the same colors, use the same toothpaste, etc….you get the idea. This is no different for my running attire. I am actually quite picky about my running shorts. Certain qualifications have to be in place! They are:

• They need to be short…I not talking booty shorts or anything but I can run in long shorts
• There has to be built-in panties!
• There needs to be a pocket somewhere for me hold my keys and usually a piece of gum
• They need to absorb sweat because I am a sweaty (REALLY SWEATY) runner

My running shorts of choice have been the Synergy Runner by Moving Comfort. I can’t like to them because, sadly, last year they were discontinued! SO SAD! I have 5 pairs so it wasn’t like I was in a shortage but I have been on the look out for something that I like just as much ever since. And today I dare say, I might have found it! Enter the Lululemon Groovy Run Speed Short! These to be exact:

LOVE! They are light weight and perfect! My ONLY draw back is that I usually like the pocket to be on the inside of the shorts and this one is in the back but it closes with a zipper and hold what it needs to! I definitely recommend these!

Are you picky about your exercise clothing?

Any product recommendations that you have…please share!

It Is Already Friday?!

Holy cow…how did it already get to be Friday?! Really?! I feel like it was just Monday! This week flew by and now we get to settle in for a long weekend! Holla! This morning I went back to Gold’s Gym to visit the cardio cinema. (Seriously guys I can see myself getting addicted to this!) This morning I watched Taken while banging out 10 miles! Happy Friday TO ME! 🙂 This is going to be a great way to see all those movies I am always meaning to rent! haha!

Last night I did an EASY dinner. I threw frozen chicken breasts into the crockpot with a bottle of honey lime marinade and let it go all day long. The result was beautifully cooked chicken that shredded perfectly! I mixed it up with some couscous and asparagus. What an easy dinner for a busy weeknight! 🙂 Plus there are leftovers and the chicken will probably make an appearance shredded over a salad today for lunch!

Sorry my pictures are so blurry lately! So annoying! But the chicken is awesome!

Is anyone else excited about the second Sex In The City movie? I definitely am! Hilary and I are going to go see it this Saturday! Ellen asked on her blog earlier this week which character from SITC that you were most like. I thought about it and I have to say that while, not my favorite character (that would be Charlotte) I think I am most like Miranda. To me, she is really well-organized, a little anal and type A, she is definitely jaded, a realist, sarcastic, smart and funny in her own dry way! I think I am definitely Miranda!

Which Sex In The City Character as you most like?

So Keith and I want to try making our own energy bars. We really like the Think Thin bars but they can be pricey after a while. So I figured why not tap into my resources (YOU) and get some ideas! Either send me a link, email me or post a recipe in the comments for one that you love! Then Keith and I will go through them and pick our favorite one to make! 🙂

Ignorance Is NOT Bliss

I can not tell you how many times I have had clients tell me that, “Ignorance is bliss” when it comes to their eating habits. Normally after I go over their diet analysis, changes that have to be made include:

• lowering the daily amount of sodium consumed
• lowering the amount of saturated fat grams consumed therefore reducing their food cholesterol
• increasing fruits and vegetables therefore increasing fiber and natural vitamin consumption
• increasing water intake while decreasing alcohol and caffeine consumption
• decreasing dependence on processed and packaged foods

I am usually greeted then with the “ignorance is bliss” comment. It’s as if they believe that because no one ever told them that eating huge portions of fried food is bad, it isn’t going to make them gain weight, clog their arteries, or set them up for an unhealthy future. But I can always say that 99% of the time that same client will come back to me after about 6 weeks of following my meal plan with the following observations:

• increased energy levels
• brighter skin complexion
• weight loss but more importantly body fat % has usually decreased
• less bloated feeling
• overall increased happiness levels

To which I always respond, “So was ignorance truly bliss?” I always get a few chuckles and a sheepish no. 🙂 I think there is a huge misconception out there that eating and being healthy means depriving yourself of delicious foods….it doesn’t! I can, however, see though how some people fall victim to this way of thinking though. For example, let’s take something basic like a cookie. If you have a package of cookies where you can plainly see the nutrition label would you be less or more willing to overindulge than if you just saw a plate of cookies at a party without seeing the nutrition facts for yourself? My guess is you would probably eat more cookies when you didn’t clearly see the nutritional information even though logically you know cookies in excess are not healthy. I think the same can be true for living an overall unhealthy lifestyle. But once positive changes are made…the bliss of ignorance fastly fades!

Have you ever been in an “ignorance is bliss” frame of mind?

I <3 Thursday

Good morning! I am feeling nice and good this morning. Thank you workout! I was a little short on time this morning and knew I wouldn’t be able to get in a normal run so I figure if you can’t go long you might as well go fast, right? I laced up the shoes and headed out on my 7 mile loop. Exactly 53 minutes later I walked in my door…sweet!! I think that is about 7:37/pace right? Don’t check my math…it is too early! haha!!

Dinner last night was also quite tasty! Keith bought some macadamia nut crusted Mahi Mahi from Costco last week and so we tried it out. The verdict! YUM! We would definitely buy this again! I steamed some fresh squash and zucchini to go along with and it was a meal I happily gobbled up! 🙂

Goodness!!

So I think I have mentioned before that should I ever get the chance to meet Venus Williams, I know we would be great friends! 🙂 I love her! She is my favorite tennis player and I have enjoyed seeing her thus far in the French Open. Did anyone see her outfit she wore in her match against Arantxa Parra Santonja  last Sunday? No? Check it out:

Bringing SEXY back!

Some people were talking about how she should be embarrassed to be playing in what is essentially looks like bedroom attire. She and her sister, Serena, have always been in the spotlight for their amazing tennis skills but also for their fashion sense. I personally think that she owned it! I mean how awesome…she is a bad-ass tennis player who is not afraid to show a feminine style. Some people say it is inappropriate because young girls look up to her. To which, I make the point that I think it shows total confidence and body acceptance that she would wear that! I think she shows that athletic can be sexy and I see nothing wrong with that. And it isn’t any worse than some other so-called role models to young girls…insert Brittney Spears! I say ROCK ON VENUS and let’s go win the French Open!

What do you think? Are you okay with this outfit?

Have a little FAT with that!

So I was reading in my Women’s Health Magazine and I saw this health tip that I felt was worth repeating!

EMBRACE A (LITTLE) FAT: Trimming all the fat from your diet can backfire. Oleic acid, an unsaturated fat found in olive oil, nuts, and avocados, helps squash hunger. During digestion, its converted into a compound that indirectly triggers hunger-curbing signals to your brain. Just watch your portions!! Unsaturated fats should make up no more than 20% of your total calorie intake.

I think this one is SO important because all too often I feel like people cut out ALL fats from their diet in an effort to lose weight! No good people…enjoy a little fat!! Healthy serving sizes would be two tablespoons of nut butter, an ounce of nuts, or a quarter of avocado. There is nothing wrong with adding a little fat to your diet. Extreme low-fat diets are only setting you up for failure or a binge! Your body needs necessary fats to function. It is good for your nails, skin and hair. Have a little stubborn belly bulge? Try adding in some good fats!

What is your favorite healthy fat?

Mine is hands down…nut butter! I love almond butter! Love it! I also really like to make my own trail mix with almonds and raisins! So good!

I’ll Love You TOMORROW!

In the words of little orphan Annie, “I’ll love you tomorrow!” (WHEN IT ISN’T WEDNESDAY!) Haha! C’mon now it has almost become a Wednesday tradition for me to at least make some comment about this wretched day! Actually today is not too bad! I banged out another pretty awesome run. I actually went into Gold’s Gym this morning to run and I used the cardio cinema! It is basically a HUGE big screen TV (think movie theater here) in a totally dark room with cardio equipment lined up! So I watched The Chronicles of Riddick while running. It was actually kind of fun and highly addicting. I ran 10 miles without even realizing it and then had to walk a few more just to see the ending! haha!!

So, I am going to gloss over food right now because honestly my dinner last night was not that interesting and breakfast this morning was just the same old thing. So, what I want to talk about it is going back to my post on Ronald McDonald from Monday. Most of you agreed with me that a cartoonish mascot is not directly responsible for making children want the unhealthy foods our world offers. But I did a lot of comments from people saying that in moderation they see no harm in allowing children the treat of fast food. (emphasis on the word treat here, people.) So it got me thinking about how I was raised and about my childhood experience with fast food and other unhealthy indulgences.

I grew up in a household where nothing was really off-limits. My parents bought chips and cookies but they also bought fruits and vegetables galore. Every morning for breakfast my brother and I usually had cold cereal (some form of Cheerios or Rice Krispies) or oatmeal (usually Quaker instant maple and brown sugar). For lunch we had the standard sandwich (usually turkey) with chips (the little fun size bags…remember those? I am not sure bags of chips that small even still exist), a fruit or vegetable (usually apple slices or carrot sticks) and some form of a dessert (usually 2 chocolate chips cookies or 2 Oreos). Our afterschool snack varied…cheese and crackers, PB and crackers, fruit, cereal, etc. and then dinner was always a protein (usually fish or chicken) with 2 vegetables (usually lima beans, broccoli, corn, etc..) If we had a good showing at dinner we always got dessert (I remember a lot of frozen yogurt as a kiddo!) We occasionally had fast food and pizza but not every week and certainly not as the norm. I guess because I did grow up in a home where nothing was label as “bad and good” I never really craved anything. I sometimes feel like the reason people can’t stop at 2 cookies is because they won’t let themselves have them. So when they get them they go nuts! But since we always had cookies around I was totally satisfied at 1 or 2 because I knew I would get them again some other day. Does that make sense?

I am not an advocate of limiting your children’s food experiences 100% because I do think it is important to expose them to all kinds of foods inside their own home. If you NEVER buy cookies at some point your child will get them from somewhere else. And if it is labeled to be “bad” then they will grow up with a negative view of those items and most likely deprive themselves of them and therefore set themselves up for disordered eating (either through starvation or bingeing). I know this sounds extreme, but the point I am really trying to make is that exposing children in moderation to foods is what I think develops healthy and normal eating patterns. I think more the problem today is lack of exercise and portion sizes. When I was a kid a small bag of chips was exactly that…a small bag. A cookie wasn’t the size of my head. I grew up on much smaller portion sizes than those produced today. Plus we were active and outside all the time. We didn’t have the technology obsession like most kids do today.

All in all, I grew up in a household where healthy foods were constantly served but junk food was present too. My brother and I learned through example. My parents set good examples of well-rounded eating. With no strong emphasis on a food labels, such as good and bad, and more emphasis on leading by example, my brother and I just instinctively learned what was and was not allowed at certain times. We knew we couldn’t have chips and cookies for our afterschool snack. By example my parents taught us to make healthy choices. So much so that we were trusted to make these choices on our own and 95% of the time we made the right ones! So, your turn:

What were your eating habits like as a kid?

Also of possible  interest: check out my latest Examiner article on Bringing Family Dinners Back!

Mighty Milers

Have you ever heard of a program called Mighty Milers? New York Roadrunners (NYRR) provides incentives and instruction to make Mighty Milers easy to integrate into daily school life. Kids of all fitness levels and abilities learn to walk or run a half-mile, two to five times a week. Students set goals and the online database makes it easy to record and tally the total distance each student accumulates. When students reach milestones, they earn incentives provided by our programs. But this isn’t just for kids in New York! Schools across the country can participate in this awesome program too!

Teachers, principals, and administrators can complete a short online application and learn immediately if they qualify for a free Mighty Milers program. Schools that don’t qualify for the free program can still apply, but would be required to pay a fee if they were accepted. All schools that are accepted will receive everything they need to implement a program, including access to the Mighty Milers online database. So if you are a teacher sign your school up here or if you aren’t affiliated with a school maybe you know someone who is! Let’s see if we can spread the word to get kids RUNNING!

This is just one more way to help fight Childhood Obesity and bring back the fun of being outdoors! This also helps kids to set goals and then feeling the joy of completing their “mighty miles!” We had something similar to this when I was a kid I loved writing down on a chart the miles I ran. We got gold stars after every mile we completed! It was so much fun and so rewarding!

Question: Did you have any health programs at your school as a kid?

Challenge: Send this application link to as many people you know in the education world. I know school is almost out but this could be a GREAT thing to start once the school year starts up again in the fall! The more schools that have programs like this the better! And the more underprivileged schools can qualify for FREE!