Tag Archives: workout

What I Ate at Chipotle for Lunch

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I was out with my wife Angela and step-daughter Raeann last Saturday and we decided on Chipotle for lunch.  Chipotle is a favorite of mine because I can choose a burrito bowl which is sans tortilla and feel like I have made a great nutrition decision.  Or have I?

When we entered the restaraunt, Raeann noticed a brown card with nutritional information on it.  I scanned down the list of ingredients and started adding up calories in my head.  Wow.  For someone my size with my height, weight and activity level, my calorie intake per meal should be around 550 calories with a couple of snacks during the day of about 200 calories.  I know 550 sounds like a lot but when you start adding up the contents of a burrito bowl, it is small by comparison.  Some interesting items that I found are:

  • The chicken, beef and carnitas all have the same number of calories for the same portion size (190 calories per 4oz.).  How can that be?
  • The 120 calories for brown-rice doesn’t sound bad until you realize it is only 3 ounces.  I’m just guessing but I would say they are probably putting about 5 times that in the buttito bowl.
  • Guacamole is a good fat to choose but again, it is 150 calories for 3.5 oz.  The big spoonful they give you when you request guacamole is way more than 3.5 oz.

While I applaud Chipotle for supplying this information, the problem is that there is no serving size.  The oz. they have chosen are just random numbers and not actual serving sizes. 

So as I stood in line, I had to do some fast thinking and calculating.  First, I decided to forego any kind of meat (even though I love meat) because I was still wondering how chicken and beef can have the same number of calories.  I decided instead on the vegetarian bowl because I figured I would still get my protein from the black beans and cheese.  So, I had my brown rice, my black beans and the fajita veggies (onions and peppers) along with green-chili salsa (less calories and fortunately is my favorite anyway), lettuce, cheese and guacamole. 

My vegetarian burrito bowl with unsweet tea

Now since they put a ton of rice in the bowl and it was on the bottom, I creatively ate everything off the top and just grazed the rice.  That way, I left probably more than half of the rice in the bottom of the bowl and didn’t eat it.  I also moved about half of the guacamole to one side.  I found that even with the rice and guac that I didn’t eat, I was very satisfied by the end of the meal.  It was an eye opening experience and really shows how vigilant you must be to make sure you don’t sabotage yourself!

Groin Stretches

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What a great end to the second week with burpee and man maker madness.

Thought that this article might help for those of you who have mentioned pulled groins this week.

Click here: Groin stretches

What I Ate for Breakfast after Running in Decatur

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This morning, after our run through Decatur and Winona Park, I walked my dog, Ms. Ava, and then, I made the following quick breakfast. Man, I was hungry. This bowl of goodness provides me with calcium, omega 3, fiber and more.

  • 1 c. FAGE 0% Greek Yogurt
  • 1 T.  ground up flax seeds
  • 1/3 c. sliced srawberries
  • Dash of cinnamon.

Inspriration Behind “Roll Them Bones”

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It’s always a challenge to come up with something interesting in a routine where you basically want boot campers to run and do exercise.  Run and exercise are the basic components and then there should be an infinite number of combinations to put together to make it interesting.  However, it can be hard to think outside the box when you have been doing this for a long time.

The instructors of Kick In The Fit spent some time coming up with new routines last year and the first one I came up with was “Roll Them Bones”.  Since I work at Agnes Scott, sometimes I will just stop as I am walking around campus and look at a particular area and see if something comes to me.  For this workout, I kept coming back to the Science Quad.  The area around the Science Quad is so perfect for working out; it’s hard not to think of it when coming up with something new. 

My plan was to incorporate a lot of different exercises so it would be a full body workout and I wanted to use different components such as PVC pipe, different forms of cardio to move around the quad and utilization of the middle of the quad.  I thought all of these items would help to keep the workout fresh even when doing multiple laps through the 1st and 2nd rounds. 

I also wanted to add a fun element to the workout and it took me a while to think of it. Then it came to me:  Dice!  I was downstairs in my basement looking through some of the things we have on our shelves and I came across several board games.  When my eyes settled on Yahtzee, the dice idea struck me.  I opened up the box and there were enough dice to make 4 pair.  

I spent the next couple of days putting together the routines for each round, thinking through the exercise, the cardio used between stations and what to do regarding the middle of the quad.  It seemed natural to do something with doubles so I came up with six different side adventures to use when doubles were rolled.  This enabled me to incorporate the PVC pipe and the middle of the field.  

I think the idea that as boot campers come to each station that they have no idea what will happen next keeps the workout challenging, exciting and fun!

What I Eat

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Though I am usually a creature of habit at lunch and regularly stick with a sandwich and big salad, today was jerk pork loin day!

Jerk Pork Loin, Stuffed Pepper and Green Beans!

I headed to the dining hall with every intention of getting my usual but then the aroma of the pork loin hit me!  The woman who usually makes my sandwich on Tuesday was shocked to see me in another line!  She feigned having a heart attack and asked me what I was doing.  I told her it was jerk pork loin and she replied that she could make me a pork loin sandwich!  We laughed and I went through the line. 

 
The great thing about pork loin day is they also usually have stuffed peppers as a vegetarian alternative.  I am far from being a vegetarian but I really like their stuffed peppers.  They contain black beans, rice and tomato sauce and are really delicious!  Next, I went for the green beans.  I like the way they are cooked as they have just the right consistency.  I don’t like green beans that dangle off my fork!
 
Finally I was at the pork.  I asked for two slices which I figured was about 4 ounces and an acceptable quantity for me.  The jerk spice is really flavorful and the pork is nice and tender so you can cut it with a fork. 
 
This meal had it all…protein from the pork and black beans, carbs from the rice and also from the black beans and a healthy portion of veggies from the pepper, green beans and tomato!  The only thing that would have made it better would have been if the rice was brown but as it was a small amount, it did the trick! 

What I Am Eating

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From time to time, we will take a picture of what we are eating and explain the good, the why and sometimes the bad.  In honor of today’s workout, I would like to share my lunch, which of course contains a sandwich along with a side salad.

My lunch!

We have lots to choose from in Evans Dining Hall but I am a creature of habit and usually go for a sandwich and salad; not always but most of the time. 

As I enter the dining hall, I first ignore the scent of warm brownies or cookie bars baking and refuse to even let my head look to the left at the dessert station.  After all, I worked out hard this morning and need to fuel my recovery! 

Next I take a look at the table that holds the samples of what you can choose at each station.  Usually I head to the deli but every once in a while I make my way to the hot bar. 

Today it was the deli for a turkey sandwich.  I start with either whole wheat or mixed grain bread for the higher fiber content and get a swipe of yellow mustard.  Mustard is a much healthier option than mayo as it is low in saturated fat, contains no cholesterol and is high in fiber.  For the insides of the sandwich, I go for turkey with a slice of swiss or cheddar (depending on my mood) and some tomato slices.  Like this mornings “Sandwich” workout which was a great combination of cardio and exercise, my sandwich is a great combination of carbs and protein.  The carbs help fuel the body during the day and the protein helps rebuild sore muscles! 

Finally I do my circuit of the salad bar.  I go for a combination of spinach and assorted greens or romaine for a base.  I always like to add some spinach for the Popeye factor!  Popeye knew it was a superfood way back when and you never know when you are going to come across Bluto! 

On top of my base I add any of the following:  shredded carrot, cucumber, tomato, onion, broccoli, olives, etc.  The more colorful your salad, the better it is!  Sometimes I will put a small amount of blue cheese or boiled egg on the top.  Finally, I bypass the heavy, creamy dressings and go for the vinaigrette dressings that are much lower in fat and cholesterol.  Todays selection was a delicious redwine vinaigrette.  A little goes a long way as two tablespoons does the trick!

At this point I did catch the chocolate frosted brownies out of the corner of my eye but at the same moment, one of our awesome Agnes Scott students came up to me and said “You know, I really want pizza…but I’m not going to.  It’s not worth it!”  As I left the dining hall, I told her she was my inspiration not to eat a brownie. 

You just never know where that boot camp support is going to come from! 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Questions for Katherine!

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How did you become involved with KITF?

Indira Cruz, my official Scottie Sister for life dragged me to a “Bring a Friend Day” in March 2010.  I loved it!  It gave me the kind of group support I missed from swim team.  It provided me with a great outlet for the stress that college can sometimes place on a student.  Plus, I made so many new friends.  Everything is always funnier at 6 am.

What is your favorite sport?

 It is a triple tie: swimming, cross-country and track.

What is your favorite KITF workout? 

I love run days, and I like it when it rains because we have to go to the parking garage. Those workouts are always EPIC! 

What was one of the goals you had as a boot camper and did you achieve it? 

I wanted to do exercises that strengthened my legs when I first started.  I had injured myself from running long distances before coming to boot camp.  I was not doing anything outside of running.  With boot camp I rid myself of those leg problems.  I am now knocking on my wooden desk to make sure I don’t magically get a knee or pull a muscle after writing this. 

What is your current fitness goal?

To enjoy boot camp as much as possible in my final months in the United States.

Bear Walk or Crab Walk?

Bear walk! 

What is your favorite music to rock out to when you are working out?

This is a tough one!  Anything by Beyonce. 

What is your favorite sports themed movie?

The Big Green 

What is the longest race distance you have run?

Half Marathon

 

What is your favorite board game?

Apples to Apples & Trivial Pursuit (cannot choose!)

Benefit of the Blitzkrieg!

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Tuesday was a tough workout that involved a lot of cardio, arms and abs (not to mention hills!).  But maybe the greatest benefit of the Blitzkrieg workout is to the legs.  Running hills not only gives you a great cardio workout but it gives you strength, power and speed!  

When you run hills, you use your leg muscles differently then when you are running on a flat surface.  As you run hills, it becomes a form of resistance training for the legs that strengthens your calf, quad, hamstring, and glute muscles.  It also strengthens your achilles tendons and hip flexors and helps protect against leg injuries.  

As you strengthen these muscles, you will find that your sprint speed increases as well.  Since you use the same muscles to sprint as you do when running hills, the resistance really pays off when you are on a flat surface.  

Lastly, you will find on long runs or hikes that you are able to attack the hills with more power and consistency and still have something in reserve for the other side!

Plank Challenge!!!

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How long can you plank? It’s time for another boot camp challenge!  During the month of April we will have a Plank Challenge.  There will be lots of opportunity throughout the month to practice your plank during boot camp, and  why not plank during your favorite TV show, or on your lunch break?  You can plank anywhere!  On Monday, April 9 we will have our first plank-off.  Then, we will do it again at the end of the month.   There will be prizes.  You will have killer abs and a super strong core.  Your friends will be amazed!

Show us where you like to plank!  Send pictures to info@kickinthefit.com showing us where you like to plank and we will post our favorites!

Who’s ready?

Plank: It's not just for boot camp anymore!

Rumor has it Janice has a personal record plank time of 7:20 and a goal of 10 minutes.  Who will take her down???