You are what you EAT! Have fun with it!

Here we go! Figure out how to incorporate this into your meals!

Chocoloate Jelly Protein Shakes
1 scoop of strawberry protein powder
1/2c of skim chocolate milk
dash of chocolate syrup
4 strawberries
1/2 banana
ice cubes
*blend up! Perfect RECOVERY drink!

***************************************************************
**Thanks Jamie for this one**

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes

Vegetable Oil (any olive oil for thin coating)

Salt/Pepper

Clean sweet potatoes with brush well, dry and cut into 3/4 inch thick rounds.

Toss potatoes in large bowl use 2Tbsp oil, salt and pepper to taste until evenly coated.

Line 18 x 13 inch cooking sheet with aluminum foil coated with nonstick cooking spray.

Arrange sweet potatoes in single layer on baking sheet and cover tightly with aluminum foil. 
Adjust oven rack to middle position and place potatoes in cold oven.

Turn oven to 425 degrees and cook potatoes 30 minutes. 

Take out baking sheet from oven and carefully remove top layer of foil.  Return potatoes to oven and cook until bottom edges of potatoes are golden brown, 15 to 25 minutes. 

Remove baking sheet from oven again and using thin metal spatula, flip slices over. Continue to roast until bottom edges of potatoes are golden brown, 18 to 22 minutes longer.

Finally remove pan from oven, let potatoes cool 5-10 minutes. And Enjoy!

WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: Upper Body

*The workout of the week is going to be a mixture of Pyramid Training and Giant Sets! Enjoy*

Set #1: Perform one set of each, then repeat (so...lat pull, then push ups, then plank, repeat)

• Lat Pull Down (set 1= 12 reps, set 2= 10 reps, set 3= 8 reps, set 4= 6 reps)
• Push Ups (set 1= 30, set 2= 25, set 3= 20, set 4= 15)
• Standing Plank + Leg Kick for 1 min

Set #2: Perform one set of each, then repeat

• Low Row (set 1= 12 reps, set 2= 10 reps, set 3= 8 reps, set 4= 6 reps)
• Assisted Chin Ups (set 1= 30, set 2= 25, set 3= 20, set 4= 15)
• Leg Raises for 1 min

Set #3: Perform one set of each, then repeat

• DB Shoulder Press (set 1= 12 reps, set 2= 10 reps, set 3= 8 reps, set 4= 6 reps)
• DB Bicep Curls (set 1= 30, set 2= 25, set 3= 20, set 4= 15)
• Decline Standing Plank + Knee Raise for 1 min (feet on bench, bend leg bring knee to elbow)

Set #4: Perform one set of each, then repeat

• Cable Upright Rows (set 1= 12 reps, set 2= 10 reps, set 3= 8 reps, set 4= 6 reps)
• Low back extension (set 1= 30, set 2= 25, set 3= 20, set 4= 15)
• Weighted leg raises (lay on bench, put 5lb db in between feet, raise UP then down) for 1 min

Set #5: Perform one set of each, then repeat

• Bar Skull Crushers (set 1= 12 reps, set 2= 10 reps, set 3= 8 reps, set 4= 6 reps)
• Diamond Push Ups (set 1= 30, set 2= 25, set 3= 20, set 4= 15)

CARDIO (40 mins)
20 mins of HIGH intensity Interval Training on Stair Master
Program: Manual
1 min @ level 4-7
2 min @ level 10-20
Repeat for 20 mins

20 min of STEADY state training on Treadmill
Program: Manual
Incline @ 10-15
Speed @ 2.5-3.8
Climb that hill!!!!

~Jessica~

New Rules to hold myself to!

KRAVERS!

So...some of you do and some of you don't, but every time I go on vacation, I get my Oxygen and Fitness magazine! I get some new workout ideas, diet ideas, and inspiration myself! After reading and finally committing, I'm sharing this with you!!!! Here are my NEW rules that I'm holding myself to and feel free to borrow them in your life too!!!!

Jessica's New Rules:

1. To not eat 3 hours before bed!
2. To only treat myself to ice cream ONE night a week!
3. To make sure I get at least 6 hours of sleep a night!
4. To incorporate strength training in various forms (pyramid, supersets, GIANT sets)!
5. To hit my max heart rate one time per day per workout!
6. For the days workouts seem impossible to fit in, to make sure I get a job in with my boys AND make sure while on that jog I find some stairs, do some body squats, and push ups! :)
7. To check the scale ONE time per month!
8. To make sure I strongly limit my carbs at night (try for no carbs at dinner!), if possible, have none after 5pm!
9. Try to get in jogs in the morning with dogs and NOT EAT before I do my cardio on those mornings!
10. To reward myself with a pedicure or new top/bottom ONCE a month for being good and seeing the change I'm looking for!

What are your goals? Where are you hoping your fitness potential will take you? Please tell! Often time we get stuck in a rut and complain and justify why we are doing things! IF you are doing the same thing OVER and OVER again (same cardio, same weights, same routine), how can you EVER expect different results? You can't! That's the TRUE definition of INSANITY! People, you HAVE GOT TO CHANGE things up! That includes your diet! Mix in different foods, try a pre/post workout, bring a protein shake to the gym to give your muscles what they are SCREAMING for after a good lift, count your calories so you can hold yourself ACCOUNTABLE...but out of everything, do THIS FOR YOU! NOT FOR ME! If you're fine with where you are at, then be confident in it! If you are not, change it! Simple! Hard part is acting on it! I'm always here for ideas...ask anytime!
~Jessica~

GOOD Morning Ya'll

Hi Kravers!!

I hope you are all doing fantastic and keeping up with your goals! A helpful tool that I have done to HOLD myself accountable, was document! I keep a calendar on my fridge and would write out how many minutes of cardio I did AND then what I lifted! Try it out! Especially when summer hits, kids are out of school, it's EASY to JUSTIFY putting your health LAST...but that can NO longer be the case! Bring a friend with you, a family member, or your kid! Take your kid to jog club on Wednesdays and have them ride their bike or rollerblade while Mom/Dad jogs/walks! GREAT WAY TO ROLE MODEL FOR YOUR KIDS THAT HEALTHY LIVING (EXERCISE/DIET) IS "COOL" AND THE WAY TO BE!!!

**ALSO very important: remember you are getting healthy FIRST for yourself! Yes to look good, yes to fit in those special jeans, yes to look sexy for your significant others...but THOSE are all the BENEFITS of beign healthy! Vanity in health and fitness only goes so far! You can all limit your carbs and workout 80 mins a day and get down in NO time; however, it's not physically attainable for long and you can double what you lost!!! So people get healthy for you!!!**
Here is your workout of the week!

WORKOUT OF THE WEEK: Back & Biceps (plus some legs)
Set #1: Repeat 3 times

• 15 reps of Wide Grip Lat Pull down
• 30 prison lunges
• 15 reps of DB bicep curls

Set # 2: Repeat 3 times

• 15 reps of Low Row Machine
• 15 dead lifts (grab a curl bar, legs straight, stick chest out, touch toes and up)
• 15 DB cross body bicep curls

Set #3: Repeat 3 times

• 15 LOW back extensions
• 30 body squats :)
• 15 cable bicep curls (put the long bar on the cable)

Set #4: Repeat 3 times

• 12 per arm, DB bicep back row (aka: lawn mowers)
• 20 step ups PER leg on bench
• 15 single arm DB bicep curls

CARDIO: 50 mins

Stair Master: Interval Training, Manual Program for 20 mins
2 mins @ level 5-8
1 min @ level 12-20
(do this on your fitness level BUT push yourself! remember to bring your heart rate ALL the way DOWN where you can talk comfortably, to HIGH where it's very difficult to keep up!)

Treadmill: Steady training, Manual Program for 30 mins (or you can go outside and do this!)
Incline between 6.0-15.0
Speed between 2.0-3.8
Walk that mountain! Every 5 mins bring the level down for a FLAT walk to stretch out those hip flexors!

~Jessica~

Hey KRAVERS! What's up people!

People, remember, you need to eat to fuel yourself during the day and for your workouts! There are many things that work, the thing is, you need to find out what works for YOU! You cannot compare yourself to others becasue heredity plays a HUGE advantage or disadvantage in many! Example, when I gain weight, I always gain it in my core first, then legs, then arms...however someone with a "pear" shape body, will gain it in their legs first and their core last! Too bad we can't tell the fat where to go when we gain it, right? lol! That would ROCK- "Fat, go straight to my boobS!!!!!" hehehe!

I have always gone by the 5-6 mini meals a day, keeps your metabolism working. Jillian Michaels recommends 4 meals a day. Regardless, do what works for you! I like the mini meals to keep me going, especially, on my long work days! Try to hit 85% of your max for 20-30 mins per day, keep ALL food to healthy food (NOT processed! If your food can sit out and not mold, smell, ect after a period of time, it's processed and crap!)! Think about McDonalds! You can keep a burger from McDonalds out for over a YEAR PEOPLE and it doesn't MOVE, looks as if you got it that day! Gross ALL processsed! Regardless, keep your calories coming from fruits, veggies, whole grains and lean proteins, and DON'T FORGET the good fats!!!! Read below for more! I eat between 1600-2000 calories a day! I have muscle I want to KEEP on and NOT shrivvle up! I try to do 2-3 days of lifting, 3-4 days of TOTAL Body work outs, a few jogs here and there and JOG CLUB! woop woop! Mix it up people and have FUN with it!!!!!!!!!!!!
~Jess

My buddy who works at The Gym in Coon Rapids sent this out, wanted to share it with you all (I added a few things too!):

5 Flat Tummy Myths
It's bathing suit season and you want flat abs to flaunt.

While I commend your desire to slim down before baring it all, I'm here to warn you of the 5 myths that most people believe. Don't waste your time on these:
Myth #1: Take diet pills to speed results.
I know it's so tempting! The ads make compelling claims about the power of popping a pill, but don't fall for it. There is no ‘magic pill'. Diet pills are more likely to burn through your pocketbook than to slim you down.

• Tip: Don't pop a pill - instead burn calories with intense exercise.

Myth #2: Do extra crunches to flatten your abs.
Excessive crunches aren't the answer for tight abs. In order to achieve a toned look you'll have to focus on burning off the layer of fat that is covering up your tummy.

• Tip: Don't obsess about crunches - instead focus on fat burning.

Myth #3: Turn to packaged diet products to boost results.
Don't fall for the foods that are packaged as ‘diet' or ‘weight loss' aids. Quite often these products are packed with refined sugar and other artificial ingredients that your body doesn't need, and certainly won't help you attain that tight tummy.

• Tip: Don't eat packaged diet foods - instead stick with nutritious whole foods.

Myth #4: Avoid all carbohydrates in order to achieve tight abs.
Carbohydrates have been given a bad rap, which is unfortunate because you can (and should) eat carbs while slimming down. The key is to stick with whole grains, oatmeal and brown rice while avoiding processed and refined flours and sugars (see the recipe below for Power Oatmeal).

• Tip: Don't give up all carbohydrates - instead stick with wholesome carbs.

Myth #5: Starve the chub away. Trying to lose weight by starving yourself is not only ineffective it can also be dangerous. It may seem that severe calorie restriction would deliver the quickest weight loss, but your body is complex and by doing so you'll disrupt your metabolism and slow your results.

• Tip: Don't starve yourself - instead eat small wholesome meals throughout the day.

Now that you know what not to do in order to achieve tight abs, it's time to go over your flat tummy game plan. Here's what you need to know in 3 simple steps:

• Step One: No more junk.
  The best way to do this is by purging your kitchen. Throw out the sugary, processed and fat-filled foods. Once the junk has been cleared out, don't buy any more of it. Remember that your beach-ready abs depend on what you eat – don't eat junk!
• Step Two: Eat whole foods.
  Replace the junk food in your life with plenty of the following: cooked and raw vegetables, fresh fruits, whole grains, moderate amounts of seeds and nuts, lean meats and low fat dairy. Clean eating really is that simple.
• Step Three: Come train with Jess or KRAVE!
  This is the most obvious step. A trainer allows you to MIX it up and will ALWAYS present a healthy physical challenge for you! The average person withOUT a trainer, burns a lousy 250 calories in the gym! boo! In KRAVE, you burn a MIN of 700! Think about that for negative caloric output! (drums please!)

~Jess~

TOTAL BODY workout for Home!

KRAVERS!!!

JOG CLUG: SOOOOO awesome jog club last night! I ran 5 miles, dogs were POOPED out! Familiar KRAVE faces of Kiera + Olly, Stacey, Sonya G, Sonya M, Terri, Lori + daughter Kim (so cool to see that), and walking out got a High 5 from Teresa + kids! People, KEEP coming! More the better! We are all at different levels, it works! Some walk, some jog, some do both! It's a GREAT way to get cardio! Sonya M= 3 miles, Sonya G/Lori/Kim 4 miles! Grab a dog and let's do this!!!!

So I get a LITTLE bored at the gym too and want to be home as much as possible for my dogs since I'm at work during the day (Thank God for Linda Tesmar's hubby for Tues/Thurs, dog park dates!)! So here is a "at home" work out to do OUTSIDE!!! get some color, burn some calories, and enjoy the weather all in one!

All you need is a band, one set of dumbbells (8 or 10lb are PERFECT), front steps, and a yoga mat! You can get all that at Target or Walmart for about $40! ENJOY!!!

Total Body (20-30 mins)
(warm up with 1 min of jumping jacks, like back in the good 'ol elementary school days!)
**REPEAT THIS TWICE**

• Single Leg Step Ups (on front door steps!), 20 per leg, weights at side
• 30 body squats
• 10 jump squats
• 1 min of band bicep curls
• 20 squat + DB Shoulder Presses
• 1 min Mountain Climbers :)
• 20 prison lunges (hands behind head)
• 1 min High Knees + Shoulder Presses
• 1 min of band bicep curls
• 30 band high rows (wrap band around fence, tree, whatever!) Keep elbows high squeeze back
• 10 jump squats
• 30 db tricep kickbacks
• Single Leg Step Ups (on front door steps!), 20 per leg, weights at side
• 20 Incline Push ups (hands on stairs)
• 30 band high rows + Squat
• 20 Diamond Push Ups (most likely on your knees here people!)
• 20 Walking Lunges + db shoulder side lateral raise

Vegetarian?

OK HARDLY! I am not! lol however, I have been eating some more veggies! Wanted to drop this quick dinner choice that I some how came up with the other night!!!

1 zuchinni
1 yellow squash
1 brown and wild uncle bens rice (microwave 1.5 mins)
1 green pepper
1 thing of onions
1 package (yellow) of "stir fry" seasoning (make sure sodium is LOW!)

*microwave the rice
*heat oil on stovetop (I just toss some oil to barely cover the pan!)
*throw ALL veggies and rice on there
*sprinkle half of the packet of seasoning along with 2 dashs of soy sauce
*stir fry it up!
Serve by itself and eat up, or put in a "Josephs" wrap (Get them at Cub Foods) with some reduced fat cheese! You can also add meat if you like?

Alrighty, GET YOUR BUTTS TO JOG CLUB TONIGHT! See you @ 6pm!!!! Love to all!

~Jessica