Christmas Fitness Challenge-Day Four

This is a 30 minute High Intensity Interval Traininh (HIIT) workout. This is going to be cardio and lower body work. For an extra calorie burn and arm work, wear hands weights if you have them. This is a workout that I use with my clients who I work one-on-one with! Hope you enjoy :) 

Christmas Fitness Challenge-Day Three

Upper Body and Buns. No equipment needed and do both two times for a 20 min workout. At least do each video once, if that's all you can fit in today :)

Christmas Fitness Challenge-Day Two

5 minute Total Body. Do this TWO time for sure. If you do 3 times..... AWESOME (I suggest it if you can)

5 Minute Bridge Challenge. You'll need a stool or something that you can prop your feet up on. Preferably something that's about mid calf. Do this workout twice. Your booty will be on fire!

Christmas Challenge Week-Day One

Today, you will do the two 5 minute videos (you can do them twice if you're feeling frisky lol). And either do the treadmill challenge or the living room challenge. Whatever you choose to do, you're total workout will be 30 min long (unless you do the 5 minute videos more than once). You can do them in any order you choose. 

5 minute Ab Attack

5 Minute Back Burner (if you DO NOT have weights, do push ups in place of the weighted exercise. You'll do them for one minute. Just keep the video going and listen for me to tell you when to stop. Take breaks as you need and do as many on your toes as possible)

If you have or are able to use a treadmill, do this challenge:

             http://funfreshfx.blogspot.com/2014/12/treadmill-lower-body-hiit.html


If you DO NOT have a treadmill, you're going to do the following:

Cardio Living Room Challenge:
1 minute of cardio video, which will be one move at a time (There are 5
Moves, each a minute long) Then, between the moves, you will do the lunge/squat moves that are in the treadmill workout. So, it'll be:

Each move will be one minute:

Run in place
Walking Lunges for (hold weights if you have them)
High knees
Squat pulses (hold weights if you have them)
Squat jumps
Weighted walking diagonal lunges
Mountain Climbers
Squat pulses (weighted)
Burpes
Weighted walking lunges
Alternating Jump Lunges
REPEAT

PLAY THIS VIDEO FOR THE CARDIO MOVES. YOU'LL PLAY ONE MINUTE, THEN STOP IT TO DO THE LEG MOVES. PLAY THE SECOND MIN, THEN STOP AND DO THE SQUATS, ETC...

Treadmill & Lower Body HIIT-NO RUNNING

CHRISTMAS CHALLENGE!!! I created a Great treadmill/lower body HIIT workout with NO RUNNING. I squeeze this in every single night bc it's easy to turn on the tv or music and do this routine. And , if I can't a workout in some day, I know will at least take 20 min to do this. You're getting your heart rate up with this workout by using large muscles groups and therefore burning more calories. So, here's the Christmas Challenge...If you do this, I challenge you to squeeze this in once a day next week.  Increase the speed or intensity as the days go on and you get comfortable or if you have to start off slower, increase as you go along and have your last two days be identical to the workout. Let me know how you do!

After you do your treadmill minutes, step off and do the leg work. Use two 10 lb weights, resting them on your shoulders as you're doing the squats and lunges.

0 incline/speed 4- 4 minutes

Weighted walking lunges- 1 minute
Incline 12/Speed 3.4- 2 minutes
Weighted pulse squats-1 minute
Incline 11/Speed 3.6- 2 minutes
Weighted walking diagonal lunges-1 minute
Incline 10/Speed 3.8- 2 minutes
Weighted pulse squats- 1minute 
Incline 11/Speed 3.8- 2 minutes
Weighted walking lunges- 1 minute
Weighted squat pulses-1 minute 
Incline 12/Speed 3.8- 2 minutes
Diagonal weighted walking lunges-1 minute
1 leg weighted pulse squats (30 sec each leg)

5 minute no incline cool down

I promise your legs will be on fire when you're done.

5 minute back burner workout

Strawberry Chicken Salad

I had some leftover chicken that I needed to get rid of, as well as some fruit before it went bad. I threw this salad together at the last minute. Instead of using lettuce, you could use spinach. I think next time I will do that and will add a little candied walnuts.

Lettuce or spinach
Apple
Strawberries
Grapes
Bleu Cheese
Chicken

Top with candied walnuts and raspberry walnut vinaigrette.

5 minute Buns Workout

5 minute upper body routine with weights

This is an upper body routine that works your chest, back, biceps, triceps, and shoulders. 30 second per move with 30 second bursts. You don't need heavy weights...I used 8 lbs for the first move and 5 lbs for the rest.

Pork Chops with Green Bean Bruschetta

This was super easy to make!!! I seasoned the pork chops with a little pork chop seasoning and garlic with a sprinkle of brown sugar. I put it in a steamable bag with some water. Cut slits in the bag and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.


Green Beans are just from a fresh steamable bag and bruschetta is as follows:

About 1 1/2 cup of chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp basil paste or fresh basil (I used the paste
2 tsp minced garlic
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and taste adjust the ingredients according to taste.

Plate all together and enjoy :)

Fruity Candy Corn Snack

Everyone knows I love my candy corn :) I saw this the other day and made them for my daughter and she LOVED the idea.

Pineapple
Mandarin Oranges
Cool Whip

Skinny Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

These enchiladas were amazing. So different than the regular enchiladas that I normally make and these ones are a tad bit healthier :) They were a family hit!

Ingredients

• 16 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked + shredded (about 2.5 cups shredded chicken)
• 8 oz reduced-fat sour cream
• ¼ cup skim milk
• 10¾ oz can Campbell’s® Healthy Request® Cream of Chicken Soup
• 1 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• 10 oz can Rotel® Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilies
• 1 cup onion, diced
• 8 Large La Tortilla Factory® Smart & Delicious™ Low Carb, High Fiber Tortillas
• ½ cup reduced-fat Mexican shredded cheese
• 4 oz can diced green chilies

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9" x 13" baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a saucepan, mix together sour cream, soup, milk and cilantro. Heat through and set aside. (This will boil quickly and make a huge hot mess if you don't keep stirring. I learned the hard way. Twice.)
3. Combine the chicken, Rotel®, onions and green chilies in a pan sprayed with cooking spray.
4. Heat until onions are transparent.
5. Warm the tortillas until flexible. (I microwave them for 10 seconds sandwiched between two damp paper towels.)
6. Fill each tortilla with about 2 Tbsp of the chicken mixture.
7. Roll the tortilla up and place seam side down (or they will unravel) in baking dish.
8. Pour/spread the sour cream sauce over enchiladas and top with cheese.
9. Bake for 25-30 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted.

Nutrition Information

Per Serving: (2 enchiladas)

Calories: 374

Fat: 19g

Carbohydrates: 38g

Fiber: 16g

Protein: 27g

Shrimp Fettuccini with Vodka Sauce

We are HUGE pasta lovers in my house, as I'm sure most households are. I always look for healthier alternatives to pasta, so it can taste delicious but not leave me feeling guilty. Don't get me wrong, I am ALL about having "treat" days and making sure that you allow yourself indulges every now and then, but with pasta I would FOR SURE go overboard lol So, here is a healthy alternative that I found that was amazing and under 400 calories, PLUS I got to use vodka sooooo, SCORE!!!





Here is what you will need:

The recipe called for 9 ounces of fresh linguine, but I used Butternut Squash Fettuccini

3/4 pound of large shrimp (the store I went to only has small shrimp so I used a pound)

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup Vodka

1 1/2 Cups reduced sodium marinara sauce (I spiced mine up a bit with red pepper to give it a little kick)

1/4 cup small fresh basil leaves

 

 

 

 

Preparation:

 

1. Cook pasta as directed

 

2. Heat 1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil in 12 inch skillet over medium heat. Season shrimp with salt and pepper. Add shrimp to skillet on a single layer, undisturbed for 1 minute.  Flip and add garlic and saute one more minute and transfer to plate.

 

3. Carefully add vodka to the pan and cook for 1 minute.  Add marinara sauce and bring to a simmer.  Add drained pasta, reserved shrimp and juices, basil, and 3-4 tbsp of water.  Toss well to combine and heat through.  Divide among 4 serving bowls and garnish with extra basil if desired.

 

4. ENJOY!!!!

 

This is SUPER easy and took me less than 15 minutes to make :)

 

NUTRITION FACTS (estimate):

349 Calories, 26g of protein, 41g Carbs, 7g Fat, 3g Fiber



 

 

 

 

Cheesy Italian Chicken Roll Up

This recipe was incredibly easy and turned out amazing!  I really, really love to be in the kitchen and make meals, but somedays there just isn't enough time.  I want my meals to be as healthy as possible, but tastey as well.  I constantly search recipes to try so I can keep variety in my meals and so I can hopefully help give other ideas to those in my shoes :) 

Like I said, this was SO easy and Adam and I both said that it would easily replace ravs for us.  This would be our healthier alternative to the cheesy pasta goodness that we love so much lol  It's the perfect combination of chesse and tender chicken to make a really good Italian meal and it's healthy with a great source of protein.  Next time though, I would serve with a small side salad instead of veggies.  That just wasn't a combo I was crazy about.

Serves 8

4 Large Skinless Chicken Breasts

1 Cup Part Skim Ricotta Cheese

1 Cup Part Skim Mozzarella

1 pkt Italian Seasoning

1 Large Bottle Tomato Basil Spaghetti Sauce

Preheat oven 400 (I eventually turned mine up to 425 bc I had thicker breasts that were taking longer to cook)

Split chicken breasts and pound to desired thinness. Set Aside.

Mix all Cheeses and Italian Seasoning Packet.

Spoon a couple tablespoons cheese mixture into each breast and roll up.

Place seam side down in 9×13 baking dish.

Cover rolled chicken breasts with spaghetti sauce.

Cook for about 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked all the way through 

 

 

Glute Bridge - Workout Challenge

This is a 5 minute workout challenge that I have for everyone to do.  Bridge up on something and follow me.  Repeat 3 times for a max challenge.  For more online challenges, check out my blog www.FunFreshFitness.com or message me with questions at FB.com/StephyErickson

BBQ Chicken Salad

OMG this salad was AMAZEBALLS!  Everyone knows that you can ruin your healthy salad with the dressing, but this salad is healthy and you get to use ranch dressing lol And a little goes a long way with this salad, especially since you're pairing it with BBQ sauce.  One of my favorite mixtures when I was in high school was Ranch and BBQ sauce, so when I came across this salad recipe on damndelicious.net (love that name lol), I knew I had to try it.  It was another big dinner hit in the Erickson household.  My 5 year old hates lettuce, so I left that out and mixed everything else together for her and she devoured it.


INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 boneless, skinless thin-sliced chicken breasts

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

6 cups chopped romaine lettuce

1 Roma tomato, diced

3/4 cup canned corn kernels, drained (I used frozen corn)

3/4 cup canned black beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup diced red onion

1/4 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/4 cup Ranch dressing

1/4 cup BBQ sauce

1/4 cup tortilla strips

 

 

 

Instructions

• Heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium high heat.
• Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper, to taste. Add to skillet and cook, flipping once, until cooked through, about 3-4 minutes per side. Let cool before dicing into bite-size pieces.
• To assemble the salad, place romaine lettuce in a large bowl; top with chicken, tomato, corn, beans, onion and cheeses. Pour Ranch dressing and BBQ sauce on top of the salad and gently toss to combine.
• Serve immediately, topped with tortilla strips.

 

Peanut Butter Banana topped with Granola Snack

This is a GREAT pre workout snack.  It's about 200 calories and fills you up just enough to power through a workout, but not make you feel sick.  I'm a person who can not eat right before a workout (I've seen people eat between workouts and that's impossible for me lol), so I like to have this small snack about 90 min pre workout, then I have my Shakeology within 90 min of finishing my workout (I'll be making a different post about the importance of that).  It fuels my body just enough.  If you're like me or if you workout early in the morning and need something small to get you through, try this. 

 

Cut a small-medium size banana in half length way.  Spread 1tbsp all natural PB on to slices. 1/2 on one and 1/2 on the other. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp honey almond granola and 1 tsp chocolate granola. YUM!

 

 

Brown Sugar Pork Chops

Yesterday I had quite the dilemma.  Brown sugar pork chops or parmesan crusted pork chops?  Both sounded amazing and I knew that either way, I was going to try them both.  With that said, due to sheer laziness I went for the brown sugar ones bc they are easier to make and all I had to go to the store for was the pork chops then.  Let me tell you, these things were delish and so juicy. Not to mention, INCREDIBLY easy to make.  Make sure that you cover them when you bake them so they stay moist and I always line the bottom of the pan with water.  It keeps them from drying out and mixed with the sugar to make a nice glaze to bake it in.  I served mine with baby red skin potatoes mixed with broccoli, cauliflower, and green beans.

 

INGREDIENTS: (this is for 2 pork chops.  I doubled the messurements for 4 chops)2 pork chops (I used boneless)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon Chili Powder
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
minced/chopped garlic

 

DIRECTIONS: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together the brown sugar, chili powder, and garlic powder in a bowl.
3. Rub the mixture onto both sides of the pork chop, coating it really well.
4. Transfer to a shallow oven safe pan. Add a little garlic on top of the pork chop and put into the oven. Let them roast in the oven until the internal temperature registers at 140-145 degrees. Depending on how thick they are will determine the cook time.  Mine tok about 25 min

5. ENJOY

 

 

Yogurt Dipped Blueberries

These are SO easy to make and are nice for kids lunches (since they are kept frozen, they are perfect by lunch time) or just for a nice, quick protein snack.
















All you need is 1 container of greek yogurt (It doesn't have to be blueberry, it just so happens this is the only flavor I had left in my fridge) and 1 container of blueberries.

 
















Then use a toothpick to stab the blueberry and dip in the yogurt

Put tray into the freezer for about an hour.

Remove frozen blueberries and devide into snack bags and return the the freezer.



Sweet Glazed Salmon over Broccoli & Rice

Another HUGE meal hit happened in our house last night. ALL 3 of us LOVED it.  The sauce is made with brown sugar and low sodium soy sauce, so it has this sweet tangy taste to it.  I honestly don't think I'll have salmon any other way ever again.  And, my husband is NOT a huge fan of soy sauce, but he loved it. Had seconds even and complimented the chef ;) Also, this was SO SO easy to make and took no time at all!  It's a MUST try :)

Ingredients

1/2 cup brown sugar4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
1 clove(s) garlic ( minced or pressed ) 1 1/2 cups brown rice, raw3 cups vegetable broth
1 head broccoli florets ( about 2 cups )
9 ounces edamame ( fully cooked with pod removed )  (I didn't have any so this step was skipped lol) 
4 salmon fillet ( 1 1/4 pounds total ) 1/2 teaspoon salt1 tablespoon olive oil
                                            

 

Directions:
1. Heat broiler. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, soy sauce, and garlic. Set aside.

 

2 . Cook the rice according to the package directions, using vegetable broth instead of water, stir in the broccoli and edamame during the last 3 minutes.

 

3. Let the rice and broccoli stand off the heat until the broccoli is tender, about 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

 

4. Meanwhile, place the salmon on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

 

5. Broil until the salmon is opaque throughout, 8 to 10 minutes, spooning half the soy sauce glaze over the fish during the last 2 minutes of cooking.

 

6. Serve the salmon with the rice and the remaining

Nutrition

Calories: 489
Fat: 6g
Protein: 17.5g
Carbohydrates: 90

Meal was found on www.mymommystyle.com

Chocolate Shakeology Pancakes with Strawberry Yogurt Sauce

Ok...first off, when looking at the picture please keep two things in mind lol

1. This is the first test run at these
                    AND
2. I never said I made perfect looking pancakes haha

Either way, these things were DELISH!  On a daily basis I have people asking me about Shakeology and some people just aren't into the whole meal replacement thing and that's totally fine.  The BIGGEST misconception about Shakeology is that it's just a protein shake.  Yes, it does have a adequate amount of protein in it, but it's SO much MORE!  If you would like to know more about it www.myshakeology.com/stephyerickson is my site that has tons of information.  For now, I will just tell you that it IS the healthiest meal of the day and I'll have you click the link and find out why :)

ANNNNYWHO, I wanted to show people that you don't just have to drink Shakeology.  You can make all kinds of fun meals with it.  Not only are these packed with protein, but bc they are made with Shakeology they have vitamins, fruits, veggies, digestive enzymes, amino acids, etc etc.  I have done multiple searches to find (what I think) are the best recipes based around Shakeology and I have to say, this is one of my new favorites (Mya and Adam loved them, too).  I actually came across this recipe on Pinterest and ironically had all the ingredients to make them so I thought I would give them a shot.

I blended the ingredients below & then poured them from my blender in to a pan. Just how you would make any other pancake (I had to double the measurements to feed all 3 of us)

• 1 banana
• 1/4 cup oats
• 2 tbsp unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white
• 1 scoop (or individual pack) chocolate Shakeology

Strawberry yogurt sauce:

• 6 strawberries
• 1/4 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk
• 1/4 cup 0% fat plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 tbsp honey

Fun. Fresh. Fitness. : Testimonials

Fun. Fresh. Fitness. : Testimonials:  Amber (Age:31)   I have NEVER been the girl that had to watch what she ate, counted calories or even knew how to eat clean....until i...

Spicey Boneless Buffalo Wings

Here is another heathier meal that I came across on eatingwell.com.  Adam and I are HUGE wing fans, so having the healthier alternative is GREAT!  We both really enjoyed them.

Even though boneless Buffalo wings are made with healthy white-meat chicken, they're usually deep-fried and drenched in hot sauce laced with butter. The solution: chicken tenders are dredged in seasoned whole-wheat flour and cornmeal, pan-fried in only a small amount of oil and then drizzled with a tangy hot pepper sauce. With a fraction of the fat, calories and sodium

Critique from another person who tried the wings and I couldn't agree more :)

"These were a tasty alternative to buffalo wings... but I think in the future I'd drizzle more sauce over them... that's usually my favorite part. I also had trouble with the breading sticking to the chicken and would cut back on flour in favor of my cornmeal the next time I make them as I know this works fine from other recipes I've made. They were a hit for Monday Night Football...even with the breading falling off!"

Ingredients

Spicy Blue Cheese Dip

• 2/3 cup reduced-fat sour cream
• 2/3 cup crumbled blue cheese
• 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

Wings & Vegetables

• 3 tablespoons nonfat buttermilk, (see Tip)
• 3 tablespoons hot sauce, such as Frank's RedHot, divided
• 3 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, divided
• 2 pounds chicken tenders, (see Ingredient Note)
• 6 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
• 6 tablespoons cornmeal
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
• 2 cups carrot sticks
• 2 cups celery sticks

Preparation

1. To prepare dip: Whisk sour cream, blue cheese, 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. To prepare wings: Whisk buttermilk, 2 tablespoons hot sauce and 2 tablespoons vinegar in a large bowl until combined. Add chicken; toss to coat. Transfer to the refrigerator and let marinate for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
3. Meanwhile, whisk flour and cornmeal in a shallow dish. Whisk the remaining 1 tablespoon hot sauce and 1 tablespoon vinegar in a small bowl; set aside.
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade and roll in the flour mixture until evenly coated. (Discard remaining marinade and flour mixture.) Sprinkle both sides of the chicken with 1/2 teaspoon cayenne.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add half the chicken, placing each piece in a little oil. Cook until golden brown and cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a serving platter. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and chicken, reducing the heat if necessary to prevent burning. Transfer to the platter. Drizzle the chicken with the reserved hot sauce mixture. Serve with carrots, celery and Spicy Blue Cheese Dip.

Tips & Notes

• Make Ahead Tip: The chicken can marinate (Step 1) for up to 1 hour.

• Tip: No buttermilk? You can use buttermilk powder prepared according to package directions. Or make “sour milk”: mix 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 cup milk.
• Ingredient note: Chicken tenders, virtually fat-free, are a strip of rib meat typically found attached to the underside of the chicken breast, but they can also be purchased separately. Four 1-ounce tenders will yield a 3-ounce cooked portion. Tenders are perfect for quick stir-fries, chicken satay or kid-friendly breaded “chicken fingers.”

Nutrition

Per serving: 256 calories; 10 g fat (4 g sat, 4 g mono);83 mg cholesterol; 12 g carbohydrates; 31 g protein; 2 g fiber; 353 mg sodium; 248 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (120% daily value).
Carbohydrate Servings: 1
Exchanges: 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 1/2 lean meat
I am NOT a celery fan, so I replaced mine with cucmbers :)  I made a seperate, NON spicey batch with ranch for Mya and the leftovers made for a nice little lunch for her at school tomorrow! Please excuse my "fine china" lol

No excuses, No weights Upper Body Workout

This is an upper body workout that I put together and tested out that will make your arms feel like jello and there is NO WEIGHTS being used.  The workout should take about 30 minutes, so set a timer.  Push ups can be done on you knees, but try to do as many on your feet as possible.  Even if it's just 1.  Push yourself past your comfort zone.  Or, if you can do all of them on your toes, but not drop down as far then I would rather you do that bc you are more likely to keep your core tight and engaged while on your toes :)  ENJOY!

I took pictures while doing the workout so I could show you that it could be done anywhere, without much room and even in your PJs if you wanted to  :)

TRICEP DIPS

                                    


TRICEP PUSH UPS
Hands are in line with your shoulders and fingers are turned
out a bit.

                     

Drop down to a push up and keep the elbows hugging your sides.



Elbows go straight back

                                                           



SHOULDER PUSH UP