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Priorities in order?

Yesterday was my son Jake's first Birthday and it was one of the best days of my life! Not because we had a big party, ate cake, or did anything crazy, but simply because I spent the day with my family and I took some time to really appreciate and celebrate life. There have been so many times in my life when things have gotten so far out of balance and priorities get really thrown off track. During those times are when I've been the most unhappy. It's not easy to put priorities in place and stick to a plan to keep them priorities.
Yesterday, I took the day off from work (mentally and physically, which I've learned are both key!) and spent the day with my husband and son. We started off with breakfast at our favorite little cafe in Seal Beach and then went to the Aquarium in Long Beach.
I have never been so happy as I laughed and played with my family. I've got crazy amounts of work to do, endless emails to answer, yet I was 100% with my family and not thinking about any of it. It felt so amazing to know that my family, my number one priority, was happy. Truly happy and complete. I'm so thankful for that I don't take it for granted for one second.
I thought today would be a perfect time to remind you all of your priorities and give you a few steps to help you get them and keep them on track!

1. Write down your priorities. Here are mine: My Family, My Health, and my Job. Keep in mind everyone's are different and that's OK. Be careful not to list too many. For example, my friends mean the world to me, but if I'm not balanced with my first priorities I'm not a happy camper and not a good friend. If I'm not healthy, I can't do my job! So for me, these are my top three!

2. Assess where your priorities are. BE HONEST! Do you spend more time on facebook then you do talking or spending quality time to you family? Do you skip workouts to take care of friends? Do you work overtime and miss meals? If the answer is yes, then it's time to make some adjustments.

3. Take action. Don't wait for life to balance out. Instead put down your fist and make it happen. There is not a single boss or coworker that wouldn't understand if you said, today is a special day, I need some family time. If they don't understand, it's time to reassess your job or your priorities!

Thanks so much for being fans, you make my job fun, easy, and always a priority!
Cheers,
Kim

Back in action!

Hi Everyone! I had such a great weekend. I spent so much time relaxing with my family. I have to admit, it was really hard for me to get out the house, I was stuck on chill out mode with my family! It’s so easy to get lazy and not get back into your workout and nutrition routine after a long weekend, however I have to use analogy if you get a flat tire you don’t slash the other three tires, instead you fix it and get right back on the road. The same applies if you fall off the nutrition of workout bandwagon!

Here are three tricks to get back on track and off the lazy vacation/weekend mode!

1. Clean out the fridge! Having a nice clean fridge somehow seems to help you want to fill it up with healthy fresh foods.

2. Set up a new or unique workout or activity that you’ve been wanting to try. It’s best to set it up before the long weekend or vacation. Having the prior commitment will make it easy to get moving after a break. Gunter and I went and test drove the StreetStriders. Although this was “work” for me because I was testing it out to be a possible spokes person for the company. But setting the meeting up for first thing Tuesday morning, pure strategic planning! Little did my boys know, they were in for a ride too.


3. Fire up the grill. With your workout complete and your fridge clean and ready to go, now it’s time to fill it with a weeks worth of healthy food. I bought a ton of different veggies, chicken and shrimp, spent 30 mins. chopping then tossed them on the grill with a little seasoning and a spray of olive oil.

Any other ideas on how to get back on track after a lazy spell, please share! I love your comments!

Fresh Greens!

Hello everyone! It's another late night blog from the crazy mama! So many people ask me how I come up with ideas, recipes, and stay motivated to eat healthy. I have to confess, I have a little help! A few months ago I found this site www.farmfreshtoyou.com and decided to give it a try and I love it. A few time a month I get a box on my door step full of fresh organic fruits and veggies. It's a great surprise to wake up to a little box that's packed full of in season fruits and veggies that are crazy fresh. It's the little things that make all the difference! I never know what I'm going to get and it really forces me to try new things or foods that I don't usually buy.
Now I know you don't all live in CA, but I really encourage you to do a google search for fresh produce delivery in your area. It's super fun and a great way to get excited about veggies!
It also comes with some great recipes and the nutritional highlights of produce. So here's the recipe that I got today, I can't wait to try it, it looks awesome!
Strawberry Salsa into Avocados
1 or 2 TBSP balsamic or raspberry vinegar
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1 Teaspoon minced fresh jalapeno peppers
2 ripe avocados
2 Tbsp chopped roasted walnuts
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 TBSP olive oil 1/2 teaspoon honey
2 Tbsp finely minced red onion
1 pint strawberries, sliced

In a bowl, whisk together vinegar, olive oil, honey, garlic, onion, and jalapeno.
Season to taste with salt and pepper and combine the strawberries. Peel, halve and pit the avocados
Sppon some strawberry salsa in the avocado hollow and serve on lettuce garnish with walnuts

Super yummy salad dressing recipe

Hi everyone,
Gunter is still in Europe and life has been a bit nutty for me to say the least. To be honest, I'm loving spending time being mommy. I have been a cooking, cleaning, and being a full up mommy! OK truth is, I've been up till 12-1am getting work done too, but I figure I can make it on a little less sleep for a another week so I don't fall to far behind!
Although my workouts have not been structured I do have to say I'm getting my workouts in in unique ways. Today I put Jake in his Baby Ergo on my back and vacuumed, dusted, and picked up. He's only 21 lbs now, but wow, what a great workout. He was so happy and I we really had fun. When I took him off my back I couldn't believe how light I felt, I should have gone and run a few miles!!
So after I got done cleaning up, I got creative with the salad dressings and came up with a super yummy recipe for you. I thought it was a great add on to my last salad tip:)
Here it is, let me know what you think!
Strawberry-Balsamic Dressing
2/3 Cup sliced strawberries
14 Cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 shallot, chopped
2 Teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 1/4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup water

Blend all ingredients until smooth. I love it on spinach or arugula with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and almond slivers

On the run!

There just doesn't seem to be enough hours in my days!!! Gunter is in Europe for the next few weeks so I've been crazy solo mama and wow am I pooped! It's always good to be left to remind me how much he does around here to hold my wacky little life together! So today I'm sharing one of my super fast and easy meal tricks with you.
This tip will really help you avoid the drive thru and the 911 pizza call when life is too crazy to cook a healthy meal. I've been doing this for years and it comes in so handy.
Many grocery stores have soup and salad bars, but instead of getting the whole salad at the bar just fill up the container with a bunch of fresh toppings. Avoid the bacon bits (ok, just a few), croutons, pasta salads and other creamy stuff and stick with the all colorful veggies, chicken, and eggs.
Then go grab a bag of spinach or other mixed greens. When you get home toss it in a big bowl and there you have it, the perfect meal. No chopping, dicing, slicing, or buying 15 different ingredients. My last salad was HUGE and cost me $10. It could have easily feed four people.
Let me know what you guys think and stay away from the drive thrus!!!
PS-How crazy cute is my little guy, Jake in this video!?!

A tip from Costa Rica!

Hello my Oxygen blogger fans! I'm just back from a fabulous trip to Costa Rica! When I say fabulous I'm excluding the travel days that were far less then fun. Getting to Costa Rica from LA is surprisingly challenging. Add an 11 month old in the mix and wow, one word, exhausting! In the long run it was well worth it.
I went to pick the brain of one of my mentors about a new and larger then life project that I'm working on. I'll tell you all about it soon. I am such a sponge for information and I'm ready to expand my wings and do the only thing I have yet to conquer in the fitness industry. (Hint: You can all come train with me there!) Sometimes I have to laugh at myself and I wonder why I can't just chill instead of conquering the world. I guess that's just not in my blood!
I was in Costa Rica for my B-day, I can't believe I'm 38. I feel like I'm 25 only a lot wiser! We also celebrated my first Mother's Day while we were there. I think I'm officially a grown up now, 38 and have a kiddo!
Here's a few pictures from my trip.
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Here i am!

Wow, has it really been a over a week since I've blogged? Do you ever have those weeks that completely overwhelm you? How about those weeks when you feel like you've bitten off so much that you need to barf? Or better yet, weeks when you just want to fly away to a remote beach and forget it all?!? Well, all of the above was my last week, actually, month! Don't get me wrong, I love everything I do and when I'm doing it I have a blast. However at the end of the days, weeks, or in this case really it's months, I realize that I am working way to much and simply must come up for air.
Really it all comes down to balance and that is something that I'm forever re calculating. Now, with being a mommy, that balance is even trickier.
At the end of the day I really just have to understand that every now and again, there is no balance and that's OK too, as long as I get the balance back before losing my mind!
I spent last week in Portland filming workout videos for a new product that I'm working on called The Journey Gym. Of course I was running around like a mad girl the day before getting all my wardrobe lined up (I'm a control freak when it comes to that stuff!) and then I actually made the workouts up the night before leaving. Ekkks, no prep time which lead to a bit of stress to say the least! Of course I stressed for nothing as it was a great shoot and I've done these a million times but yet I still get a bit nervous every time! So I filmed two days for Journey Gym (www.journeygym.com) and then a day for my online training program www.FastTrackToFatLoss.com. It was a super busy trip to say the least.
I got home just in time to go to Lara McGlashen's wedding party at the pool. To be honest, I was so tired and a bit under the weather so I wasn't feeling too social, but it felt great to be out at the pool!
Now I'm off to Costa Rica to work on another project (I'll tell you soon, it's exciting) It's just four days, but I'm excited to disappear for a bit! Gunter and Jake are coming too so we are having a mini vacation, Whhhoooo hoooo!
Here are a few pics from my adventures, I'll send some pics from Costa Rica at the end of the week:)

Chocolate time!

Hey gang,
Wow, is it really Friday night already! I've had a crazy week of photo shoots for a new product I'm working on (I'll share soon)! It felt like a really long week and I've got one word on the brain... CHOCOLATE! So I thought today would be a good day to share a great brownie recipe because we all have those days when we just need something warm and gooey! Believe it or not I actually stole this one from Jillian! Ekks, maybe I shouldn't admit that!!!! Anyhow, I have to give credit where's it's due, and these rock!! What can I say, when it comes to chocolate we gals gotta stick together!

Almost Healthy Chocolate brownies!
olive oil cooking spray
2/3 cup mild honey, such as clover or orange blossom
1/3 cups natural, unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup white whole-wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon aluminum-free baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large egg, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch square pan with olive oil. Set aside.
Place the honey in a large glass measuring cup. Microwave on high power until the honey is runny and just bubbling, 45 to 60 seconds. Add the cocoa and stir with a fork until well combined. Let cool to room temperature.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until well combined.
In a large bowl, combine the applesauce, oil, egg, and vanilla. Whisk together until well blended. Add the honey-cocoa mixture and whisk until smooth. Add the flour mixture to the liquid mixture and stir until no traces of flour remain. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake until the surface looks dry around the edges of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs clinging to it, about 25 minutes. Do not overbake. Place the pan on a cooling rack and let cool completely before slicing into 16 squares. (Store the brownies in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
Makes 16 (2-inch) brownies


Let me know what you guys think, and remember everything in moderation:)

Hugs,
Kim

Core and thighs time!

Hi Everyone! Today I'm targeting your core and inner and outer thigh, two areas of the body that we can't seem to work enough! I'm showing you how to do 4 unique variations of the plough. For these exercises you'll need 2 wash clothes and a hard surface floor. I recommend doing 3 to 4 sets using a variety of these moves. Mix it up to make it fun!

1. Mt Climber Plough- Bring the knees into the chest in a running like motion. Start slow and increase speed keeping your body in a proper position.
2. Plough-Bring the knees to the chest together and push they out to the push up position.
3. Pike Plough-Keep the knees straight as you lift the hips to bring the feet in toward your hands.
4. Plough with abduction/adduction. Keeping the body in a tight push up or plank position, slide the feet in and out to work the inner and outer thigh.

Get creative with these as you become more advanced. You can add in push ups and mix and match all these moves for a killer workout that will be sure to leave your abs screaming for more (or not!!!)

Let me know what you guys think and if you like the videos!

Sexy arms for summer!

Hi everyone,
Here's another video blog for you with some little exercise tweaks to help you add variety to your routine!

My Oxygen Girls!

This past weekend I went to Vegas with my girlfriends for Lara's Bachelorette party. We had such a great time. I caught myself several times looking at Lara, Brandy, and Krystal and thinking about how we've "grown" up with Oxygen! Lara McGlashen has been a writer for years and has written hundreds of articles. I met her when we were competing in the Ms Galaxy competitions and we've been friends now for over 10 years. Then there's Brandy, I also met her while competing. I remember I was always so intimidated by her amazing beauty and dreaded being anywhere close to her in the bikini lineup! I'm sure you've all seen her in the old Hydroxycut ads. She's also been on the cover of Oxygen. Krystal was there too, she's a stylist and has been dressing me for Oxygen shoots for more then 10 years. We've all been through wins and losses, divorces and marriages, tears and laughs, good and bad, and just about everything life can toss at ya! We laugh about the days when our biggest stress was how fast we'd run the obstacle course, what we'd wear for the photo shoots, and when we'd get our next protein shake! Good times!!
It sounds kinds of cheesy, but Oxygen Magazine has been kind of like our yearbooks! We all have 100's of issues and can't seem to part with any of them! Here's a fun pic of Brandy (green) Lara (pink) and me! We decided that Lara looked so good in the wig that she should wear it for her wedding!!!!

Family hike

Hey peeps! I hope you are having an awesome week. I love this tip with little Jake, he wanted to look at his dad filming me and is so cute peeking around me.
I've been a busy little nut lately so many great projects in the works. I can't wait to share all my latest projects with you all. I am still managing to get in my workouts in (just barely) and eating as healthy as possible (let's just say shakes have been a big life saver).
Today I decided to take a break and go for a hike with Gunter and baby Jake. I wanted to take a few minutes to talk about how important it is to walk correctly. It sounds silly, but it can save you all kinds of ache, pains, and injuries down the road. Stick with me, I'm going to get a little a little technical on you!
Jump up and walk across the room. Do your toes turn outward? If they do your kinetic chain is off. But don't worry, a little practice walking with your toes forward and you'll be back on track. It's going to feel really odd at first, but trust me, it will be natural in only a few weeks. Walking with feet over pronated (outward) causes the outside of the heel to make contact with the ground first while walking or running. As weight is applied to your foot, it rolls in. This can cause your ankle to twist inward causing ankle sprains. It can also cause pain to the bottom of the foot (plantar fasciitis). This twist of your foot also causes problems to the knees by putting excess stress on the ligaments and cartilage of the knee. The inward twist continues up to the thigh and hip causing a forward tilt of the pelvis which strains the lower back.
I'm curious to hear how you all are walking and if this is something that helps! I promise if you spend some time focusing on this it will make a huge difference for you.

Bicep bootcamp!

Hi Gang! I'm glad you all enjoyed the video blogs! This week I'm targeting on the biceps. Make sure you add variety into your exercise routines to help sculpt sexy arms in time for summer! I'm excited to share these exercises with you. Let me know if you have any questions!

Check out my video blog!

Hi Gang,
I finally figured out how to post a video to you guys! I filmed this on Wednesday for you, but just now figured out how to post it!! The file was too big before so I changed up the size and here it is! Let me know what you think! I can show you all so much more via video, I hope you like it and be sure to leave me your comments so I know what you what to see and hear about and click to follow me so you know when I have a new video up!
Hope you are all having a great weekend:)

Secret Millionaire

I'm not sure if you all have seen the new show on ABC called The Secret Millionaire, but my friend James Malinchak was the secret millionaire this past Sunday. It is such an amazing feel good show that helps so many people that are doing such great things. If you haven't seen it, check it out, you will love it! (But have the tissues ready, it'll make ya cry)
http://abc.go.com/watch/secret-millionaire/SH5580166/VD55117876/james-malinchak-gary-in

James is not only a friend but also a mentor of mine. He's so down to earth, and such an amazing guy. I know it's not exactly fitness related, but I wanted to share four of the top tips he's taught me. These are all things that have really helped me grow and stay inspired to be the best "me"!

1. “Rich” does not equal money. Those that are truly “rich” are giving, caring, loving, and happy.

2. In order to grow and improve, you have to get comfortable being uncomfortable. For most, starting a new workouts and meal plans is a big lifestyle change, and it’s uncomfortable at first… but soon you begin to feel really good and see great results and the discomfort that you once felt all becomes worth the effort.

3. You need hope. America’s ‘hope tank’ sometimes hits empty and you need hope to move forward and be successful. I see so many new people in the blogs and in my emails that are hopeful and it’s really important that we all stay positive together and encourage and support each other as we go through this uncomfortable change to improve our health.

4. You need to be “present.” To get the most out of any situation or experience, you really need to be present in the moment. Whether it’s an experience with a loved one or a workout, be really focused and present in the moment.

These are such simple concepts to apply into our everyday lives yet we all need that little reminder. Do any of you have words of wisdom that you'd like to share? I'd love to hear your thoughts:)

Who's on your team?

Hey Everyone!
What a nutty week I've had! I spent 3 days in San Francisco at the IHRSA trade show and it was awesome. The IHRSA is a trade show that displays all the latest and greatest in everything in the gym industry from equipment to software. I'm like a kid in Disneyland looking at all the amazing technology. Of course there are always a few things that I have to laugh about. For example, this years top silly product was a HUGE life size "horse" that looked like it was wrapped in a snuggie. It moved in the motion of a horse and was supposed to help tighten the core. Now I don't doubt that horseback riding tightens the core, but this suck was going for $15,000. I mean hello, buy a horse if you are going to spend 15K!! So silly!
The highlights of my trip brainstorming and chatting with the inventor of the Bosu and the Perfect Pushup. I love to hear their stories and am inspired to believe in my ideas and learning how to make them a reality. I've noticed one common trend of success is A GOOD TEAM. No one is good at everything so it's key to focus on what you are good at and find the best people that are good at what you aren't good at to fill in the blanks.
I got home late last night and headed out the door early this morning to go to a photo shoot. I was just going to help and support him as he was shooting with an amazing photographer that I really admire, Florian Schneider. As I watch him work I saw how amazing his team of assistants was. They all worked together so well and although it's Florian behind the magic, it's the power of the team all working together that makes him able to focus on what he does so well. It's really very simple, but something that so many people forget as we all try to conquer the world alone!
My question for all of you...Who's on your team? What do you struggle with and how can you find to teammates to help you fill in the gaps. In the end, we all enjoy what we are good at so if you need help, chances are there's someone out there that would love to help!
Here's a quick pic that I just snapped on my phone, but I have to brag about my handsome hubby a bit! He's my hero! Oh and yesterday was our 4 year anniversary:)

Do you treat your car better then your body?

Hi Everyone!
I'm on the hunt for a new car! I'm not giving up my super fun Porsche, but Gunter and I need a "family" car so we are looking at SUV's. Oh the joy of car shopping!!! Blaaaaaa!!!! Anyhow, as we look at all the cars on the lots it occurred to me that most people treat their cars better then their bodies!
I mean think about it...when you don’t drive your car, you don’t need to put fuel in it, right? The same goes for your body. If you fill your gas tank when it’s already full it over flows. The same happens to your body, only the excess overflows in the form of stored fat. So think of your body as your fuel tank, don’t let it hit empty, don’t overflow it, and don’t fuel up just for fun!
Secondly, it seems everyone will put endless money into good tires, but yet I see so many people working out in cheap shoes! We can always buy new tires, but we only get one set of feet!
Or how about the guy that puts premium fuel in the his tank but fuels his body with candy and coke! People put the best oil in our cars, but then eat saturated or fried foods full or bad oils!
The best spark plugs for the car, but people drink chemical sugary drinks with crazy calories for energy. Gunter (my husband and I laughed all the way to the dealer as we came up with so many comparisons.
I just thought I'd share this random chain of thoughts!! If nothing else you'll get a good laugh and think twice before you buy a hotdog or a coke as you put premium fuel in the gas tank!!
Can any of you think of any other ways you treat your car better then your body? I have a speaking gig next month to a group of business men, I think they'd get a kick out of this line of thought!

Biggest Loser Tricks!!

Ever wonder how they lose so much weight the first week on “The Biggest Loser”? I did their diets, I know exactly what was going on and (water tricks aside) this is the secret. I could get really graph and down right nasty with you, but I’ll spare you the details and tell you it’s time to add fiber into your diet and clean out your intestinal tract. Believe it or not, all the junk stuck in you can turn your body toxic and inhibit proper absorption of nutrients from food you eat.
The most effective way to clean out your system is with psyllium seed hulls. 1 TBSP every morning in a shake or small glass of water or juice will do the trick. Drink it as soon as you mix it because the psyllium bulks up which is why it works so well to sweep out your intestines. Be sure to drink plenty of water to keep the throughout the day to keep it moving through your system. Don’t be surprised if you are a “Big Loser” after a week of using this trick.

Forget the fruit and veggie servings!

When it comes to eating fruits and veggies I've always found it confusing as to what the heck count's as a serving size! I mean does anyone really know how many servings of fruits and veggies they should eat much less count them? I happen to know because well, that's what I do for a living!!! However, I'm guessing 99% of the populations doesn't even know! Here's the scoop:

An adult female should eat 2.5-3 servings of veggies and 1.5-2 servings of fruits, while an adult male should eat 3-4 servings of veggies and 2-2.5 servings of fruit. A serving amounts to one cup of raw fruit, one cup of cooked veggies, or two cups of raw veggies.

No wonder people don't remember this...it's nuts! So here's my solution...EAT THE RAINBOW! If you aim to eat 3 different colors a day you'll hit or come close to your daily requirements and get all kinds of nutrients! Here's a list of what's what to get your mind wrapped around the full spectrum!

Red:
Provides lycopene, which may help prevent lung and prostate cancers, and antioxidants that may help prevent heart disease.
Top picks: red grapes and apples, cherries, rhubarb, red bell peppers, tomatoes, beets.


Purple:
Provides anthocyanins, which may help prevent heart disease and lower the risk of cancer.
Top picks: concord grapes, blueberries, blackberries, plums, figs, eggplant.


Green:
Provides lutein, which may reduce the risk of stroke and protect eyes against macular degeneration.
Top picks: green grapes and apples, honeydew melon, kiwi, spinach, avocado, green beans.


Orange:
Provides beta carotene, which may help prevent some cancers, reduce the risk of heart disease, and improve immune function.
Top picks: mango, oranges, peaches, pumpkin, carrots, corn.


White:
Provides anthoxanthins and allicin, which can help lower blood pressure and protect against stomach cancers.
Top picks: bananas, cauliflower, mushrooms, onions, potatoes, turnips.


Call me crazy..but that's much easier right? What do you guys think?