Day 1 - Meet Ashley Kriss

Ashley Kriss is a fellow figure competitor and now fellow cycling instructor at Cycle614. Check out her article below: (all photo credits go to Ashley herself)

Exercise is Queen Food is King

Exercise is queen, food is KING. That is my motto that I tell my clients all the time. You can spend hours at the gym lifting weights or doing cardio, but if your nutrition is not on par, then you will not see results.

For a long time, I was that cardio bunny doing an hour of cardio and lifting weights and not seeing the muscle definition I was yearning to have. I worked out so I didn’t have to focus on consuming nutrient dense foods. Processed breads, unhealthy snacks, and hardly any veggies were my regulars. I also drank lots of beer and ate out all the time. No wonder I was wondering why my muscles weren’t making their appearance. It was a vicious cycle that continued on for a while until I lost hope. I stopped working out for about 9 months and noticed some not so healthy changes in my body.

A year ago, I heard about meal prepping. I researched healthy food options that I could store in my fridge for a few days at a time and I started prepping my foods for the week. I cooked turkey meat, bison, crockpot pull apart chicken, roasted veggies, squash, sweet potatoes, brown rice and quinoa and many other food options that would last a few days in the fridge. I noticed changes in my physique after a few months of prepping and knew I was on the right track.

I have done a lot more research on nutrition and have since found what foods my body responds to best for better results. The body is such an amazing instrument and if fed properly, can show you amazing things! You just have to trust the process, the food you put in your body and stay consistent. It does not happen over night but over time. I have since cut back on the amount of time I spend at the gym as well as the amount of cardio I was doing at the gym. For a while, I was completing 30 minutes of cardio before every lifting session, which was almost 6 days a week. Now, I am down to twice a week of HIIT cardio for 30 minutes after my lifting sessions. I will also throw in a 45-minute spin class once in a while.

There are so many easy, fast and delicious recipes I can put together with the foods I have prepped for the week. When hunger strikes, and it strikes hard, I can then make quick, healthy choices from my fridge.

Another important reminder that I tell all my clients is to eat breakfast! Even if it is just a protein smoothie, it needs to be done. Your metabolism for the day counts on being revved up after you wake up.

My favorite smoothie that only includes five ingredients is: half a frozen banana, ¼ cup mango, one tablespoon of peanut butter, a scoop of whey protein and enough water to get things moving, then blend! It is thick and creamy and so good for you. I will throw in some spinach or kale too! Another great, quick option is egg whites over a bed of spinach and two pieces of whole grain toast. Who says you can’t eat veggies for breakfast?

There are a plethora of diets and new ways to lose weight in 5 days or 2 hours but forget all that. Those are not sustainable and probably not healthy. Finding the right amount of nutrients to fuel your body is key, or KING, and everyone should be able to find that balance and make it a lifestyle change. We have one body so why not treat it respectfully and fuel it properly.

Want to learn how to fuel your body correctly and turn it into a lifestyle? I would love to help and I am offering a 10% discount on my packages! I also offer online and personal training. Make sure you click on my recipe booklet below, download it and start your lifestyle right now!

You can contact me at: akrissfitness@gmail.com OR 941-224-2928.

Ashley Kriss' FREE Recipe E-Book!

As always, if you have any comments, thoughts, or questions don't be afraid to CONTACT ME!!

In the meantime, please take care of yourself. You're worth it and you deserve it! - Velma

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Velma is an extraordinary personal trainer who combines challenging workouts geared towards your current level of fitness with compassion, empathy, respect and humor. Her clients enjoy benefits such as mastering their favorite yoga poses, jumping rope for 3 minutes nonstop to bending over to tie their shoes easily and making the tops of their feet visible again. Velma gets great joy out of helping her clients gain belief and trust in their own strength and abilities.

Over the next 4 weeks Velma will be taking on a limited number of clients. Call or email to schedule a consultation.

Please continue to check for my growing list of products:

Check out this 30 day clean eating course to jump start your healthy eating plan:

Click here on this page for enrollment, or here for more of an explanation about the e-course.

For this e-course, each week builds upon the previous week, so it's in your own best interest to make sure you complete the assignments from week to week.

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