I’m Getting in Shape Thanks to My New Wingman at Stouffer’s #FitKitchen

Disclosure: I have partnered with Life of Dad and STOUFFER’S® for this promotion. I have received compensation and product for my participation, but my opinions are my own.

Back in my “crazy” college days, being a Wingman was the highest honor a friend could bestow upon you. A guy’s Wingman is always by his side, making him look fabulous and keeping him on target when he’s trying to score himself a hot date for Friday night.

Now that I’m older (oh yeah, and married), the term Wingman has a totally different meaning. No, I’m not talking about the guy who brings me a platter of spicy hot wings during a ball game. I’m talking about someone that can keep me on track in other facets of my life.

This year, I’m really pushing the health kick. My wife and I have let things slip way too much in the health department so we’re both on a big health kick these days. That means eating better and exercising more. But it’s tough. Really tough. Which is why I’m so happy to have a new Wingman helping me out.

Thanks to the folks over at Life of Dad and Stouffer’s, I’m now part of the #FitKitchen campaign. And my stomach (and tastebuds) couldn’t be happier!

This new life of STOUFFER’S®  Fit Kitchen frozen meals were made for guys like me who want to eat some good-tasting, wholesome meals. Each STOUFFER’S® Fit Kitchen meal is loaded with veggies, complex carbs and oodles of protein to get you going!

Currently, there are six flavors available:

• STEAK FAJITA in smoked red chile sauce with a mix of red & green peppers and seasoned brown rice
• CILANTRO LIME CHICKEN white meat chicken with a black bean & corn mix, seasoned brown rice and a verde tomatillo sauce
• ROTISSERIE SEASONED TURKEY with a mix of diced red skin sweet potatoes & green beans
• MONTEREY CHICKEN with diced red skin & sweet potatoes, lightly buttered green beans with BBQ style sauce
• BOURBON STEAK with chipotle mashed sweet potatoes, seasoned broccoli & red peppers
• OVEN ROASTED CHICKEN with diced red skin potatoes, seasoned broccoli and a savory wine sauce

With the weekend upon us, I had some pretty big plans for the family, mainly going for a nice nature hike. We have some amazing trails nearby and one of our favorites includes a path that goes right by a gorgeous waterfall before heading high up the mountain.

So on Saturday, I loaded the family into our car and headed off to Walmart. It took a few seconds in the frozen foods aisle before I discovered what would soon become my new Wingman.

Meet my new Wingman! @stouffers #FitKitchen #yum #ad

A photo posted by akardon1 (@akardon1) on May 31, 2015 at 1:28pm PDT

I grabbed the Steak Fajita and Monterey Chicken to try first, and then we headed home. Uh, we of course paid for everything first!

Sunday morning came and, sadly, so did the rain. In fact, it poured! So hiking was out. But we’re nothing if not adventurous, so we quickly shifted gears and decided on a family bike ride instead!

We hadn’t ridden yet this year, so I knew the bike tires would need air. I was already exhausted just thinking of all that pumping. And that’s when my new Wingman called to me.

Okay, I was convinced. Any frozen meal that can get me motivated was certainly worth tasting. Since it was lunchtime, I decided to fuel up for our adventure. Time for some Steak Fajitas! If you know how to press a button, you can make these meals. That’s how simple they are.

You don’t even need to slit the plastic for venting. Just open the box, stick the frozen meal in the microwave and cook for the specified number of minutes. The only real work I had to do was peel the plastic and stir when finished. Then I just covered and put it back to cook for just one more minute. I have to admit, when it was all done, it looked and smelled amazing. I was also impressed with how big a portion it came with. I’m used to eating frozen meals that are roughly 2/3 or even 1/2 the size. But how did it taste? “Super” would be an understatement. Seriously, this was really good. And I’m a guy who’s eaten a LOT of frozen meals in his life. Not only did it taste great, but like I said, there was a real generous portion.

I was actually full by the time I was done. I also felt totally fueled up by my new Wingman. Thanks to my STOUFFER’S® Fit Kitchen lunch, I was ready to take on the world!

Or at least, the bikes. Just as I thought, all four bikes had fairly flat tires. But pumping them up took no time at all. I was energized and ready to go!

The kids finished up their lunch and then we all hit the road for adventure.

Family Bike Ride after fueling up with @Stouffers #FitKitchen #ad A video posted by akardon1 (@akardon1) on May 31, 2015 at 1:47pm PDT

We rode around a bit and got roughly halfway through the neighborhood before it started thundering. Metal bikes and lightning are not a good combo. So we put it into high gear and raced home as fast as we could.

Apparently we just made it, because soon after, it began pouring again, with thunderstorms on and off all day.

So much for the outdoor adventure today.

I was still pumped up from my lunch, though, and still wanted to exercise. So I grabbed my Wingman and hit the basement to work out!

FIrst up was some weight lifting. Bench presses are probably my favorite and with the help of a good spotter, I was able to get a few good sets in.

Next up was cardio. I made my way over to the treadmill. By then, my legs were getting real tired and I was ready to call it quits, but my Wingman never lost faith in me. I finished my workout as planned.

I’m definitely a fan of these new STOUFFER’S® Fit Kitchen meals and plan on filling up my freezer with them. Who knows, this time next month I may be in such great shape, I’ll be able to bench press the freezer itself.

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