My Fitness Pal and PICTURE TIME

Why has it been so long?  Because I have joined a website called myfitnesspal.com.

Basically - it's Facebook for people who have fitness goals.  It's a place to track and celebrate you success and track and figure out your trouble spots with people who are like minded to you.   I highly recommend it to anyone looking to train for something, or lose weight.. or even just track their food for the hell of it.  I've learned a lot from that website.

Essentially when you set up your profile, you enter in your goals and your time frame for you goal along with your personal h/w details.  Then... it calculates how much you need to eat (not just in calories but in protein, fiber etc) and how much you need to exercise in order to reach said goal.  It can be extremely eye opening.  I mean.. i know sbux is bad for me but did you know that even the "slim sensations" muffin at Mcdicks has 380 Calories in it?  Since when is that slimming OR sensational?  NOT WORTH IT.  Anyway... since starting that site I have seen a pretty exciting 3 pound weight loss.  WOOOoOO

The food log is probably the most benificial part to me as I feel like I can't hide anything anymore.  My fave quote being.. "What you eat in private shows on your body in public".

I do feel like I lost weight upon starting my running adventures ... but since I am highly against scales and how they make me feel... I will never ever know.

I DO know that my clothes fit great... and I feel smaller.

I also know that... my shins are KILLING ME.  Shin splints are death!!!  They are bad to the point of bruising on my shins.  It looks like I got into a fight with something... or just walked into something.  But I didn't.  I just ran my tush off and BAM.. bruise action on my legs.  I think this is because I've really started to kick it up a notch.  I've been doing longer distance running every other day - outside.  Yes.  Outside.  Which is tough!  I don't know why but my sense of timing is really different outside as opposed to inside on a treadmill.  I do know that I can run a pretty solid 8 km without stopping.   I do know that i run at least 6 km every other day.

CN wants me to mention how awesome he is right now.  So yes.  He is awesome.  But no this blog isn't about him.  (sorry dearest).

Back to running... well.. no speaking of CN - still pretty scared to run with him!  I don't know why but I find that when I run with people (especially him)  I get all self conscious and my breathing goes out the window as I try to push myself into his gazelle like pace (stupid.. long legged ... lean muscled boyfriend...).  Another one of my goals is definitely to be able to run on par with him.  Without feeling like a complete idiot.

True story.

Anyway.  I feel like an embarrassing picture is long overdue SO HERE WE GOOO!!!


I don't know if you can see a difference... but... i feel better walking around in my skivvies.  So that's a difference in itself.


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Mexican feasting

Hit the treadmill again yesterday and did my hour.  Starting to have some doubts about if I will actually be able to do this without an 'official' training program ala the Running Room training programs.

These are my thoughts...

a)I sign up as planned for the May 15th Half.... which map wise online doesn't look scary (because it's itty bitty!)...
OR...
b) I continue what I'm doing and take the next half Running Room training program (that starts in June) and continue that for four months with the goal of running the Scotiabank Half in October.

It doesn't help that CN is skeptical about me being able to do it now.  Yes... I can run straight for an hour.  But I've never run the distance of a half marathon before.  Perhaps it's an idea to head over to the route and attempt to run it - see how well that goes... and gauge from there what my plan of attack is.  

Shin splints have started to be an issue... and treadmill boredom has become an issue (COME ON SPRING).

I have stuck to my previously mentioned goals.  I've upped the anti on my workouts.  Today was a doubled up day... I did Booty Beat and a Zumba class - which was a blast AND kicked my ass.   There's nothing like getting a sweat on while doing a cowgirl dance move.  Hilarious.

I also cooked again my my Eat, Shrink and Be Merry cookbook.  I am definitely starting to wish I had started cooking more from this cookbook sooner!  Everything has been DELICIOUS.  I told you about the Mexican Lasagne (with the tortilla instead of noodles)... well last night I made this amazing salad called "Nacho Ordinary Taco Salad".  (Cheesy titles to each meal are a wee bit of a bonus folks..)

Anyway.  It was basically romaine salad topped with an extra-lean ground beef mixture (beef, onions, garlic, jalapeno, cumin, chili powder, tomatoes and ketchup) topped with corn, black beans, green pepper, tomatoes, cheese, salsa, plain yogurt, and sliced avocado.   NUMMERS.  I liked it a lot because I felt full after one serving, and while cooking it... I knew that lots of really healthy things were going into my body.  I was excited to make and eat this beast.

Here is a recipe should anyone want to try it out  *** note... I did not make any dressing for mine, and found it absolutely scrumptious without it ***

Na-cho Ordinary Taco Salad

Eat Up, and Cheer Up!!!  

Rainy Saturday

May isn't far away.  People are starting to ask about what date the Half Marathon is so that they can come cheer me on at the finish line.  People at work.. my mom.. and even regular customers at my store.  Hello pressure how are you?

Last time I blogged I wrote about wanting to step it up.  I've been doing that this past week.  I did 3 runs with number 4 planned today and one class PLUS a dance call for an audition. (which I got a callback for that happens next week)... It's been a good body week. So good in fact that my shins and calves are crying out in shin splint, fatigued pain.   I haven't been 'injured'  at ALL this whole journey.  I'm not really down with starting that now.   I know I need to rest but I also know how crucial it is to keep moving so that I don't lose my motivation.  I may need to step on over to bike land and spin for a week until my legs have healed a little bit.

The only thing iiisssss...... I'M A COMPETITIVE MOFO.  I have such a rawry inside that needs to up everything and be my best.  I don't like getting shown up after training for like.. 6 months.  It makes me feel like I haven't been training well enough.  So as much as I love the gym... ad my run... I like doing it alone.  Then I can push myself as I want to and not worry about the speed the person next to me is running.  When I run with CN - I'm watching his treadmill.. i'm watching his pace... and feeling a wee bit insufficient as I know if I run at his.. 7.5 pace that ... I will die.  My short little stumps can't go at that pace for an hour.  

Anyway.  That was a little rant inside a rant.

Made a great lasagne last night from the Eat, Shrink and Be Merry cookbook! It had soooo many delicious and healthy ingredients.  It was a Mexican inspired Lasagne.. no noodles - instead it used whole wheat tortillas.  CHECK IT OUT!!!  MAKE IT!!! EAT IT!!! Enjoy!!!  Here is a link to the recipe.  

Mexican Lasagne  
Instead of ground turkey - I used extra-lean ground chicken.  Enjoy!!

I dont have anything else to say right now!

Ta!

Blue Crush

Need inspiration to be in shape?

Opening scene in Blue Crush - Kate Bosworth working it out on the beach in the wee hours of the morning (pre anorexia... prime uber fit/hotness).  RIDICULOUS.  She makes me want to get up at a stupid hour (stupider than opening shift for Starbucks) and run on the beach and do chin-ups on the trees and ALMOST jump in Lake Ontario and do laps and paddle outs on my non-existant surfboard.

That's pretty big inspiration.  Yeesh.

Anyway.  I went to Mexico.

Did I surf?  No - so my Blue Crush fantasies stick with the movie and on Kate Bosworth rocking her itty beeny surfing bod bikini.

Trip was great though! Relaxing, suntastic.  Burnt my body, soothed it by drinking copious amounts of wine and lived to tell the tale.  All in all a good trip.

Did I run?

Why yes! Yes I did, and let me tell you - running in Mexico, even in an 'air conditioned' gym is TOUGH.  I could only go 45 minutes, and even that was pushing it.  I sweated like a construction worker and wanted to die doing it, but as usual the payoff was feeling pretty fantastic.  Another minor self victory was running on the ghetto treadmill in booty shorts.  Yes.  I jiggled like Beyonce and Shakira's love child - but a girl's got to do what a girl's got to do.   I hit the gym twice and CN and I took on a rather epic walk to another resort (i know he doesn't consider this exercise.. but anything that wasn't lounging on the beach in my mind counted).   Since being home I have hit the treadmill twice (an hour each time) AND taken on the great outdoors for a 'real' run.  Today - I even helped a friend out who wanted gym advice... our workout today clocked in at the two hour mark.  Therefore... I feel good.

Yes.  I want more results.   Who doesn't?  As I said the Beyonce/Shakira love child jiggle does bother me a little bit.   My legs are getting leaner - but I want to work on them more.  As well as my arms.  Since you don't really give your arms a killer workout running (unless you do the Pheobe run...)  I want to lift more weights and add some more strength training into the picture.

My new goals to achieve these jiggle woes:

-Throw in an extra run OR cardio session (alo spinning class let's reacquaint ourselves shall we?)

-Stay after running at the gym and work with the machines rather than hitting the stretch area and doing just abs and light resistance training.  Key moves = lunges and squats baby with some tricep dips on the side

-Hit up a class to partner with the pilates once a week.   Bootcamp? Gym Stick? Body Sculpt?  Thumbs UP.

Small, doable changes.  Add this to a healthy diet and I will not just be the love child of my RnB ladies - but their hot (younger) ... (white)... sister!

Hellllooooooooo beach runs here I come.


Ahem... well.. maybe in the summer :)

Get Happy.

Sometimes instead of getting 'skinny' I wonder if I need to really REALLY dig down deep and.. well.. Get Happy.

What makes me happy?  Let's make a list, because lists are delightful.

- tap dance sequences (watching them and when I have to - doing them well AND right)
- the smell of rain
- walking down the boardwalk on the beach
- being alone
- baths that have no timeframe
- meeting new people
- Gene Kelly .. Judy Garland..  Fred.. Ginger.. Frank.. the whole blast from the past gang that makes theatre so sooo beautiful and inspiring to me
- singing
- girl nights
- date nights
- conversations that are more than just fake bantering
- problem solving
- seeing big fluffy snowflakes at nighttime when they get illuminated by streetlights.. it's romantic in a weird way
- puppies.  (come on... what's more innocent and delightful than a puppy?)

The list could go on.  I think the point is...  I'm not entirely sure how happy I am in regards to how happy the average person should be.  We all have issues.  We all have drama.  We all have highs and lows.  Sometimes I wonder if I just take things too personally and forget to really let go to those little things and move onto the bigger picture of life.  This is probably a really good thing should I ever actually land a theatre gig - the life experience is adding up and making me feel more full of emotion than I ever was in theatre school.  Even on a happy scale.  I've been really really happy sometimes and really really sad.  Confusion.  I'm probably just completely normal.  Regardless - being an 'actor' kind of tunes me in a little too much to my emotions, and for once in my life... I feel that I understand what truly 'tapping in' to those emotions feel like.  If I had to cry on stage right now... I feel like I could.

... I don't know if that's a good thing.  I generally like to have a wee bit of a wall up.  It adds mystery you know?

Anyway.  Being a girl who is pretty scatterbrained...  I'm always looking to try new things.  The hot yoga studio by my place has a special on and upon returning from Mexico I want to set up a new challenge for myself.  Life is about challenge.. and I like beating my own expectations.  SO the deal is... the hot yoga studio has unlimited yoga - 30 days.. 30 dollars (that's awesome)... soooo if I join for 30 days, looking at the schedule - I can make a lot of classes that will fit quite nicely around my work schedule.  I should probably be able to go around 20 of those 30 days.  Yoga is supposed to really connect you to the mind, body, and soul.  Since I am kind of out of whack I figure this might be some quality .. roasty.. soul searching opportunity.

And well - it won't hurt the mission for eternal hotness either! baha ha ha.

Anyway.  I chose to put a link up to Judy Garland singing Get Happy.  Her theme song... she had soooooo many issues and was able to get on stage and be absolutely incomparable.  She sings Get Happy when she herself is in a nasty spiral of drugs.. eating disorders.. and self abuse.  She was a hell of a woman.  And she inspires me.  SO THERE!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2U-rBZREQMw

Beach Dreams and a Snobby Tummy

In one week at this time I will likely be packing.  Panicking and packing.  I like to leave things until last minute or else I get overexcited... sooo if I pack NOW for Mexico then I will just have a lot of waiting to do rather than productive time spent packing on the day of leaving.

... yes...  Excellent plan.

Luckily I will be working everyday until I get my butt on that plane so there won't be any days spent wasted.  I like to be a busy girl.

Tonight however... i would love to be at my beloved bootcamp class. BUT I will be closing Starbucks.  Don't get me wrong - I do love my job.. I just find days that I close are the hardest.  I end up wasting the morning and then being a little slow once I get to work... and since the customer load isn't very large at night - it can get a little boring!

Opening are the days I love.  Yes, I know, being up early sounds kind of lame - but it's being done early that is beautiful.  I love knowing I have been productive!  I love getting up and going and working then being done at 2.. and going to the gym.. then reading.. then going out with a friend orrrr working on a monologue or ANYTHING.  I feel that since I started off the day working that I can kind of spend the rest of the day on me and however I feel I want to spend it.   Yesterday was a good day.  I opened.  Then ran (might I mention yesterday was a 'snowstorm').  Then came home... read my book.. and then went out with Breanna.  We went to "No Strings Attached".  Albeit a pretty typical rom com.... it made me laugh!  It tugged at my tuggable heartstrings and didn't make me sign at it's lameness.  It was cute, witty and a good girls night movie.  The only thing that was sour was the POPCORN.  I ate some... and my tummy was one grumpy tummy!!!!  I've been gradually trying to change my eating habits and movie theatre popcorn isn't something I eat very often (if at all) and yesterday it was quite clear that it just isn't worth it.  My body hated it... and therefore I really need to get on the train of thought of putting good things into me to make me feel good.  To make me feel energized and happy!   I felt shitty... but kind of stoked at the same time because I think my tummy is becoming a snob.

Right?

I mean... if you feed yourself good things... you feel good!  And I have been feeling great lately!  So way to go team tummy for reminding me of the really not so hotness that is possible when you eat before you think.

I will forever treat my tummy like the snob that it is.

Lesson learned.

Fave quote from movie last night?  "It's like a crime scene in my pants".

Go.   Laugh... and don't think too much.

Just a pic. Nothing more.

Mexico in 9 days... here is a pic of my abs as they ARE ignore the awkward facial expression haha...

Working hard.  Hitting a little bit of a plateau with running.  I'm getting bored of the treadmill and look forward to the sun coming out and making the running outside a realistic treat!!!!!

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