Fit & Organized

I had a date with Equinox last night : )  I dressed up for the occasion in a baseball cap and Nikes.  It was exactly what I needed..40 flights of stairclimber, a little strength training, and the elliptical.  I reached that exhausted but exhilarated level...drenched in sweat and feeling good.  

This morning was my first group pilates session.  The studio is right down the street, and the people in the class were really friendly.  It's not as intense as my sessions at the gym, but it's a nice waker upper on a Saturday morning.  Duyen and I took our beach cruisers out and had a simple lunch at a neighborhood cafe.  My grilled chicken sandwich was soooo tasty & I managed to avoid the french fries.

Since I'm a crazy perfectionist (and trying to stay busy on a 

Saturday night), I thought it might be fun to get organized, track my workouts visually, and make note of eating habits.  So I headed to Ross and Target and found the cutest stuff - Fit and Fresh food containers http://www.fit-fresh.com/, a Real Simple calendar where I can track my workouts w/colorful tabs, an erasable magnetic calendar for the fridge, and 2 journals.  I highly recommend these Fit-Fresh containers...genius!  I also found a great alternate to my boring Total cereal -   Kashi's Go Lean crunchy fiber twigs, soy protein grahams, and honey puffs.  It's filling but not too sweet.  For dinner tonight I grilled up some salmon on the Foreman and added brown rice and broccoli.  

Fantastic Friday

Today was a great day.  I woke up early and hit the Strand for a beach walk....tried not to think about how much I'll miss the ocean if I move to Portland.  Later on I met my mom for lunch.  I love spending time with her...we're really close and I can talk to her about anything.  We shared a tasty seafood salad (one of my favorites with lots of shrimp and crab) on the outdoor patio and I had to tell her that I'll be accepting the position if it's a good fit.  I'm not sure she was ready to hear that (sigh).  I'll keep thinking it through during my workout tonight.  For dinner I made a colorful salad with herb chicken, ricotta, red pepper, spinach, and balsamic vinaigrette...mmmm.  I'm also loving garlic hummus with low fat triscuits. 

P.S. Happy Hour on No Gym Thursday was not so happy : (  Political gossip and "who's who in LA politics" talk killed it...I felt completely uncomfortable and insecure since I'm not "in the know." I'll try solo in the City next time.

Friday Thursdays

Thank goodness its Thursday! (Today is really my Friday b/c I have a 9/80 schedule). I'm really excited about checking out the Edison, and obviously not in the mood to work super hard considering I've posted twice today! Anyways, I ran an errand near City Hall today and came across a great discovery - there's a fresh food market on Thursdays. Woo hoo! That reminds me that there's also a Wednesday market in the business district. I had completely forgotten about this. This is the first really warm day we've had in a while (80ish!), and City Hall was stunning in the blue sky (pic post tomorrow). I'm definitely going to extend my lunch breaks on Thursday, hop on the DASH bus, and stock up on fruits and veggies.

On another note, it snowed again in Oregon. My BF Becky mentioned going up to the mountain when I'm up there next weekend. Woo hoo! I hope the weather holds and we'll get a chance to go snowboarding. Thanks for all the comments...I'm officially a blog addict thanks to you guys : )

First No Gym Thursday

Today is No Gym Thursday. Unfortunately I woke up late and had to rush out the door. I usually don’t dress up too much for work, but I wanted to wear a really cute red dress for Happy Hour. Oh well…I’m going to have to settle for the no shower look today…ugh : ( I branched out and invited a girl from work that I don’t know very well (the only person I work with in the 30ish/single zone)...we’ll see how it goes.  I'm hoping to have a good time with friends, hopefully get to know a co-worker, and enjoy downtown.

Unfortunately it was also No Gym Wednesday last night...put on my clothes, got in the car, and didn't have the energy. So I had way too many carb snacks instead and went to bed early. It’s ok though…I needed the sleep and I have a 3 day weekend ahead. The weather is supposed to beautiful, so I’m hoping to spend most of my time walking on the beach (maybe some running if my knees will take it) and hitting the gym. Or maybe I’ll break out my beach cruiser for a ride along the Strand. I bought this bike last summer and I'm so in love with it! I’m staying away from the nightlife this weekend…that’s always hard for me to do because I’m not much of a homebody and my friends always go out on Saturday nights. Pilates starts on Saturday, and I’m really looking forward to it.

"Me" Reminder - I'm a cowgirl at heart

I usually have mid-week burnout on Wednesdays, so today I decided to post reminders of when I've felt really strong and alive. As I prepare for the Portland interview next Friday, I'm hoping these memories will encourage me to always go after things that really matter.

In September I took a solo trip to the Lazy L&B Ranch in Wyoming - something I had dreamed of doing as a kid. Every morning our wrangler Claire would lead us on one challenging trail ride after another. When we reached wide open spaces, we would coax our horses into a steady lope. Thank goodness for all of those horseback riding lessons!

On the last ride of my trip, I gave my horse some extra rein and tapped him for a little get up and go. He took off at a full gallop, and it was the most exhilarating feeling. For some reason he spooked as he passed the horse in front of us and he took off like off like a lightning bolt! I fell to the side but still managed to hang on to the reins. I clung to that horse for 1/2 a mile, riding side saddle with one arm the whole way.

Thankfully he gradually slowed down after climbing up a hill. I remember sliding off gracefully while holding the reins, fearing he would bolt again. I'll never forget the look in that horse's eyes standing there on that hill. Claire, our wrangler who saw the whole thing unfold, hurried up to me. I was shaking but smiling at the same time. She said that I should have punished him immediately. That was the furthest thing from my mind...that horse made me feel more alive than I've ever been. In that instance, he represented everything that I strive to be - strong, powerful, and beautiful.

Quote of the Day: "For one to fly, one needs only to take the reins."

Small Victory

Before I left work yesterday, the nonprofit called to offer a 2nd interview in person. I’m surprised because I didn’t feel very confident with the initial interview. So now I’ve completely switched gears from thinking about my cheesy date (and lack of a follow up text or call) to a more important matter – if I were to get the job, am I ready to move back to Portland?

I hit the gym and sweated through a 30 minute core workout, more strength training including dips and pull ups (my weak factor), 10 minutes of bike intervals at RPM over 110 (such a killer!), and my standard elliptical routine. Thankfully I discovered a few new songs to get me through my workout.
Warm up/Cooldown – Now and Always (David Gray is my all time favorite!)
Strength training – Get on Your Boots (new U2 song)
Intervals – Mausam & Escape (Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack)
Elliptical – Paper Planes DFA Remix, Disturbia, Live your Life

I'm still having trouble with overeating in the evening, but I'm hoping that these strenuous workouts will make up for it. Despite some carb loading now and then, I can see that my tummy area is finally toning up a little. And the good news is that my favorite work pants fit this morning! I put on a really cute pair of heels and a turquoise scarf to celebrate this little victory. It's definitely worth all of the hard work.

My Weekend - from Mediyolkre to Eggscellent

I had one of those weekends where I wished it were still Sunday. It started out with dinner on Friday night with Stef. We caught up on dating stories (or lack thereof!) and trying different “scenes” in LA…Stef’s now my partner in crime for No Gym Thursday. I crashed pretty early after watching What not to Wear (the best show ever!). Saturday morning I hit the beach for an hour walk. It was cold and crisp and felt great to be outside…I realized how much I miss my Strand walks after being sick last week.

Saturday afternoon I had my last training session with Ms. Bootcamp. I was still feeling groggy even after my morning walk, so I had to mentally psyche myself up beforehand. It was a tough workout, but not too exhausting. The kinesis machine is perfect for combining strength training with a little bit of cardio. I was feeling great afterwards and did another half hour of core training, 10 minutes on the stairmaster (the one that has real steps…I climbed 50 floors!), and 30 minutes on the elliptical. I set a record of being at the gym for 2 and a half hours…now that’s crazy good!

Duyen and I had plans to go out in Manhattan Beach for dinner and to our favorite martini bar that night, so I did a little shopping beforehand. I was bummed after trying on a zillion things in the Guess store and nothing fit. That’s the worst feeling, especially after a tough workout earlier. I shook it off and headed to Brass Plum and found the cutest pair of black skinny jeans and a few accessories. I paired the jeans with a trendy top and black heels and felt really great before heading out.

Dinner was hilarious and annoying at the same time. 3 overly loud Italian guys were sitting next to us at the bar and proceeded to serenade us with Dean Martin songs. It was super embarrassing because the tiny restaurant was packed, but somehow really charming at the same time. Wayne, our strikingly handsome bartender, made a magical drink out of champagne and Chambord. As it bubbled over, Johnny H (yep, that was the Italian’s name) said that it meant I would have good luck (hmmmm…). I felt like I was on vacation in my own town.

The Italians were a little too rowdy, so we left and headed over to Upper Manhattan. I was instantly attracted to a cute guy sitting at the bar and we ended up talking for the rest of the night. His name is Jeff, and it just so happens that he lives a few blocks from my apartment. Anyway, he invited me to breakfast Sunday morning…I’ll admit that I was a little overwhelmed by it all…it’s been a while since I’ve had that butterfly feeling...see egg photo :) During breakfast we tried to come up with names for the restaurant’s naming contest. Since our omelettes were terrible, Jeff suggested “Mediyolkre.” He he he. Genius : ) As he dropped me off, I realized how much I wanted to see him again. So later that night I sent a text thanking him. [Cheesy alert]: he replied back, “Glad you didn’t think it was mediyolkre.” So cute, so I replied, “It was eggscellent…hope we can do it eggain soon.” Now I’m crossing my fingers for a 2nd date. Aaagh…the agony of dating. I’m going to channel all of this nervous energy into my workouts this week.

Solo in the City - No Gym Day

This may seem a little funny, but I'm going to designate Thursday as No Gym Day. Here's the reason why...I'm a single gal working in downtown LA, and I keep wondering why I'm not meeting many professional people with similar interests (aka guys). I commute from downtown to the beach where I live every night, and being at the gym 5 days a week isn't helping much in the dating department. To bring myself out of the social duldrums, I'm going to try Happy Hour solo in the City. I don't have many friends who work downtown, and I've found that I'm much more approachable when I'm by myself. So for the next month I'm going to try 3-4 different scenes:
1. Library Bar - a literary-minded lounge offering a sophisticated drinking space and after-work social scene
2. The Edison (bloggers are calling it the WOW spot in downtown...a vintage, professional vibe with amazing cocktails and cabaret/theater/circus shows)
3. Lakers Game at the new LA Live ESPN Center or Yardhouse Brew Pub
4. The Edison again (supposedly it's THAT good!!!)

Food Friday

I was so excited when I looked in the fridge after grocery shopping last night and it was stocked with ALL healthy goodies. A year ago I was eating out all of the time and had forgotten what it was like to eat fresh foods. Sometimes I have a hard time remembering what my favorite meals are, so I'm jotting them down today.

Breakfast
- Total cereal with blueberries & skim milk
- Low fat cottage cheese with fresh pineapple chunks
- Silk Light Chocolate soy milk & a banana
- Alicia's smoothie - ½ frozen banana, handful of frozen blueberries, raspberries or strawberries, small handful/scoop of regular old-fashioned oatmeal (uncooked), 1/3 cup plain nonfat organic yogurt (like Nancy’s that comes in the big bin), 1 tbsp honey (small squirt), and 2 scoops soy protein powder (vanilla or plain flavor – Genisoy brand). Add enough water to cover the fruit, and blend.

Lunch
- Caprese salad - iceburg lettuce, spinach, baby tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil, & low fat vinaigrette
- BBQ Chicken salad - iceburg lettuce, Fresh & Easy bbq chicken strips, cilantro, tomatoes, avocado, salsa, black beans, & Kraft Catalina fat free dressing
- 1/2 turkey sandwich (avocado, turkey, tomato, sprouts, lettuce, wheat bread w/at least 4 grams of fiber and less than 100 calories)
- 1/2 tuna sandwich w/light mayo (or mix with avocado) on wheat

Dinner
- Grilled salmon fillet with miso sauce, microwavable brown rice, and steamed broccoli (5 minute meal using George Foreman grill)
- Lean Cuisine with added veggies
- Light burrito (wheat tortilla, black bean mix, mozzarella cheese, fresh & easy chicken strips, avocado, & fresh pico de gallo)
- Caprese or bbq chicken salad

Snacks
- Fruit (strawberries, cherries, clementines, grapes, Honey Crisp apples, oranges)
- Almonds
- Rice pudding snacks - blueberry/pomegranate flavor
- Kraft stringums string cheese
- Low fat triscuits
- Fiber One chocolate & oats bars (35% daily fiber!)
- Sugar snap peas

In addition to my fitness goals, I decided it might be fun to have a few food goals too:
- Attend 1 Saturday market a month to get fresh fruits and veggies
- Take a cooking class
- Bring my reusable grocery bags to the store (I always forget them!)
- Buy better knives (maybe that pink Kitchenaid set at Ross is still there...)

Group Fitness "Reformer"?

I've decided to overcome a small hurdle and join a group fitness class. My private pilates sessions at the gym were amazing but too expensive. So I decided to take a semi-private class through the city for much cheaper. For some reason I've always been really self conscious in any kind of group fitness class. Usually it's my lack of coordination and inability to relax that get me. So we'll see how this goes...it will definitely give me something to look forward to on Saturday mornings, and it's right down the street. Hopefully my core will be thanking me for it!