30 Day Fitness Challenge: Day 1, part deux

It is 11:11 in Austin and I am finally sitting down to journal my day. I am exhausted so I will make this brief:

I downloaded the app FatSecret to chronicle my caloric intake and track my exercises. So far, it has proven to be easy to use and incredibly helpful. I highly recommend downloading it - and the best part, it is free! Below I have taken screen shots of the super yummy and fantastic meals I prepared today; I have also input my a.m run (Town Lake, MoPac/Congress loop, barely under 4 miles).

During the few months that I had my trainer (Petra, the ruthless Ukrainian Barbie doll), I became educated on healthy fats and proper snacking. Hard boiled eggs (sans yolk) and whole wheat English muffins make up 85% of my breakfasts; it is so easy to boil a dozen eggs on Sunday to feast on throughout the following week. I am constantly on the go, quick and efficient meals are essential to my morning. If breakfast requires too much effort, I will skip it. Not good. Also, on a side note, I usually run in the a.m on an empty stomach. A quick 3-4 miles around the lake first thing in the morning is a great way to boost your metabolism. So, I wake up. I run. I come home. I eat. Then, I conquer my day.

I promise I didn't cheat today - surprise! This weekend is going to be difficult.  No beer over Memorial Day? That just seems un-American. Maybe there is a loophole, I will research.

I have to share this fantastic recipe I found for dinner tonight: Spinach and Feta Turkey Burgers. Delicious. Low Carb. Low Calorie. And so easy to make.

Spinach and Feta Turkey Burgers

Ingredients

• 2 (whole) eggs, beaten
• 2 (clove) garlic, minced
• 4 (ounce) feta cheese
• 1 (10 ounce box) frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 1 1/2 (pound) ground turkey
• 4 (large) hamburger buns*

Directions

1. Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil grate.
2. While the grill is preheating, mix together eggs, garlic, feta cheese, spinach, and turkey in a large bowl until well combined; form into 4 patties.
3. Cook on preheated grill until no longer pink in the center, 15 to 20 minutes.
4. *Note: Can be served without buns for a gluten free or low carb recipe.

Check out this recipe at Food on the Table

30 Day Fitness Challenge: Day 1.

Advocare: what the hell is that? And why are so many of my friends hooked on this "lifestyle" like they just discovered crack for the first time? I recently posted an update regarding this diet phenomenon; after sifting through the endless sledge of emails, text messages and phone calls I arrived at one conclusion: I still don't know what the hell Advocare is. Shocking! But I did learn that the definition of "fitness" is open to interpretation. Half of those that reached out to me were gung-ho, cheerleaders for this lifestyle system - the other half, chalked it up to nothing more than overpriced pyramid scheme of vitamins and useless supplements. The pro-Advocare preachers are users themselves, some are even consultants for the brand. The debating side consists of one gym owner, one recent med-school grad, and one gal in her last year of PT school (that is Physical Therapy, in case you didn't know). Interesting, no?

 In the past few years, or at least since I moved to Texas, I have become a lot more conscious about my weight, diet, and overall physique. I turned 26 this year and nearly had a mental breakdown over the thought of growing old and decrepit and turning into a turnip. (Dramatic; I have never claimed to be anything less). Maybe because I am mid-twenties, maybe because I am female, or maybe it is because I moved to Austin and fell in love with BBQ and Beer - who knows! But since my move in 2010 I have embarked on many, short-lived, journeys toward "losing weight" and "staying in shape". As a dancer, I have always had a relatively good handle on my body. I have also had a relatively acute awareness that, one day, my curves may get the best of me. The seven pounds I packed on in Texas are the devil in a Shiner bottle. Atkins was miserable. The Kim Kardashian pill is a complete joke (no, really?) and it is absolutely unrealistic - and crazy - to think you can commit to two-a-days forever. Who the hell did I think I was - Serena Williams!? But, I digress..

 As I continued to procrastinate my column and obsess over this silly Advocare thing, I had a revelation: in my physical prime, just a few short years ago, I was an over-active dancer and exercise fanatic. And you know what? I never once gave two rats booties what I ate. While I didn't over-indulge on twinkies and double cheeseburgers, I had the luxury of being able to metabolize everything I put into my body. Also, my friends (dancers) were incredibly fit and THEY never counted calories or spent hundreds of dollars on cleanses or pills or powders or nonsense. (I am talking about you, Shawna Barnes. Heather King. Ashley Bruton. YOU!)

So, all of these unnecessary chains of thought led me to this one fabulous little idea: hot-body journey documentation! And, I will use my blog as a portal! This is my plan: every day, for 30 days, I will journal my meals, exercise activities, and witty little musings. Not only will I be held accountable for my caloric intake and daily exercise, but forcing myself to blog every day will (hopefully) keep me consistent with my column. Win-win, right? I know my editor will be happy ;)

Below I have listed my starting investments with the dance and fitness classes I am already signed up for, along with my beginning weight and measurements. Wish me luck!

Bar Method: $125 for one month
Ballet Austin: $145 for ten classes
Gold's Gym: $30/month
*All of the above has been pre-purchased. However, I am active in a variety of things that cost little to nothing out of pocket. Such as running, hiking, and chasing after Gabel.

Weight: 136.2
 Bust: 32
Waist: 27
Hips: 39
 Thigh: 20
Bicep: 11

**Photos and food/exercise diary to be uploaded later tonight. Stay tuned!