My weigh in this morning was super-duper frustrating since I thought I had eaten spotless 95% of the time this last week & worked pretty hard. So I expected a bigger loss since last weeks (Last week- 124.6. This week- 124.2. But I did paint my toenails for you. SO, you're welcome)  

I have like NO time to write, but I really wanted to continue with my Friday weigh ins. My measurements are the same. I'm going to cut back my carbs again, I think until I get down until 122 & then try to reintroduce complex carbs like yams, quinoa & all natural (steel cut) oatmeal. Last time I cut carbs drastically for the week, it helped a bit. 
So, to say goodbye I had a BIG ol' bowl of oatmeal & baked apples for breakfast this morning. 

ok, since I'm very limited in clock space, I don't have the time that this glorious creature, Joanna Rohrback, deserves (she is the person, not the horse in the picture above). 

I cannot. cannot. cannot quit watching her brilliant exercise video & I am in awe of her & I am so super for real this time when I say she is my spirit animal. 

I have now watched this video like 10 times. Thank you, universe, for introducing me to Prancercise: 

It's time to cut the noose & really let it loose! Happy weekend! 

I don't know what it is about yoga that makes me sweat so much, but it is borderline embarassing. 
Scratch that. It's crazy embarassing, because it's not even when I'm in full flow or towards the end of the class like everyone else. It's like, I roll out my mat & I'm a gross sweaty mess! I even have a towel-like mat that I put over my real mat because I can't stay in one place if I don't have that. Just-a-slippin' & a-slidin' all over the place. Ugh. Gross. 
It's gross. I'm gross. & yesterday Mike W's (wonderful) class at the Westgate Black Swan location was no exception. What's the opposite of an exception?

Within the first 5 minutes probably, Mike W was all like "let's do crow before we're all to sweaty to get our legs up there, amirite??" 
HAHAHAHAHAHA- slip

Anyway, enough of that. 
It was a fantastic class. Mike W is great. 
The only thing that I do not like at Black Swan is that within the last year or so the teachers always want us to start the class by introducing ourselves to a stranger. This. Makes. Me. Uncomfortaaaaaable. Only once has that ever gone not totally awkward for me (it actually led to a nice discussion about queso). But, once in my first & ONLY sweaty yoga class (see above: oh, you're going to make this classroom hotter? How could this possibly be bad for me?) an exchange went like this: 

ME: hi, I'm Katy
Yogi 1: Hi, I'm Lindsay
Yogi 2: Hi, I'm Justin
Yogi 1: Hey, have you ever been to this class before?
Yogi 2: No, actually this is my first yoga class ever. 
ME (thinking I'm still part of the conversation): This is your first class ever?! 
Annoyed glares from Yogi 1 & Yogi 2. Obviously I was NOT still part of the conversation. 
Yogi 2: Uh... yeah. 
ME: Oh, okay. I.... mmmhmm 
goes back to picking nail polish off my toes. 

So, anyway. That happened. 
But I don't know if it's because I got there too late for it or if Mike W is just a goddamn rebel,but there was no meet & greet & all the awkward yogis in the room breathed a breath of relief (the first of many in the next hour to come). 

An interesting thing was that Mike W started the class with shavasana (which is always the last pose[?] of the class). For those that don't practice, shavasana is basically just laying there. I mean, I think you're supposed to be focusing on your breathing or setting an intention or sending out good vibes, but it's really just laying there.

I kind of don't care for shavasana. I get so antsy & start thinking of all the things that I could be doing instead  of just laying there. My yoga teacher friend, Kelli (whose blog you can read right here!) once told me that those who hate shavasana probably need it the most. But, Mike W said that we should try to find it in every pose. I had never really thought about that. I think that's a nice thought to think.
See, what he meant is-- that calm & serenity you find by just laying there & relaxing, you need to find a way to take that & try to find that calm within yourself when you're holding some super difficult pose for way longer than sanity would allow. 
And I love that. I think that rule could be transferred into so many elements of life. Stressed at work. Find Shavasana. Fighting with your love. Find Shavasana. Stuck in traffic?!?!? Find it. (I know nothing is more infuriating. Traffic maybe when you need it most)
I think this guys doing OK with it: 

oh, my good god. This picture makes me giggle so much. Get it? Do you get it? I'm sorry if you don't get it. Anyway, back to the class. 

It was so super hard you guys! Which is a good thing. I hadn't been to class in a while & I really needed it, but I was spent before the class was even kinda over. There were a lot of balancing poses which is OK. I need work on my balance, but it's so weird. I cannnnnnnnot balance on my right foot. Can't do it. Not for 5 seconds. 

There were also a lot of binds. Which I love. I love binds. 

Like this one: Now, I kind of stop at the first picture. But when balancing on my left leg & stretching my right leg I can usually straighten that leg for a solid 3 seconds before loosing my balance. So, that's fun. But oh boy. It feels awesome once you get it down. Even if you can't do the full fancy leg point. It's still great for your chest, legs & core. Also, getting your heart rate up! (I got these pictures here. I'm not sure exactly how I'm supposed to give props where props are due. But here are my props) 

So, needless to say, that today I am a damn sore mess. My shoulders, glutes & obliques are killing, but in a great way. 

Oh! But this morning I went to the gym to get my arm day out of the way. As you may remember, I hate hate hate hate front raises. So I've been pushing myself with them. I'm in the mind set that the more I do them the less I'll hate them eventually. So, anyway today after about rep 3 when I was just wanting to quit & cry because those dumbells are stupid & I hate them & I'm telling mom.. I paused & told myself to find my savasana here. Surely, there has to be some part of me that isn't rejecting this workout. Find that calm & apply it to this situation. 

I mean, it didn't really do anything, but maybe I just haven't channeled it yet. Ya know? I just gotta... tap into it? 

Anyway, I leave you with this dog who has MASTERED shavasana (which I have said so many times while writing this post that it no longer sounds like a word to me. Not that it's really an every day word anyway)

Happy Memorial day everyone! 
(Editor's note (is that right? Am I the editor?): I had to look up which holiday it is because I always think Memorial day is Labor day & Labor day is Labor day. Just tell me when to wear white) 
So, we started our day the way I've been waiting to start my Memorial day for months now. 
With the Bluth Family. 

I was in such an Arrested state  (see what I did there?) that I nearly had a vodka rocks & a piece of toast for breakfast... BUT! 
But, I didn't. 1) Because that actually sounds horrible & 2) Because I was trying my very first spin class today. 

Most mornings at 5:30 am my gym has their spin class. However, for the holiday today Gold's is having a very abbreviated schedule & the spin class was moved to 9 am. I've been wanting to try spin for ages & since 9am is not 5:30, I officially had no excuse not to go
This morning I was having a particularly nice hair-day & thought it would be adorable to put my hair in two little ponytails, put on a cute little blue t-shirt, some cute stud owl-shaped earrings & headed out to spin. 

DUUUUUUUUUDE. Dude! Dude. Seriously, dude. I mean. Yeah. That shit is intense. 
I saw roughly how many calories I would be burning in a spin class on My Fitness Pal & figured it'd be a really good cardio, but I didn't take the resistance training into account. My muscles... those ones on your legs (?) like above your knees- those are still burning! (quads? Are those quads? are these my quads right here? Can you see me pointing?)

My cute little blue t-shirt? Fuck that guy. When I was done with Jenn's 45 minute spin class it was a damn dark navy color. 
I honestly don't think I've ever sweat so much in my life! Luckily, I took a before & after (whatever. I just like taking selfies. I am the best photographer of me)

So, a little about the class. First off, when I got there I tried to adjust my bike & I just couldn't. I just couldn't figure it out. So... I was just going to do the whole damn class not quite reaching the peddles, but luckily I got some help.
The instructor, Jenn, had a great energy & came over to explain this contraption to me. She gave me a few pointers & kind of gave me a run down of the class structure. 
She totally could have saved herself some time by saying "Just do what I say & try not to pass out. Oh, yeah. I hope you live on the first floor. Oh, you don't? Ok, you're going to hate your life walking up your stairs later today. & just have fun with it! Stay hydrated!"

It was certainly challenging  but a great class. Something I particularly enjoyed was the playlist. I loved Jenn's selections. Firstly, there was one sequence called a "climbing" sequence. So, what this means is you start in first gear & you do that gear for 30 seconds & then you go to second gear & so on & so on until you're screaming "where the fuck is the top of this hill?!"
For that song she played Kanye's (Yes, we're on a first name basis) "No Church in the Wild" which I thought was a strange choice, but no. It was perfect. That steady, strong beat was perfect for this particular resistance, intense workout. 

Right? Isn't it perfect?
By the end of that song I checked my heart rate. My average heart rate through out the whole class was about 160 bpm (this highest I saw it was 175 & the lowest was about 140). So, an hour of that is pretty much killin' it, y'all. 

She also played my new favorite Robin Thicke song that I've mentioned before. I hadn't gotten a chance to work out to it yet, but I was correct. It's a booty-shakin' cardio inducing, fun song. 
 
Then, she really surprised me with this one song that I'm always hearing on Austin's go-to-indie-hipster station. I seriously cannot get enough of this song. It's sort of a slower song so I would have never thought to put it in a work out. It is a very, very sexy song. So maybe we're meant to peddle through the pain while imagining looking great naked? I don't know, but it worked for this sequence where we alternated between "peddling with the tempo" & then  "peddling like rabid dogs are chasing you through a field". Oh, let me look up the song. I don't even know who sings it. 

I was so grateful for the end of the class, but I can see myself going back.It looks like Jenn is the typical instructor on Mondays, so maybe I'll try to make this a Monday thing. 

....though 5:30 is so early y'all (I'm usually at the gym by 6am. there is a world of difference between 5:30 & 6)

Today is weigh in day! I don't know why I put an exclamation point there! I was not super stoked about it today. 
The last two days I have been perfect, but this weekend was not great. Sunday had been particularly hard. 

Also, as I mentioned yesterday, I'd been slacking on my workouts..
So, I was just A-Okay with my weigh in & measurements being EXACTLY the same as last week. 
So, in celebration & out of laziness, I just used last weeks scale picture. 
Just pretend where it says "Last Weigh In" that it says "Beginning" 

My toes are the same color & everything. 
Damnit, I really need to paint my toenails. What color should I do? Discuss.

And since my measurements are the same & everything- I look pretty much the same. 

So, I just had a little fun with my Picasa. This is me in the negative, but feeling pretty positive. I was in a great mood this morning for whatever reason. 

So, anyway.
Let's talk about something else.

Ever been to the awesome website  Muffin Topless? 
Oh, man. I love this site & I am seriously considering purchasing her Bikini Body plan. It's like $10 for a meal plan outline & 12 weeks workout plan. 
Yes, I'm sure that I could come up with a plan along these lines on my own, but I feel much more confident in someone else doing this for me. 

Anyway, I'm really into this site right now & I'm planning to incorporate some of her tips & workouts into my life. For example, Savannah suggest starting with setting easy goals like taking a multi-vitamin every morning or drinking a gallon of water a day.
Yeah, I said a gallon. So I gave that a try. If my calculations are correct ( & by calculations, I mean typing "how many cups are in a gallon" into Google) a gallon is 16 cups
Daaaaamn, y'all. 16 cups is a lot of fucking water to consume in one day. I mean, does one's bladder eventually adapt to that, or is it just perpetual bathroom all day everyday for the rest of your gallon-a-day-life?
But, I must say just by following her basic meal plan lay out & taking a vitamin & peeing all the damn time-- I do feel healthier & can certainly feel my energy levels rising!

Oh, speaking of getting your energy up, I found a new boogie-inducing song!

Robin Thicke has been around since forever & I always, always forget about him.
This song is fun. Isn't it fun? I think it's fun.

Ok, so I will keep you posted in my Muffin Topless related decision. In the mean time, read that blog. It's great & she's super Bopo (that's twitter for body positive). Until next time, I'm going to leave you with some more Amanda Bynes because it's a super slow day at work & she's such an amazing waste of time-- I mean a way to waste your time... actually, no. Both ways work.

                            HAPPY FRIDAY Y'ALL!

OH MY GOD! Here's a video of her getting in her spazzy-drug induced cardio! You know what... that actually looks like a lot of fun.

she might actually be on to something there...

This week. 
This week has been a bit of a roller coaster for sanity & fitness. I haven't been hitting the gym quite as much as the previous few weeks, but sometimes that's OK.  Sometimes your body says "Nah, bitch" & you have to respect that. 

This morning- after hitting the snooze twice- I mumbled to myself "get your damn head in the game, Hearne" & stumbled towards the ta-ta tamer & Puma's. 

I got myself down to the gym about 15 minutes behind regular schedule so I did a slightly abbreviated arm morning with the following sequence from my Workin' On My Fitness Board

I started with a 5 minute elliptical warm up. The new ellipticals are growing on me though I do miss feeling close toJillian on the Arc Trainer. 

I did the above sequence. (I need to start keeping track of what size dumbbell I use on which exercise. Does anyone have an app they would recommend for this?) Though I hit a bit of a speed bump...

Ok, can we talk about frustration for a minute? 
When I was in high school, I just didn't fucking get algebra. I failed Algebra 1 my freshman year & had to opt out of Algebra 2 my senior year- severely damaging my GPA, but intensely elevating the strain on my sanity.Despite the tutor my parents were sending me to, despite the extra work I'd try to put in, nothing mattered. It was just the worse & it made me feel like a complete & total idiot.  When I was in my Algebra classes I remember sometimes putting my head down & feeling tears build up in my eyes because I just. couldn't. do. it.

I get that same kind of feeling every  time I do front raises with anything more than a 5lb weight. & even then it's the worst.  It is so damn frustrating. Luckily, I haven't cried in the gym yet, but... dude, I wouldn't be surprised if one stressful day- it happened. They are just so hard for me. I know since I hate them so much I should probably try to do them every day just to tell my arms that I'm in charge of this, damnit. But... but... uuuuuugh 

Since I'm kind of a badass, I survived my 15 front raises. Once I was done with the sequence, I did a 5 minute cardio blast, started the sequence again until I hit 35 minutes. Final cardio blast & then headed home. 

OH! 
Let's talk about something that has nothing to do with crying at the gym now, ok? Great, I'm glad you're on board. 
You remember a couple of days ago I posted about the Zumba class I went to Saturday? Well, I sent a link to the teacher & she supplied me with a video of me doing Zumba! My awkward dreams have come true. 
The downside is the 1) the video is kind of grainy & small, but I do have some screentime!  2) it's nowhere near as awkward as I expected. I almost wish I looked more foolish so as to encourage everyone to step on out of that comfort zone. 

Let's talk about body image for a minute. 
I, like every woman ever, have suffered from crippling doubt when faced with a mirror & a swimsuit. Like saying to my refection:  "no, I'm not leaving the house today because I just can't handle this right now" kind of self consciousnesses. It's tough & I've always had such admiration for people that just couldn't give a fuck. 

Spotlight on The Militant Baker & her recent photo response to the CEO of a totally irrelevant brand by the standards of everyone I know. 

A statement made by Abercrombie & Fitch's CEO has been getting some pretty serious heat lately. It's being revisited that Mike Jeffries believes that A&F is a cool kid's brand (eye roll). & there's no way any cool, attractive kid could be above a size 10 & that's why his store doesn't carry fat clothes (I really don't feel obliged to quote directly nor provide a link. Just Google it if you need to read the quote, but that is the basic gist). 
I have a couple of things to say about this. 
First of all,Jeffries looks like this: 

Wait... no, no. That is Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer. My bad...
This is Mike Jeffries pictured to the right, but you can obviously see where I got confused. (So, this is the guy tell you you're not attractive enough. Ok.)

in the interview, he makes a stink about not carrying anything over a large, but I just checked out their website (for, I think, the first time in my life) & there should be an asterisk next to that comment, because the men's line comes in XL & XXL. So, no to fatty women, but a firm maybe to fatty men (though our fingers are crossed that they're just buff)

So, when I first heard about all the uproar yesterday I had several questions like: 

1. "The fuck?"
   
2. A&F? Is it 2005?
3. Seriously, is that store really still open?

So, it made worlds of sense to find out that these quotes are from a 2006 interview that is being brought around for a book someone is writing about Dickwads (Retail. The book is about retail) 

Many have chimed in with the overall feeling being "dude, STFU". In his words, he prefers to have the cool & popular kids shopping in his store, but I think the question is-- is there a correlation between size & popularity? If so, I've never noticed it. I've known plenty overweight people who are plenty popular. (Of course this brings up the fact that many become funny or develop other likable traits to distract from any insecurities such as weight... but that's not really what this post is about.) 

I've digressed. What was my point? 
Oh yes! This spread at The Militant Baker 

I would highly advise checking out the whole spread & the subsequent article. I found it really, really powerful. 

Now, I will not be surprised if I catch some shade for what I'm about to say: but of course I am concerned with this blogger's health. I do not know her personally, do not know anything about her health & background & have not read her blog thoroughly, but obesity scares the beejeezus out of me. So of course I worry. 
But oh.my.god, she must have confidence of steel to post these pictures and I can admire that to the max. (the miggity-max, if you will, but you probably won't)

Also, Abercrombie: a size 10? Really? Yes, I am under a size 10 (I have no idea what size I am in A&F fantasy world, I've never owned anything from this store), but I am also pretty much nearly a midget. I know people who run marathons & probably wear a size 10. Body index & all over health do not always go hand in hand & a size 10 for say someone who is like 5"7 is totally healthy. 

Anyway, I guess the point that I'm really trying to make is that, in a very real sense, I am so jealous of this woman. I wish for myself & all of you to have this sort of bad-ass spirit & to be comfortable in the skin you are in. 
Of course, I am always striving to make myself better & I have goals that I want to meet, but in the meantime, I need to love who I am no matter what shape or jean size I am. 

Who the fuck cares what Unfrozen Caveman Lawyers says? 
This is who you are. Make the best of it or be miserable. Those are your choices. 

This post is about Zumba with Monica at the Synergy Fitness HIIT Center. Every Saturday at 10:15. Seriously, it. is. the. funnnnest. 
I have only been to two classes now, but I wish I had Saturdays off more often (well, obviously) so that I could go more often, but it's a nice treat to get my happy hips up to Canada (North Austin) every third Saturday for a spectacular dance party. 

So, I first attended Monica's class when I was using my Synergy Fitness Groupon. At the time I hadn't been to many Zumba classes & the ones I had been to had had problems keeping up (see also: white girl problems). Well, not so much keeping up, but... moving that way. But the class is $5 & I think that is an awesome price for any hour long class. I will go try no-gravity weight lifting for only $5! (Dude! Why is that not a thing??)

First off, on my first visit Monica made such a great impression. She asked how I heard about her & what kind of exercises I liked & where I had done zumba & just seemed really approachable. That's a super great quality for a trainer or instructor to have because if I have any questions after class it makes me feel less awkward to go talk to someone who seems chilled (notice I said less awkward. I still pretty much always end up tripping over my shoelace or having a major booger I don't know about or something. I'm real good in social situations)

  

This picture of kittens has nothing to do with anything, but I felt this post needed some pictures- so I took this from her Facebook page- The Pink Mat

So, anyway, this last Saturday I made my way up North to shimmy with my $5 bill in hand (ok, in bra. My work out clothes don't have pockets so often there are keys, phone, money in bra. Shut up.)
But to my surprise, this class was free! Turns out that this was Monica's 1 year anniversary teaching her Saturday class at Synergy. I had really come on a fantastic day! 
Monica informed me that there would be 6 teachers in all on this particular Saturday. Awesome! 
Man, I wish I had gotten more of their names & gotten to talk to them about where they taught because each & every one of the guest teachers was a mother-fuckin'-blast. Each of them had a specific style which at first seemed a little daunting, but they were all super up beat & fun. 

First off, Monica opened up with a warm up to Macklemore's "Can't Hold Us" 

Seriously, seriously. I am so serious when I say this song is my damn jam right now. I start every single run to it & sometimes listen to it twice in a row. I can' t even hear it on that commercial that it's on without wanting to get up & dance a little (or just shoulder shimmy on the couch)
So, I was pumped. I got pumped pretty quickly is what I'm getting at. 

Now, while I don't remember any of the other instructor's names or song choices (and if anyone who reads this knows, please let me know! I'd love to try any of them again), but they really put together one awesome class. I kept catching myself smiling. Like ear to ear goofy smile. I'm not sure if it was just the energy of the class, but just everyone there seemed to be having FUN- which you don't always see in fitness classes. 
Yoga is more of a practice, which can be fun, but is often a quiet experience, running is my time to feel like Rocky, circuit training classes are brutal (in a good way), but Zumba is just fun, y'all. & this class was the prime example. 

OH! From stalking er... I mean researching the Pink Mat Facebook page, I was able to look up one of my favorite guest instructors: Rita (I still don't know if it's cool to take pictures from instructor's sites to put on here? Is that... is that kosher? Even if I'm linking to them? Anyway-  Click that link. Tell me Rita doesn't look like fun) 
Y'all! At one part of her sequence, the class was split into to large groups & danced at each other. Yeah, that's right. We totally had a dance off. A dance off including planks & burpees! I was literally dripping sweat all down my face onto the floor. Killing. It. So. Hard. 


So, the verdict is that I would suggest this to pretty much anyone that likes to have fun. There are all different age groups & fitness levels. You just need to bring lots of energy, a bottle of water & a good sports bra. 

Oh, one more thing. In my first post about Zumba, I mentioned how there are not enough videos of white girls trying to Zumba & how I would volunteer to be candidly taped out of my love for comedy. Well, at some point I noticed that Monica was taping on her phone. And guess whose awkward ass was on the front row? So, with any luck my dreams of uncoordinated stardom will come true! 

Yesterday wasn't the ideal for health & fitness, but as far as accidental cheat days go- it really wasn't that bad! 
I was really looking forward to trying a new class at the gym. I wanted to do something early in the morning to go ahead & get it out of the way. The Gold's about 10 minutes away was having a step class. I thought PERFECT! This will totally be in my comfort zone. 

oh, boy I was wrong. First of all, I arrived a little later than I meant to & everyone was already set up while I got to put together my first step unit ever. So, everyone watched as I very awkwardly tried to line up my blocks & the board part of the step unit- failing loudly the first few times. 
Ok, so the class gets started. The class instructor was a young woman named Liz & she was effing adorable. She had on grey leopard print shorts & her energy was awesome, however... I just couldn't get into it. 

Dude, I almost left the class about 20 minutes in. My feet had obviously gotten in some sort of argument that morning & they were just NOT working together. I was totally planning my exit strategy when I noticed a very, very pregnant woman across the room who was just killing it & I said to myself "Get your damn head in the game, Hearne". 
That little talk still didn't make me any more coordinated, but I stuck with it.(at one point just jogging in place & lifting my arms when everyone else did.. just to keep my heart rate up)  

I remembered that last time I went to a Zumba class first thing in the morning- before I really got any coffee or breakfast or wake up time- I was also kind of disheartened when I couldn't get the steps, so maybe I shouldn't do anything that requires a great deal of rythm & mindful coordination until the afternoon. 

So, my verdict is: I'm not opposed to trying step again, but it might just not be for me. But, according to My Fitness Pal, an hour of step is over 300 calories burnt & oooooooooo-eeeeeeeeeeeee, I believe it! And today (sing this next part like the Alicia Keys song) "My calves are on fiiiiiiiiiiiire!"
My calves are crazy sore. 

After the class- with that morning's weigh in bathing suit pic still in my head- I decided to do a little ab work out that I had pinned: 

I did this sequence, also adding in some scissor kicks & a minute long hover plank. That took me about 12 minutes. I think I might ad this sequence onto any arm or leg day work outs I do for the next couple of weeks. 

So, after the work out I headed home to make some breakfast & spend a little time with my boys (Dog & Boyfriend). Then it was off for a day of shopping! My sister is getting married & letting her bridesmaids pick their own dresses. While in theory this is very nice of her--- this is kind of hard. 

I have been all over the place & just can't seem to find anything. I drove over to the Brodie area hoping to find something at one of the discount stores over there (TJ Maxx, Ross, Plato's Closet & Also there's a David's Bridal right there too)

My best friend, Mindy over here (define delusional) has it right.(Shirt reads "Shopping is my cardio) Ya know, shopping can be exhausting. After two hours I was spent! & I still hadn't found anything! 
My sister's qualifications for a dress: 

• vintage-y
• in the rose pink family for color
• tea-length at the longest

So, I'm sure you're like "That sounds easy. Quit your bitchin'." & I say to you "LIES!" Finally I just said 
"Fuck it. I'm wearing fancy date dress". 

When I was in college I worked at a resale shop & this pink, vintage dress just wasn't selling & my manager asked if I wanted it. I call it the fancy date dress because the only time I've worn it was on a fancy date with Steve (see above). It meets all criteria! Pink, actually vintage & OMG free. 
Done. I am just so done! 

Steve & I had been planning to go downtown for an early happy hour all week & I had planned ahead. Something that I'm sure I'll discuss at lengths one day is my drunk tooth. I get the munchies like no ones business when I drink, but I find that if I get all full-uped before it helps considerably. So, I had planned a healthy carby dinner for myself. 

Weeeeeeelllllll, that didn't work out. By the time I got home from shopping it was already 4! I had to walk the dog & then get ready to go out!  

Man, I love Austin during Happy Hour. There are just some great deals. We went to this really cool bar called Fire House Lounge. It's connected to the town's hostel & is. faaaancy, y'all! It's got a really awesome atmosphere & just some really creative drinks on special during the happy hour. I got a cocktail that was just bourbon, honey & lemon which is pretty low cal & so very delicious. Strong. It was strong & after two of those the munchies had set in something pretty serious. 

If you don't know about Austin's food trailers, you need to get right with Jesus. There are so many possibilities downtown. I managed to keep it under control with just a veggie burger & then at home had a HUGE bowl of fruit yogurt. At the end of the day my calories came in about 1700-- oops! So, yesterday was my accidental cheat day. Which is fine. You can't just not let your hair down from time to time. 
You just can't not. 

So, I think I may need a new scale. When I stepped on it this morning it told me a rediculously high number. So I stepped off & then stepped back on & it just sort of said every number. Then I stepped off & stepped back on & this is what I got: 

I know the number on the scale isn't important, but I should focus more on the inches on my waist, so there's good news there! 1/8th of an inch! I'll take it

So, if I loose 1/8th an inch on my waist in one week... then that'll be about 2 months per inch? Does that sound about right? I obviously have no idea. 

I am feeling so incredibly lazy today. My morning run has just taken it out of me. 
It wasn't a long run, but it was a hard run. 

& I noticed something funny. Well, maybe not funny, but interesting...ish?
My workout playlist has changed so much since college. I remember distinctly recognizing my lack of female musicians in my collection. 

This morning I realized that is just not the case anymore! Let's explore some of the amazing ladies of sound that really get my heart rate up for a run. 

Artist: Icona Pop
Song: I love It

But, oooooh- seriously. If this song doesn't make you move you are doing moving WRONG. I first heard this song on "Girls" & I couldn't quit singing the lyrics "You're from the seventies, but I'm a nineties bitch". Then, we heard it at Barbarella (you can get an awesome cardio workout hipster-dancing the night away) & immediately Shazam'ed it & then downloaded it the next day. Sometimes I will listen to this song two times in a row on a run/elliptical workout.  

Artist: M.I.A.
Song: Bird Flu, Paper Planes, Bad Girls

This bitch is a goddamn nut and makes me wish I owned more neon (or any. I don't think I own any neon). Like, seriously. I need a gold tooth, a neon leotard & a badass muggin' face on my run when I'm listening to M.I.A. I just want to run & run & flip off people needlessly. 
& there's something strangely empowering about that. 
Slap bracelets! She also makes me want to wear more (any) slap bracelets.

Artist: Ke$ha (I'm sorry)
Song: Die Young, Die Young Remix, C'mon

Ok, let's talk this one out for a minute. 
I resisted Ke$ha (ugh, do I have to type the $?) for as long as I could. In fact, I just told my coworker that I feel like I'm going to catch Hep C every time I see her or listen to her music. 
Let me tell you a story: One time I just couldn't get my ass into this workout I was doing. I had a pass to CG Arena & was doing this really challenging circuit & I was just dragging ass. No... more... Russian twists.
Then, this damn song came on & I swear. It got me moving so much that I promptly went home & downloaded "Die Young" & the damn remix (who I am very surprised to discover just now does not feature Nikki Minaj.) 
I have sacrificed my musical integrity (& my ears may already have VD) for that rush of "get-off-your-ass" that this song gives me. 

Artist: Robyn
Song: You Should Know Better, and everything else Robyn has done

Robyn is a magical, magical creature & I feel that could just stop this description here & that's all you'd need. 
She's from... like... Denmark? No, it's not Denmark, but something like that. She's from Somewhere-like-Denmark (Google says Sweden) but I am so, so happy that she's come across the pond (I have no fucking clue where Sweden is, but I imagine that there's a body of water between us & them). 
This song specifically, "You Should Know Better" is just so badass & it's got Snoop Dog in it. This is another one that I often listen to twice in a row during a run. 
Also, if anyone would care to start a conversation about Robyn's superior dance moves in the following video, please do: 

I don't know any other songs by Cher Lloyd & ya know what... I don't need to. This is enough, but damn it is catchy. 

Artist: Girl Talk 
Song: No Pause

OK, so this one is kind of a stretch, but I don't think I'll ever write a cardio/running playlist & not have girl talk. 
But the name has Girl in it & the best part of this mix is from Missy Elliot. 
& gawsh, is it raunchy! Jeez, she is one dirty lady & for some reason her filthy mind on top of some sick 90's beats really keeps me in go-mode when working out! 

Ok, so that is my love for the ladies. Feel free to carry on your lady love playlist!