Fitness

-Seeing one of my little bros graduate. I’m so proud of Trevor! It’s so crazy, because I vividly remember Trev when he was Livi’s age… and now, he’s graduated high school. It was a solid reminder that time really does fly by, and I’m and so excited to see what he accomplishes next. After the ceremony, we went to madre’s for a Mexican feast: and cake -This bronzer. We got our makeup done for our photo shoot, and the woman who did my makeup used this blush/bronzer combo from Laura Mercier. Since you have to buy three products to get your makeup done, it was one of the three -Sleeping in. Fellow parents will probably agree that there is a 6th love language when you become a parent: waking up with the baby so your partner can sleep in. Yesterday, I woke up at 9 — it was insanely amazing. -The Great Gatsby. (Photo source) I had heard mixed reviews about the movie, but since I’m a huge Baz Luhrman fan (Moulin Rouge is one of my all-time favorite movies) and wasn’t expecting an era-appropriate film, I knew I was going to love it. It was beautiful to watch, and I especially loved the actors, costumes and the music. The symbolism of the book translated well to the movie, and we also saw it in 3D which was awesome. -Hot bar Thursday night. It’s quickly becoming a tradition in our house, especially since I just want to eat everything but not cook anything after I get off work. Thursday is also when our grocery stash has started to dwindle, so we can pick restock on essentials and eat dinner in one spot! Two birds. -Date night with the Pilot. We went to Pita Jungle for drinks and appetizers: and just enjoyed some time together. He flew nights this week, so it was nice to hang out with my friend -I used to be annoyed when other people who do this, but I have to brag about Oliv. She’s putting two-word sentences together! My favorite is “happy baby,” even though “Elmo cracker” is pretty amazing, too. Not faves: -Listening to the announcer read the graduates’ names and realizing that a handful of them were baby ballerinas the year I started teaching dance. 14 YEARS AGO. Oh dear me. -Delayed onset muscle soreness. I tend to get a little, um, enthusiastic (= cray cray) in the boot camp class I teach. My calves are still crying for mercy. What are some of your faves and not-faves from the week? Time to get PUMPED for Summer Shape Up! The sign-up details will be posted Tuesday am, and even though the challenge doesn’t officially start until June 3rd, you will have your entire first week of workouts and meals by Friday so you can plan for the following week. If you want to get ahead of the game, leave a comment and check the box to sign up for my newsletter! You’ll get all of the Shape Up info first. Have a great weekend!! xoxo Gina Happy wedding to my beautiful friend, Jenna!

.@Apppickereditor reviews the DailyBurn for iPad app: Check it out!

Think you know which actress sported a pair of Nike Dunk Sky Hi wedges while walking her dogs? POPSUGAR Quiz Can You Guess Which A-List Celeb Took Her Dogs For a Walk? ? To see the comments on this, you must guess right or give up!

Forget cleaning up your fitness act; it's time to get dirty! Leave the pavement behind, and get fit with your girls in a mud run. Not your average race environment, these courses are filled with muddy obstacles to challenge your strength and agility. No need to be embarrassed, either. These races are only for the girls, so those tutus and tiaras can make their appearance outside your costume box. When all is said and done, (we promise) you'll be guaranteed a good laugh and an active adventure with your girlfriends. What more could you ask for? Mud and Obstacle Runs Dirty Girl: Let this 5K take you outside your comfort zone and have fun doing it. This race is solely for fun, so all athletic abilities are welcome. Between the slides, bungees, and crazy team costumes, you're guaranteed to have a good giggle with your girlfriends. Cost: $65 to $100, depending on location. Prize: Memories, live music, and refreshing (adult) beverages. Training Groups? Don't be so serious! You can train for it, but ultimately, Dirty Girl is just a great active outing with your friends. Locations: With events in almost all states, there's likely to be a run near you! Go here for exact locations. Pretty Muddy: Started by two businessmen who wanted their wives to have a little "me time," Pretty Muddy is a "pretty muddy" race where you can laugh, let your hair down, and have a good time - without the stress of the daily grind. Cost: $70 Prize: A "pretty epic finish-line party." Training Groups? Although all fitness levels are encouraged, you can find training groups near each race location. Locations: Dallas, Richmond (VA), Sacramento, Atlanta, Chicago, Tampa, Columbus, and Miami. Shape Diva Dash: Tutus and obstacles pretty much sum up the Diva Dash! This 5K course is spotted with stations to test your agility, balance, strength, and speed. Race through it or tackle it at your own pace, but rest assured there will be plenty of enthusiastic camaraderie and embellishments. Cost: $55 to $75, depending on registration date. Prize: A limited-edition t-shirt, Shape magazine, swag bag, custom bib, and donations to local nonprofits. Training Groups? Although all fitness levels are encouraged, you can find training groups and partners near each race location. Locations: Atlanta, San Diego, Austin, Boulder, Fort Worth, Chicago, Boston, Washington, New York Metro, and Miami.

Fire up the grills! Memorial Day weekend has officially begun, which means there's a good chance you'll be attending a barbecue. While the classic all-beef patty is the go-to burger of the season, it's nice to change things up - especially for the vegetarians and more health-conscious eaters of the group. If you're planning a barbecue this weekend, here are 10 burgers to add to your grilling repertoire that will satisfy even the healthiest of eaters. View Slideshow ›

Watch this video before you set out for your Memorial Day festivities. Three-day weekends can lead to too much sun, overindulging at too many barbecues, and letting your fitness goals fall by the wayside. We'll show you how to stay healthy without sacrificing the fun.

I wanted to give an update on how my new eating plan is going so far. It's been two weeks since I switched, and I like it a lot better. Basically the plan, which was recommended by Medifast dietitians and comes from their Diabetes Guide (no, I do not have diabetes), is the 4 & 2 & 1 Plan: 4 prepackaged Medifast meals, 2 Lean & Green meals that I prepare myself, and one snack (in my case, a serving of fruit). In 'real life' terms it just means I am cutting back from 5 to 4 Medifast meals, doubling my veggie servings from 3/day to 6/day, doubling my lean protein from 5-7 oz/day to 10-14 oz/day, and adding a serving of fruit. It feels like a *lot* more food. Some days I have trouble getting it all in, but I am doing pretty well. The timing is perfect, because the Farmer's Markets are just opening up with lots of fresh, local produce. I went to the market last week and got mixed baby lettuce, white Swiss chard, fresh dill, young onions, beets with greens attached, strawberries, and asparagus. From the grocery store I also purchased some blueberries, a mango, some bananas, cabbage, zucchini, mushrooms, cucumbers, garlic, broccoli, and peppers. Each morning I start with a cup of Matcha green tea or black decaf coffee. Breakfast is usually either Greek yogurt with berries, or free range eggs and steamed veggies, or a Medifast shake with Amazing Grass or spinach blended in. I have a snack at 10... usually a Medifast meal or some veggie sticks with protein (an egg, chicken, or turkey). Lunch is something simple like Medifast soup with a lot of vegetables added in, or leftover meat and veggies, or a salad with hard boiled eggs or tuna or chicken in it. I have another Medifast meal as a snack at 3. Dinner is the same as it has been for years: whatever lean protein we are having, and steamed, sauteed, or roasted vegetables with it. If I did not have my fruit yet I like to have it as "dessert." And finally I have a Medifast meal around 8 or 9 pm. I really do like the vegetables but wow, it takes a lot of time to prep. In the past I've used shortcuts like those Steamfresh bags of broccoli or just any frozen veggie that you can toss in a bowl in the microwave to steam, or canned vegetables or bags of pre-made salad... stuff like that. But buying fresh and local means I have to wash and prep all the produce myself. It's not hard, it just takes time. So I invested in my lifestyle (which I intend to be permanent) by getting a few gadgets to make it easier. Last week I got myself a Salad Spinner. I never thought I would buy one of these; I always thought they were silly. I would just wash my salad in the sink and let it dry on paper towels. But I really love this thing! I come home from the market, wash my lettuce under running water and then stick it in the spinner and push the button. The greens are nice and DRY very fast, and ready to eat. I use the spinner and its lid to store the salad in the fridge and it stays nice and fresh. Of course, that means I wash the salad *last* after I have used the spinner to wash and dry my other veggies. It works very well for kale (which has to be dry to make chips), herbs like dill and basil, and broccoli florets or anything else you want to roast or eat in a salad right away. I also got myself a lettuce knife (because I hate the way lettuce turns brown on the edges when cut with a regular knife) and a cute little steamer that I also love... it is just the right size to quickly steam a bunch of broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, anything! So when I got home from the market I just put it on to boil and start washing and cutting up all my veggies and steam everything in batches. Then I store the cooked veggies in Pyrex in the fridge. Getting all this prep done in one day has *really* helped me get the veggies in even when I am busy. I've found that I enjoy cold steamed plain cauliflower and asparagus quite well, and this way I can just grab them to go, or add them to soups or omelets or salads.

While the first official day of Summer is a few weeks away, Memorial Day weekend is so close we can taste it. If you're looking to inject a little Summer spirit into your workout music, this playlist is just the thing you need. This mix of classic rock and indie tunes will motivate you to move your bottom off your beach towel and start getting active in the sun. Subscribe to the Spotify playlist, then keep reading for the full list of songs.

Earning our weekend w/ the DailyBurn #Inferno challenge! What's your number? cc @AnjaGarcia

Loving our new cold brew coffee keg from @joyridecoffee! #wiredfortheweekend