Countdown to Costa Rica

I have started a countdown to Costa Rica, I'm trying to be in bikini body shape for that trip.

This is my attempt to be held accountable!

21 days

Food Diary

Breakfast (9AM):

• 1 cup chai (my absolute must-have, you do not want to talk to me before I've had some sort of caffeine in my system)
• 1 egg white with 1/2 whole wheat mini bagel
  

Tip: Every morning, I make a jug of Sassy Water, which is a recipe in Prevention's Flat Abs journal. It helps me monitor how much water I drink a day, and it tastes so good!

Sassy Water Recipe:
1 jug water
1 lemon, squeezed
1/4 inch of ginger, grated
a few stalks of dried mint

Mix together and refrigerate

Snack (1PM):

Yummy Strawberry Smoothie

Recipe:

4-5 frozen strawberries, or small handful frozen berries
1/3 cup ice
2/3 cup fat-free milk
1/3 scoop protein powder
pinch of flax seed

Place all in the blender and blend. Enjoy! (When I feel like I havent had enough vegetables, I blend a few spinach leaves with the whole mixture ~ thanks for the tip marz!)

Lunch (3PM):

Lean Turkey Burger on 1 slice of Rye Bread, with mustard and light mayonnaise

Dinner (7PM):

Salad
Lean Turkey Burger on 1/2 whole wheat mini burger
Glass of Skim Milk
1 reduced fat oreo


Exercise:

I spent a half hour this morning teaching my parents how to stretch and work on their abs. Got a teeny bit of exercise in from there. I've been feeling horrible about not exercising this weekend, bottle service and martinis tend to trash my desire for any strenuous activities. So, being the glutton for punishment that I am, I'm doing one of the Beach Body Insanity workouts. Please say a little prayer for me :)

- 40 mins Beach Body

Plainpalais

This is my last weekend in Geneva, and it's weirdly unsettling. I woke up this morning with an ambitious plan to visit all of my favorite spots in the city. I started out the day with a delicious cafe au lait and amazing book at my local tea room. After about an hour of reading my book, I began to wander over to Plainpalais, where there is a flea market that runs every Saturday in Plainpalais. Today is one of those magical days, where the sky is filled with clouds, and the sun breaks free to peek down now and then. I took the long route to the market, walking on the Mont Blanc bridge, which offers this great view of the Jet d'eau and the river.
I finally reached Plainpalais and the market. It's one of my favorite places in Geneva; a great jumble of material thrown together, junk rubbing elbows with the treasures. There's this one guy who sells only army materials, and so I've seen a rifle for the first time, as well as loads of camouflage and helmets. He even has this helmet that looks like it belonged to Napoleon's soldiers, with feathers sticking out of it like a mohawk! The market is also one of the few places in Geneva where different ethnicities interact with each other. It's not uncommon to see a bunch of people sitting around an antique table, sipping vin chaud and playing cards. All of Geneva shows up to this market, with kids on skateboards even leaping off of ramps placed on the edges of the market. I find it a colorful spot in a relatively sedate city.
So now I'm in this tiny cafe right off of the market, which also has the most beautiful chocolate. Although the place is relaxing (after all, how can one not be happy looking at miles of chocolate?) I've been feeling antsy all day. This is my last weekend in Geneva! I can't believe Ill be going back to the states, back to my boring life as a med student. Soon, I'll be waking up at 5 every morning to suck up to an attending who will grade me depending on his mood. My life will once again be limited to the four blocks that consist of my apt, the hospital, and the library. It's frustrating to leave the people I work with, especially my boss, who has managed live several lives in his one life. But, I'm still happy that Ive had this unforgettable opportunity. Oh well, time to meet some New Yorkers and head out to a Wild Wild West party (dont ask).

funny french guy

A few days ago, I woke up one morning craving Starbucks coffee, and as I havent had any since Ive been here, I decided to break my nothing-American-while-abroad rule and grab a cup of mocha. I bought my coffee and went to stand at the bus stand to go to work. I was standing there for a few minutes, and this french guy comes up to me and asks me what my drink is. I tell him its a coffee, and he gives me a funny look, points to his tiny espresso glass, and say, "no, zis is coffee." I then have to explain to him that I have milk, sugar, chocolate in mine and thats why the size is so big. He continues to look confused, until I tell him its an American brand. Then he gives me this ah-ha looks and laughs. I love the fact that he didnt even know about starbucks, and I definitely am starting to get into the kick that having a shot of espresso gives you.