Then I got the opportunity* to try out a new-to-me type of workout, Lagree Fitness designed by Sebastian Lagree at The Studio Empower in Newton, MA. According to the Studio Empower website the workout “incorporates principles of traditional  Pilates but has transformed itself into a high intensity, low impact workout using strength training.”

I had never tried Pilates so I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but was happy to give it a go and see if it might be a good way for me to get some of my strength training back after the marathon is over. I knew to expect the workout to be 45 minutes and to utilize some machine called a Megaformer, M3, but again I had no idea what any of that meant and arrived on the blind faith that the workout would be a good one.

I scheduled my appointment for May 21, the day my parents were returning to NC after my graduation weekend and also my first day back at work, because the studio is near BC and I figured I would want something to help get me back on track for the upcoming race.

Several times throughout the day, as I struggled to stay awake, I worried that perhaps I had chosen the wrong day to do a workout, but I wasn’t about to switch my appointment especially since I brought my workout clothes with me.

Just before 6pm I arrived at the studio. I drove from work and found parking fairly easily, but also noticed that it is literally right across the street from the Green Line station! This made me happy because I won’t always be working at BC and the thought of driving to Newton to workout isn’t incredibly appealing. The train, on the other hand, makes it a lot more convenient.

I got there in time to meet the class instructor Fi and have her tell me a bit about the (enormous) machines, which she explained were top of the line and brand new. She also showed me the sticky socks that they recommend for the workout, which can be purchased at The Studio Empower for $15. She told me that they recommend going barefoot rather than using regular socks if someone does not wish to buy the sticky socks right away. This is ONLY allowed during the first workout when a new client is determining whether Lagree is for them. After the first session you are required to use the sticky socks, whether purchased at The Studio Empower or elsewhere.

She was incredibly nice and obviously knew her stuff, which made me much more at ease about trying something brand new to me. In fact, I’ve never been one to take workout classes having only done group fitness at conferences and in Ultimate Bootcamp.

The class size at The Studio Empower is limited to 8 people per class, which was perfect for me and feeling like I could get any additional instruction or help if I needed it. I was nervous as the newbie because almost everyone there was experienced, but I was confident that I was in good enough shape to hold my own throughout the workout.

Now I don’t want to frighten you, but I have to tell you that I was wrong. Hold my own I did not. Several times throughout the workout as we used the machines I had to take a break. It became very obvious how weak my core has become (I really need to get back on that plank-a-day bandwagon), and just how much of my body I was using in each movement.

Fi demonstrated each move and then walked around the room to ensure everyone had good form. The machines were set up in front of mirrors so each person could monitor his or her own form as well. I knew the position I needed to get my body into, but I struggled at times to get there. Fi gently helped lift my hips once to get me into position, showing me that it was in fact possible to get there, I just needed practice.

She was encouraging throughout, helping to push us while also reminding us to know our own limits and listen to our bodies. I never felt like I was doing something I shouldn’t be or that I was doing “too much” to handle.

In that 45 minute span we worked legs, butt, core, arms, shoulders, core, back, and did I mention core? I was breathing HARD almost right away even though I wasn’t doing any traditional cardio.

After the workout I chatted with a few of the people who had been there before, to find out how often they come to The Studio Empower, what other types of exercises are done, and basically just get as much information as possible.

In short, I LOVED IT! It’s been a very long time since I’ve felt so exhausted after a workout, but as soon as I left the studio I called Joe and told him how I had just had my butt handed to me in the best possible way. Yesterday I was a little sore in the morning and very sore by the evening. As much as I wanted to go for a quick run, my core screamed for a day of rest so I obliged. Today makes two days since the workout and I can certainly still feel it. Lagree Fitness is no joke.

I can honestly say that I’ve never experienced so many parts of my body being sore at once, which goes to show how total-body the workout really was. My soreness does not feel in the least out of balance so I know I worked out evenly. While I’m certain that some of my soreness can be attributed to my lack of strength training lately, I know that a workout at The Studio Empower would always be intense, but the good kind that pushes you to the point where you think you can’t do it, then you do.

I highly recommend that each and every one of you who can get out to Newton go try The Studio Empower asap. I changed at work before I went, but there is a place to change at the studio, though no locker room. Personal belongings can be kept in plain view in the cubbies you can see in the photo above.

I had absolutely zero complaints about my experience and can’t wait to get back to The Studio Empower just as soon as my body has recovered from my upcoming marathon. So are you ready to try it? Of course you are!

Lucky for you my local Fighting for Wellness readers can try their first class for just $5 (regularly $10) by using the discount code FFW at booking. 

But you know what else?

The Studio Empower is also letting me give one local Fighting for Wellness reader the awesome prize of an 8-class 30-day pass (8 classes in 30 days), which retails for $160!!

Just enter the rafflecopter giveaway below!

The Studio Empower Giveaway

The giveaway will be open until Thursday, 5/30 and the winner will be announced next Friday (5/31)! The giveaway is only open to NEW CLIENTS of The Studio Empower and cannot be combined with another offer.

*I received a complimentary class at The Studio Empower in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are 100% my own. This post was edited on 5/24 to include information about giveaway restrictions and more information regarding the necessary gear for the workout. 

When I found out that Blend was going to be the same weekend as my graduation, I was so disappointed. My parents don’t get up to Boston very often so it was an easy enough decision for me to stay in Boston for my graduation rather than going to Utah for Blend. Easy, but still kind of sad.

I have to admit though that I didn’t think about Blend once after my parents got off the plane on Thursday afternoon. Having them visit me in our apartment is still such a head trip for me since all throughout college it was always just me visiting them. Playing hostess to your parents just feels so adult.

But a girl never outgrows needing her parents. In my case, it was needing my handyman father to help with all of the projects I had started, but not quite finished. It is, after all, a lot easier to get answers to my questions when my dad is standing right in front of me with a drill and a hammer.

So most of Thursday and Friday was spent in hardware stores and then doing work on the apartment. My brand new handmade spice rack (my parents brought it up in their checked bag after dad made it for me) was the first addition in our kitchen.

That was followed by new blinds, curtains, and shelves in the living room, vegetable and herb window boxes for the kitchen, and some other odds and ends that made our apartment finally look and feel the way I have been imagining.

After we finished most of the home improvement work we headed out to complete the Freedom Trail before meeting Joe downtown for dinner. My parents climbed the Bunker Hill Monument the last time they were in town as well as completing a tour of the USS Constitution, so we skipped those and focused on the rest of the tour. I didn’t take many photos (I see these things all the time), but I did grab one at the Paul Revere statue.

I also grabbed this one because I’ve never really just stopped and looked up at most of the buildings in Boston. The view of this one was really great.

After dinner at Kinsale (one of my favorite places to dine downtown) and a bit more walking through Boston Common and Back Bay, we caught a bus and headed home (but not before the kiosk at North Station charged my debit card and didn’t provide me with a ticket, but that’s another story).

Saturday was boat day with my parents and Joe’s parents. I love going out on the boat every summer, but my parents had never been out on the ocean in a boat, so it was a brand new experience for them.

I really think they enjoyed their time on the boat. Nothing beats the view of Boston from the water.

That evening we went to what I would likely consider Joe’s favorite restaurant, Tommy Floramo’s. Their portions are huge and priced very reasonably. It’s nearly impossible to eat there as a gluten free vegetarian, but luckily I was able to get the salmon now that I’ve started eating fish again. Unfortunately I wasn’t a fan of the lobster sauce that was on top of the salmon, but the rest of the food looked amazing as always.

Saturday evening we also picked up my brother from the airport! My brother’s decision to come was very last minute and I couldn’t have been happier. It was his first time ever visiting Boston and it meant the world to me that he was able to attend this graduation since he was unable to attend my college graduation in 2009. His wife (who is expecting their second child) and daughter stayed back in North Carolina, but I think they’ll all probably make the trip up soon.

Sunday was the day of my pre-graduation party. We had tons of food and great people. I am so thankful to have so many amazing friends and family members. The only photo that was taken on Sunday was the phenomenal cake Joe got for the celebration. A gluten-free and nut-free triple chocolate mousse sheet cake from Flour. It was unbelievable.

Monday was the big day, but I skipped the early morning big graduation ceremony. My only priority was the one where I actually received my diploma.

It was over 80 degrees and sunny, so to say that I was hot sitting in my black cap and gown in the midday sun would be an understatement. My poor family and friend Janice all got sunburned.

My dad, who works outside every day, is luckily tan enough already to not burn. My poor redheaded mother on the other hand… Also, what is that face I’m making in this photo? Weird faces aside, I look a lot like my brother…

What would a set of photos be without one of me and Joe? <3

After a whirlwind day I was welcomed by beautiful gifts from Joe when I got home including a balloon (I love balloons), gorgeous flowers, three different kinds of DAVIDsTEA (Red Velvet Cake black tea, Big Apple white tea, and Chocolate Orange pu’erh), and Marathon Man.

That night we were all exhausted so we sat around watching a movie and got in the bed early so we could all be up before 6am for my parents’ and brother’s flight out.

So at 7am yesterday as I was driving away from the airport where I left my family, it was back to “normal” in Boston. I went back to the apartment for an Arbonne green smoothie and then went to work like it was any other day.

My head is still spinning from graduation so it’s hard to believe that my next big milestone – my first ever marathon – is just four days away! No rest for the weary.

What did you do over the weekend? When is the last time your family visited (if you live far apart)?

xoxo,

Becki

That logo/header, which some of you saw, was great. It was just like the current one in many ways, except where you now see a runner in the first box and my go-to smoothie breakfast in the second (okay, I don’t really have three bananas with my smoothie, but you get the idea), there used to be a barbell and apple, respectively. The barbell for fitness, the apple for nutrition, the head with gears inside for mental health. I loved it.

Then a couple of days later I put on my Greatist t-shirt. If you clicked that link and looked at the icons at the top of the page, you probably have a pretty good idea why my t-shirt (with the same icons) stopped me dead in my tracks. A barbell, an apple, and a smiley face.

I immediately contacted my friend and she agreed that we needed to change it ASAP. It was different (and came entirely from her own thought process about what constituted fitness, nutrition, and mental health), but it was too similar for me to be okay with it, especially as a Greatist Ambassador. Turns out barbells and apples are pretty much the worldwide symbols for fitness and nutrition these days (Google agrees).

So we got to work on the new header, which you now see. I absolutely ADORE it, even more than the first one! It captures me beautifully. Running, my daily shakes, and the gears in my head that are often a topic of discussion.

Why am I sharing this? Because I want full disclosure here. I want this blog to always be a place where I’m genuine and honest with my readers. It was never my intention, or that of my designer, to use images that were so close to another company’s and I want anyone who saw that image and wondered to themselves why it looked familiar that we have taken great care in designing a replacement. If there are any similarities to other brands or companies, it is completely unintentional.

I hope you all like the new design!

xoxo,

Becki

I can’t even tell you how much I’m looking forward to celebrating with family and friends over the next few days. So excited, in fact, I’ve been eating everything in sight. Oh, that’s not because of excitement it’s because I’ve increased my running mileage? Yeah, my body is definitely craving more fuel. I’ve been good about it for the most part and stuck to healthy foods, but a couple of not-so-great things have been sneaking in here and there. That’s okay though, I’m giving myself a little wiggle room, especially with my graduation coming up next Monday!

But that’s not why you opted to read this post, is it? No, I grabbed your attention with the words #HLS13 and ANNOUNCEMENTS!

Before I get to that though, I just want to recap why I’m so excited for this conference. Last year’s Healthy Living Summit (HLS ’12) was my first (and so far only) blogger conference. I registered for it on a whim (mostly because it was in Boston) and wasn’t sure what to expect.

I ended up so many new lifelong friends and learning so much about myself and why blogging is important to me, that I can honestly say it was a life-changing experience.

So surely you can understand why I’m so excited for each and every update that comes my way about HLS ’13 and today’s updates are HUGE!

I mentioned yesterday that the hotel had been announced for HLS ’13, but that’s not where the updates end. As of today there are answers to all sorts of questions on the HLS ’13 FAQ Page!

Arguably the most exciting announcement is that the agenda is now live!! Go ahead, take a peek. See anything exciting? I’ll give you a hint.Go ahead, check out the descriptions of the sessions below the agenda. Have you found it? 

That’s right, that’s my name right there!!! I will be leading a panel on blogger self-care with Elizabeth and Jessica at HLS ’13! I’ve been sitting on this news for WEEKS and dying to tell you all, but didn’t want to spill the beans.

Well consider the beans spilled!!!

Now you all have to attend HLS ’13 for moral support (and so I can get to know all of you in person!). Online registration will start on May 29, 2013, beginning at 8:30 PM eastern time and the registration cost for HLS ’13 is $130 a ticket. So find some roommates to split the cost of the hotel with you and make sure you GET THERE! You don’t want to miss it!

Just one question for today:

Are YOU coming to HLS ’13?

xoxo,

Becki

I know I’m behind on the times a bit, but HOLY CRAP DOWNTON ABBEY!!!!

Source

Yep, I was finally sucked in and finished the first three seasons in a Downton Abbey Marathon. Now I can’t wait until season 4 starts in January!

In other news, I really appreciate everyone’s comments and thoughts on yesterday’s post. Dealing with anxiety is no fun, especially when it’s the kind of anxiety that isn’t easy to pin on a specific cause. Karissa suggested mindfulness, which is my go-to for anxiety and which I highly recommend for anyone who struggles (whether exercise-related or not). There are also some great guided meditations you can find here.

Want more news? This one’s super exciting! The hotel for this year’s Healthy Living Summit has been announced! HLS ’13 is in Minneapolis/St. Paul and will be held at the Hilton Minneapolis. Check out the official announcement for more info. I know I’ll be there, what about you?

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Finally (for now), I am hosting another weight loss challenge, right in time for swimsuit season! You all may remember my Health Holidays Challenge, which was a huge success thanks to everyone who participated. This time I’m hosting an Arbonne 30 Days to Feeling Fit Challenge in the month of June!

You may remember the great results I got when I personally used the Arbonne 30 Days to Feeling Fit kit, so I was very excited to introduce many clients to the program over the past month in a challenge organized by someone else. Their results were also AMAZING, so I knew I had to host a challenge myself.

To be part of this challenge, which will include a private Facebook group for questions, tips, and accountability, you only need to order the 30 Day Feeling Fit kit. The kit retails for $299, but new Preferred Clients can get the whole kit, plus the addition of nutrition bars, for just $220 plus tax and shipping. Existing Preferred Clients can get the kit for $239.20 plus tax and shipping. Get in touch to be part of the challenge.

Orders must be placed by Friday, May 24 to qualify!

That’s all the updates I have for now. It’s time for me to go find a new show to watch.

Do you watch Downton Abbey? What other shows do you watch?

Are you attending the Healthy Living Summit this September? You should!

Are you interested in my June Challenge? Do you have any questions about it or the products? Ask me!

xoxo,

Becki

It admittedly won’t be easy because there are a few other things trying to get me down too, but I can almost always find a bright side.

Saturday was tough because I woke up feeling fat. I know, that sounds so cliche, but it’s something I genuinely struggle with and it sucks. It didn’t help that most of my clothes were in the dirty laundry and most of the clean clothes I had didn’t fit quite right. I was frustrated, down on myself, and just feeling blah. I hate that this is something I still struggle with, but it’s getting a little easier to manage.

Luckily (as usual) I had Joe there to help me through it. We ended up heading down to the New England Aquarium for a date, which was a lot of fun even though it’s currently under construction and some of the exhibits are closed. I had never been so it was great to check it out.

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Once we got home from the aquarium, with a quick stop by Haymarket to get some grapes, we got ready to host another week of game night at our apartment. Call me a nerd, but I’ve enjoyed the past two weekends of game night much more than I enjoy going out to bars. Going out for drinks and dancing certainly has its place in my life (rare occasions), but I’m completely content spending a Saturday night in with some snacks, wine, and board games.

Sunday morning was more lazy than originally planned. I woke up early after being up quite late so I gave in and took a nap in the afternoon while Joe was away visiting a friend. I set my alarm to get up and run because I had a goal of completing 16-18 miles.

I chose to run along the Charles again thinking that I would just extend my route beyond last weekend’s 13 mile run. I started out going slower than I normally would thinking I’d be more likely to keep my pace throughout that way (I’m terrible at pacing).

Last weekend’s run felt amazing and at mile 5 I was still cruising along. This weekend at mile 2 I was already struggling. By mile 6 I was hurting and thought about turning around then and settling for 12 miles (or less). I had already told Joe earlier in the day that the run would likely be mentally challenging as my longest distance prior was 13.1, so even though I was hurting at 6 I at least wanted to make it further than my previous longest distance and pushed on.

Just before mile 8 I made the decision to find a turnaround spot, thinking I would at least be able to swing the 16 miles and if I was feeling good I could add some distance on at the end. As I was making my way back along the Charles I started to really hurt, but it felt like overexertion and not injury, so I kept going. At the point my Runkeeper app informed me that I was at 13.4 miles I couldn’t help but smile and keep on trucking.

After crossing the bridge back toward Charlestown I thought about walking the rest of the distance. I looked down at my phone to see that my distance was 13.99 miles. I decided the last thing I wanted was to give up then. I made the decision to get to 14.6 miles, a full 1.5 miles further than my previous longest distance.

So that’s what I did, barely shuffling forward, but moving forward nonetheless. By the time I slowed to a walk, I could barely hobble, but I was proud! It wasn’t the 16 I had hoped for, but considering I had thought of giving up at mile 6, I was insanely happy.

As usual my pacing was awful. Even though I tried to go slower at first, I couldn’t maintain my speed. I didn’t think it had been too terribly bad at first until I looked at my splits.

As I waddled up the hill toward my apartment the sun was setting and despite the pain I was feeling good mentally and physically, overall. So of course I paused for a photo.

Once I got inside I started running the cold water for my inevitable ice bath. Have any of you ever taken an ice bath? They’re not fun, but they’re a necessary evil. I didn’t take one last weekend, but then again I hadn’t been hurting during my run. I knew that if I didn’t take on yesterday I’d be regretting it for the next several days.

Ice baths are easily my least favorite part of long runs, but this one wasn’t as bad as some of my previous ones. I got a tip from a fellow runner to get in the cold water and then add the ice, which is something I had never done. It definitely made it more bearable. I also put on a hoodie before the ice bath this time, which helped to regulate my body temp more than my usual cup of tea (which I also had in addition).

Once I finished my ice bath and let my body slowly get back up to temperature, I decided to do another warm soak in my Arbonne SeaSource Spa Detoxifying Sea Soak. It’s designed to help dilate blood vessels, improve circulation and increase perspiration. Even though I didn’t need the increased perspiration (I continued to drink water while I soaked), the soak also helps to remineralize the body, which I thought would be a huge help after so much mineral loss through sweat.

After that and a quick shower I made myself some food (I was starving) and sat down to relax. Unfortunately I was feeling incredibly agitated (both physically and mentally). My anxiety level was through the roof and even though I was exhausted I had a hard time slowing down enough to want to lie down. Finally I used some of my Arbonne Renewing Body Gelee, which was helped relax my muscles and get me to sleep.

Throughout the night I tossed and turned and then woke up at 2:30 looking for some ibuprofen for my legs (which I unfortunately couldn’t find in my foggy state). I went back to sleep, but not soundly. This morning when I finally woke up I was still feeling agitated.

Even now as I write this my mind is racing and I don’t quite feel settled. I can pinpoint it as anxiety, but all of my normal responses (deep breathing, meditation, etc.) aren’t really helping. It’s comforting, however, to know I’m not alone in this. Take for instance this article from LiveStrong that suggests theories for why some people feel anxiety after exercise.

In my case I think it’s probably a combination of things, including my body’s fight/flight response being triggered, particularly when it was so recently triggered at the Boston Marathon, and struggling to come back down as well as the sudden increase and then lack of endorphins. I feel like my endorphins built up sky high while I was running, especially to help me combat the pain I was feeling, so now my body is endorphined-out.

Still I’m not going to let it get me down. I have so much to be excited about this week (and honestly that’s probably contributing a bit to my agitation/anxiety as well). So I’m going to do my best to sit back and enjoy the ride that is this week. After all, I just have two short weeks until my marathon so I need to stay focused and make sure my body gets plenty of rest. That’s the plan anyway.

Do you get post-run or post-exercise anxiety?

What fun things did you do this weekend?

xoxo,

Becki

It was a completely irrational nightmare because we’re actually heading to Vermont the day before the marathon and staying around 3 miles from the start line. I also know how I am the night before ANY race and I imagine I won’t be able to oversleep even if I try. Still, I’m a worrier and my subconscious decided to remind me about the terrible things that COULD go wrong. Silly subconscious.

Now that I’m awake and no longer terrified of missing my marathon, I’ve had a chance to focus on the good rather than the bad. Actually, good doesn’t even begin to describe it. I’ve begun to focus on the AMAZING! 

I have been absolutely blown away by everyone’s generosity and willingness to help out with my marathon fundraising. I am now at 82% of my fundraising goal and am just so grateful to everyone who has pitched in. People have donated from $5 to $100 and it has all been appreciated immensely.

Some of the donations have been from Twitter followers and blog readers I’ve never even met or met only once. Other donations have been anonymous so I don’t even know who to thank. If you have donated, any amount, THANK YOU.

Every donation through my Team in Training fundraiser goes to help fund research into treatments and cures for leukemia, lymphoma, and myeloma. As I’ve mentioned before, this is very near and dear to my heart because my cousin Sonja lost her battle with leukemia very shortly after being diagnosed. I chose this charity because I want to help fund research into detection, treatment, and cures for these diseases so that other people do not have to feel the loss that her family felt. So again, thank you.

If you haven’t donated and would like to, there are lots of ways to get involved. The first is a traditional donation through my Team in Training fundraising page. There you’ll be able to donate any amount by credit or debit card and receive an email receipt for tax purposes.

You can also donate through the fundraising page and use your donation as entry into one of two events that I’m currently hosting. For a $20+ donation you’ll get entry into my Run with Me Virtual Race.

All participants will get a finisher’s medal and the more people who enter the fancier the medals can be (it’s all about buying in bulk!) so invite your friends! Just don’t forget to leave a comment on the Virtual Race blog post telling me you’ve joined in and then send in your photo for the collage before the end of the month!

Another way to get involved is by checking out my charity raffle! I partnered with some great companies and individuals to bring you some awesome products and services as prizes. Your donation to my fundraiser will get you virtual tickets that you can split across the prizes however you choose and you can win more than one prize! Just make sure that after you donate you leave a comment on the charity raffle post telling me how you want to spend your tickets.

If you would prefer not to use a credit or debit card, please let me know and we can work something out. If you are local I can accept cash or check (and provide you with a receipt) or we can set up a way for you to send money via PayPal.

Thank you again to everyone who has donated so far and in advance to those of you who are planning to donate. I’m so proud to be part of Team in Training and raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and I’m equally proud to have such awesome friends, family, and readers!

xoxo,

Becki

I’m finishing up my LAST PAPER EVER of graduate school! Not only that, but tonight is my LAST CLASS EVER of graduate school! That’s right, as of the time I hand in my exam this evening (I’m estimating around 5:30pm) I will be finished with my masters degree!!!

So I’m pounding out the remainder of this paper at lunch today and revving up for class time. I honestly don’t remember what my last class in undergrad was, nor can I remember my last day at any of the jobs I’ve held, so it’s quite likely I won’t remember much of what today was like a few years from now.

I’ll hopefully take some time over the next few days (or maybe even after my official graduation) to reflect a bit about what the past two years have been like in my program, but for now I’m just going to relish the fact that it’s ALMOST OVER!

Tonight I will celebrate over dinner and drinks with a couple of girls in my program and then I’ll head home to prepare for work tomorrow. Even though graduate school is almost over, life still goes on as normal. Enjoy your day!

xoxo,

Becki

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I’ve seen lots of fitspo photos on Pinterest and Instagram proclaiming that “Sweat is Sexy” and “Fit Is The New Skinny” and even though I admire the overall message that muscles and definition are hot, I really don’t like that many of these photos seem to push yet another unattainable standard of beauty down our throats.

I am in the best shape of my life. On Sunday I went outside for a 13 mile run and it felt amazing. That’s not something I could have said even a year ago, much less two or three years ago when I was 90 lbs heavier. Still, I do not look like any of the women in the fitspo campaigns. I don’t have abs (and my love of wine could very well mean I never will) and my biceps don’t pop, but I’m still beautiful.

To me the most beautiful thing you can do is strive to improve each day. It doesn’t matter where you’re at now or even where you used to be so long as you’re making an effort toward self-improvement. That could be physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual.

So when I heard about the Under Armour What’s Beautiful Campaign I knew I wanted to be part of it. The campaign aims to “redefine the female athlete” by allowing women to set their own goals and then compete for prizes by completing them. The winners aren’t necessarily those performing the most impressive athletic feats, but instead those who blow their goals out of the water.

As hard as I am on myself sometimes for not being exactly where I want to be, there’s no denying that I’ve seen a great deal of improvement over the last three years. Little by little, day by day, I can run a little further, do a few more pushups, and just generally feel better. That’s why for my Under Armour cover photo, I chose to highlight a bit of my journey and remind myself that each time I’ve thought something was too scary, the payoff has been huge!

Because it’s easier to meet and exceed your goals with the support of others, Under Armour is encouraging teams of beautiful women. My team, Team Try Something Scary, is all about stepping outside of your comfort zone and trying something new. That, to me, is the epitome of beautiful. That feeling when you lean into discomfort to find that the reward is worth far more than the risk.

So what’s my scary goal? My first one is to finish this full marathon at the end of the month. It’s especially scary for me because I’ve never run that far and I’m way behind on my training. It’s also scary because it’s so far removed from the person I thought I was three years ago. Me? Run a marathon? Yeah right! I’ve thought about quitting several times and just pulling out of the race altogether, but I’m not going to do that. I’m going to stick with it not despite the fact that it’s scary, but BECAUSE it’s scary.

After that: rock climbing. It’s on my fitness bucket list and Joe and I have vouchers, so we just need to get out there and do it. It’s indoor climbing so there’s less inherent risk, but I’m still slightly freaked out about it. I’m also super excited!

That’s just where my scary goals start, I have lots of ways I want to push myself. I’m also here to challenge you to push YOURSELF! Join the campaign and then join Team Try Something Scary to start working toward your goals together with a team of like-minded women. Will you step outside your comfort zone and push yourself?

#IWILL

But that’s not why I’m posting again today. I’m posting because of a conversation I had with Rachael on our way to volunteer at the Cape Cod Ragnar Relay. As Joe sat quietly in the back seat minding his own business, Rachael and I chatted about just about everything we could think of because we hadn’t seen each other in person in ages.

One thing that came up was our eating habits. When I met Rachael last year at the Healthy Living Summit she was a vegetarian who also didn’t eat fish. In my mind I always assumed all vegetarians don’t eat fish (otherwise wouldn’t they be pescetarian?), so when I decided to go the vegetarian route, that’s the way I decided to go as well, without much thought.

Over the past 8 months or so since I gave up meat, I haven’t craved beef, pork, or poultry a single time. Thanksgiving and Easter (turkey and ham) were both easy. Joe makes chicken virtually every night and it hasn’t looked or smelled appetizing.

What I have craved is seafood: salmon, tuna, oysters, crab, you name it! This was weird for me because my seafood consumption prior to becoming vegetarian was mostly limited to sushi and the occasional lox at brunch. I’ve been debating for quite some time about whether this means I should re-integrate fish back into my diet, but I just couldn’t make a decision. When I was craving sushi, I would get vegetable sushi. When I was craving salmon or tuna I would just suck it up and ignore the craving. This led to lots of OTHER cravings, most notably bread. As someone who is also trying to stay away from gluten, you can imagine the difficulties that ensued.

So when I noticed a photo of a fish-based dish on Rachael’s Instagram, I was intrigued, but didn’t want to put her on the spot. Then it came up in conversation on our drive. Rachael said, “I’m so glad I eat fish again.” I don’t even remember why it came up, probably because (as I would later learn) Rachael’s sandwich for the night was tuna. Rachael re-integrated fish when she started doing CrossFit and loved the way it made her feel.

Her comment made me think back to Erin’s post on the subject and my own inner debate that has been happening for quite some time. It also made me think back to GTC and when, during the product launch for our new Vitamin D & B spray, our lead scientist for product development mentioned that vitamin D deficiency can at times be contributed to a strict vegetarian diet.

That was an eye opener for me because most people’s biggest concern with a vegetarian diet is where you’ll get protein. I knew getting enough protein wouldn’t be an issue for me, but I didn’t think much about other nutrients. Deficiencies in some of these areas may be why I’ve been having other strange cravings.

What I didn’t do was go home and immediately open up a can of tuna (and not only because I don’t have any tuna in the house, yet). I needed to mull it over and figure out if it was a change I really wanted to make. Then I realized that what I do with MY body is up to me and only me. That is, if I decide to include fish in my diet again and then don’t like it, I can take it out again.

Preferential decisions about nutrition, exercise, and health in general don’t have to be set in stone.* 

I don’t like rules. This is something else Rachael and I talked about. I don’t want to feel like I’m restricting myself. I’m going to try integrating fish again and see what happens. If I ever start to crave other types of meat, I’ll have to reevaluate. If I decide fish isn’t for me, I’ll have to reevaluate. I want the flexibility to keep trying out different things until I find what works best for me. Not necessarily what works best for the people around me. I want that to be true of more than just my eating habits as well. My life should be based on what I need, not what others expect from me.

So why am I posting about this today? Because after two and a half days of mulling it over and then realizing I left my wallet and home today and was going to need to order food online, I made the decision to order sushi WITH FISH. Specifically, Spicy Yellowtail Maki and Spicy Tuna Maki.

I have to tell you that it was really odd opening it up and immediately being able to smell the Yellowtail so strongly. I was nervous about what it would be like diving back into eating fish, even though it has only been 8 months. Then I had my first bite.

I can honestly say that it was great. The taste took me a bit by surprise even though I ordered my old favorites, but it was a good kind of surprise. Now is where the real test comes: I have no idea how (if at all) my body is going to react. Perhaps this is exactly what my body needs or perhaps it will completely freak out. Only time will tell. But for now, to borrow Erin’s sentiments, “So I guess I’m a Pescetarian now?”

*I said preferential decisions because some decisions are medically necessary and ARE set in stone.