Fitness MoeJo

Breaking the Habit - Tales from a Former Crystal Light Addict

2017-01-04T19:54:00.000-05:00

**This is an old post from 2012 that I accidently republished, ha... but on the plus side, I am still on the wagon and Crystal Light-free! ;) **

I tend to go through food and drink phases where I become OBSESSED with particular items for a certain period of time...

Some were short-lived:
~ Kashi cereal, Luna bars, Annie's mac-and-cheese, Propel water, Nut Thins (so addicting... they seriously put the "crack" in cracker)

Some are off and on depending on the season or my mood:
~ baby carrots, oatmeal, pumpkin coffee, pomegranates

Some are relatively new obsessions:
~ red grapefruit, sweet potatoes, Ezekial bread

And then some have been sticking around for quite some time:
~ bacon, orange juice, salmon... and Crystal Light... that is, until I recently challenged myself to stop drinking it.

Crystal Light... helping water get in my belly for much too long now...

I've been a Crystal Light (CL) drinker for a LONG time. I started years ago as a means to increase my water intake. I was never a huge fan of drinking plain water... even when I worked out, I usually drank either Propel water (see short-lived obsessions, above) or orange Gatorade mixed with a little protein powder.

When I discovered CL - and subsequently, CL To Go single serving packets - I found myself stocking up on the iced tea flavor and kept To Go packets everywhere so that I'd never be stuck drinking (gasp!) plain water :)

While training for my first bikini competition last year, my coach continuously stressed the importance of eating real food and watching intake of processed foods, such as artificial sweeteners, due to their toxicity. This included CL, which contains aspartame. Are artificial sweeteners toxic in small amounts? No, but research is still unclear as to what the long-term effects are... especially if being consumed on a daily basis.

I was consuming up to three CL To Go packets per day, not to mention my sugar substitute of choice at the time was Splenda. I was quick to cut out Splenda entirely (I can't even stand the taste of it now) but CL remained a staple.

Last month, I decided to challenge myself to cut out CL cold turkey and focus on finding other ways to get my daily water intake (like I needed to add another challenge onto my year). I wanted to put serious effort into eliminating this remaining artificial sweetener from my routine and, considering I went through at least one CL box per week, this would be a big test! I also wanted see if I felt a difference being off it.

Now, my background is in strength and conditioning, not nutrition, so I was curious to know what a nutritionist thought of CL and if it matched up with what I had been coached on while competition training. I decided to reach out to the creator of Beautifully Nutty, Registered Dietitian Melanie, for her thoughts...

"All in all, I don't think Crystal Light is a bad product," Melanie said, "but I also don't like the ingredient list and lengthy additives." She pointed out that if one of her clients refused to drink water unless it was mixed with CL, then she would say to have it because it's better than nothing. However, she advised not drinking CL in excess and recommended adding your own ingredients instead for the majority of the time.

I discovered that Melanie had also gone through a CL phase in college in an attempt to drink more water but she admitted that it also wasn't the healthiest time in her life. She now prefers to drink plain, filtered tap water or club soda and adds lemon, lime, cucumber, orange or mint (but not all at once!) to give the water a nice, subtle hint of fresh flavor without adding any funky ingredients.

cucumber mint water, yum!

It's been almost 1.5 months now that I've been CL-free and, honestly, I don't really miss it. Granted, I couldn't say that in week 1 and had to shield my eyes when I walked by the display in the grocery store so that I wouldn't be tempted to reach out and throw one in my basket... but I can definitely say that now :) I also don't have that constant "bloated" feeling anymore but not sure if that's from removing CL or not.

How do I get my water intake these days, being CL-free?

Adding fresh limes - it's almost a joke how many limes I go through a week but I seriously love lime in my water. I'm definitely going to try Melanie's tip of adding mint to my water too!
Making my own fresh brewed decaf iced tea instead of the CL version - much more of an authentic taste... who knew?! ;)
Keeping it cold - I am much more apt to drink water the colder it is... I have this water bottle ice cube tray from IKEA that freezes the cubes in a long, narrow shape that fits in a water bottle... Perfect!

My water bottle ice cube tray from IKEA

There is a new CL product sweetened with stevia instead of aspartame, which I recently tried, but the taste just didn't win me over. I discovered that I prefer to go the natural route with flavoring my water. CL definitely helped me achieve my goal of drinking more water; however, my nutrition priorities have gradually shifted over the years and CL simply no longer aligns with them. As with any individual nutrition plan, you have to find what works for you :)

One quick side note - if you haven't been on Melanie's website, Beautifully Nutty, do yourself a favor and check it out. There are some delicious recipes in there that look amazing, including her recent Petite Squash Puffs with Bacon Saute... are you kidding me??

It has bacon in it... 'Nuf said.
photo courtesy of Beautifully Nutty

Have you ever tried to eliminate anything from your nutrition practices? How did it go??

My Row45 Experience at Alloy Fitness

2016-11-20T16:13:00.002-05:00

August of 2016 marked the 10th year that I've been working in the health and fitness industry. Whoa time flies when you're having fun!

In those 10 years, I've held jobs in many areas of the business... front desk attendant, protein shake-maker extraordinaire, personal trainer, fitness center manager, wellness program manager, and group exercise instructor.

The struggle was real as a protein shake maker...

I stopped teaching group ex classes a few years ago, when my role in the industry shifted more to the corporate wellness side of things. So when I have an opportunity to attend a class, especially one that I've never tried before, I jump on it.

Lucky for me, Tina Morin, Owner of Alloy Fitness in Norwell, MA, happened to reach out and invite me to check out her gym and take a class, which I'm super excited to highlight on Fitness MoeJo!

Alloy Fitness is a chill, unintimidating, smartly-equipped gym/studio right off of Route 3 in Norwell, MA. From the moment I walked in, I got a sense that members feel - and are treated - like family here.

"You can be anything you want... but you must be STRONG first!" -Pavel Tsatsouline (infamous Kettlebell guru)

I was cheerfully welcomed and given a tour of the facility before class began. Real Ryder bikes and WaterRower rowing machines are on the 1st floor, while the 2nd floor has TRX suspension trainer setups, kettlebells, weight plates, and is where the strength classes take place.

TRX haven

If, by chance, you happen to be lacking a little motivation when you get to Alloy Fitness, the staircase leading to the 2nd floor will remind you what you're there for ;)

I wanted to try a class that was outside of my comfort zone, so opted to take the Saturday morning Iron Oar class, which is a mix of rowing and weights. We scheduled it so far in advance though that the schedule had changed right before the Saturday I planned to go.

Not to worry though, Alloy had a Row45 class scheduled for 7am on Sunday... not normally a time that I plan my Sunday workouts but it turned out to be the perfect start to my day.

Row45 was such an awesome workout! It was led by Tina's husband, Tim, and was very straightforward in its formatting but SUPER effective (as my glutes so kindly reminded me for about 3-4 days afterwards). We alternated between rowing and bodyweight exercises done right next to the rower.

I had been on an Concept2 rower before but never a WaterRower. Tina mentioned that they are a bit tougher than the Concept2 and she was correct :) (Have I mentioned yet that this is a good workout??)

WaterRower row

We started out by reviewing proper rowing technique then warmed up by rowing 1000 meters then went into AMRAP circuits for a set amount of time (AMRAP = as many reps as possible).

The first circuit included 100 meter sprints on the rower paired with 10 pushups. We were instructed to count how many reps we did but, true to form, I lost count after round 2. (My clients will be the first to tell you that I am NOT a good rep counter!)

However, based on my rower's computer after factoring out the warm-up distance, I estimated that I did roughly 13 rounds... which is 130 (!) pushups... which if I had been told that the workout was going to include 130 pushups, I probably would've fell down laughing. I'm not generally a high repetition exerciser. Doing them in this format was much more manageable though!

We did a 2nd AMRAP circuit of a longer row at a more moderate pace than a sprint paired with alternating reverse lunges. Yep lost count here too.

It was crazy to me how fast the 45 minutes flew by. This class has totally opened my eyes to incorporating rowing in my workouts. I think my butt will thank me ;)

The ride from Boston to Norwell on a Sunday morning was exactly 30 minutes... not bad! If you live, work, or visit the South Shore MA area, definitely check out Alloy Fitness! In addition to the rowing classes, they offer indoor cycling classes, kettlebell classes, and classes that incorporate all of the above... oh, and personal training too!

Pre-ass-kicking selfie at Alloy

Have you tried a rowing class before? If so, did you like it?

What are your favorite group ex classes to take?

Disclaimer: Alloy Fitness invited me to participate in one of their classes as a guest but all views and opinions expressed are my own.

To Fitbit or Not to Fitbit?

2016-11-07T08:55:00.000-05:00

I had been contemplating getting an activity tracker for a while, if only (mostly) out of pure curiosity about how many miles I tend to walk on a given day. There are many days when I know I crush it - and others when I definitely don't. For some I had a strong desire to have that confirmed by wearing an activity tracking wristband ;)

Adding to the equation is the fact that I am coordinating a global walking challenge at work, in which an activity tracker would be super helpful... so I decided to give in and make the purchase.

But first, the research!

To know me is to know that I like to research everything I do, travel to, eat, drink, etc. Why would choosing my activity tracker be any different?

To start, I went on the Fitbit website to compare models and to narrow it down. That was helpful but I realized there are sooo many other trackers out there that are not Fitbits and I wanted to throw them into the mix too.

I was referred to an article from Reviews.com that gave recommendations on the best overall tracker, best for endurance training, and best basic tracker. The Garmin Vivoactive HR was their pick for best endurance tracker and became one of my top contenders, along with the Fitbit Charge 2 (which didn't make their list because it came out after their research concluded).

Garmin Vivoactive HR

Fitbit Charge 2

I singled these two trackers out because, in addition to the obvious step count, distance tracking and positive online reviews, both also track sleep and HR, which were (initially, anyway) must-haves for me.

My other must-haves: not super ugly (but let's face it, none are super pretty either) and thin-sized wristband.

The differences between these two trackers:

Vivoactive HR tracks GPS (one of only a few trackers that does!)
Charge 2 tracks your cardiovascular score (a metric based on estimated VO2 Max), as well as gives you Guided Breathing Sessions, which are like brief meditation 'timeouts'

I had planned to order on Amazon... but one of my weirdly responsible adult-like qualities is that I can be very controlled when it comes to making purchases (unless you feed me wine at a Mary Kay party, then all bets are off...).

When packages show up to your door and you're like, "wait a minute..."
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I decided to shop in person instead. I'm glad I did. If you are in the market for an activity tracker, I HIGHLY recommend seeing them in person first. Both the Vivoactive HR and Charge 2 were wider than I expected, which I didn't love. I have small wrists and didn't want to feel like I was wearing a cuff.

The Charge 2 was smaller in size than the Garmin (and also smaller in cost... about $100 cheaper). BUT I really wanted something even smaller.

Enter the Fitbit Alta, which up until this point, I hadn't seriously considered because it didn't have all of my "must-haves". It tracks sleep but not HR or GPS. However, I realized that size and cost really were most important to me.

Fitbit Alta

The Alta was about $30 cheaper than the Charge 2, not a heck of a lot in the scheme of things, but also had a smaller wristband. As with the cost, not THAT much smaller, but enough to make a difference.

It happened to be available at Macy's, where I had a gift card (yay!) so was only going to cost me about $80. I didn't absolutely need the other things that came with the Charge 2 so... the Alta won!

Although it has taken some getting used to wearing it on a daily basis, I really like it. It's become a bit of a self-motivated competition to surpass 10,000 steps each day (the recommended number), even if it sometimes does mean pacing my house before bed, and it's pretty cool to see how many steps I take on a busy day. Not so cool to see how little steps I take when I sit at my desk all day...

Ultimately, I may purchase another wristband that blends in a bit more seamlessly with my jewelry and outfits (or maybe Santa can bring that for me!) but in the meantime, the black one works.

Are you a Fitbit wearer? Activity-tracker-in-general wearer? If so, what do you find most motivating about it??

My Fitbit Alta...

Glute Day! 30-Minute Lower Body Circuit

2016-09-07T17:42:00.004-04:00

I've become a pro at short but sweet workouts. Not because I don't love being in the gym but now that my day job isn't inside a gym, I simply don't have the same kind of time to exercise that I once did.

My workouts are rarely longer than 20-30 minutes... primarily due to having to squeeze in my workout before work... but I find that quality over quantity works every time. Maximizing my time in the gym and lifting heavy (for me) weights help me stay on track.

You do not need to spend hours in the gym or take back-to-back classes to see results...

Efficiency is key.

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I mostly work out to ~~offset my Dorito habit~~ maintain my muscle and feel good about myself. However, if I decide to compete in another fitness show next year (which I'm contemplating!) then I will have to adjust my routine a bit because my goals will change from maintenance mode to show prep. My goal will still be to fit everything in in 30-45 minutes though, albeit adding another day or two per week.

Generally, I stick with full-body workouts but this past weekend I solely focused on lower body. I've been traveling a lot lately, both car travel and plane travel, which means a ton of sitting... so I wanted to shake things up a bit!

I did 3 sets of 10 repetitions on almost all exercises, only resting enough in between each exercise to catch my breath and drink water. It took me about 30 minutes, including my warm-up and foam rolling.

Here's what I did...

30-Minute Lower Body Circuit

Dynamic warm-up: walking lunges, high-kick walk, squats, hip-openers, side lunges
Foam Roll: quads, adductors, abductors , glutes, back, lats
Stretch: Hamstrings (mine are notoriously tight!)

Circuit #1 (3 x 10, unless noted):

Hip Thrusters (double-leg x10; single-leg x5ea)
Rear-Foot Elevated Split Squat
Wide/Narrow Squat Jumps *

Circuit #2 (3 x 10):

Step-Down Taps (I couldn't find a good video but basically you start on top of a bench, tap down with one foot then use your glute to pull yourself back up. Do all one side then switch)
KB Deadlift
Jump Lunges *

*The jumping exercises can be modified and performed without the jump as well. Be smart and listen to your body! If your knee or ankle or some other part of your body feels a little out of whack, don't make it worse!

You'll notice that I do a LOT of single-leg work. I do a lot of single arm work too. My body is pretty off-centered, literally and strength-wise, because of my scoliosis...

I have a clear weaker side in both upper and lower body, so unilateral exercises (aka, working each side individually) helps train the asymmetries in my body.

Train smart, unlike Ron...

Let me know if you decide to try this circuit out! I recommend bodyweight only to start, especially if these exercises (or strength training in general) are new for you... see how you feel in the 48 hours after (especially those glutes!), and then add weights the next time if muscles feel good.

Consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program and always seek professional advice before engaging in any physical activity.

The End-of-Summer Rose Wine Spritzer Rules

2016-09-02T18:04:00.002-04:00

It kills me that the summer season is so short in New England... all the more reason you gotta enjoy every second of it! If you are like me, then wine may have accompanied some (most?) of your enjoyable moments throughout summer...

This summer, I decided to bring wine spritzers back. To be fair, they never actually went anywhere but it had been a while since I had one.

They've been my go-to deck drink throughout summer. I even created my own little 'signature' spritzer drink, the "60-Second Sangria".

(Side note: this drink only takes 60 seconds to make when you are making one. It becomes the "10-Minute Sangria", as my family so ~~teasingly~~ lovingly called it, when I tried to make a batch of five at once).

Although I have been making these with white wine (most often with the Vinho Verde from Trader Joe's), I happened to have a bottle of rose in my fridge (also probably from Trader Joe's) that I thought would make for a pretty drink, on a late Friday afternoon, to kick off my Labor Day Weekend (the unofficial end of summer).

The Rules for a great wine spritzer, aka "60-Second Sangria", are as follows:

Put ice in wine glass
Squeeze in juice from any fruit
Drop squeezed fruit in glass
Pour wine (I've been portioning roughly half wine, half seltzer. Ok maybe a skosh more wine.)
Top off with seltzer water (I've been gravitating towards the yummy flavored ones from Polar lately)
Sit outside and enjoy!

Some of the yummy new Polar flavors I've been taste-testing
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Currently, I have grapefruit and lime on hand, in addition to Pomegranate Sangria flavored seltzer water, and my pretty Chilean rose wine... so that was the combo I used for today...

Forgot to add the lime in this pic but at least I remembered to add it in the drink

In the words of one of my favorite 80's commercials (PollyO String Cheese!), this combo was "Belissimo! Magnifique! C'est si bon!" (which you will only get if you are old like me ;)

The face everyone who doesn't remember that TV ad just made...

I've used combinations from almost every kind of fruit from oranges to raspberries to blueberries. All delicious.

My fave deck drink in my fave wine glass... please don't end, summer!

Cheers to the weekend! How are YOU celebrating??

My Solo Anguilla Adventure

2016-09-01T11:08:00.000-04:00

The infamous (and unfiltered) Anguilla Blues :)

Since 2016 is the year of my 40th birthday - and traveling has been on my bucket list since I created my bucket list - I decided that this is the year I'd FINALLY start adding stamps to my passport.

I firmly believe that fun travel adventures and the ocean air is medicine for the soul. I live a few blocks from the ocean, so I'm good there; but I never thought I could afford to travel like I wanted to. However, the past few years have made me realize that life is really short.. why wait?

Geraud's Bakery in Anguilla clearly understands the 'life is short' concept... #bacongoodness

Traveling to fabulous places doesn't have to cater to the rich and famous... I quickly learned that if you do a little research and figure out some things ahead of time, you can have amazing adventures anywhere.

So, with my new outlook on living life and incorporating travel, this year I decided to line up a few trips for myself...

The first was a solo trip to Anguilla, an under-the-radar island in the Caribbean that's now my new home away from home because it is simply amazing.

Pretty Crocus Bay, Anguilla

This was my 2nd trip to Anguilla. The first was on my honeymoon, 11 years ago. The marriage may not have lasted but the memories of Anguilla did... including how the island smelled and the breathtakingly gorgeous beaches and the amazing food. I've been wanting to go back ever since; plus, I really liked the thought of creating NEW Anguilla memories for myself.

My objectives as a solo traveler were:

to step away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life
attempt to remain budget-conscious on an island where budget can easily get out of hand
quench my thirst for adventure

Managed to check all boxes in Anguilla!

Off-tune singing at Mango's back in June 2005

True to form, and just like 11 years ago, I obsessively researched the trip, to the point where I felt like I knew the island before I got there.

This time though, since I was traveling solo, I could do WHATEVER I wanted. I didn't have the big honeymoon budget this time (quite literally had a fraction of it) but I was able to do so much exploring and have an amazing experience.

So here's a recap of my time in paradise... I stayed 5 days, 4 nights which, of course, was not long enough. All the more reason to get back sooner than later ;)

About as crowded as it got on Rendezvous Bay... this is my kinda crowd right here :)
(Dune Preserve in background)

omg.... first time driving on the left side of the road!

Day 1: I'm New England-born and raised, so I know rotaries/roundabouts... BUT navigating rotaries that go in the opposite direction from how my brain typically processes them was... apparently too much for my brain to process haha. The first day of driving I kept veering off to the left when I would approach a rotary because I was so freaked out haha. Luckily that wore off by day two.

First rum punch courtesy of Elvis' Beach Bar

I heard that Elvis made a great rum punch so of course I had to sample it for myself straight away! After that, I walked to Barrel Stay and had an amazing sea scallop dinner... and my very first jonnycake :) They were playing the best 90s love songs... like random-old school-amazingness. Truly the icing on the (jonny)cake for my first night in Anguilla.

My apartment view by day...

...My apartment view by dusk

Day 2: Now I'm a morning person but I was not prepared for my daily 3:30am wake-up call, ha. I did not get the memo about the roosters in Anguilla. I will say though, it was lovely waking up to the sound of waves crashing in between all that cock-a-doodle-doo-ing. I decided my first order of business was breakfast at Le Bon Pain in Island Harbour.

Anguilla's Jammin' jams... made in an aquaponic garden!

For some reason, I had a heck of a time trying to find it but so glad I did! Best French bread ever. Hugest egg sandwich ever. Ate half of it on their palm-covered patio and decided to continue on to Shoal Bay East (after buying some cute Anguilla's Jammin' jams for souvenir gifts!).

One of about 45 pictures I took of the crystal clear water at Shoal Bay East. Doesn't even do it justice. I could do an entire blog post on how awesome this beach is.

I parked at Elodia's on Shoal Bay East, grabbed a chair, and proceeded to drain my phone battery while taking a million pictures because the beach really is that beautiful. Oh, and sampled a rum punch of course! After spending a good portion of the day there, I decided to take a drive to Zemi Beach House and check it out. Amazing property.

Self-guided tour of Zemi Beach House... the gorgeous pool area

My Bostonian winter skin had maxed out on sun exposure by this point, so I decided to head back and shower for dinner.

I had dinner reservations at Veya for 8pm so I decided to chill on my deck for a bit and watch the sun set. Ronnie Bryan, who I rented my car from, happened to be in the area so he stopped by to take care of my paperwork. I asked him, "How did you know I would be here?" He said, "Well, if you weren't here, I'd just check back another time!" You gotta love the laidback, relaxed pace at which everything gets done in Anguilla! Not a nicer guy on the planet, by the way.

I don't have pictures from Veya because, to be honest, it was the one place in which I felt slightly self-conscious being alone. Veya was so busy and I was the only person dining solo. I'm sure no one noticed or cared but I did feel self-conscious. If I go back by myself, I will likely belly up to the bar instead of sitting at a table. However, dinner was nothing short of spectacular. .. from the cauliflower soup amuse bouche to Bon Iver playing on the speakers when I came in (which changed to a live performance by Omari Banks), to the spicy jerk shrimp cigars... all fantastic.

Shoal Bay West; Covecastles Resort Villas in the background

Day 3: Today was all about the West Side! I really wanted to explore that area so I first headed to Geraud's for breakfast (omg so good), then to Shoal Bay West (had the beach to myself), then decided to try and find the natural bridge...

You had me at "road close".... The sign that kick-started my impromptu West End hike

lol... road closed? Ok, well let's get some steps in! Next time I will know to bring sneakers instead of flip flops...

View from the end of my West End hike

West End stairway to heaven

Everything was so pretty... but seriously, where is the damn natural bridge?? Sadly, I didn't find it but I fully intend to when I go back to Anguilla!

Little pink houses, for you and me... And goats on goats on goats. Because... Anguilla.

Self-guided tour of Viceroy

I don't stay at the luxury places but that doesn't mean I'm not interested in them! Decided to check out Viceroy (now the Four Seasons) and see what all the fuss is about. Super pretty, very nice. Just FYI on the foot rinse machine... there is a top and a bottom button... the bottom button turns on the foot rinse, the top button turns on the shower it does NOT turn OFF the foot rinse. An unexpected shower is always a surprise but makes for a lovely walk back to the car in the Anguilla heat.

Since I was itching to do something active (hiking in flip flops didn't exactly qualify haha), I decided to drive to Da'Vida, rent a kayak, and paddle over to Little Bay.

Kayaking to Little Bay

THIS was one of my most favorite parts of the trip because it was such a unique experience to kayak to this cutie little beach. Of course, while on Little Bay, I met a super nice couple who live the next state over from me because it really is such a small world. (Shout out to Susan and Jay!)

Some people prefer to let the kayaks rest and have Calvin take them to Little Bay in his boat

Post-kayak fluid replenishment... frozen mojito at Da'Vida (Crocus Bay)

I know it's SO tough to tell but I'm really enjoying this

Later in the evening, I had dinner at Roy's Bayside then headed to the Pumphouse for Ladies Night! In the few days that I had been on the island, I had the pleasure of meeting some great people who live on island - including my super friendly hosts - and they invited me out for a night with them. Between the company, music, people-watching, and drinks... it was such a fun time! I don't know why we didn't think to take pictures (having too much fun I guess!) but next time for sure.

Tigger the cat just chillin' at Roy's :)

Day 4: Unfortunately, roosters don't care how late you stay out at the Pumphouse... but I'd rather be tired in Anguilla than well-rested at work ;) I decided to have breakfast at Straw Hat and then take advantage of their loungers for a bit. They were playing reggae versions of Prince, Adele, etc... it was great! Meads Bay is probably my 2nd favorite beach behind Shoal Bay East (not that far behind though!) and I thoroughly enjoyed hanging out there. The adorable Frangipani resort is right next door, which I did not visit, but may have momentarily pretended that I did haha...

Frangipani Beach Resort pool (Meads Bay)

Frangipani has the cutest thatched umbrella and chairs (Meads Bay)

CuisinArt Resort - I found out after I took this pic, oddly enough, that this is the building I stayed in 11 years ago!

Speaking of frangipani... one of the things I *really* wanted to do when I went back to Anguilla is to go to Cuisinart, where I had stayed when I first visited the island 11 years earlier, and take in the intoxicating frangipani smell that I remembered. The only problem was... when I got there, there was no smell! If I'm being honest, the resort looked a little less "nice" than I remembered. In fairness though, I was there 11 years earlier AND on my honeymoon so probably had my head in the clouds. I was probably even thinking the lizards were "cute" back then ;) Decided to lift my spirits with a visit to the Sunshine Shack...

Met this cutie on Rendezvous Bay... she didn't speak English and I don't speak Spanish but we got along just fine :)

Sunshine Shack was the perfect antidote to feeling letdown from Cuisinart... Garvey makes a mean frozen margarita, the beach is perfect (I think Rendezvous Bay rounds out my top 3!), and I saw Susan and Jay that I met at Little Bay!

MA license plate, front and center, at Sunshine Shack!

Me and Sunshine Shack's friendly owner, Garvey

After a relaxing afternoon at Rendezvous Bay, I went back to Sandy Ground to chill for a bit then went to Zemi Beach House to see Mystic Vibes perform. Can't think of a better way to spend my last night on the island :)

My adorable little studio apartment in Sandy Ground...

...which is also the perfect spot for sunset viewing...

...And is managed by the best people ever who actually BAKED me a delicious carrot cake treat for my flight home!!

Day 5: Last day, so sad :( Decided to finish strong with a walk on the beach, breakfast at Geraud's one last time, a quick visit to Cove Bay, then headed for AXA. I flew in and out of AXA primarily because it was much cheaper than flying to SXM. Although I've heard of issues with travel through AXA, I had zero issues and a very pleasant experience :)

Where I stayed... if you are familiar with Anguilla and Sandy Ground, you can probably guess where I stayed from my pics... right above Roy's Bayside Grill! I found out about this place from BeachBarBums and I couldn't be more grateful. As a solo traveler, this is exactly what I wanted... somewhere safe, that my wallet could handle, and located directly on the beach. This is a self-service apartment, so not in the same echelon as the luxury, high-end places that Anguilla has come to be known for, but I wasn't looking for anything fancy. This place was perfect for me and I absolutely loved it.

Planning the itinerary now for my May 2017 Anguilla trip... stay tuned for the recap!

Have you ever traveled solo? If not, would you??

Pressing the Reset Button: Appreciating Life (and Happy Birthday, Mom!)

2016-08-10T22:08:00.003-04:00

My mom and I at my brother's wedding (2009)

Today my mom would have been 71 years old. 71 years young might be a better way of putting it... although she wasn't into fitness and health, she definitely did not look her age (I'm hoping that gene awakens within me as I age too!).

It still feels surreal sometimes... the fact that she isn't here to experience life... she was so young and there are so many things that she should be part of. Not to mention there is so much that has happened in the last 2-1/2 years since she's been gone and so much more is going to happen.

After she died, I realized how precious life is and how much I want to take full advantage of it while I can. I remind myself often that 'life is short' and to 'live in the moment'... BUT, as I continuously discover, living in the moment is a hard lifestyle habit to stick with if you aren't practicing on a regular basis.

For instance, my Fitness MoeJo blog was started as a way to document and share my experiences on maintaining a healthy, fit lifestyle... something I love to do.

However, I was looking at my blog posts this morning and realized that I haven't posted anything in 7 months. Actually, my posts dramatically dropped off after I started my current full-time job, a little over 2 years ago. I've made a few valiant efforts to dust off the cobwebs but a typical workday leaves me mentally exhausted by the end of the day... Blogging quickly took a backseat.

So today, I decided to take a mental health day- partly to reset my emotional wellbeing and give my brain a break from work, but specifically chose this day to make time to honor my mom too. I've been ~~a bit~~ a ton stressed out with work for a while. Its tough to live in the moment when long work hours, an overstuffed to-do list, and emotional exhaustion are constantly weighing on you.

The stress has slowly trickled it's way into other areas of my life... health, relationships, sleep, gym time... ironically, the very same lifestyle habits that I coach with other people. How can I expect to be successful with others if I'm not successfully achieving these things myself on a regular basis?

My mom would've encouraged me to take a break and come sit by the pool today, so I took the day off... Unfortunately, it wasn't a pool day but that's ok ;) I sat with my thoughts instead and brainstormed ways to gradually start living in the moment.

I could list out all the things I thought of but they really all boil down to one thing... taking action...

What does this mean for me? I'm starting small... everyday I will commit to doing one thing, no matter how small, that simply brings me joy, makes me focus on the present, and makes me appreciate life instead of just being in autopilot all the time.

Sounds simple, right? But it's not enough to know I need to do it... I need to actually do it.

Today, having the day off and all, I actually did a few things that fit this category... enjoyed coffee on the deck while my Rocky snuggled my leg, walked in the rain without an umbrella, took a detour to drive along a route I used to run on when I lived with my mom, emailed an old friend... but I'm only committing myself to one thing a day to start.

Rocky helping me appreciate the little things this morning... especially cute, black and white, cuddly, furry things...

I'm not anticipating my world to change asap but I am predicting that one thing will lead to two things, which will continue building so that living in the moment becomes my norm instead of the exception.

I'd give anything to have my mom back. Since that's not possible, I'll do the next best thing and live my life in a way that she'd be proud of, while honoring her memory. Appreciating the little things in life is the first step :)

Happy Birthday, Mom!

Explore. Dream. Discover. And Put Down the Doritos... 2016 Goals

2016-01-02T14:56:00.000-05:00

I've always been a big New Year's fan... not necessarily New Year's Eve but New Year's DAY... January 1st, the anticipation of a fresh start. I'm a goal-oriented person and I love new beginnings, both of which New Year's has come to symbolize. I've certainly had my share of new beginnings over the years, a few of which were not necessarily planned and some have been happier than others, but all have led me to where I am today.

My love for New Year's means a fondness for setting New Year's resolutions, as cliché as that may be, although I prefer to call them goals. I set specific goals for myself throughout the year but they are usually based off of my overall New Year's goals. They tend to share similar themes year after year - some sort fitness goal, a financial goal, sometimes a bigger "out of my comfort zone" goal like going back to school or tackling my fear of heights - but they serve as my road map for the year.

Do I fall short of some goals? (Not a short joke, although have at it...) Of course I do, I'm not a robot(and I'm 5'1"), so sometimes I overreach and it doesn't work out. BUT I'm learning to enjoy the journey, be okay with making missteps (that's a toughie for a recovering perfectionist such as myself!) and reprioritize when needed.

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Yesterday, on my way home from a relaxing and inspiring NYE trip to Martha's Vineyard... far, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city... I thought about what I wanted my 2016 goals to be. I didn't give in to any preconceived notions, just came up with a list based on where I want my mindset and priorities focused....

Create more / Facebook less
Travel / including 'off the beaten path' places
Choose my mood / don't let others choose it for me
Drink more water / eat fewer Doritos
Don't sweat the small stuff / but do appreciate the little things
Take more opportunities to live in the moment / spend less time worrying about the future and being wistful for the past

I received a card almost 20 years ago with a quote from Mark Twain that quickly became one of my all-time favorites and basically sums up what I want for 2016:

Wise words from Mr. Twain

Don't get me wrong, it's not like I was waiting with bated breath for 2015 to end... it was a pretty good year overall. Sure there were some sad moments like saying goodbye to my sweet Huggybear, frustrating months of battling a seemingly never-ending bout of bronchitis, and chilly months of trudging through (literally) a seemingly never-ending winter. The good far outweighs the bad though and I'm taking that mindset with me as I anticipate 2016.

So with that... CHEERS to a happy, healthy, exploratory and fun-filled 2016!!

Sunset on South Beach in Edgartown, Martha's Vineyard ~ 12/31/15

Batch Cooking: Turkey Meatball Muffins

2015-12-09T20:29:00.001-05:00

I preach the benefits of batch cooking all the time. It is one of two saving graces in helping to maintain a grasp on my health... especially during times of stress, which usually leads to my workout clothes collecting dust. (For the record, and for another blog post, my 2nd saving grace is walking... Lots of daily walking.)

I learned about batch cooking's merits when I first started competing. There was a short time period between then and now when I stopped making batch cooking a priority and my body (and wallet) felt the difference. I've been a fan ever since.

What's not to like? I stay in control of what I'm eating, always have something healthy on hand, don't have to spend money on daily lunches, and get to test out new yummy recipes to add to my weekly rotation!

This Turkey Meatball Muffin recipe (that I adapted from Jamie Eason... see her original recipe here) has been in my rotation for a few years now... it is super easy, healthy and delicious!*

I've made a few tweaks to it through the years based on my ingredient availability and desire to spice it up a bit. Although I loved Jamie's original version, I sort of feel like mine might be a little more... YOU know...

The "m" word...

Don't make me say it...

Seriously, the beauty of this recipe is you can substitute and customize the add-in's to suit your taste and I'm sure they will still come out tasty. They are a great source of protein too. I typically pair them with either roasted sweet potato, brown rice or quinoa for a meal; however, they would also make a good pre/post-workout snack by themselves or even as a regular snack.

click picture to enlarge

*Side note, just noticed when I linked to Jamie's recipe that I've only been using 1 pound of ground turkey in my recipe, not the 2 pounds of turkey that the original recipe calls for... Whoops! Time to wear my glasses while cooking :) Clearly, I still think they are good!

Would love to hear your customizations, if you decide to try these out! Happy batch cooking!

Age Ain't Nuthin' but a Number - The '6 Months 'til 40' Blog Post

2015-12-08T15:35:00.002-05:00

I realized today, as I was writing the date, that I turn 40 years old exactly 6 months from now. I've almost been alive for 40 YEARS. I know I'm stating the obvious but it's so crazy to me. Not in an "omg I'm freaking out" kind of crazy but more like a hilarious/how is that possible kind of crazy.

Being on the verge of 40 is a very strange thing when you barely feel out of your 20's. The phrase 'age ain't nothing but a number' has never held more meaning to me.

Having said that, I'm also light years from who I was in my 20's. As 40 approaches, I've been reflecting on everything I've been through - especially over the past decade...

... 10 years ago, I was a newlywed who had just undergone major lung surgery
... 9 years ago, I was starting grad school to change careers to the fitness industry
... 7 years ago, I simultaneously graduated grad school, separated from my soon-to-be ex-husband and was about to start life as a divorcee
... 5 years ago, I could now add "Boston Marathon Finisher" to my list of accomplishments :)
… 4 years ago, I stepped on stage in my 1st bikini show and immediately followed it up with my 2nd back surgery,
… 3 years ago, I had recently come off a 3rd place finish in my 2nd bikini show and became an auntie for the first time :)
... 2 years ago, My mom would unexpectedly pass away on the day after Christmas. Regardless of how long ago it was, it will always feel like yesterday.

... This past year was a mix of highs and lows, from fulfilling a long-time dream of traveling to Ireland to losing an influential person in my life to suicide, which was another somber reminder that no matter how old you get, life is still so short.

Getting older is a strange thing. I think many of us have expectations of what we'll be like at a certain age BUT (at least in my experience) once you get to that age, you find yourself in a very different set of circumstances.

If you had asked me 10 years ago where I see myself at 40 years old, I would have said:

Married with kids (a girl and a boy),
Working in Human Resources (the industry I was in at the time),
Homeowner living south of Boston in the ‘burbs

Fast-forward 10 years and I’m divorced, kid-free, working in the health/wellness industry and living in the city. I mean, that's a complete 180 on all fronts haha. However, my decisions through life have led me to be exactly where I am. And, to be honest, I’m pretty happy.

Sure, I get bummed sometimes that I haven't had kids yet when most of my friends are on their 2nd, 3rd, even 4th kid in some instances. Although I certainly haven't ruled out kids yet either, despite approaching the ripe ol' age of 40. However, I've accepted the fact that just because I pictured my life a certain way, that doesn't mean that's how it's going to go.

I can choose to stomp my feet and pout about it (not very becoming behavior for an almost 40-year old, ha) OR I can embrace the positive things happening in my life, be open to new experiences and set myself up for a different life that's even better than one I could have pictured for myself.

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I'm a chronic Googler, especially when I'm bored, so I was Googling random things about turning 40 and a list came up about things to experience before turning 40. My first thought was, "cool, let's see how many I've done" until I realized the list contained things like "sit court side at your fave team's home game", "eat grilled steak in Brazil", "Go yachting in Monaco", "Go on a spiritual journey in Jerusalem or Vatican City".

Um, I'm sorry, what? There very well may be 'almost 40-something's out there reading the list like, "ok, check... check... yup, did that... did that too..." but clearly this list wasn't made for someone who changed paths and started from the bottom of a new career, flat broke, at age 30.

I'm pretty motivated to ring in my 4th decade feeling at my best (thus far) physically, emotionally, mentally, and, ideally, financially :) Along with that may come my own list of "things to experience before age 40" but safe to assume it won't involve camel-back riding in the desert or betting it all in high stakes gambling at the high rollers table in Vegas.

Above all, I'm looking forward to ringing in my 40's feeling good about where I am in life, optimistic for the future, trying not to sweat the small stuff and taking this age thing in stride ;)

May not be over 40 yet but this is so, so very true ;)
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Batch Cooking Ideas: Spaghetti Squash Pizza Casserole

2015-01-13T07:59:00.001-05:00

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Is it really almost the middle of January? What the hell is happening to time these days?? At least 2015 has been pretty good so far, for the most part, and this weekend was no exception...

Watched the Pats win an amazing playoffs game
Had an awesome time helping a good friend celebrate her birthday... no traffic cones this time though ;)
Booked a trip to Europe - See ya in April, Dublin and London!!
Incorporated weights into my workout- after a looong period of inactivity due to illness. (I was making myself do a few weeks of bodyweight-only training before hitting the weights.)
Branched out with my batch cooking

I've been having a lot of batch cooking conversations with people lately. It seems like everyone is motivated to eat healthier in the New Year and looking for fun food pairings and quick, easy meals... myself included!

Batch cooking is something I got into while prepping for my first bikini competition and have more or less stuck with it over the past 4 years, even when I'm not in training mode. I feel much better when I'm in the habit of getting it done. I think of it as being even more important than the time I spend in the gym... I firmly believe in the cliché that abs are made in the kitchen.

Hi, my name is Moe and I like to keep my Tupperware lid-to-bottom ratio at 100:1

I've definitely gone through batch cooking-free spurts where I buy my lunch every day at work, then stop at the grocery store on my way home from work while STARVING and proceed to buy (and eventually polish off) whatever I'm craving for dinner. I try not to do that because it adds up really fast. Batch cooking allows me to know what I'm eating, eat the proper portions, save money and not make stupid choices because of being hungry.

This week's batch cooking included some of my old standby's - turkey, rice and mixed veggies; grass-fed burger, sweet potato and zucchini; overnight oats; etc. I also decided to mix things up a little with zucchini protein pancakes, spaghetti squash pizza casserole, and PB vanilla maple protein bites.

I'm including the recipe for the spaghetti squash pizza casserole here because it is delicious, I love it and you need to try it. It's a Paleo recipe, not that I follow the Paleo way of eating, but I've been finding a lot of great healthy, Paleo recipes lately.

This is a recipe that I made once or twice last year but forgot about until I spied spaghetti squash in the produce aisle on Sunday. Portion control may or may not fly out the window with this dish... you've been warned :)

Spaghetti Squash Pizza Casserole
(Based off PaleOMG's recipe, found here)

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Ingredients:

1 large spaghetti squash
1 pound turkey, chicken or sausage
1 onion, diced
1 cup pizza sauce, no sugar added
1 tsp basil
3 eggs or egg whites
Salt and pepper to taste
Any other topping you would normally put on pizza, incl cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Bake spaghetti squash
I typically pierce it all around with a knife, then bake it for 30-60 minutes (Timing things isn't my strong suit; just make sure the skin gives when you press on it)
Let squash cool for 5 minutes then cut open, remove seeds and scrape out threads with a fork into 8x8 greased baking dish; reduce oven heat to 350 degrees.
In separate pan, over medium heat, sauté onions and meat, until meat is cooked
Add pizza sauce, basil, salt, pepper and any other add-on you want
Mix well and add to the 8x8 dish; mix with squash
Finally, add whisked eggs (or egg whites) to dish and mix well, until you can no longer see the egg
Bake for 1 hour (I like mine well done so I go slightly longer)
Cut it up and serve!

Life's Short, Do More... My 2014 Recap in Pics

2015-01-02T12:01:00.001-05:00

Ahhh... 2015, finally! See ya later 2014, not all that sad to watch you go. I'm not generally the type of person to wish time away but I have been looking forward to the start of a new year.

2014 started off horribly and, though it definitely had some good moments, it was overall a pretty stressful year for me.

Sometimes stress is a good thing... such as the prep work for my job change last summer (which paid off, got the job!). But a lot of my stress was negative... such as dealing with the aftermath of my mom's death, some financial setbacks and letting my new job interfere with maintaining my work/life balance. The trouble with negative stress is that, unless you take some action, it starts to cloud your perception of what is truly important in life.

I noticed that I began placing unnecessary significance on the stupidest things... Everything from being cutoff in traffic (maybe I'm just a Masshole but there are times when my horn and middle finger get used as frequently as my blinker) to undue agonizing about work projects to constant worrying about the future instead of actually enjoying and living in the moment.

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Aside from family and friends, my health and happiness are the most important things to me. Ironically, I kept pushing them aside last year to make room for other stuff.

As a result, towards the end of the year I found myself completely out of my workout routine, sick with bronchitis, and constantly tired, cranky, stressed and annoyed. I learned at the beginning of the year that life is short... so why wasn't I focusing on what really matters to me?

The crazy thing is, as a wellness specialist, I assist employees with effectively managing their wellness needs on a daily basis; however, here I am, neglecting to do the same with my own. There's a time and place to put other people's happiness before your own but "all the time" should never be an option.

Don't get me wrong, 2014 had it's highlights (got the picture proof below!)... but I'll mostly look back on 2014 as the year that reminded me how amazingly short life is, the importance of a positive mindset and how I need to do MORE of what makes me happy. (Oh, and the year that I realized I should stop wearing the same clothes as my toddler nieces but that's besides the point.)

Nothing like owning the exact same pair of striped seersucker shorts as a 2-year old.

2015 is already off to a good start with a spontaneous New Year's Day snowboarding trip (with more time actually spent on the board than falling on my ass, yay!) and a relaxing 11-day vacation from work, allowing me to work on rebuilding habits that fell by the wayside like reading, working out and spending time with friends.

Cannot wait to enjoy many more good times, like some of my favorites from 2014....

More trips in 2015 w/ my travel buddy...

Spending more time w/ these little munchkins...

More weekend getaways w/ my college girls...

More dancing in dive bars...

More raising awareness for good causes like The Jimmy Fund...

More family selfies...

More auntie/niece selfies...

More road races (and post-race beers) with the family...

More Cape Cod trips with dad...

More outdoor concerts w/ good friends...

More attempts to beat my 5k PR :)

And, for sure, more opportunities to slow down and enjoy the moment. Cheers to that :)

Happy 2015!! What will you be doing MORE of??

My Animal Flow Experience at Equinox

2014-02-24T08:06:00.000-05:00

Recently, I had an opportunity to participate in the new “Animal Flow” class at Equinox… which gives “train like a beast” a whole new meaning!

I had no idea what to expect… bear crawls, frog jumps and crab walks are animal moves that I’m familiar with but I had a feeling this class was going to be a lot more involved.

"Animal Flow” was created by Mike Fitch and incorporates functional movement from many disciplines. The class description on the Equinox website states:

“Blend dynamic bodyweight movement with modern athletic training. This non-traditional approach to primal bodyweight training integrates strength, endurance, flexibility, mobility and power for total body mastery and the ultimate fit physique.”

This is Mike :)
photo courtesy of Global Bodyweight Training

As a big believer in bodyweight training, I thought this sounded right up my alley!

It was my first time at Equinox on Dartmouth Street, and I was early (no that’s not a typo), so the friendly front desk attendant offered to show me around the fitness center. Wow, this place is definitely top notch… and HUGE.

Equinox Dartmouth St
photo courtesy of Equinox

There are separate studios for different kinds of class offered, a sea of cardio/strength machines and (my favorite part) an area on the strength floor with lots of open space for bodyweight/functional exercise.

One of the studios
Photo courtesy of Equinox

There are a number of high-end amenities too… complimentary coat check, Kiehl’s products in the locker rooms, an outdoor deck (although, sadly, not the time of year for me to check out), laundry service and juice bar.

The VIP locker room... another one of the amenities at Equinox
Photo courtesy of Equinox

There are two “Animal Flow” classes:

Animal Flow X – 45-minute beginner class
Animal Flow – 30-minute conditioning class

Even though it was my first time taking the class, I took the 30-minute “non-beginner” version because it fit my schedule better. As it turned out, the other 4 people in class were newbies too.

Todd, our instructor, explained that the “X” class just takes things at a slower pace and allows more time to really learn the movements. I guess we were all just a bunch of overachievers :)

Todd started the class with a thorough warm-up and then taught us a handful of animal-named exercises that were turned into a set of circuits. A lot of these exercises were unilateral so we’d repeat each one on both sides of the body.

Mike demonstrating a movement
Photo courtesy Global Bodyweight Training

He then led is through a series of crawling exercises across the studio floor – side-traveling ape and side-traveling beast. It reminded me of exercises I've made my clients do and had sort of an acrobatic element to them.

After the crawling portion, we spent about 10 minutes on the final flow. The exercises we learned at the beginning of class were strung together to create a “flow” of movements. Todd would call out an exercise along with “right” or “left” and we would transition between them. It was really cool and more strenuous than I expected but in a challenging “this is so much fun” kind of way.

the "flow"
photo courtesy of Global Bodyweight Training

Todd spent a good deal of time at the end of class, as well as in between segments, stretching… especially the wrists. Many of the movements involve being on your hands, so wrist stretching was a definite necessity.

The class felt like a mix of power yoga and low-impact breakdancing, with some strength moves thrown in for good measure. Although I didn't get too sweaty (probably because I was focused on remembering the movements), I still got a good workout and felt very limber and stretched out afterwards. I would imagine that after taking a few classes, it becomes more of a workout because you don’t have to think so hard to remember the exercises.

In the Boston area, “Animal Flow” classes are only held at the Dartmouth Street Equinox. They are offered at other sites outside of Boston… check the website for the full schedule of classes at all Equinox locations.

If you are looking for a unique way to get in shape for summer, definitely check out “Animal Flow” at Equinox. Not only will it get you moving in ways you probably haven't since childhood, it'll help bring back FUN to your workout!

Roaring encouraged :)

Disclaimer: This was a complimentary class; however, all views expressed are my own.

To Compete or Not to Compete: My Bikini Show Dilemma

2014-01-23T10:48:00.000-05:00

If you've been following my blog for a bit, you probably know that I've competed in two bikini competitions:

2011 – Fitness New England at Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT
2012 – OCB Spirit of America in Carver, MA (recap #1, recap #2)

2012 OCB Spirit of America... that's me on the left
picture c/o JJS Photo Design

I didn't compete in 2013 because of a few reasons…

First and foremost, as I mentioned here, I just didn't want to. Not sure why I was feeling like this but I knew that if my heart wasn't fully in it, no way would I stay committed. After two years of competing, maybe I just needed a break.

Plus, competing as a non-sponsored athlete can be somewhat of a financial burden even if you attempt to be frugal. I decided to put that money toward other things I wanted to do last year, such as attending the FitSocial Conference in Colorado, pledging to enter and run in at least one road race per month (from April on) and seeing at least one concert every month :)

My 1st road race of 2013, the B.A.A. 5K, the day before the Boston Marathon

Lastly, 2013 was the year that I started feeling OLD in the physical sense. Between ongoing neck/ shoulder pain, foot pain and a couple rounds of back-to-back bronchitis and sinus infections, it seemed like I was falling apart.

Doctor’s orders to ease up on heavy lifting for a bit (because of my shoulder) caused me to focus more on running than strength training for the majority of the year (hence my "road race per month" self-challenge).

Once fall came, I started getting this itch to get back into bikini competition training mode. Not sure where it came from, and I think it came while I was in the midst of enjoying a beer and pizza, but I thought I’d scratch it a little and see what happened.

Beer tends to go hand-in-hand with road races and obstacle course runs... not so much with bikini competitions!

In November, with my shoulder now completely healed, I started training with my old coach. As soon as I got back into a routine, I felt like I had a piece of my old self back. Although I had more or less stayed active throughout the year, I didn't realize how much I missed the unique, crazy workouts I used to do. I was feeling good.

I also had a new training partner... I started training a couple days each week with one of my co-workers at HBS, and we both set our eyes on the same competition that I entered in 2012, the OCB Spirit of America, taking place April 19th.

And then Christmas came, changing my life. Within 24 hours of arriving at the hospital, my mom was no longer alive, which made everything else seem insignificant…

Especially things like training for a bikini competition.

In the three weeks after my mom died, I didn't step foot in a gym or even think about my training. Three weeks may not seem that long but it was long enough to make a considerable dent in any progress I made up to Christmas Eve. My nutrition was completely off track, I was losing muscle, my stress level was through the roof and thoughts of competing got pushed to the curb.

Obviously, I had other unexpected priorities to handle during this time but I was starting to realize that I still need to take care of myself, grieving or not. Days of not eating right and nights of not sleeping much weren't doing me any favors. I also knew that resuming my workouts might actually help me cope with everything that was going on.

I had my first post-Christmas workout around the “3-months-out” mark, January 19th. Although I kept my weights on the conservative side to ease back into it, I still spent the better part of this week hobbling around… but I welcomed the soreness.

It reminded me that, yes, I have a lot of catching up to do but I feel better after a good workout - sore muscles and all - than I do not working out. If I stay consistent, I know this soreness will only be temporary anyway.

It also reminded me that, yes, I have certain priorities that take precedence right now but my health and fitness should not get bumped from the list. Now, more than ever, is the time to be mindful of what I’m doing to prolong MY life, as well as helping others prolong theirs in my day-to-day job.

Having said that, as much as I am interested in competing a 3^rd time, April might be too soon for me. I’m not throwing in the towel just yet – I’ll continue keeping up with the training for now - but with everything that’s happened, I may have to push the date back a bit... Decisions, decisions…

One of my best friends gave me my very 1st Alex and Ani bracelet this Christmas. Recently, this "thing" with penguins had sort of organically grown between us so, fittingly, she gave me the Penguin Charm. After reading the description that came with it, I fell even more in love with it than I already was...

This is my absolute most favorite description of anything ever...

It says, "The energetic penguin is a traveler, a loyal companion, and a free spirit. Inspiring us to take a leap of faith, this wandering creature moves freely, consistently lands on his feet, and confidently walks upright. Embrace the spirited energy of the Penguin Charm to live with purpose, to give love without question, and to be bold in your pursuits."

So cool, right?

How does this all tie in with what I'm going through? It's reminding me that sometimes a leap of faith needs to be taken and, whatever I decide to do, I should do with purpose, confidence and boldness. Some may say that's corny, I like to think it's a pretty legit way to live.

What leap of faith are YOU going to take to start living with purpose today?

My Reason For Donating Blood

2014-01-20T08:03:00.000-05:00

Did you know that January is National Blood Donor Month??

Donating blood is a great way to help others… but as the Red Cross says, you don’t need a special reason to give blood… you just need your OWN reason.

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When I found out that the TD Garden was hosting a blood drive yesterday, I immediately set up an appointment to donate. The last time I donated blood was when I was 18 years old. It was a self-donation for my spinal fusion surgery to correct my scoliosis. All I remember was that I was pretty woozy afterwards, so the nurses made me hang out for about an hour, drink apple juice, eat graham crackers and watch General Hospital.

This time around, the apple juice was still the featured drink, the graham crackers were replaced with Swedish fish, pretzels (and other things that I never buy because I eat them all in one sitting), and instead of getting sucked into the lives of fictional TV characters, you could people-watch in real time!

lucky for me, the sour gummy bears were portioned :)

One small caveat though... I disqualified myself by having "too much grip strength".

After going through the physical, questionnaire and iron level test, I was ushered to the table where a friendly tech was waiting. I started chit-chatting with her about where she works and other events she goes to and found out that she is a veteran when it comes to giving blood. Right away, my nerves were eased. I figured, she does this all the time... what could go wrong?

As she set me up to start collecting my pint of blood, she gave me a stress ball that fit right in the palm of my hand and told me to squeeze it every 15 seconds or so. After a few minutes, she motioned for another nurse to come over... apparently, my blood looked "weird". Awesome.

As they lifted up the covering over the needle, they discovered that the needle had almost completely come out of my arm. They told me that I had squeezed the stress ball too hard. Huh?? I didn't know whether to be baffled or impressed.

Unfortunately, the other arm couldn't be used to try again because the bag had already started collecting. The collected blood had to be discarded. I joked to the tech about not knowing the strength of my own grip... but on the inside, I was SO bummed.

This was really important to me. Aside from helping out, donating also hit home for me for a specific reason…

When my mom was rushed to the hospital last month, we discovered that she had lost a lot of blood. Although blood transfusions were not enough to save her in the end, they were vital for initially stabilizing her.

Knowing that the hospital had enough of a supply on hand made me realize how important it is to continue restocking these reserves for future patients. I have to wait the standard 56 days before giving again but plan to try again.

Before all of this happened, I had some downtime to read material on blood donation. I’m a sucker for interesting statistics and learned a few from the Red Cross…

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Red Cross Blood Donation Statistics and Facts:

Every 2 seconds, someone in the U.S. needs a blood transfusion
1 pint of whole blood (the most common donation type) can save up to 3 lives
Less than 38% of the population is eligible to give blood… but less than 10% of them actually do
Blood cannot be manufactured; it can only come from volunteer donors
Only about 7% of people in the U.S. have the Universal donor blood type, “O negative”
Healthy bone marrow makes a constant supply of red cells, plasma and platelets… what you donate can be replenished in as little as a few hours or may take a few weeks.

I've been interested in becoming more involved with volunteering for causes close to my heart and I think donating blood is a great way to give back. Although I'm disappointed that it didn't work out for me this time, I definitely intend to become a regular donor and hope you will consider doing the same.

Have you ever donated blood before?? What was your reason?

My New Favorite Comfort Food: Chili

2014-01-16T06:01:00.000-05:00

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I used to be that annoying friend who would ask for the mild version of any food/sauces/salsa being ordered and shared at the table when going out to eat. I couldn't even handle one piece of red hot pepper spice without feeling like my mouth was on fire. It was bad…

Maybe this was because I didn't grow up eating spicy foods? I think the spiciest my food ever got was when my mom put onion salt in her meatloaf. Yes, if you haven’t already guessed, I’m 100% Irish J

Through the years, my tolerance for spicy foods has gradually increased… and by “increased” I mean it’s somewhat normal now.

I’m not quite at the level of some of my former college roommates who would put Frank’s Red Hot on EVERY thing or ask for double extra Thermonuclear sauce on their takeout buffalo wings from local favorite, Chicken Bone Saloon (I believe we had them on speed dial). But, hey, at least I graduated from mild to medium salsa.

Yes, we had them on speed dial... pretty sure they didn't hate delivering to a house where 6 college girls lived :)

Not long ago, a friend suggested that I add Frank’s Red Hot to my already delicious lentil soup… such a strange and unusual recommendation in my book… but I tried it… and liked it! I realized that I actually like adding spice to my foods…. it really does make many things taste better J

Lentil soup with Frank's sauce... best decision I've made in a while

Weekly batch cooking has become a way of life for me and I’m always looking for new recipes to change things up… with my recent fondness for spice, I decided to add a healthy chili recipe to my rotation. Plus, it's the perfect comfort food for the winter months.

I found a great one from Layne Norton that I adapted a little bit. He is a bodybuilder, power lifter and coach who has a PhD in Nutritional Sciences, so I felt confident that this would be healthy recipe worth trying.

The 1^sttime I made it, I got a little overconfident with how much spice I could handle… it was yummy but HOT. However, when I eased up on the spices the 2^nd time I made it, I found that I missed having some extra hotness. My poor taste buds have no idea how to react anymore haha.

Recipe is below… definitely would recommend bringing this to an upcoming Super Bowl party!

Healthy Homemade Chili

(Adapted from the Norton Family Healthy Chili recipe)

Ingredients:

1 lb ground turkey (any lean meat works)
1-3 cans dark red kidney beans, do not drain*
15 oz diced tomatoes, do not drain
15 oz tomato sauce
13 oz bottle of reduced sugar ketchup (I've been using Heinz)
1 medium onion, diced
2-4 TB chili powder**
1 TB Cajun spice
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder

*Original recipe calls for 3 cans but... well... just, no. You gotta ease into these things. I started at one can and plan to gradually add more :)

**Depending on how spicy you want it. I ran out of chili powder halfway through adding it, so supplemented with Mexican spice… worked great.

Instructions:

Cook turkey on the stove top (the leaner it is, the lower the heat so that it doesn't dry out)
Add beans, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, ketchup, onion and spices to crockpot
Once turkey has cooked, add to the crockpot and stir it all up
Slow cook for 4-6 hours
Letting it sit overnight in the fridge will help to thicken it up.

I took a few pictures of the chili I made but it really didn't look appetizing, even though it is. So, sorry, no pics. I'll work on perfecting my camera angles if you comment on what your favorite chili recipe consists of :)

Enjoy!

Music Monday - Mellow "Old and New" Playlist

2014-01-13T07:40:00.000-05:00

I am a self-professed music geek.

No matter what mood I'm in, nothing thrills me more than discovering new music, listening to old favorites or learning about older music that's "new" to me because I've never heard it before. I can easily spend hours doing this, losing all track of time.

Years ago, when I used to have a long work commute, I was big into making cd's for my car rides. I labeled them "Car Tunes" and had multiple volumes (I DID mention that I was a geek, right?).

Every now and then, I'll break out a bunch of them that I haven't listed to in a while, especially if I'll be driving a good distance, and make them the soundtrack for my trip.

This past Saturday, already being in a nostalgic mood, I grabbed a few of those cd's for my trip to and from my brother's house. As I was about 30 minutes into driving home, I suddenly started noticing signs for towns that I shouldn't have been driving through...

Turns out, I was SO into the music that I completely missed my exit for the Mass Pike and just kept driving down the highway, lost in my little music bubble. Wish I could say this is the first time that has happened but... nope!

Normally, such an incident might have ticked me off... I'm not a fan of unnecessarily doubling my commute... but I was in such a good mood from belting out songs for the past half hour that I didn't even care.

My point is, music is such a powerful tool and - although I'm not condoning getting lost in it while operating a motor vehicle, ha - it can be really, really good for the soul.

I've been in more of a low-key mood lately and listening to a lot of melodic, laid-back music... thought I'd put together a January Music Monday playlist of new, old and older "new" songs that have been helping to get me "lost" :)

Mellow "Old & New" Music Monday Playlist

Radical Face - "Welcome Home"
The Lumineers - "Charlie Boy"
Mumford & Sons - "Reminder"
Dave Matthews Band - "Oh"
The Wood Brothers - "Luckiest Man"
Amos Lee - "Violin"
Blind Pilot - "Look at Miss Ohio" (iTunes session)
The Avett Brothers - "Murder in the City"
Ray Lamontagne - "Empty"
Elliott Smith - "Angeles"
Counting Crows - "Perfect Blue Buildings"
Band of Horses - "The Funeral"
Ryan Adams - "Lucky Now"
The Cranberries - "You and Me"
Brandi Carlile - "What Can I Say"
Eddie Vedder - "Rise" (Into The Wild soundtrack)
Zero 7 - "In The Waiting Line"
Jose Gonzalez - "Stay Alive" (The Secret Life of Walter Mitty soundtrack)
The Beatles - "I Will"
Lake Street Dive – “I Want You Back”

Remembering My Mom...

2014-01-11T10:30:00.002-05:00

“How were your holidays?”

“Where did you go for Christmas?”

“What did you do for New Year’s?”

These aren't questions that normally cause anxiety for me… until this week. I returned to work this past Monday, after two weeks off, as a different person. Although I appeared unchanged on the exterior, my entire being and mindset had forever been altered.

The truth is, my holidays sucked. Christmas Day was predominantly spent in an ICU waiting room with my family. The week after is such a blur... I didn't even know what day it was most days. I kept forgetting that it was New Year’s Eve… didn't even ring it in. Not that it’s normally a big night for me but at the very least I’ll get together with friends… or at the VERY least, I’ll stay up until midnight thinking about all the changes and goals I want to achieve in the upcoming year.

The only thing on my mind this New Year’s Eve was that 2014 will be the first year without my mom.

My mom and I at my brother's wedding a few years ago

Sadly, my mom passed away the day after Christmas after a brief but critical illness that she wasn't able to recover from. Her health had declined over the years to less than desirable, although I never would have imagined that her life would end this young. Someday I may go into more detail about it but the particulars aren't important for this post.

To be honest, I wasn't even going to discuss my mom’s death in my blog at all. Although I share some personal tidbits of my life here and there, I don’t typically reveal TMI on social media… and this was a completely unexpected, difficult loss.

Not to mention, I didn't initially think that her death really pertained to what my blog is even about… fitness, health, motivation… until I realized that it has EVERYTHING to do with what my blog is about.

Fitness and health, or overall wellness, isn't just about the physical attributes. That is what most people primarily think of… but it also includes the mental, emotional, spiritual, environmental and social components as well as the physical. My mom was very strong in most of these but had somewhat of a shift in priorities when it came to taking care of the others.

I have to keep in mind though, as a good friend of mine told me, that my mom was a smart person… and a former Registered Nurse… who probably knew more than I thought she did when it came to her health issues. Her life and death has truly inspired me to do more in MY life to influence OTHERS to lead a better life.

My mom after graduating nursing school

My mom’s death has reminded me why I do what I do… I got into the fitness industry after experiencing my own health issues with chronic back and lung conditions because I wanted to learn how to improve people’s fitness levels. In the 6 years since I've been working in this field, my focus has gradually shifted to more of a wellness-centered approach, connecting all aspects of daily living.

Fitness MoeJo was born out of a desire to find my personal “moejo”. You can read more about it my very first blog post ever but essentially, I wanted to improve my life through setting new goals for myself… and then share my experiences with others.

As the focus in my professional life has shifted, I think it’s about time I incorporate that into my blog. My mom was one of my biggest supporters when it came to my training, competitions, road races (especially the Boston Marathon), jobs and this blog… it made me happy that she was so proud of me and I want to continue expanding on that.

A few of the "mementos" my mom bought me after I ran Boston... she was pretty excited :)

I was reading a Zen Habits blog this morning that included an important reminder about our days on earth being limited and we should make each one count. I couldn't agree more. My goal in life is to not only help others stay fit so that they can enjoy a longer, happier life… but motivate them to DO something on a regular basis to stay on that track of healthy living.

Throughout my grieving process the past couple of weeks, I've discovered that talking (or typing) things out is very therapeutic for me. Actually, I've realized that I don’t shut up when talking things out… who knew I turned into such a Chatty Cathy when in mourning. Also probably the reason for why this post is a bit lengthier than I anticipated...

Luckily, I have amazing, supportive, loving people in my life who let me talk my heart out. I couldn't have made it through the past two weeks without them.

It will be a while before I’m able to fully process everything that’s happened – and I’m sure I’ll be taking a few emotional roller coaster rides in the meantime. I miss my mom tremendously but very thankful to have many treasured memories of our times together. She will be with me always… and helping me to make each of my days count.

One of many happy pictures of my sister, mom, brother and me :)

12 Days of Christmas Bootcamp Workout

2013-12-17T20:27:00.001-05:00

Umm, could the time between Thanksgiving and Christmas be any shorter this year?? Unbelievably, Christmas is a week from today and (believably) I'm a little behind on getting certain things done...

Only started my Christmas shopping yesterday... with an online purchase that will probably arrive on December 26th.
Couldn't find where I packed my Christmas decorations... sooo never got around to decorating (No lie, the most festive thing in my house right now is my roll of paper towels with Christmas trees on them).

I know what you're thinking... these decorations are over the top...

Never got around to buying Christmas cards... although I suppose sending the ones I bought, addressed, stamped but never mailed LAST year isn't completely out of the question

On the flip side, I've managed to get ahead of myself with regard to getting certain OTHER things done...

All of my favorite Christmas cd's are in my car, ready to be heard at a moment's notice. Technically this is because I left them in there from last year but, hey, they're there.
I finally remembered to watch my favorite Christmas special on TV, "A Charlie Brown Christmas", which I seem to miss every year.

doesn't get any better than the classic Charlie Brown dance scene
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AND... I put together a festive, challenging "12 Days of Christmas" workout for my final Express Bootcamp class of 2013!

I teach a 30 minute class on Tuesday mornings and I love it... primarily because when you only have 30 minutes, you have to be as efficient as possible. You'd be surprised at how much I can pack into a half-hour sweat session!

Reasons why I really like this "12 Days of Christmas" workout:

It only took the class just over 30 minutes to do (including warm-up and cool-down)
It was "challenging yet doable "for all fitness levels
Minimum equipment required! Just a mat and set of dumbbells are all you need... also making this a great at-home workout!

The instructions are simple...

There are 12 rounds...

The 1st round is exercise #1 only
The 2nd round is exercise #2, followed by exercise #1
The 3rd round is exercise #3, followed by exercise #2, followed by exercise #1... and so on.

Check out the workout below... let me know how it goes after you try it!

"12 Days of Christmas" Workout

My November "Projects" and 2014 Competition Commitment

2013-11-18T07:30:00.000-05:00

Why hello blog... long time no post! Believe me, not because I've been short on topics... but blog writing time had to be pushed aside for a little bit as work, and just life in general, kept me busier than ever.

Fall and Spring are my craziest seasons in my wellness manager job. I'm coordinating a number of fun projects and programs, which is cool, but it definitely makes for long days.

Work stuff aside... some of the more fun, personal "projects" keeping me busy this month have included...

Spending time with my adorable twin nieces... now 20 months old and talking up a storm

FaceTiming on the laptop

Watching the Red Sox win the World Series... playoff season did not bode well for my 4:30am wake-up's but it was worth it!

Duck Boat Parade!

Even the duck boats grew beards

Taking my 1st trampoline fitness class... and literally having the most fun I've ever had in a group ex class

I felt like I was 13 again!

Becoming newly obsessed with healthy baking... and equally obsessed with substituting unlikely, healthier ingredients for unhealthy ingredients (such as replacing butter with avocado in chocolate chip cookies!).

Protein breakfast bars (pic taken just before it was cut into bars)

Chocolate chip avocado cookies... they were delish but working on making them even better

Continuing my streak of running a road race and attending a concert each month... the road races will get put on hold during the winter months though.

Toad the Wet Sprocket -- one of my FAVE '90's bands

Racing in my 2nd Fenway Park Spartan Race... and my team beating last year's time by 6+ minutes! My race recap will be posted as soon as the official Spartan pictures are released!

Team Resinators, just before go-time :)

And finally, after much contemplation, starting to train for my 3rd bikini show in spring 2014... and feeling better than ever :)

I did not compete this year because my heart just wasn't in it. For some reason, I lost the desire and passion that I had when competing in 2011 and 2012... so I decided to give it a break after my last show in April 2012 and try other fitness activities.

However, during the course of this year, thoughts of competing have been gradually creeping back into my mind...

...And I started to get curious... if this is really something I want... what can I do differently to MAINTAIN my healthier lifestyle even AFTER competing (something I've historically had trouble with) and not burn myself out again?

Even though I'm (obviously) getting older each year, I know that if I put forth a concerted effort to try my best and work hard at my fitness and nutrition, I will be even healthier by the time I turn 40 than I was at 20. However, as we all know, that is easier said then done.

Although I work in health and wellness for a living, nutrition is not my strong suit. Therefore, I am thrilled to once again be training under the tutelage of my former coach, also a registered dietitian. I really missed working with her and knew I wanted her guidance if I did decide to take this step.... because even coaches need coaches! :)

Throughout my training, I plan to post regular updates of my progress, including favorite strength and HIIT circuits, plus new healthy recipes that are keeping my taste buds happy.

I got sidetracked a bit last week with a NASTY sinus infection that kept me out of the gym for almost a week - I'm a big believer in listening to your body and my body was screaming at me to rest - but with my goal in mind, I'm well-rested and back on track this week!

What are some of YOUR upcoming health and fitness goals?? What helps keep you on track?
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FitSocial Recap, Part 2... Red Rockin' Good Times in Denver

2013-10-21T07:00:00.000-04:00

As you may have read in part 1 of my FitSocial Conference recap, this Colorado adventure for the FitSocial was something that I had been looking forward to for a LONG time.

One of the things that made it such a great trip was having my good friend Caroline join me. I truly wouldn't have had as amazing of an experience that I did if it weren't for her being there as well.

Although we didn't travel back and forth from Boston together, we were roommates in both Boulder and Denver. One reason why we get along so well is because we are generally on the same page... and that was no exception on this trip.

Denver - Day 1

That Saturday morning, Caroline and I said sayonara to Boulder and drove down to Denver... but not before exploring the area for one last time in search of caffeine and bacon-egg-and-cheese bagel sandwiches. It was a tad early for a Saturday but thankfully Ozo was open which more than satisfied our coffee needs.

As luck would have it, Moe's Broadway Bagels was also open... umm, MOE'S bagels?? Serving Moejo coffee??? Of COURSE we had to go!

They even spelled "Moejo" right! :)

The remainder of the presentations were held at Anschutz Health & Wellness Center at the University of Colorado, a brand new, gorgeous, state-of-the-art facility that just opened in April 2012. It's research, training and programs are led by some of the leading experts in obesity prevention and wellness. The fact that it was being held here was a huge part of why I wanted to go to this conference.

a peek inside the Anschutz Center's weight room

One of my favorite presentations was "Evidence-Based Model for Successful Health Behavior Change" by Dr. Denise McGuire... super informative! She dug deeper into what I recently learned through my Wellness Coaching studies and spoke in detail about the different stages of change, plus best practices for working with clients.

Some of Dr. McGuire's tips for making behavior changes...

I also loved "Social Media in the Fitness World" with Chris Freytag and Sarah Chambers, both from the American Council on Exercise. They discussed various means of social media and filled us in on how to become more efficient and successful at it. I'm not gonna lie, it was all a tad overwhelming but in a "holy crap, this is amazing" kind of way.

Chris had instructed our HIIT workout the night before and I love her passion and enthusiasm for fitness... I find her to be such a role model for busy, working moms and it was great to hear her presentation.

After all of the workshops, we were given a few workout class options to attend... Zumba or Tabata Spin. I was sitting most of the day and eager to get my sweat on! I chose the Tabata Spin class, led by Kat (yet another New England -> Colorado transplant!) and was not disappointed.

Ashley, me and Caroline, pre-spin!

We didn't waste any time kicking the night off with a rooftop party at the Anschutz... fantastic food, delicious wine, great mountain views, prime sunset viewing and good conversations... so fun!

Sunset shenanigans on the rooftop
pic courtesy of Kia

So much fun that we kept the party rolling with a hotel after-party! The whole night was a great bonding experience and I got to meet so many awesome bloggers.

One person I was really happy to finally meet was the super sweet Alyse from Fit Approach and Sweat Guru who I've been following for quite some time now... ever since I became a Sweat Pink Ambassador. I'm so inspired by woman entrepreneurs like Alyse and feel proud to be a member of the Sweat Pink community :)

me and Alyse

Denver - Day 2
Sunday started off bright and early with a 7:30am Pound fitness class at the Anschutz Center led by resident Pound instructor, Melissa, who needs to tell me her secret for being so un-annoyingly chipper and energetic that early on a Sunday.

sunrise over the Anschutz Medical Campus, across from our hotel

Pound is a full-body exercise class that fuses cardio, Pilates, isometrics and plyometrics. Class incorporates the use of lightly weighted, bright green "drumsticks" to simulate drumming to music. I always said that if I could play any instrument in a band, I'd be the drummer... plus I love music, so I was definitely intrigued...

Pound drumsticks... aka Ripstix

HOWEVER, it also kind of sounded like a "Barre with drumsticks" class to me - in other words, not really my thing - so I was pleasantly surprised when I ended up LOVING it.

The class deserves its own review though so I will divulge all the details in an upcoming blog post :)

And finally....

Although there were lots of great presentations lined up for this final day of FitSocial, I decided to forgo all of it to take a ride out to Red Rocks with Ashley from Fierce Forward. This is a decision that I do NOT regret...

Red Rocks = paradise

I can't put into words how amazing Red Rocks is but... in short, it has a permanent spot on my short list of favorite places on earth.

Red Rocks is quite famous for being one of the best outdoor venues to see live bands but I had no idea that this open-air amphitheater was almost equally well-known for being a place to get a kick-ass workout!!

me and Ashley, in between kicking our asses

As someone with an enormous passion for both live music and fitness, this was pretty much a dream-come-true place for me to visit.

Amazing venue, amazing views...

A few cool Red Rocks facts:

It's located at an elevation of 6400 feet above sea level... I've never felt breathlessness from a workout like I did while running these stairs!
If you were to run the lengths of all 69 rows of wooden benches in front of the stage, it would be the equivalent of running a 5K.
Plenty of workout options! You can run or do strength exercises on the rows, run the stairs next to the rows or climb up and over ledges next to the stairs (ranging in heights from chest-level to above my head)... these ledges were my favorite.
It's FREE to workout here

Showing the ledges who's boss...

The entire time we were there, I couldn't stop saying, "This is amazing."

Perfect ending to a great trip!

saying our goodbyes...
luckily we work together so I was going to see her the next day :)

Top 10 Takeaways from FitSocial 2013:

Take advantage of exploring a new area -- I mentioned earlier... zero regrets on skipping out on a few planned conference activities to fit in self-guided exploration of Boulder and Red Rocks. They comprise some of the best moments of my trip :)
Be open to possibilities, especially when it comes to fitness -- I'm a big advocate of high intensity exercise; however, listening to Dr. Hill's presentation about the pros of steady state cardio, as well as finding enjoyment in the Pound workout (a very non-HIIT workout) reminded me that it's important to keep an open mind about fitness... AND it's okay to change your mind about your personal philosophy.
Support your community -- Whether it's social media friends, fitness friends or local businesses, support them in a genuine, altruistic way... whether is via commenting on blogs, re-tweeting their tweets or patronizing their businesses. We are all in this together. Plus, it's good karma :)
When in doubt, blame the altitude -- Crazy headache? Altitude. Phone battery dying too fast? Totally the altitude. Rental car's speakers inexplicably going fuzzy? Yep, damn altitude.
The Anschutz Center is AMAZING-- Between the ridiculously smart faculty and staff, super-friendly receptionist, motivating fitness instructors, talented chef and a fitness room that dreams are made of, I want to move in here.
I miss working out -- Don't get me wrong, I'm an active person but lately, I just do whatever I feel like... and may or may not be a little too lenient with the "off days". Exercising consistently while at FitSocial - as well as trying new workouts - reminded me of how much I miss and enjoy planned, regimented workouts... and the lack thereof probably explains why I've felt a little off recently.
It's a small world after all -- Never ceases to amaze me how I can meet people with mutual connections even 1000+ miles away from home
I am worse than I thought with directions -- When your hotel is across the street from your destination and you STILL can't remember how to get there, your directional skills are BAD. I blame it on the altitude.
I'm a sucker for a good mountain range -- I didn't see much of Colorado but it was love at first sight of the Rockies :) Boston will always be my first love but CO is my new west (southwest?) fave.
Life is better lived by stepping out of your comfort zone -- A pretty bold statement coming from a shy introvert, eh? But it's true. Starting conversations with people I don't know isn't high on my list of favorite things to do but the more I go to events like this, the more I realize how important they are... not just for networking and educational purposes but to push myself outside my comfort zone. In almost every single instance, the person I meet ends up being an amazing individual that I learn something new from... and I leave the event a better person because of those experiences.

Looking everywhere BUT at their patient dad who just wanted a Red Rocks doggy pic...

FitSocial Recap, Part 1...From Boston to Boulder

2013-10-03T11:19:00.000-04:00

A couple of days after my birthday this past June, I booked a "Rocky Mountain High" adventure on a whim because I decided that I needed to "travel more"...

...BEST decision ever!

I predicted in my last blog post that I was going to love Colorado and I couldn't have been more accurate.

The motivation for booking this particular trip was to attend the 2013 Fitness & Health Social Media Conference, aka FitSocial, held in Boulder and Denver.

FitSocial is a cool blend of blogging, social media and hard science... basically, it's a conference FOR fitness professionals BY fitness professionals, with a sprinkling of social media specialists as well. The agenda included presentations from esteemed industry experts, as well as the chance to meet peers from across the country!

Boulder - Day 1

I was meeting my co-worker and good friend, Caroline from Trendy Trainer, at the Denver Airport and since her flight was arriving about an hour after mine, I went ahead and picked up our cute little ~~matchbox car~~ rental car while waiting.

The very first thing I noticed when I got on the road was snow-capped mountains!! Awww! I don’t know how Coloradans don’t just stare at them all day long…

Highway mountain views... pic does not do it justice

We initially planned to participate in the optional Flatirons hike that afternoon but by the time we got to the hotel we were STARVING and I had a bit of an altitude headache... also, both of our phones had about 2% battery left. Not to mention, I really wanted to do some exploring since it was my 1^st time in Colorado. Luckily Caroline was on the same page!

So we did what any normal Bostonian would do… found the nearest brewery for some yummy local craft beer and food!

Immediately upon arriving to the Pearl Street area in Boulder, I loved it… ample parking, cute shops, street musicians and a slew of brewpubs to choose from.

We decided on the Mountain Sun Brewery & Pub and grabbed a fantastic people-watching spot on the outdoor patio. Come to find out, just about everyone else in this place was from Boston… talk about a home away from home!

Sampling our hearts out...

Although Caroline and I work together, we don’t have too many opportunities to chat on the job. So, we ordered sandwiches and a sampling of beers from our awesome server, Natalie, and enjoyed a laid-back, hours-long lunch while catching each other up on our lives. And every so often, Natalie would introduce us to yet another person from Boston (I’m not kidding, they were everywhere)… it was a great start to our trip!

After indulging in a little pampering (manis!) and finally getting to charge our phones (yayyy for nail salons with iPhone chargers), we grabbed take-out dinner from Whole Foods' hot bar and went back to the hotel...

Of course, not before discovering THIS lovely memento on the car's windshield...

*sigh*... ok Colorado, now you're starting to feel a little TOO much like home...

Boulder - Day 2

Day 2 started off pretty much the same way Day 1 ended... headache like whoa despite practically turning Advil into a food group. Damn you, altitude!

A relaxing YogaFit class helped me feel a little better, as did the Nature's Path-sponsored breakfast. There was an expo with all of FitSocial's sponsors and partners in attendance, and it was great to meet the folks behind these brands, but I was still not myself... Altitude sickness is no joke!

A quick snapshot of all the brands represented!

I definitely did not want to miss the start of the conference though...

Quick nap + large bottle of water + happy face = good to go :)

The 1st presenter was one of my favorites - Dr. James O. Hill, PhD, Executive Director of the Anschutz Health & Wellness Center, co-founder of America on the Move and an internationally known expert on weight loss, weight management and obesity.

Dr. Hill presented on Obesity, Health & Physical Fitness and shared staggering facts about the state of our nation's health as well as his tips and theories on what needs to be done to deal with it. I took way too many notes to condense into this post but I intend on consolidating them in a future blog post, along with the rest of the conference speakers.

Dr. Hill imparting his wisdom

Next session was "Building Your Brand & Monetizing Your Fitness Expertise" with twin sisters Kymberly Williams-Evans, MA and Alexandra Williams, MA of Fun and Fit. They presented lots of helpful information for working with brands, generating income through your blog and staying true to your brand.

Posing with Alexandra & Kymberly!

The 3rd and final session of the day was with Tracy Corwin & Scott French of Wave Cloud, who gave lots of great insights into writing an e-book. This is something I've been wanting to do and they did not leave a single stone unturned.

Presentations done --- time to MOVE!

We took a hard "HIIT-ing" high intensity interval class with the energetic Chris Freytag of ACE, then took quick showers in time for dinner at the hotel.

Although my altitude headache had vanished by this point, Caroline and I were exhausted and decided to go to bed after dinner, in lieu of a final night out in Boulder.

In true Boston fashion though, we more than made up for it the following night in Denver :)

Stay tuned for Part 2...!

Today Was a Good Day

2013-09-24T18:30:00.001-04:00

You know that saying “things sometimes get worse before they get better”? Yes, it’s a cliche but, as I experienced last week, also VERY true…

I had one of the worst weeks of my year last week. I won’t go into too much detail because I’d much rather blog about what went RIGHT but needless to say, it was a LONG week.

Between being in the midst of my crazy, busy time at work, worrying about my cat’s dental surgery last Thursday (which the vet was unsure if Rocky would have any teeth remaining afterward!), working no less than 10-12 hours every day last week and trying to cram in study time for my Wellness Coach exam… I was emotionally hanging by a string once the weekend rolled around.

I think of myself as an optimistic person, and try not to sweat the small stuff, but my limits were definitely tested last week.

Luckily, the weekend did not let me down and proved that hard work – and a positive outlook - will always prevail in the end :)

Oh, and beer. .. hoppy, delicious beer always prevails in the end :)

The reasons I’m smiling today…

The power of positive thinking never ceases to amaze me...

You may have read my blog post about Kerri’s Crew and the Jimmy Fund Walk that my friends and I did a couple of weekends ago… well, we just received the AMAZING news that Kerri’s treatment is working!!! She was given the green light to start the final stage of chemo treatment and, after 8 weeks, if all goes well… she will be in remission!

My girls, aka Kerri's Crew!!

I am a newly certified Wellness Coach!

After many, many hours of contemplation, reading and studying (culminating with a multi-part exam this past weekend), I’m beyond excited to begin applying my wellness coaching knowledge with clients and looking forward to new opportunities in my career.

The phrase I was waiting for!!

(Unbelievably) I won my age group in a road race!

My BFF ran her first half-marathon on Sunday... I was already planning on going to the race to cheer her on but decided at the last minute to run the 5K that was taking place simultaneously. Since both races started at the same time, I’d be able run the shorter race and still watch her finish afterwards. I was floored when they announced my name... and my BFF placed 3^rd in the half-marathon!.

Yay Team!

Rocky has a brand new outlook on life...

My cat’s surgery went textbook perfect… not only was the vet able to save his four canine teeth (albeit none of the others), Rocky did fantastic and will feel a million times better moving forward.

Kitty pain medicine makes Rocky pass out in really weird positions...

I got mistaken for a 27-year old!

Hey, when you're closer to 40 than 30 like I am, it's kind of fun that someone would think I'm still in my 20's!

I'm going to Colorado!

My work week is MUCH lighter this week, primarily because I’ll be flying west for an extended weekend... I’m super excited to be heading to Boulder and Denver for the 2013 Fitness & Health Social Media Conference!

I can’t explain it but I feel like I am going to love Colorado...

Maybe because they are known for good craft beer (some of which I intend to discover)…
Maybe because of the Rocky Mountain views that I'm hoping to take some pictures of…
Or maybe simply because of the environment I'll be in because this conference provides an opportunity to meet other like-minded bloggers and fitness professionals who are passionate about learning effective ways of sharing health and wellness information to the masses.

Regardless, I am SO forward to this trip and will have a couple of upcoming blog posts solely dedicated to my experiences there.

So.... what is making today a good day for YOU??

Friends for Life... Reflections from The Jimmy Fund Walk

2013-09-13T11:29:00.000-04:00

I used to wonder what it would have been like to attend a big college for my undergraduate degree. I went to a smaller state school (Framingham State... Go Rams!) and it sometimes felt like "high school, part 2"... everyone knew everyone else's business. The school was so small - about 3000 students when I was there and only half of whom lived on campus - that it was practically impossible to NOT know who hooked up that weekend or where the (limited) off-campus parties were taking place.

However, had I not attended Framingham, I never would have met some of my closest friends. I literally could write daily blog posts for the next 5 years about our escapades and not even scratch the surface on the number of memories that I share with these girls. (I wouldn't do that though because I'm sworn to secrecy on much of it!)

What exactly were we planning to wear boas to?? Sorry, top secret...

We've lived together, been on spring breaks together, attended each other's weddings, been IN each other's weddings, cooked dinners together, taken weekend trips, laughed with each other through good times and used each other's shoulders to lean on during bad times.

Luckily, there's more laughing through the good times :)

September Girls' Cape Weekend is our annual weekend getaway, typically held on the weekend following Labor Day. This year was a little different though.

One of my friend's BFF from grade school, Kerri, was diagnosed with Choriocarcinoma earlier this year and started undergoing treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Unsurprisingly, my friend wasted no time kicking into support mode to do anything she could to help. It was never a hesitation for the rest of us to express our support for her as well.

One of the ways she wanted to help was to form a team and raise money for cancer research at Dana-Farber, through the 25th Annual Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk. The Walk was taking place the Sunday after Labor Day so we immediately canceled our Cape trip and joined her efforts to raise money as part of Team Kerri's Crew.

This past weekend, a few of us walked the 2nd half of the Boston Marathon route (13.1 miles) having collectively raised over $4,300 for Dana-Farber! We had such a good time during the walk that it didn't even feel like we walked as far as we did... although my muscles begged to differ the next day. A few other team members walked the 5-mile route with their kids and a few more walked the ENTIRE 26.2 miles! SO proud of Kerri's Crew!

a handful of my Kerri's Crew teammates
courtesy of Young at Heart Images

Most of us were also walking in memory or in honor of family members and friends that are/were affected by cancer. Throughout the fundraising process and even during the walk, I was constantly reminded of how precious each day is and the importance of this amazing cause. I was so proud to be involved with it and to share this day with my friends and Kerri. Life really is too short to take anything for granted.

My college friends and I don't get together as a group as often as we used to. We all live in different areas these days - most in MA but a couple are in different states. Plus almost everyone has young families now... which is why this September Girls' Cape Weekend has become sort of a "sacred" and steadfast tradition. Our rescheduled date is this weekend and I couldn't be more excited!

Even though it's been 14-15 years since we all graduated (um, holy crap!), it never feels like it when we're together... we may all be busy workplace professionals now and/or seamlessly running a hectic household but we're still ~~just as~~ almost as crazy as we were at age 21, haha.

Nowadays, when I drive by a school like Boston University or UMass, I still sometimes think about how different life would have been had I chosen a bigger school like that...

...and then thank my lucky stars that I'll never know :)

Kerri's treatments have been going well and we are convinced that she will KICK cancer to the curb! If you are interested in helping to support Kerri's Crew and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, donations will be accepted up until September 30th, 2013. You can check out our team page here for more information :)

The whole Crew, post-Jimmy Fund Walk

My New England Spartan Race Recap!

2013-09-06T09:38:00.002-04:00

After a fun, active, yet relaxing August (in which I took a bit of hiatus from blogging - or any indoor activities, really - to be outside as much as I could), I am finally back at it! My 1st "fall" post is something that should have been posted a few weeks ago but, hey, whaddyagunnadoo? :)

Last month, I participated in my 2nd obstacle course race, the New England Spartan Sprint. You can read all about my adventures in the 1st Spartan race at Fenway Park last year here. There was no mud at the Fenway course, so this New England race was my 1st mud run!

I was definitely apprehensive about doing a mud race... not that I'm a girly girl who hates getting dirty but I've never voluntarily gone swimming in mud before. Turns out I had no idea what I'd be in for, haha...

My team consisted of my boyfriend and another couple, one of whom had done Fenway with me so it was fun to have someone to compare and contrast the two races with. We signed up for a morning heat time and made it by the skin of our teeth at 11:30am (that may have been because we dragged our feet on registering, hence our official team name, "The Procrastinators").

My Spartan Teammates :)

The race was held at the Amesbury Sports Park in Amesbury, MA. SO glad we bought the VIP parking pass because it allowed us to park onsite instead of being shuttled by bus to the offsite parking lot, which was 7 miles away in Seabrook, NH.

All marked up and ready to go

We had a gorgeous day for the race! I was super impressed by how well it was organized, especially considering the number of people who were participating. The Sports Park was a perfect place for it and although we all went home with multiple bumps and bruises, The Procrastinators kicked butt and had a blast.

Not a cloud in sight!

Having said all that, I'm unsure if I would do another mud race... I'm all for obstacle course races but there's something about running, wading and - yes - swimming underwater in mud that just didn't appeal to me. I'm glad I got to check it off my bucket list though and looking forward to my 3rd (non-muddy!) Spartan Race in November, back at Fenway!

Here's a listing of the obstacles we competed in, plus my $.02 about each (in order from start to finish):

The start line was on the middle of a hill, which we had to run up then into the woods... mostly uphill through the woods....
O-U-T Walls - walls in succession that you either had to climb over, crawl under or climb through a hole in the wall.
Rope Climb - this was one of my favorites from Fenway, although this time it was over a mud pool... and seemingly MUCH higher! My T-Rex arms (and immense fear of heights) kept me from hitting the bell at the top but I came SO close.
Sandbag Carry - Unlike Fenway, where there was only one weight option, they had multiple choices this time... and definitely much lighter!
Traverse Wall - Made it across without falling but this was another obstacle where being vertically challenged puts you at a disadvantage.

Traverse Wall

Wooden Ladder Climb/Walk Across - This one made me nervous because it was about 1.5 stories high! Yikes... when did I become so afraid of heights? However, my shaky legs amazingly led me up over and back down on solid ground :)

The ascent side of the Ladder Climb... trust me, it seems much higher on top!

Robe Climb on Slanted Wall - So glad I decided to wear my sneakers with the better tread, as I'm sure my other ones would have been zero help to me here.
More running
Mud Pools - We had to wade through mud pools of varying depths, on me they went from knee height to chest height.
Inverted Wall Climb - This was a tough one because not only are you pretty muddy by this point but the wall itself is crazy muddy too... but I did it!
Barbed Wire Mud Crawl - army crawling under barbed wire... either I'm not good at staying low to the ground or my bun was a bit too high on my head for this one haha.
Cement Block Drag - My team lovingly renamed this "Pet Rock"... it involved dragging a cement block by a chain up and down a trail.
More Running

CHEEEESE!!

More Wall Climbing - they're getting higher now... I think this one was about 8-10 feet
Herculean Hoist - Using a rope to hoist a cement block to the top... the lighter weighted block was too light but I couldn't even get the heavier block off the ground.
Mud Pits - Kind of quicksand-like but less so if you ran closer to the perimeter
Monkey Bars - hahahaha... nope
Tire Pull/Drag - There were two sets of weights for the tires that were tied to ropes... you had to drag it out until the rope was taut then pull it back in using the rope. This one was my favorite!
Spear Throw - let's just say, collectively this wasn't The Procrastinators' strongest area
More Barbed Wire Mud Crawls - we quickly realized that you just gotta roll through
Underwater Mud Pool - Yep, no way out of this one since there was barbed wire across the top of the wall to keep you form climbing over.

immediately post-submerge... and inexplicably still smiling

Still More Barbed Wire Mud Crawls
Fire Jump - Got a chance to channel my inner Tinkerbell...

soaring high to the finish...

Gladiator Pit - final obstacle before... THE FINISH LINE!!

And there you have it! So...would you ever do a mud race?? If you've already done one, why/why not would you do it again??

AROO!!