Body Acceptance

If you're like me and your brain lives constantly in the world of weight loss and fitness, you know there's a big "body acceptance" movement going on. Between "plus size" Sports Illustrated swimsuit models and viral 30 second transformation photos, it seems everyone is telling women it's time to accept our bodies as they are.

I'm going to Puerto Rico tomorrow - yay!! It will be my first true beach trip in many years (I'm not counting Liz's bachelorette party in Miami). In the past, one of the biggest reasons I opted out of beach trips was because of my body. The idea of frolicking around in a bathing suit next to my thin friends for a week just wasn't appealing to me. I didn't want to have to sit out of photos in front of the ocean so my body wouldn't be posted on Facebook for everyone to see. I didn't want to worry about anyone looking at me on the beach thinking I should cover up.

This time, when my roommate suggested a trip to Puerto Rico I just said yes. I'm trying to be bolder and braver this year, so this was a little step in that direction. The other day I was in Marshall's and decided to try on a few bathing suits. I took a couple of one pieces and a pretty purple bikini into the dressing room. To my surprise, I didn't hate how I looked in the bikini. Actually, I was pretty happy. I know my body isn't near perfect, but I work really hard for the body I have. Why shouldn't I wear a bikini? And really, who even cares about this?

I ended up buying the bikini and added to the collection of one pieces I was packing for Puerto Rico. Then today, I went to Target to get some more things for my trip. There were some super cute dresses on sale so I tried a few on. And wouldn't you know it -- I absolutely HATED how I looked in the mirror, in every single dress I tried on. I found my thoughts wandering to a really dark place. I was saying the most horrible things to myself -- things I would never say to anyone but myself. Immediately I started thinking about that bikini. What was I thinking? I can't possibly wear a bikini the way my body looks now.

I left Target without buying anything new and thought a lot about this drastic change of heart on the way home. I've struggled with these significant body image issues for as long as I remember. Every time I feel like I've made some progress I take 10 steps backwards. Why can't I just accept my body for how it is? Will I ever just feel satisfied with how I look, or will I perpetually be striving toward some impossible end point?

I'm still insanely excited to go to Puerto Rico tomorrow and still plan to bring that bikini. Not sure if I'll wear it, but we'll see. I haven't written a post like this in a while. Feels a bit strange to press publish, but here goes anyway...

Boda Borg

Last weekend I did one of the most fun activities of my whole life! It was right up there with Great Urban Racing.

It's challenging to describe Boda Borg so I'll let their website do it: "Guests are transported into a real-world gaming environment; an experience we call Questing. Teams of 3-5 literally move through our Quests tackling a variety of mental and physical challenges. Success in the first challenge means entry into the next challenge and so on… Failure in any challenge means starting over or selecting another Quest. No video games, no virtual reality, no special clothing or equipment....real people, real Questing, real adrenaline and heart-pumping excitement."

Boda Borg started in Sweden and opened its first U.S. location in Boston (well, Malden) in October. As soon as I heard about it I knew I wanted to try it out, so I was thrilled when someone on my volleyball team brought it up. Our group of 4 went last Sunday (on Valentine's Day...ha) and had a BLAST.

When you first enter the facility you register then are given some quick instructions. Basically, there are no rules, hints, or help. Quests are split into three categories: Green (purely mental challenge), Red (mental challenge with some physical elements), and Black (very physical challenge with mental elements). You choose your Quest -- each quest had a theme like "Farm", "Alcatraz", "Platoon" -- enter the room, then try to figure out what to do. Usually it's not so obvious. Once you figure out the first room, you move to the next, and then the next, until you officially solve the Quest and add a stamp to your "passport". If at any point you fail (you may not know the reason, but will be alerted by a computer system in the room), you have to exit and start over.

We were there for almost 5 hours and solved 6 Quests (Farm, Coach, Tough, Roll & Rock, Step Up, an Dansa Pausa). There are about 15 Quests in this location. We completed a few of the Quests after 2-3 tries, some took 5-6 tries, and some we tried almost 10 times before calling it quits. I'm still frustrated by a few that we just couldn't figure out! At least I have an excuse to go back. One of my favorite parts about our visit was that we all locked up our cell phones in advance. When's the last time you spent 5 hours without anyone stopping to look at their phone? So since I didn't take any pictures, here are some photos I found on the internet that show a couple of Quests:

The physical challenges were seriously physical, and I have the bruises and sore muscles to show for it 3 days later.

There are many more that would be inappropriate to post on this blog :-)

Boda Borg was so much fun and I'd recommend it to most people, but not all. You definitely need to be into puzzles and games, ready for a physical challenge (if you want to try the Red/Black Quests), and able to work with a team. One of the greatest parts about my group was that while we all know each other pretty well, no one is comfortable enough to yell or get extremely frustrated. We saw a lot of arguing couples, families, and friends while there and I'm glad I wasn't part of those teams!

I can't wait to go back and try to figure out the Quests we failed!!!

Frozen Friday

Happy Friday! It's so freaking cold in Boston. I think I suffered permanent damage to my face during my walk to zumba last night. I got a text this morning from the city saying tomorrow wind chills will be between 20 and 30 below zero with real temperatures falling to 5 below! WTF! At least it's making me more and more excited for my trip to Puerto Rico coming up in just TWO WEEKS! Did I mention that here? Cannot wait.

The last two weeks have been great eating and exercise wise. I've stuck diligently to my workout routine and am feeling stronger and more fit every day. Here's some recent food shots:

Paleo "granola"

Chia pudding -- so delicious!

Favorite chicken salad

Super bowl treats

I'll never stop using my Christmas plates

Life hasn't been all about food and exercise though -- I'm still managing to have a social life, just filled with less drinking/food fueled activities.

Trekking out during a blizzard

Winter wonderland

New puppy friend!!

More puppy friends

I need a dog.

Celebrating Cara's birthday!

Faves

I have a fun weekend coming up but am afraid of having to venture out in the wind tomorrow. So happy to have Monday off from work. 3 day weekends are the bees knees.

Best Sports Bras for Big Busts

Here's the sad truth: my larger boobs used to be one of the biggest obstacles in my way of getting a good workout.

Sometimes I just didn't feel like layering on THREE sports bras just to go for a jog on the treadmill. Other times I didn't want to have to face the stares of guys in my college gym while I bounced away on the elliptical. Simply put, dealing with my boobs before a workout was always an uncomfortable struggle.

About 5 years ago I had a light bulb moment. There HAD to be a better way than wearing three sports bras. Cue the magical world of the internet! I quickly discovered that there are in fact lots of sports bra options for large chested women. The downside: these bras cost anywhere from $70-$100. What the F?? Despite the prices, I decided to bite the bullet and try a few bras out. Luckily, since I first started looking into these bras the prices have decreased by quite a bit. Yay!

First up:

The Ta Ta Tamer from Lululemon (available in sizes 32C - 40DD).

Front

Back

This is definitely the cutest and most versatile of all of the bras I tried. It has removable pads, straps that can cross for racerback, adjustable straps similar to a regular bra, and soft sweat wicking fabric. Sadly, it provided the least amount of support for me and I experienced some chafing with the straps. I think this bra would be great for girls on the smaller side, and it's turned into a nice yoga/low impact bra for me.

Next up was something totally different: the Enell Sport (available in sizes 00 - 8, use their measurement guide to find your fit).

Front

Back

I hate to say it, but this bra is just ugly. The shiny fabric. The thick straps and band. By far, this bra provided the most support for me (and the most "uniboob"). You can't completely tell in the photo, but you basically harness yourself into this bra by fastening 11 clasps up the front center and moving your boobs into place as you go. I really hate this process, and it felt similar to my dread in having to squeeze myself into numerous sports bras at once. That being said, this is the best bra I've worn for long distance running. I also think their measurement guide is great, and allows for you to really find the right fit. 

The next bra I tried continues to be my favorite to this day: Brooks Moving Comfort Fiona (available in sizes 30B - 40DD).

Brooks is always having sales on these bras, but they sell out FAST. Right now there's only one color available in my size, but for $29 I don't care! I own 3 of these bras, 2 in black and one in the plum color above. It's way brighter in person than it looks in that photo. This bra is super light and comfortable. It provides a TON of support but doesn't feel like a harness. It has adjustable straps, a simple hook closure in the back, and somehow manages not to dig into my shoulders. It does not have a racerback, so it doesn't exactly look cute under most workout tanks, and it's hard to avoid the uniboob. This is my go to bra for running, zumba classes, strength training -- basically any high intensity workouts. I would not wear this bra to yoga or a light walk.

Another good options from Brooks is the Juno (available in sizes 30C - 44DD).

Front

Back

This bra is super comfortable. Like the Fiona it has adjustable straps, but has a racerback instead. It also has individual cups so there's far less uniboob than you get in the Fiona. I find that this bra provides a bit less support, but still gets the job done.

So the winner for me is the Brooks Fiona, but I think all of these bras are good options depending on what you're looking for. If you're still layering your sports bras, STOP, and let one of these babies change your life!

Blogger Event at Freshii

Last week I attended my second Boston Bloggers event at Freshii in Back Bay. This Freshii is located right near my office, so I was excited to potentially find a new spot for weekday breakfasts and lunches. I have actually eaten salads from Freshii a few times before, but hadn't visited any of the physical locations until now.

Freshii opened about 10 years ago in Toronto with the mission of eliminating the excuses for why people don't eat well. Today, there are Freshii locations providing healthy and affordable food in over 75+ cities and 15 countries worldwide! There are three locations in Boston: Back Bay, downtown and Fort Point.

The Back Bay location appropriately has the feel of a yoga studio. The store is immaculately clean, the walls are lined with beautiful wood paneling, and it just has an overall peaceful vibe.

After a brief run down on the history and idea from the owner (who was SUPER nice, and lives in Southie!) we were lucky enough to sample a bunch of items off of the menu.

We tried two juices: the Mighty Detox (pineapple, ginger, apple, celery, and cucumber) and the Red Power (beet, lemon, ginger, and carrot). I really enjoyed both juices but would probably go with the Mighty Detox if I was going to order a full sized juice. 

We also sampled the Mediterranean Bowl, which I've had before (half quinoa and half greens, red onions, kalamata olives, feta cheese, cucumbers, roasted red peppers, tomatoes, cilantro, almonds and red pepper sauce), the Metaboost Salad (field greens, spinach, kale, mangoes, carrots, edamame, almonds, goat cheese and balsamic vinaigrette), the Buddha Satay Bowl (rice noodles, carrots, broccoli, cabbage, green onions and peanut sauce), the vegetarian chili, and a mini burrito.

I loved the red pepper sauce on the Mediterranean Bowl. One day I'm going to try to remake that at home! I also really enjoyed the vegetarian chili -- I was totally surprised it had been cooked without any meat. I liked the Buddha Satay Bowl (I'm a sucker for rice noodles), but though it could use a tiny bit more seasoning.

We also got a few small samples of the house-made frozen yogurt, which they use in their smoothies. The cookies and cream yogurt was SO good. I may have to go to Freshii just for a cup of that once the weather warms up.

Although we didn't sample any sandwiches (outside of the burrito), I like that Freshii offers collard green wraps in addition to regular wheat based wraps. Outside of the regular menu, you can custom make any salad, wrap, bowl or soup you want with seasonal and local ingredients. 

It wouldn't have been a Blogger event without some Instagramming  PS, I am at Food_Love_Fitness). I made sure to snag a picture with Kaitlin who is an old friend of one of my best friends from college. Small world!

Onward and Upward

I've been feeling quite motivated the last few weeks to bounce back from the excessive holiday feasting/laziness. Maybe it was all the January 1st hooplah. Whatever it was, I'm embracing it.

I want to feel more comfortable in my body this year. I don't have super aggressive goals and I'm not assigning any numbers or strict time frame. So far this year I've been a meal prep warrior, tracking my food again, and working out 4-5 times/week. I restarted the BBG program and started with the four pre-training weeks (listed as PT below) to ease into it. I'm currently in the middle of week 4.

I've been planning my workouts each week on Sunday and doing my best to stick to it. Each week I do some combination of:

- 2-3 sessions of BBG (arms and abs, legs and cardio, and total body)

- a zumba class (because I love it)

- a yoga class (because I love it and need to stretch)

- 1-2 30-60 minutes LISS (low intensity steady state) cardio sessions, this can be power/incline walking/spinning/elliptical/hiking and eventually jogging when I feel like it
- 1-2 PLANNED rest days

Here's what my workouts the last few weeks have looked like:

1/4/2015	1/5/2015	1/6/2015	1/7/2015	1/8/2015	1/9/2015	1/10/2015
Yoga class	BBG PT wk 1 - arms & abs	Rest	Zumba class + LISS (walking)	BBG PT wk 1 - legs & cardio	Rest	BBG PT wk 1 - total body
1/11/2015	1/12/2015	1/13/2015	1/14/2015	1/15/2015	1/16/2015	1/17/2015
Yoga class	Rest	BBG PT wk 2 - arms & abs	Zumba class + LISS (walking)	BBG PT wk 2 - legs & cardio + LISS (incline walking)	Short hike (on vaca)	Rest (on vaca)
1/18/2016	1/19/2016	1/20/2016	1/21/2016	1/22/2016	1/23/2016	1/24/2016
Rest (on vaca)	BBG PT wk 3 - arms & abs	Skipped workout, moved to Fri	Zumba class + LISS (walking)	BBG PT wk 3 - legs & cardio + LISS (spinning)	Volleyball	BBG PT wk 3 - total body
1/25/2016	1/26/2016	1/27/2016	1/28/2016	1/29/2016	1/30/2016	1/31/2016
Yoga class	BBG PT wk 4 - arms & abs + 30 mins LISS (elliptical)	Zumba class + LISS (walking)	Rest	BBG PT wk 4 - legs & cardio	Volleyball	BBG PT wk 4 - total body

BBG has a great, motivating community on Instagram and facebook. The women who stick to the program see some incredible results and are really wonderful to each other (a nice change from the usual cattiness/jealousy you see all over the place). I've tried to find a few blogs that track progress from week 1 - week 12 and haven't found many that have actually finished the program. Hopefully I can be one of those!

Here are my observations/progress so far:

- I like leg/cardio and total body days WAY more than arms and abs. Squats continue to be my favorite exercise.

- The only modification I've had to make so far is push ups, but I am now up to completing half of push up sets the full way (on my toes) and half modified (on my knees). When I started I had to do them all on my knees. That's so exciting after just 3.5 weeks! I guess that's what you get doing nearly 120 push ups on arms day...

- My joints (most noticeably wrists and knees) are pretty tender after workouts because of all the jumping/push ups. I hope this doesn't become an obstacle in completing the program. I ain't 15 anymore.

- I love that each workout only takes about 30 minutes, but I leave each session sweaty and spent. Thanks to my Fit Bit I know my heart rate is raised throughout the workouts too. 

- I've been diligent about keeping my rests between sets to 60-90 seconds. It's tough, but it's important to the plan.

As far as eating goes, I'm not following the BBG nutrition guide exactly. I've been focusing on eating semi low-carb, limiting alcohol, and eating as much organic, locally-sourced, non-processed food as possible. I'm far from perfect here, but I'm trying. Here's some yummy food pics:

New favorite side: baked sweet potato with coconut oil and cinnamon

Homemade hummus!

Pistachio crusted salmon. So good.

New favorite recipe.

Train snacks

So I'm feeling really good overall and [knock on wood], this doesn't feel that terribly hard at this point. Scheduling my workouts and planning my food are KEY. Saying no to drinks has been my biggest challenge so far. My fridge is filled with so many delicious beers!

Today my body was feeling tired and I was very happy for the rest day. I just returned from a fun blogger event that I'll write about in another post! It's couch and TV time for the rest of the night.