Plank Challenge Met!

Yesterday I hit up my gym for my second-ever TRX personal training session with Marcy. She was kind enough to offer me a freebie after I blogged about my first one for Kaitlin! And I now have two more freebies under my belt (or yoga pant waistband) because before we did our TRX, I accepted – and met – the Healthtrax Abs of Steel June challenge!

I had to hold good form for the whole five minutes. The bottom right is me immediately after finishing. Sweet relief! (That’s what she said.)

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Resting Up For A Plank Challenge!

Oh what a weekend! Summer 2013 continued to deliver with fun activities like…

  • …taking my parents out for an epic night of cocktails and pizza at Krust in Middletown on Friday night (we’re already planning our next trip back)
  • …visiting the Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory of liquor stores in MA (Yankee Spirits) on the day they happened to be having a wine tasting gala
  • …attending the Glastonbury Rotary Club Lobster Fest yet again (blog post to come!)
  • …destroying a Saturday morning Group Power class
  • …my first beach trip of the summer!

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Fashion Friday Is Back!

I really appreciate your insightful comments on Wednesday’s post about my relationship with the calories in alcohol. I’m still a work in progress but it helps to know I’m not the only one out there who struggles with feeling guilty about drinking. That night I enjoyed a fun Mexican dinner – with drinks – out (at Taqueria Tavern in West Hartford) and though I struggled with some anxiety the next morning, I pushed through and avoided temptation to skip my breakfast. I’m proud that I allowed myself to enjoy the beverages I craved. And of course, my body told me when I was done with my drinks, and I just simply didn’t want any more at that point; it was easy to stop.

My Onyx Moonshine Margarita (Onyx Moonshine, Agave, Lime Juice, Salt) was simple and amazing!

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The Alcohol Calorie Struggle

I mentioned briefly in Monday’s MIMM weekend recap that some portions of the weekend brought on anxiety and emotional struggles for me. Not surprisingly, these were ED-related…specifically to my feelings before and after drinking alcohol.

One of this past weekend's day drinks - Yellow Tail Sparkling Rose in Lilly Pulitzer glasses (of course).

One of this past weekend’s day drinks – Yellow Tail Sparkling Rose in Lilly Pulitzer acrylic wine glasses (of course).

Since I entered recovery, my relationship with alcohol and its “empty calories” has improved. To this day the number “seven” still sticks out in my head – as in the number of calories per gram of alcohol. I see this number in my mind each time I have a drink. The difference between me now and me two years ago is now I can actually take a sip of a drink, as in I can actually perform the action. I used to be crippled by such fear of empty alcohol calories, and my belief that they’d just pile up on my stomach in the form of fat, that I rarely ever drank. If I did, I had to be STARVING first to do so. My senior year of college, I’d barely eat all day long so that I could go out to the bars at night and drink rum and Diet Coke (gross).

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YMX: Fitfluential Campaign

I received a top from YMX for this review, as part of a Fitfluential campaign. All opinions on the product are my own. This is not a compensated post.

I’m a big fan of bright or unique workout clothes. So bright AND unique workout clothes? Sold! I took one look at the selection on YMX and knew I wanted a chance to rock the brand at my gym. I signed up to be considered as a Fitfluential Ambassador for the May YMX campaign and lo and behold, I was selected and received this Infinite Geometry Long-Sleeve Shirt in the mail.

Source

YMX uses MadKool Performance Fabric in their products, and varies the specific type fabric type according to where or for what activity the product is likely to be used. For example, cycle tops use a fabric with UV ray protection since they’re most likely to be worn outside. My particular top’s MadKool fabric offered moisture-wicking, quick-dry, wrinkle and odor resistance, and UPF 30+ protection as its benefits.

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A Summer MIMM

Thank you for the enthusiasm for Bestowed and my giveaway for one of their monthly boxes of healthy snacks! I’m happy to announce the winner, but remember if that person is not you, there is still the promo code “5OFFBESTOWED01”, which does not expire and can be entered at checkout for $5 off your first box (regularly $19). For just $14 (shipping is included) I definitely think it’s worth a try! Enough blabbering – the winner is Jess W! Congrats and I will be contacting you about getting your prize!

I hope everyone had a marvelous first weekend of June! Well, Friday night was still May, but that’s neither here nor there. The point is it FELT like June. The weather was perfect all weekend along and I couldn’t be more grateful! While I felt low during some portions of the weekend, today I want to address the marvelous, which thankfully far outnumbered the mal (Spanish for “bad”).

Thanks Katie for keeping us positive on Mondays when it’s often most needed!

Marvelous is…your “Hey, It’s OK!” suggestions! I’ve seen healthy living “It’s OK!” ideas in comments, blog posts, and Instagrams in response to my post from last week – and I’m loving them.

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Meet Caitlin

I’m a 28 year old full-time working girl living in Boston (previously lived in Connecticut). I’m passionate about food/drink, restaurants, self-love, fitness, and the ever-present search for balance. I write about that journey on this blog – I hope you enjoy!

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Design Credit

My header was originally designed by Mai Le and later tweaked by Chris Roggi to match this theme, which he helped me customize. He also moved me over to self-hosting! Both can be contacted through their sites for design & development work!

Disclaimer

I am not an RD and do not have any official training, certifications, or degrees in nutrition or fitness. This blog is a way to write about my life. Any views I express are mine alone, based on what works for me, and should never be taken as medical advice. Always talk to your doctor or a trained professional before starting a new diet or fitness plan. In addition, this blog and its content are in no way affiliated with Kate Gosselin, “Kate Plus 8”, TLC, or any related affiliates.

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