I’m Getting Fit and Zen-sational. Yay Me!

{Massi is brassy and sassy and likes to kick my assy}

Truth: The Wordy Girl packed on some extra pounds this summer. I have no one to blame but myself but said extra poundage is cramping my sartorial style (masking the post-children muffintop can be downright exhausting!) and all kidding aside, I don’t feel good. You know what I mean? I feel breathy, sleepy, grumpy, lumpy, anxious, hot and sweaty more often than I’d like. The anxious part bugs me the most, quite honestly.

And here’s where divine intervention comes in: My new age-y gal pal/professional trainer Massiel Miranda just moved back from Albuquerque, New Mexico and reached out to train me on the reg and I said, “Duh, WHATCHA WAITING FOR? BRING THE PAIN, PLAYER!” Literally.

Massi and I commenced training last Monday and I already feel like Jennifer Aniston in those sublime Smart Water ads. Here’s what “coach” (Massi insists she’s a coach, not a trainer) has taught me thus far and this goes beyond our outdoor death-defying three-days-a-week training sessions (I do cardio two other days on my own):

· My food choices are whiggidy whack. I eat far too many over-processed foods (pasta, white rice, bread). In the words of Massi, “When shopping at the grocery store, think, ‘Did this come from the Mother Earth?'” So when at the grocery store, shop the outer aisles for fresh veggies, fruits, nuts, etc.

· I don’t snack enough throughout the day and eating just two huge meals (lunch and dinner) is a metabolism murderer. Massi insists I incorporate healthy snacks such as apples, almond butter, radishes and hummus, broccoli with low-fat dressing, raw almonds and more into my diet.

· I also expressed to Massi that I get anxious more often than a Kardashian causes a kerfuffle. So on Friday, we practiced a little meditation where my eyes welled up with tears à la Oprah during an intimate interview (Massi assures me I’m not insane, just stressed, THANK GOD). Massi suggests I take deep, collective breaths when I feel jittery and to, “Only speak the truth.” This way, I won’t feel guilty, emotionally heavy or weird after having conversations with other people (which is a sentiment I feel far too often).

Serendipitously, I feel like Massi entered my life at just the right time. Sure, I need to lose a few pounds, but more importantly, she’s teaching me how to tap into my inner calm and stress less.

This week, we’ll be working on more breathing and meditation so I’ll let you know how it goes. But pinky swear, it’s only been one week of talking, listening (I need to work on that, too! Blech), 5-times-a-week workouts and healthy eating and I already feel giggly instead of jiggly. Thank you, Massi.

If you feel like you, too, need to work on your body and soul, Massi can be reached at (786) 290-3654 or massi@be03.com.