Want muscle? I do!

Workout Wednesdays with Rachel (Left).

Hi, welcome to my first blog post.

I’m Helen, the office’s go-to nutrition girl for the past three years, and my main role is to spread the word about the many benefits of eating clean. From the way individual nutrients work to affect our bodies to how food connects people socially and culturally, I truly believe that what you feed yourself has a huge impact on how you look, feel and function. And yes, I practice what we preach. If you take a peek into my lunch bag, you’ll find: A hardboiled egg, whole grains, tons of leafy greens, veggie sticks, and lean protein (a piece of salmon, and some Greek yogurt for later).

Lately though, I’ve been trying to put the same focus I have on my diet onto my training. Why the shift? Back in February, I signed up for our company’s annual fitness challenge. The gist of the contest is this: The person who can make the most impressive changes in body composition within four months wins a modest amount of cash and some serious bragging rights. As the end date for this “friendly competition” is quickly approaching (June 1st), copping a spot in our company gym during lunch hour is nearly impossible. And boy, I’m up against some stiff competition: A personal trainer, a ski and snowboard instructor, and a marathon runner (we have one fit staff, I know)!

And me? I’m no star athlete. To give you an example of my lack-luster athleticism, consider this: I only just recovered from a bad contact hit to my face…from a game of dodge ball. Seriously, dodge ball. I ran headfirst into a wall after tripping over a ball (stop laughing). That embarrassing smash-up has sidelined me from the league for a month. Which, in retrospect, was a blessing in disguise because sitting out has left me with two good things:

1. A badass scar on my forehead.
2. More time to devote to my more serious fitness goals for the contest: building bigger biceps and carving out some abs.

So now, gone are my once-a-week games in an elementary school gymnasium spent dodging, ducking, and dipping, followed by celebratory beer. They’re now replaced with gym time with my fellow co-worker, Rachel Crocker, our wickedly funny fitness editor. With her help, along with quick access to some of the best names in the sports nutrition field, I’m surely going to make some progress, right?

Cross your fingers for me, and stay tuned for all the know-how on getting a body that wows.