12 / WOMEN’S HEALTH SEPTEMBER 2019

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“

Over a year a go, when I decided

to embark on this new lifest yle,

I was terrified. Opening up to

millions of readers about my

food, fitness, and body-image issues?! It

was the definition of my worst nightmare.

At the time, I didn’t realize how much I’d

change. And I’m not talking about physical-

ly (which, obviously, I have too), but men-

tally. “Ninety percent of what we did was

mindset,” said my doctor, Gabrielle Lyon,

DO, at a check-in. “Before this journey, you

were complacent, comfortable, and full of

excuses.” Brutal, but accurate.

How, then, did I transform? By seeking

out the scary. “The only way the human

spirit evolves is through discomfort,” Dr.

Lyon explained. “It’s a catalyst for growth.”

From the star t, I’ve been uncomfor table.

And once something did become second

nature (like dialing back sugar or lifting

weights), Dr. Lyon cheered me on to the

next trial. “If it becomes easy, you’re doing

the wrong thing,” she’d repeat. Challenge

by challenge (hi, Machu Picchu), I grew.

Most recently, I was feeling too comfort-

able with my workouts, so I signed up for

The Color Run 5-K (I am not a runner). I

pushed myself through tomato-faced train-

ing runs and felt very accomplished when I

was able to actually jog the entire course.

Now, I’m about to do the most terrifying

thing of all: I’m leaving a job I love and the

life I’ve known in New York City for 12 years

and moving to L.A. Instead of running away

from change, I’m sprinting toward it.

And the nervous feeling I have? I

interpret it as a signal that this is an

opportunity for personal evolution. As my

strength coach, Adriana Couvillion, told

me, “If we give in to fear, we block ourselves

from becoming the best version of who we

can be.” No, thank you!

My best me will always be a work in

progress because I’m constantly striving

to move for ward. And even though I’m

proud of how much stronger I am, in all

senses of the word, in the grand scheme of

things, this is only the beginning. There is

no final destination on a wellness journey—

so I’m just going to enjoy the ride.

I’m scared now—

and that’s a really

good thing.”

MARTA TOPRAN,

BEAUTY DIRECTOR

Follow my

journey on Insta

@martatopran.

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WELLNESS JO#URNEY

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