A little bit about me

I’m a proud mom of two wonderful boys whom I love with all that I am. But with these beautiful children, came many changes to my body. Now I’m all for loving who you are and loving the skin you’re in, however; there comes a point when you need to ensure your health is in check as well. And mine just wasn’t!

I didn’t have a hard time losing weight after my first son, it was after my second that I feel my whole body just changed. By the time my youngest was about 7-8 months old, I actually got down pretty close to my pre-pregnancy weight! I was happy and comfortable. That summer, about 4-5 months later, I finished nursing and then soon after went to college to get my Office Administration Certificate. Now perhaps it was what they call the “freshman 5” (or 20!?) or that combined with my lowered metabolism from no longer nursing. Either way, the weight just started to come on. By January of 2012, I was at my heaviest of 142 lbs. Sure, to some that may not sound like a lot. However, I’m only 4ft 11in so that weight for my height put me in the obese category. I couldn’t believe that I let myself get to that. But regardless of how it happened, I just wanted to reverse it.

My self confidence was low, I wasn’t happy, I had no energy, and I just wasn’t feeling good. I started 2012 with a goal to get back in shape and actually started off with running. I taught myself to run with no training and no knowledge of the sport. Rather than time, myself I was using markers, I’m an outside runner, so I started off running from one telephone pole to the next, then would walk the next etc etc. As time went on I was able to run 2 walk 1, then run 3 walk 1 etc. Today I’m running half marathons and planning for a full sometime soon!

But lets not get ahead of ourselves. The start of running was not by any means the completion of my weight loss. Through 2012, 13 & 14 there were many up’s and downs, my weight fluctuated, I had a hard time staying on track and keeping motivated. I tried every fad there was out there, every diet pill on the market, all the supplements you could think of to no avail. I incorporated yoga, zumba, boxing, heavy lifting, strength and weight training, HIIT workouts and more! You name it, I did it. But I just wasn’t consistent!

Making Changes

2015 would be the game changer for me, and it’s still progressing. Early into the year I started a 3 week home dvd program. It taught me a lot about my nutrition as well as proper portion sizes, and amounts I should be consuming on a daily basis. The biggest eye opener for me was the fact that, I wasn’t over eating by any means, I was actually under eating – which is just as bad! Also, I was getting no where near the amount of protein I needed, I was high on carbs and fat and low on protein, fruits and veggies, which is about the exact opposite of what I should be getting. Well, I was able to stick to my 3 week program. I started tracking my meals, and planning my meals ahead of time so that there was no reason to “grab something fast and easier”, like take out, or a tv dinner. After I finished the 3 weeks, I took a few days “off” and got back at it. This gave me the guidelines I needed to continue on a steady basis. I was learning healthier meals that were still delicious and therefor easier to stay committed to, and some cleaner dessert options as well. These are vital to keep on track with a healthy lifestyle as it makes it more attainable. I soon started making more of my own home workout routines and some for the gym. Throughout this first half of the year, the weight started dropping, more and more, little by little. I’m still working and have more goals I want to accomplish, but I’m happy. I’m stronger, healthier, have more energy, more knowledge, can run faster, farther and maintain speed better.

And now I want to help you do the same!

Please check out my blog page to keep up to date with me and my journey!