Welcome to my World!

Welcome to MY blog! I am excited to finally have my corner of the Internet to share and write without family being irritated there were no pictures of my sweet boys involved in the post (also pretty excited to use "girly" colors and fonts!).

If you're new to my world, I'll use the next few posts to catch you up on my incredibly wonderful journey. Last January, I gave birth to my second son and before I was even home from the hospital, I knew things had to change in my life. I weighed a whopping 233 pounds when I arrived at the hospital to deliver him! I waited (somewhat impatiently) until five weeks after his birth and then I began running...and I haven't stopped since! I completed my first 5K on April 17 (11 weeks after Eli was born) and just recently ran the St. Jude's Half-Marathon in 2:18:10.

I've lost about 70 pounds and I'm sitting squarely in my "healthy" BMI range for the first time in a LONG time. I feel amazing and love being able to keep up with my boys! 

There were a lot of different motivations for beginning this journey, but here are my top 3:

1. My Dad: My dad (and most of his siblings!) is a Type 2 diabetic. While he has done an amazing job controlling it for over 10 years with his diet and exercise, the best way to control it is to avoid it. Knowing my family history, I had to lose the weight!

2. My boys: As the mom of two boys, I will spend the next 20 years running...I might as well enjoy it! (LOL) I want to be a mom who can keep up with her boys and isn't exhausted after chasing them around the yard. I love being able to run next to Riley as he rides his bike through our neighborhood!

3. Vanity: Ok. If you're female and you LOVE your body, please message me now! I don't know very many girls/women who are completely satisfied with the way they look and I, too, was very unhappy. I had gotten to the point where I hated shopping (Ok. You know it was bad!). Every girl/woman wants to feel attractive and (unfortunately) that feeling is deeply rooted in our outward appearance (more on that in later posts, I'm sure!). 

I certainly don't know everything there is to know about running, being fit or eating healthy - I'm still a newbie! But I know what worked for me, and I am excited to share with others how I've been successful. I am an encourager (so says my spiritual gifts assessment!) thus I am passionate about helping others reach their goals! I will share my highs and lows on this life-long journey and hope they inspire and comfort as you face yours.  

You can also follow me on Twitter @LauraRWalton!