Letting go...slowly

It's been one week. I've had 20-24 ounces of Dr. Pepper everyday. That's about 1/2 (or some days a 1/3!) of what my typical consumption was.

And guess what...

I'M STILL ALIVE! YAY!

It's going to be a process, but I'm letting the 23 flavors go...all 23 wonderful flavors.

I've definitely felt sluggish most of the week but I've also been pretty slammed at work and home. Hoping now that I'm through that crazy week, my body will have an easier time adjusting to the reduced amounts of caffeine.

I will be watching the scales closely this month (like I don't every month?) as I am definitely consuming fewer calories. I'm also very interested to see how this affects my running. I should be better hydrated and not all sugared up. As you can tell, I have have high expectations for this life change.

I can do this. Seriously.

It's Time...

This article from Yahoo! Health is just disturbing: 

 3 Reasons to Give Up Soda

When I think about the amount of soda I consume in a day, it makes me a little nauseated. Sad truth: According to the data in this article, I am well above "average" when it comes to the number of calories I drink in a day - all from Dr. Pepper.

On the other hand, when I think about giving up caffeine, it makes my head hurt and I immediately become tongue-tied and sluggish (Ok. Some of this is obviously mental; I get that).

Hmmm...so which is worse?

It's time. I can do this. It's going to be a gradual process, but I can do this. I need a plan - some parameters for myself and then, when the craving strikes, this is the image that will be in my head...

This pool and "fatty organs." That's just grosses me out writing it so I'll spare you the image on that one. And you're welcome.

Check back for the plan. I'm on it.

One week...but so far away

It's one week until my birthday and I'm not even close to reaching my goal. Well, kind of.

I'm basically where I started...kind of. If the goal was to lose 7 pounds before my birthday, and I've gained 5 pounds and then lost them, then I'm still in pretty good shape, right? Unfortunately, the goal was to lose 7 pounds AND be a certain weight (Sidebar: This is a good lesson for my PR students in making goals singular - an individual/organization can achieve one part of a goal and not the other!). When setting the original goal, I also failed to account for Riley being away at Disney World for EIGHT DAYS last week and the fact that I would "need" cookies to get through the week as well as the introduction of Valentine's Day candy EVERYWHERE (Sidebar: This also provides great material regarding setting realistic goals for my PR students!).

To end on a positive, last week was a good running week. I was able to get in three runs for 12.5 miles. I'll take that after the previous week...which I'm just embarrassed about.

So, how are you doing with YOUR goals in 2012?

L.O.V.E. this stuff!

Readers who've been following my blog or really anyone who's been around me for a significant amount of time are well aware my addiction to Dr. Pepper is a (HUGE) stumbling block for my journey to a healthier lifestyle. I can't stand the taste of Diet Dr. Pepper and although I had a brief love affair with Dr. Pepper 10 a few months ago, I have long-since returned to the "real thing" and all its carbonated, surgery goodness. If it were just one a day, it probably wouldn't be a big deal, but I shudder to think about the number of calories I drink each day.

Alas! I believe I may have found something to help! On the recommendation from a friend, I (begrudgingly) bought some of these on-the-go packets and much to my surprise...I love it!!

A.M.A.Z.I.N.G. (and no, they are not paying for this post...although I wouldn't mind a retro-active endorsement deal...). You simply dump the packet into your water (another area I'm working on!) and shake.

I made it until almost 1 p.m. today without a Dr. Pepper and never felt like I was dragging. I think there are other flavors (maybe I'll "L.O.V.E." those in another post), but the Wild Strawberry gets two thumbs up from me.

Maybe I WILL make that February 6 goal after all...

Trying New Things

I have a birthday next month. I am not what you might call "excited" about it, but it does provide an easy deadline for reaching a goal. I've put on about 4 pounds over the holidays that I need to shed. And another 3 would get me into a weight range I haven't seen in about 6 months. Goal created...

To lose 7 pounds by February 6.

There it is...in writing. That comes to about 1.5 pounds a week. Very do-able. Yesterday, I cut my Dr. Pepper consumption in half from the previous couple of days, which should help a lot. I ran 3.5 miles, did 100 crunches and a 2-minute plank (feeling the effects of the caffeine reduction and the ab work, by the way!). Good start.

Today is Sunday - a somewhat hectic day at our house because of Jeff's position with our church. That hecticness - coupled with my disdain for cooking - has resulted in the routine visit to our local Mexican restaurant every Sunday after church. Today, Jeff and I split an entree. It saved us $10 (that's $40 a month and $480 over a year, BTW). More significant to the current goal, it saved us BOTH a lot of calories and from the temptation of overeating. Baby steps, people. Baby steps toward getting back on track.

I'll keep you posted as we try new things and I work on reaching my birthday goal...

If you have "little things" that help, please share! I'd love to have more ideas for reaching my goal!

Oh, and I'm Famous!

Ok. Not really, but my new friends (Terry and Meredith Sullivan) that I mentioned meeting at the Frostbite 1/2 marathon thought my journey from fat to fit worthy of a Spotlight on their website! Truly humbled!

Check it out at http://www.liverightnowonline.com/!

Many props to Terry and Meredith for what they are doing to get Mississippi moving and (hopefully!) out of last place in all the health categories!

3 Random Things

This weekend, I enjoyed an amazing girls' weekend with three girlfriends from college. We met in Memphis (they all live in Arkansas) and spent Friday and most of Saturday laughing, shopping, and well, eating. I was SCARED to get on the scale this morning - even following a 5.5-mile run. But, somehow, despite the gluttony, I managed to lose weight. Apparently, laughter is great exercise!! So, I am now 1.4 pounds from a significant milestone in this journey from fat to fit...the 150s. I haven't seen 150-something in probably 10 years! Stay tuned, friends! I'm motivated and the Tagalongs are gone; this could be the week!

A non-scale victory this weekend: Spent WAY more than I wanted to (or should have) on a new pair of jeans, but the fact that they were a size 31, seemed to make it ok in some crazy way. According to the Big Star Jeans sizing chart, this is a 9/10. WHAT? While that might not seem "small" to some, I bought a pair of pants two weeks after Eli was born that were an 18W. I'll take a 12 or 10 ANY day, my friends! 

And finally, I love running on Sunday mornings! I've always reserved Sunday as a "day of rest" in my training. Partly because it's biblical and partly because Sundays are somewhat hectic at our house because of Jeff's schedule and responsibilities at the church. But, because I didn't get my run in yesterday, I got up early and ran this morning. WOW! No traffic. Perfect weather. Amazing playlist to get my heart ready for worship this morning. Pretty sure I'm going to be working some Sunday runs into the schedule a little more often.

So, there you have it. A few random events/thoughts/milestones from my weekend. 

Oh, and if you're ever in Memphis and can get to a Huey's, EAT THERE! It was the best burger I've ever eaten and the onion rings are as big as your head. Calories don't count during girls' weekend, right?

10 Reasons I Run

A few nights ago on Twitter, people were posting reasons they run (#whywerun); there were some really great comments. It made me start thinking about the reasons I run. I'm quickly approaching my one-year anniversary of lacing up the sneaks and the reasons have definitely changed from my initial motivation. So, here are...

The Top 10 Reasons I Continue to Run:

10.  It's a great excuse to buy great looking work-out gear.

9. I like the look of surprise on people's face when I say, "I'm a runner."

8. It's an age thing. As I get older, I need to "feel" younger and running certainly makes me feel better about aging (most days, anyway!).

7. I can eat (almost) whatever I want without gaining weight.

6. I FINALLY like the way my legs look in shorts.

5. I think race t-shirts are cool.

4. I want my boys to remember me as an active/healthy mom who could keep up with them. I love the look on Riley's face when I "race" him around our circle on his bicycle.

3. I love all the technology (my Garmin 405, Nike+, Twitter chats, Daily Mile, etc...)!

2. I'm too cheap to join the gym. I'd rather spend the money for a gym membership on new clothes!

1. It's pretty much the only time I have to myself during the day. As a working mom and wife of a youth minister, my days are filled with people. Running provides my serenity time and the further I run, the longer I have to myself. I see a marathon in my future, folks. :-)

So, what about YOU? Why do you run? Or if you don't run (yet), why do you want to?

More Water, Less Dr. Pepper Wrap-up

The more-water-less-Dr. Pepper challenge officially ended yesterday. I would love to report it was a smashing success and my plan to "ween" myself from Dr. Pepper was well on its way. Unfortunately, I got a little off-track after the Frostbite 1/2 marathon.

There were only a couple of days when I drank a Dr. Pepper after my 2 p.m. "curfew," but my water intake declined drastically - in fact, there were some days I doubt I even drank 20 ounces of water. I really can't explain it and I'm frustrated with myself for going backwards; I was doing so well. In fact, going into that weekend, there were several days I only had one Dr. Pepper. And then in my I-just-ran-a-half-marathon-so-I-can-eat-whatever-I-want phase, I got off track. Ugh.

Tomorrow is a new day and February is a new month. I will do this...

Non-Scale Victory

Promised a picture of the non-scale victory of fitting into the boys' rocking chair and here it is! The best part of this one was the look on Riley's face the first time I sat in it. I told him I was going to take his chair and he said, "Oh, no you're not! You're too big." When I sat it and fit he said, "MAMA! You're smaller!" It was an amazing feeling to have him - at 3 years old - recognize it!

For perspective, that seat is 14 inches wide! :-)

Would love for readers to share some of their non-scale victories!

If it's just a number, why do I obsess?

When I began this weight loss journey nearly a year ago, I swore I would NOT obsess about the number on the scale. I would be more concerned with how my clothes fit, my fitness accomplishments and in general, how I felt. But I have obsessed...and I still do. I try not to, but I can't help it. Sometimes to the point that I weigh multiple times a day. Ugh. I weighed this morning, and I am 2 pounds from seeing a number I haven't seen in at least 10 years. Now, I'm obsessed with THAT number on my scale...

But, why am I obsessing? Two pounds is not going to make me a size smaller (another number I tend to obsess about!). No one is going to even notice a 2-pound loss (oh, and it WILL happen, by the way!).

I really wish we could come up with another way to track weight loss that didn't involve the number on the scale (I know - that doesn't even make sense!). When I see people I haven't seen in a while, the first thing they typically ask is, "How much weight have you lost?" The more intrusive will ask, "What size are you now?" What if I offered, "I'm much healthier now. I can play with my boys without becoming exhausted, and I run about 20 miles a week." Would that suffice? I doubt it.

I have recently learned a new "measurement" that I really like - a "non-scale victory" (or NSV if you're on Twitter!). It's something you couldn't do at a larger size that you can do now that you've shed a few pounds. For example, the boys have one of those really cute children's rocking chairs (like the ones that sit out in front of Cracker Barrel). I can now comfortably sit in it (will post picture asap). Or the fact that I will now wear my yoga pants in public without hiding under an oversized t-shirt.

Ok. So, if anyone has ideas on how to overcome the obsession with the number - please post and share with us all! Until then, I have to go scheme about how to get these 2 pounds off my scale...

We all have a story...

One of the reasons I started this blog was because so many of the blogs I've been following make a complete lifestyle change sound...well, easy. And from my own experience, I disagree. There's nothing "easy" about losing weight or becoming a runner/swimmer/cyclist. There's nothing "easy" about overhauling the way you thought about food all your life and changing the way you eat. I've had (and still have!) plenty of struggles along the way, and I wanted to share them to (hopefully) help others with theirs.

Last week, I received this message (via Facebook) from a friend. It erased every doubt I've ever had about starting this blog. We all have a story to tell and telling it just might be what someone else needs to get started or keeping going (Note: I've changed the names).

*****************

Laura,
I read your blog the other day and have to tell you how much you've inspired me! First, I would have never imagined that you had ever dealt with some of the same issues I've dealt with. I think of you as beautiful, thin Laura, and had no idea that weight has been a strugle for you.

Since you've known me for a long time, you probably know that it has been a constant struggle in my life...I've been overweight for most of it and "normal" a little bit of it. The normal times were only after losing it the wrong way--like starving myself. I really hit bottom after my second child was born. I hated looking at myself in the mirror. It made me so sad to feel like I was the fattest person in the room everywhere I went (which may not have been the case, but I felt that way). I felt terrible physically and I was really mean to "Tom" --probably because I was so unhappy with my life. 

So, in September I finally decided to do something about it--more than just starving myself. I adopted a healthy lifestyle, and have lost 43 lbs. since then. I've still got 27 to go to get to my goal of 160, but I feel great. I've started doing Couch to 5K and my goal is to run a 5K...I've never been a runner, so that makes me really nervous, but I'm confident I can do it. I should be at my goal weight by then. I'm super excited and feel the best I've ever felt. And, I'm pretty sure "Tom" loves that I'm not mean anymore! And, seeing you do it just makes me all the more motivated. So...thanks Laura! You're amazing! :)

******************

One of the most important parts of a weight loss journey is to take as many people with you that you can. Our nation is hurting and dying from obesity - just a quick look around you will confirm that. So if you're running, cycling, walking, swimming and/or losing weight in your own little world, let me encourage you now to be open to opportunities to help others. We ALL need a little encouragement and accountability to keep moving. Plus, helping others will keep YOU motivated, too!

And don't try to use the "I don't have time" excuse with me, people! We can all make time to help others!

Oh, Lulu! Why can't you learn?

I ran 10 miles Saturday. That's a lot of time to think and A LOT of time for LuLu to do her thing in my head. At about 9.5 miles, I started thinking back to when I started the run and decided to do this post. It's the chronology of the battle in my head during most of my long runs...

8:30 a.m. Husband tells me that he's taking the boys to Wal-Mart with him, and I can "do whatever." He says the fumes from my "attempt" to clean the oven are more than he can handle (Possibly another post later, but some advice: Read the manual before engaging the "self-cleaning" oven).

9:15 a.m. Boys dressed and out the door. 

9:16 a.m. Process of getting dressed for 35 degree weather begins. Pieces scattered throughout the house and a few out in the car. Enter LuLu. "It's really cold out there. You've already done 12 miles this week. Why don't you just go back to bed and enjoy the quiet time." Hmmph. I keep searching. 

9:20 a.m. Most of my gear is on. I sit down in the floor to stretch a bit. Enter LuLu. "You could just curl up on the couch now and go later. Maybe when it's a little warmer." Knowing my husband is leaving for a trip with the youth group in the afternoon, this is NOT an option. I continue to stretch and think about my route.

9:30 a.m. I'm out the door and in the driveway stretching when the wind picks up. Enter LuLu. "Wow! It's cold AND windy. This is going to be a rough run. Maybe you should take some time off from running altogether. You may burn out if you keep going at this pace." Did she seriously just suggest I quit running? Silly girl.

9:35 a.m. I start out walking up a hill to continue my stretching and warm-up. Enter LuLu. "You know, you could just walk today. Even though it's a scheduled long-run day...maybe just consider it cross-training? You'd be finished in 30 minutes and maybe still have time for a quick nap." Walk? You've got to be kidding me. Please go away, LuLu. I have miles to run.

9:40 a.m. I start my run. It's cold and windy, but the sun is shining and I have nothing but time and miles. Enter LuLu at about .5 miles. "Ok. Seriously? You're really going to do this today? I really think you need to consider some time off. Maybe knock off this long run stuff for a while. Just try to do 12-15 miles per week and then start training for another race later. Maybe when it's a little warmer? But, seriously, let's take some time off from this really long stuff. What do you say?" I say nothing. Zip my jacket up a little higher and keep running. 

9:50 a.m. Nike+ tells me "One mile completed." I'm finding a comfortable pace as I head out of our neighborhood and out onto the road. Hills ahead. Enter LuLu. "You're really slow on the hills. Maybe you should stick to flatter routes. Hilly routes are for 'real' runners." I run hard up the hill and focus on my breathing. I really dislike her sometimes.

10:00 a.m. Two miles down. Found my pace. Sun is shining and I'm planning out the rest of my route in my head. Knowing the Frostbite 1/2 marathon in Starkville is in two weeks, I'm trying to get in as many hills as possible to prepare. Enter LuLu. "Don't go that way. It's REALLY hilly. You could actually just turn right back into the neighborhood up here at 3 miles and call it good." I turn left and see the hills coming.

10:20 a.m. Two major hills behind me. Breathing is good. I feel great. Where's LuLu now? Probably back on the couch eating chips and taking that nap.

10:20-11:00 a.m. Run is amazing! Perfect layering to stay warm but not get hot. Running a route I haven't done in a while and loving it.

11:00 a.m. I'm about 8 miles down and approaching the two major hills again. Enter LuLu. "Seriously. You should turn left, do the little hill and then call it good."I turn right and maintain a 9-minute mile pace up them both. Take that, LuLu!

11:10 a.m. Nike+ tells me I've reached my goal of 9 miles. What? It's over? But I just started! I'll do 1 more mile...because I can.

I don't know what other runners go through mentally when they run, but this is pretty typically of every long run that I've ever done. LuLu doesn't seem to mind the shorter stuff, but man, does she object to the long runs.

My body doesn't hurt when I run (anymore)...but my mind can be brutal.

And Her Name Is...

Thanks to everyone who submitted a name for my "name-my-fat-girl" contest. There were some really good ones and I loved the explanations that accompanied them. You guys are creative; I knew I could count on you!

Here are the entries:

Bertha (Big Butt Bertha or Bertha Big Butt)

Lurlene

Lulu

(Fatty) Mattie

Gertrude

Bertha Bell

Fatty Boombalatty (shortened to "Phatty")

Mardi

(See comments from "Shadow Boxing" post if you'd like the explanations!)

This was a very tough decision. All were viable options. So, I had to fall back on one of the tests that we used for naming both of our boys...the ability to yell it without hesitation or stumbling over it when angry or frustrated.
And the winner is...

LULU

I love that it's similar-sounding to my name and that her strength for change came from God (more on that in a later post, I'm sure!). So, congrats to Courtney for her winning submission! (Send me your new mailing address, and I'll be dropping you a "happy" in the mail Monday!).

Thanks for playing, friends! Happy New Year!

Shadow Boxing

So, yesterday was a spectacular day to run in Mississippi. I threw on my gear and took off. The sun was shining so my shadow was very clear. As I looked at the girl in the shadow, I really didn't recognize her. A year ago, that same girl was hiding under her clothes, shuffling her feet and willing herself to just make it a few more feet. But not this girl. She was sporting a great pair of running capris with a well-fitting pullover. Her legs were slimmer, there was a defined waist and she had a stride rather than a shuffle. She LOOKED like a runner. Who was this girl trying to cut in on my run? Who did she think she was?

While I obviously see myself in the mirror daily, I am definitely still adjusting to how much my body has changed over the last year. Despite those changes, the mental battle with "the fat girl in my head" has been - and at times, continues to be - my biggest struggle. She was relentless in her efforts to keep me from even getting started (see previous post for her laundry list of excuses!). And she likes to beat me up and tell me "I can't" even though my body (now!) says I can. When I shop for new clothes, she always makes me start with the bigger size even though more and more, I get to return for the smaller one (Take that, fat girl!). It was months before she stepped aside and let me confidently call myself a "runner" - as if I had to prove to HER that I was by some spectacular feat of distance or speed.

So, why is it that I can't kick her out of my head? Why does she still call my head "Home" even after I've lost weight and completed a half marathon? I guess if I could answer that, I (and millions of other women and girls!) wouldn't be battling her daily. I'd be sitting on "Oprah" or "Dr. Phil" talking about my latest psychological "break through" in self confidence and improved body image. I'd probably be a NY Times bestselling author helping millions defeat their own fat girl/guy who has kept them on the couch and out of the gym for years. Or maybe even selling some great workout program via infomercial...ok, maybe not that one.

But I don't really have the answer. So, instead, I'm here - writing this brief post about my own battle for a few hundred people who may be able to relate in some small (or big!) way. And that is one of several "purposes" for this blog! (NOTE: A more accurate title for my blog might have been "Running with Several Good Intentions" but that's not quite as catchy!). I obviously don't know how to permanently move the fat girl/guy out of your head, but I can tell you there's no better feeling than a good beat down on her/him. And remember...

The only thing worse than quitting...is never trying.

Finally, my "fat girl" needs a name. I'm now taking suggestions and will let the readers name my "fat girl!" Winning name gets a prize (and trust me, it's a good one!)!

Rules (Hey, I'm a mom and a teacher - have to have rules!):

1. You can submit as many names as you'd like before January 1, 2011 (noon).
2. You can submit only name suggestions, however, special consideration will be given to entries with explanations (crazy ex-girlfriend, whacko family member, worst teacher, obnoxious neighbor, annoying co-worker, etc...). 
3. All submissions will be used in a blogpost announcing the winning "fat girl" name on New Year's Day!
4. Prize will be mailed to individual with the winning submission Monday, January 3. 

So, now I'm going to throw on my gear and go another round with my fat girl. Regardless of what I call her, she's going down, folks! KO, baby!

Moving Past the Excuses

Motivation. For every action we engage in, there's some type of motivation behind it. Whether it is fear or necessity or guilt or any number of other catalysts, something has to motivate us to move - to act.

So, what was my "tipping point" for beginning this journey? What got me off the couch and moving?

You may find this odd, but "The Biggest Loser" was actually my tipping point. I was sitting in front of the television (with a bag of chips) watching the contestants kill themselves in the gym. Then, they would get on the scale at the end of the show and I WEIGHED MORE THAN THEM! It was a sad and life-changing realization (I was about 7 months pregnant when it happened, so I had to stall my plan of action a tad until Eli arrived). But I had to do something...so I (finally!) quit making excuses and did it.

We all have our list of excuses and here are a few of mine:

1. I'm too busy. Wow. If I had a dime for every time I said or thought that, I'd be RICH (like Bill Gates-rich, people!). As a working mom (who's married to a youth minister), I feel pulled in 20 different directions most of the time. I had to prioritize to MAKE time to exercise. I'm learning to "protect" my run time like I would any other appointment on my calendar. That was (and still is!) my first obstacle.

2. I don't "feel" like it. Well, of course I didn't! I was SERIOUSLY overweight and hadn't worked out in years. Trust me, there were lots of days I really wanted to curl up under the covers and pretend I didn't hear the alarm sound at 5 a.m. But once I got my run in for the day, I felt amazingly better and had so much more energy. Ok. So, lesson learned.

3. I'm too old to run. I'll admit, this is one I still struggle with when my knees and hips are cursing me for putting them through a long run. But I'm not, and the longer I stick with this and train my body, the better it will handle the miles. When I started competing in races and seeing how many older participants there were, I knew I had to quit using this one...especially when they were flying past me to the finish line. LOL

4. I feel guilty for not spending this time with my boys. Ok. This is also one I continue to struggle with. Because the boys are in daycare, I feel like my time with them at night is really important. Then I realized, being able to physically care for them is also pretty important. I was headed down a pretty treacherous path with my weight/health and thankfully, I was able to turn things around. I am finally embracing the fact that I am a better mommy when I make time to exercise.

5. I can't afford to exercise/join the gym. Uh...can I "afford" not to? The cost of obesity is WAY more than the cost of getting fit. I didn't want to spend the money on a gym membership because of my crazy schedule and the fear I wouldn't be able to use the membership enough. So I found another way to get fit and now, I buy new shoes every 400 miles (1/2 way to my third pair!) and running clothes that make me feel good. If you feel better about putting on your workout gear, you are more likely to get in it and GET MOVING.

So, what's stopping you? What's keeping you from lacing up the sneaks and hitting the road or jumping on the treadmill or heading to the gym? If you can figure that out, then you can make a plan to move past those "excuses."

And you know that's what they are, right? EXCUSES!

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!