Word for 2016

Happy last day of 2015! As I said yesterday, I can't believe the year is over. I am one of those people who likes the idea of a new start with the changing of the calendar. The new year seems like the perfect opportunity to "start new" and to make changes to necessary to our lives.

The last couple of years, thanks to social media, I haven't so much made resolutions but chose a word/theme for the year and set up goals for myself. 2014 was PEACE - I was coming out of a very hard year and needed peace all the way around. 2015 was HEALTH. As I reflect on the last two years, I can see that these words/themes have rung true and helped keep me focused and grounded through the year.

The word I've chosen for 2016 is INTENTIONAL. I want to live intentionally in all aspects of my life. I want to plan and make choices that I stick to. I want to plan for the future. I want to prayerfully choose to be filled with peace and healthy. Just because it is a new year, it doesn't mean those words slip away - I plan to intentionally add them into my daily life.

Do you make resolutions? Goals? Do you have a word for 2016? Share with me! I'd love to hear what you are planning for 2016.

For I know the plans that I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:11-13

End of 2015

Tomorrow is the last day of 2015. Wow - where has this year gone? It seems like it has flown by. I think back to when I heard adults say this when I was a kid and wondered why they thought that -- now, I feel like I blink and another year passes.

This time last year, I was still trying to get back on my feet after having the wind knocked out of me and my life turned upside down. I was better than the year before, but still not good. {Am I good now??} I was miserable all the time - I hated the way I looked - I couldn't keep up with Monster. Heck, I could barely get up and down the steps of the basement to do laundry. I was 85 pounds heavier than I am right now. EIGHTY FIVE. That's more than what Monster weighs and he is almost too heavy for me to lift. This time last year, I had just re-joined the YMCA and was slowly adding in a couple of classes. I had no idea I would walk into an Aqua Zumba class on New Years Eve last year and have it completely change my life. The class was fun. The instructor - HILARIOUS, encouraging, fun and good at her job! I was alone, with no plans for NYE, and that choice was exactly what I needed to make the changes I needed.

I added more water fitness classes to my schedule and quickly falling in love with this form of cardio. I think I've said this before, but these classes are not like the gereatric classes that you may think of - the instructors I go to are motivating, encouraging, and have been instrumental in helping me get this far. In addition to my water classes, I've added in a muscle definition class for strength training and the occasional Pound class

While I didn't hit a goal I had made a couple of months ago - to lose 100 pounds by now, I am pretty proud of how far I've come. I am a little frustrated with myself - I had not set any goals at the beginning - was just happy to see weekly progress. I feel like when I set actual goals I did a little self-sabatoging. So, as I sit here with one day left in 2015, I am reflecting on this year and thinking forward to 2016.

Year to Date Progress: 

• Weight: lost 85.2 
• Inches: 23 inches total (arm, bust, waist, hips, thigh, and neck)
• Completed my first official 5k 
• Walked Five miles in one walk

Christmas '14 and '15.
Please note I'm not a fan of seeing my baby get bigger!!  

I have not only lost weight and inches from my body, but I have gained some confidence, stamina, and a lot more strength. Some days I still don't see progress because I have a long way to go -- I'm guessing around 115 pounds will put me to my goal weight. Honestly, I'm not sold on an exact number - I feel like I will find my weight range when I get there. Mainly, my goal is to be healthy - body, mind, and spirit. But, I take look at photos and can see a big difference.

December '14 and '15

As I wrap up 2015, I can't help but be grateful to all of you who have said kind words to me, supported, encouraged, and held my hands - in real life or virtually - as I work towards a happy, healthy me. And as cliche as it is, I am looking forward to a new me. I can't wait to look back over the year next year and be even happier. So, thank you from the bottom of my heart. Wishing you all the happiest of new years! 

My First 5K and Looking Back Over the Last Year...

I can remember last year, scrolling through social media, wishing I could do the Annual YMCA Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning. This year, I made that wish a reality. Monster, my friend, Sam, and I got ourselves up early and walked my first 5K. To say I was a bit nervous would be an understatement. This time last year I couldn't even walk a mile without hurting and being completely worn out. This year, I walked over three miles and could have done more - easily. As silly as it may sound to some of you - I am proud of myself. My results were 56:48. While it was a lot slower than I had hoped, I finished - and I was not the last to cross the finish line. And for that, I am grateful and proud.

Before the Turkey Trot 

Waiting to at the start line.

Finished! 

We finished.

Crossing the finish line. 

Seeing my sister and nephew at the finish line. 

 My sister and nephew surprised us by waiting for us at the finish line. It was such an awesome surprise.

Isn't this the sweetest thing ever?!? 

This last year has been a real journey in trying to find me - I've felt really lost at times, but I'm starting to find me and my voice. I still don't like what I see when I look in the mirror, but I like it a LOT better than I did a year ago. I've taken a few chances and have been both rejected and accepted by some that surprised me. I've got a great group of "real life" and online friends that have been instrumental in encouraging me and supporting me - those of you reading this - thank you! I am honored and appreciate your support.

To date, I have lost 85 pounds and I've lost the following inches since I first took my measurements on March 16, 2015:

Arm: 3.0

Bust: 6.5

Waist: 3.5

Hips: 4.0

Thigh: 4.5

Neck: 1.5

I have also gained a lot of strength, endurance, confidence and new, smaller clothes. :) 

(L) November 2014 and (R)November 2015. My race shirt is an XL and the one on the left is a 4x. 

(L) Thanksgiving 2014 and (R) 2015

As I've said before, thank you for your support and encouragement over the last year. It is appreciated more than you'll know!

Transformation Tuesday

Over the last couple of weeks, about once/twice a week, I have been changing clothes and going for a walk downtown before going to pick up Monster. I have mapped it out from a couple of blocks to 2.5 miles as of today. I was able to walk that in 45 minutes today, and that included dropping off and picking up some signs that I used for a conference I was in charge of last week. 

I was in a really cranky mood all day - just blah. Everything was getting on my nerves, I was tired, moody and just wanted to eat. As soon as I changed into my workout clothes, sneakers and put in my headphones my mood started to lift. Within about three blocks, the sunshine and moving my body, my mood started to lift. As I was walking, I started to think about the last year and how far I have come in my fitness. Some folks would think 2.5 miles is nothing, but I would have never been able to walk that a year ago. I've lost 87 pounds to date and I exercise at least six hours a week, most weeks more than that. Last week, I logged over 50 miles for the week! I am so proud of myself for the work I've put in. 

I'm really starting to notice the changes in my body too. 

I need to take my measurements this weekend. I'm hopeful that the scale has moved a little bit down since I didn't lose anything last week, but my eating has been terrible so I'm not holding my breath. But, tomorrow is another day...I will make better decisions than I did today. And, that in itself is a transformation from the past. 

Until next time,

- Lisa 

I Ran...

Well...that's not entirely true - I jogged. I jogged for a total of eight minutes. And, for those of you watching at home -- that is the longest I've ever jogged in my life. A year ago, I was lucky to have been able to job for 10 seconds and last night I started the Couch to 5k Training. If you aren't familiar, it's a program that helps you by breaking up a thirty minute walk/jog/run. I did a short warm up and then alternated between walking for 1:30 and jogging for 1 minute. I had Monster with me and honestly, the little turkey held me back a little. I'm hoping that he was just tired from his lingering cough and it being after a full-day of school. When I jogged that first minute, I questioned what in the world I was doing. My brain kept telling me to stop and that there was no way I was going to be able to finish even day one. After the second, one minute, Monster was next to me and said "Hey, Mom - you're jogging. You lied to me; you said you'd never be able to jog and you're doing it!" I sort of laughed and said "I know, bud. I'm sorry I lied, but I never thought I'd be able to do it." At that point, I knew I HAD to finish it. I had to do it for myself...and, because I have this little guy watching me. He's starting to really notice that I'm losing weight and I'm doing things that I never thought I'd be able to do. 

Needless to say, it was not easy for me. I need to learn how to breath while jogging, but I finished it - I jogged every single minute the app told me to. Additionally, we walked to and from the park near our house. It is almost a mile, round trip. When I walked it a couple of years ago, just to and from and sat at the park, it was a huge endeavor for me. I never realized how hard it was until I walked it last night -- with no issue. Plus, I walked and jogged for about two miles while at the park. Last night, I had a huge sense of accomplishment. 

Today, I have some pretty sore legs, but my sense of accomplishment is spilling over to today. I'm nervous about doing day two, but I'm ready for it. 

Tonight, I have my Muscle Definition class and Aqua Zumba. I'm thinking about adding the 20 minute Stretch & Core class between the two - I could use a little help stretching. 

As always, thanks for reading!

Ramblings About Our Weekend...

If you follow me on Twitter (@LisainLouKY) you know my Monster man was sick this weekend. He missed Wednesday - Friday of school; they were on fall break Monday and Tuesday. As a result, I missed my Friday night and Saturday morning workouts at the gym. I should have put on a DVD or something and moved at home, but I used his sickness as an excuse to hang out on the couch. On Sunday, my body was stiff and sore and I couldn't wait to hit my Aqua Fitness class. Monster usually hangs out with his Grammy on Sunday's while I work out but she called with bad news that her cat was dying. She's been sick for a long time, so we didn't want Monster there. Exercise plans foiled again. 

However, it was a beautiful weekend here in Kentucky -- beautiful fall weather. So, I decided that Monster and I would pack up and head out to the Parklands for a picnic and a walk. The Parklands is beautiful and a great place to get in some exercise and gorgeous scenery. We looked at our options for hiking and decided to just take out and start walking on the Louisville Loop - my goal was to walk about three - four miles. We ended up on the Black Willow Trail (according the Parklands website it is 1.67 miles). It was a great walk - it curved around through the woods and near the creek. Monster was not too happy as we came around the back stretch - he was tired but he powered through and we finished. All in all, we walked a little over three miles. I wanted to walk a lap around the Egg Lawn Trail (0.70 miles) but Monster was D.O.N.E. I'm going to go back this weekend, I hope, for a solo trip. 

The most amazing part to me was that I finished it. I walked it all and could still go for more. One of the last times I walked there I could barely make it around the Egg Lawn Trail. I'm constantly amazed at how much different my life is now -- I'm getting healthy. I crave exercise. I enjoy exercise. If you've never been morbidly obese you won't understand the feeling of accomplishment that I have right now. 

Given the fact that I was able to walk the three miles pretty easily this weekend I am going to sign up for my first 5k. The Annual YMCA Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving. One of my goals was to be able to walk in a 5k by the end of the year and I think this will be the perfect way to start my Thanksgiving Day. I have many things to be thankful for this year - taking control of my health is near the top. I plan to try to run some, if not all, of the 5k. I've downloaded the Couch to 5k app and plan to start training this week. If you're in the Louisville area and would like to join me in the Turkey Trot, let me know! I'd love to have a buddy with me. 

Thanks for reading! 

What I'm learning...

I would apologize for no update in about a week, but I don't want to feel obligated to post every day. I want this to be a space for me to talk through things, share my life, solicit help and/or support, and to share my story. 

In the last week, I've exercised every day except Sunday. Tuesday I am counting my hour of cutting the grass as a workout. 

Yesterday was my best day so far. I needed to snap a couple of photos of the bridge construction for a marketing piece I was doing for an upcoming conference. So, a co-worker and I walked the Big Four Bridge so I could take the photos. It was a beautiful day and a perfect way to add a little exercise to my day. Round trip, including the ramps on either side, it is a two-mile walk.

View from the Big Four Bridge of the construction. 

Big Four Bridge 

In addition to our walk, Wednesdays are my Muscle Definition and Aqua Zumba classes. I was able to up my weights during my MD class - I used 10 pound barbells and a 15 pound body bar. Since starting this class about a month ago, I've gone from using a 3 or 5 pound weights to 10. I also realized last night that some of the moves in Zumba that I couldn't do or had to modify at the beginning, I can do now. And, during a kicking session, I realized I could touch my toes! If I haven't said it before, I absolutely adore my Zumba instructor - she pushes me and encourages me. Yesterday ended with over 20,518 steps which equals to 9.34 miles. 

I'm learning that I can:

• push myself more than I think;
• moving my body is loads better than feeding it garbage; 
• this is a daily process and struggle;
• some days are better than others but I'm not giving up;
• lean in on friends when I need support

Most of all - this is for me. And for the first time in a long time, I'm feeling good about me. 

Transformation Tuesday

As I’ve said before, I’ve been really working out and eating right since late December of last year. I’ve noticed a lot of changes in body: my confidence is a smidge better (still not great), my anxiety is better (thanks to exercise and my meds), I’ve lost 77 pounds, my energy levels are better, my body is smaller, and I am stronger – mentally and physically.

I don’t always notice the changes in my body in the mirror. I am more self-conscious with my clothes and showing off parts of my body. Despite getting more of definition in my waist, and wearing smaller clothes. When I really notice the changes are when I take photos. I really look at them now – I’m proud of the hard work I’ve put in. I can see the results of working out. I really noticed it this weekend after having a photo taken of Monster and me   – for once he is in front of me and mostly blocks my body. Do you know that has NEVER been the case? So, I went searching through pictures and I knew we had one of a similar pose earlier this year – it was Easter of this year. I’m pretty proud of my progress.

These are the things that help me push myself. When I want to give up and go lie on the couch and eat garbage I know I can’t – I’ve got a little boy watching my every move. He sees the results of eating well and exercising. We talk about proper nutrition and how good exercise is for our bodies. He has noticed the changes in my body as well. It’s still a long road ahead, but I’m also pretty pleased so far.

What changes have you made in your life? 

Monday Monday

Monster had a sleepover Saturday night and they had breakfast, played WiiU games and with all his Nerf guns, etc. on Sunday morning. After they got cleaned up I took them to Sky Zone to use up a Groupon I had bought a while back. It is an old warehouse that has been converted to an trampoline park. The boys had so much fun and it was a great way for them to burn off some excess energy for an hour. The place was really cool - lots of options, too. After Sky Zone, we were all hungry so I grabbed a pizza and bread sticks from Little Ceasars -- not the healthiest decision. I did, however, go for my Sunday workout while Monster hung out with his grandma. It's an hour and half water aerobics class - I really didn't want to go - I had a terrible headache. But, I went and pushed myself - I felt amazing through the workout. It was a really good feeling. Dinner was more pizza and bread sticks. :/ 

After dropping Monster off this morning I had to get gas and I was so hungry so I grabbed a ham, egg white and cheese flat bread at Subway. Lunch was a salad topped with half an avocado, cheese, homemade salsa, and a Morning Star Chipolte Black Bean Burger. I am truly addicted to these burgers! They are so good! I'm constantly looking at ways to up my protein in low-cal ways and those fit the bill. 

Tonight, I have my Aqua Zumba class and will follow it up with a healthy dinner. We're going to have turkey sausage and veggies. I need to come up with a menu plan and grocery shop too. Any good suggestions? 

Catching up...

Well, it's been a few days since I've rambled on here...it has been a busy week.

My eating has been terrible this week and my exercise has been sporadic, at best. I did my muscle definition and Aqua Zumba classes on Wednesday. Before I even got home Wednesday night, I was already sore. Thursday's I used to do a Hydro Boot Camp class - I've missed it for months now. I don't know why either, I enjoyed it. Time to buckle back down. So, Thursday I did nothing. Friday I only did one class because I had an event that morning. It was a good class but I was still so sore from Wednesday. 

After my workout, Monster and I met my old friend, Sam for dinner. I've known Sam for about ten years, but life got in the way. It was good to see him and catch up.

Last night I had to take some Aleve at bedtime because I was still so sore. I forgot to set my alarm for my workout this morning so no exercise again today.

Monster and I did go to a wedding today though. To be very honest, it was tough - for a lot of reasons. Mainly because there is a lot of tension in some of those family members and it was a big reminder of what used to be. We stayed for a while, but cut out earlier than everyone else. I got a few really nice comments about my weight loss. And, of course  everyone thought my Monster was so adorable!

Tomorrow is Sunday and sore or not, I'm back in the gym and will be cleaning up my eating. Going to try to meal plan for the week.

Ok, gotta get back to watching my CATS! #BBN

I'm allergic...

to EVERYTHING! 

Yesterday I spent almost four hours at the allergist having allergy testing done. It was not exactly how I wanted to spend my afternoon, but I've had chronic sinus infections for well over a year now. Meaning about every six weeks I am miserable, try to combat it, end up really sick and in the doctor's office. These doctors office trips result in prescriptions for antibiotics or steroids - or, both. It is miserable! Since I started exercising regularly and watching my calories the infections have been a little less frequent but this last one set me back with three doctors appointments, two rounds of antibiotics, a steroid, and a referral to the allergist. Despite having taken all the medication, I am still not better. 

The doctor did my intake/history and they set me up for the testing. If you've never had to experience the scratches, injections, pokes - consider yourself lucky. I sat in a room with my back itching terribly for what seemed like forever. After it was all over the doctor came in and asked me if I ever considered moving out of the Ohio Valley (allergy central) and that I was a huge mess (in more ways than one but that's another story for another day!). He went over everything they tested me for and where I scored - I think it would have been easier for him to just tell me what I wasn't allergic to. 

My allergies include: 

• cat
• cockroach
• dog
• dust mites
• feathers 
• common grasses
• horse
• common molds
• tobacco
• common trees 
• common weeds 
• shellfish
• tree nuts 

Which means pretty much everything that surrounds me. I work in a very old building and I'm sure there is mold, dust and there are cockroaches in the basement the size of small puppies - what's great is they are usually dead thanks to the pest control people, but I'm also allergic to the bug spray. I left the office armed with several new prescriptions, a new Epi pen, an inhaler, instructions to see if my insurance will cover allergy shots and a follow-up appointment. 

I also left with a throbbing headache and overall feeling of ickiness. He said the headache would be normal. So I skipped my normal workout and hit the couch for the evening. My eating was not great yesterday but, I won't go back to the old days of waiting until Monday to start over. I've started over this morning...this is a daily struggle and daily choices. I hope that every day my struggles get a little easier and I don't battle the cravings of poor eating habits. 

Today, I'm spending my lunch break going to the gym.

Until next time...

What a weekend!

My eating has not been great since Friday. I had an off-site event that I was in charge of and instead of packing my lunch, a co-worker and I went to Beef O'Brady's for lunch. I had a bacon cheeseburger and fries. It was so good, but it put me on a tailspin of poor eating choices for the rest of the weekend. I was unable to make it to my aerobics class on Friday night because of my event, overslept on Saturday morning and just chose to do other things instead of exercising. I need to start being OK with doing things other than my classes - I need to just get out of my own head and do something every day. 

Saturday was a blast though. I went to my first ever University of KY football game and tailgating. If you follow me on Twitter and/or Instagram (@LisainLouKY) you'll know that we had a lot of fun. I met some Twitter friends for the first time in real life. They all were so awesome and so welcoming. We drank, ate, and most of all laughed. It was so good to be surrounded by new friends and I felt totally at ease with all of them. If you are reading this - THANK YOU! :) My food choices were not great on Saturday either and let's face it - the drinks were many. We even made up a new hashtag #TailgateTipsy. But, I feel like as long as I get back on track, one afternoon of tailgate foods and drinks won't hurt too bad. Despite my Cats losing, it was a blast. I'll definitely be back for more.

My game day selfie! 

A picture of Commonwealth Stadium -- so pretty! 

Sunday was a time of recouping from the lack of sleep, alcohol, and my voice. I slept in a little, ate breakfast and lounged on the couch all day. Until it was time to go to my aerobics class - I did a 90 minute class and I am sore today. I also went to the grocery and got veggies and stuff for lunches/dinners this week. My food choices were a lot more in line with my norm. 

Today is back to the grind! 

Have a great Monday!

What you don't see when you just look at me...

We've all judged someone based on their appearance. Whether it be the clothes they chose to wear, hair style, tattoos, body shape, etc. I think it is a natural thing to do, but when you audibly (or on social media) judge someone merely on their appearance - you have no idea what that person has going on in their life. 

A while back while in a gas station grabbing a drink and filling the gas can to go home and cut my grass, after I had just done two hours of water aerobics, a guy thought I was in his way (I guess) and called me a "lard ass". At first, I was mortified and embarrassed. Then after a minute, I was so mad that I got into my car and cried. 

I cried thinking that no matter how hard I work, no one can see at first look that:

• I spend six-eight hours a week doing cardio. 
• I maintain my calorie goal most every single day. 
• Each day I try to make better decisions regarding my health. 
• All of my numbers from my annual physical came back dang near perfect. 
• You can't see that since I first measured on 3/16 I've lost: 
• Arm = 1.5"
• Bust = 4.5"
• Waist = 2.5"
• Hips = 2.5"
• Thigh = 3.0"
• Neck = 1.5"

I've thought about this a lot when I judge someone else, based on appearance. I'm working on just smiling and going on about my business. I know how it feels to be judged on my appearance. I also know how hard I'm working and for once - I am doing this for me. For MY health - not anyone else. 

Just something to think about and something I'm working on too... 

Make today a good day! 

Blessings,

-lisa 

How did I get here...?

About two years ago, my world fell apart. Everything I thought to be true and what I always wanted crumbled in around my feet. I had life-altering decisions to make. Some were made for me. I won't go into all the details here for numerous reasons -- mainly, privacy. But, I was forced into a whole new chapter of life. One I had never been into before. I am not going to lie, it has been hard. Harder than I ever thought it would be - some days are better than others. I'm starting to have more good days than bad.

Overall, I can look back over the last two years and see that I am stronger, and happier than I was then. Do I ever wish I could go back? Absolutely. But, not to those dark, ugly times. My happiness is too important now and there was a lot of turmoil and bad days leading up to the last brick that fell in to cause my world to crumble. But, I chose to not reuse some of those bricks to rebuild my life. I chose some new ones - quite a few new ones. 

I feel like I've been on some sort of diet or "going to start on Monday" plan all of my life. I've always been bigger. The bigger friend, etc. Slowly, about a year and a half ago, I started making better decisions. I was always a binge eater. Someone who ate their feelings: happy, sad, anxious, bored, depressed...whatever, food was involved. You ever notice how that happens? We rarely celebrate without food -- good or bad. I would wake up in the morning and think about what I was going to eat for the rest of the day. $5.00 left in my checking account - what sort of crappy junk food could that buy me? It was a terrible cycle I was on - I hated to see myself in the mirror or in pictures. I couldn't count how many times someone told me "you have a beautiful face". Ugh. Please, for the love, NEVER think that is a compliment. Regardless if you think you're being kind - we hear, your face is pretty but the rest of you needs work. Anyhow, I started eating one plate/serving of something. If I opened a bag of chips, I got out a serving size, closed the bag, put it away and left it there. Same goes with most everything else I ate - I never took the container to the sofa with me. That only ended with me having a stomach ache, empty package and a lot of guilt. I knew that I had a little boy who was watching me. He would pick up on my cues regarding food (and, everything else!). I started logging everything I ate into the app My Fitness Pal and you know what happened? Pounds starting falling off. I started feeling better - physically and mentally. I wasn't letting food rule my thoughts. I started looking to food more as a fuel than a "reward" or a crutch. I'm not going to say I still don't struggle with emotional eating and/or cravings, but I don't give into them as much. If I do, I don't let it sabotage the rest of my day. 

I also went through several months of therapy: cognitive therapy to be exact. It was also life changing and I don't say that to sound cliche. It truly was -- it helped me work through the things going on in my life. How to address things that were happening to me and how to respond to those things. I will forever be grateful for those months of therapy and the fantastic therapist who helped me get through the really hard days. A few months ago, I surrendered to taking medicine for my anxiety and I can't express how much that has changed my life too. I still have episodes of anxiety or dark days, but they are few and far between. If you struggle with these things, please talk to your doctor and don't think of it as being weak to take the medicine. It helps! 

Last December, I bit the bullet and joined the YMCA, despite it not really being in my budget at the time. Somehow, God has provided for us and I never noticed the money being an issue. I started slowly taking a few water aerobics classes because I have a bad knee and let's face it -- I really hated to exercise and sweat. I started adding more classes to my week and now my norm is to exercise six days a week for at least an hour - some days anywhere from and hour and a half to two hours. It has made such a huge difference in my life. I have discovered a love of exercise. I notice that I'm not so winded walking up stairs. I choose to take the stairs (down mostly thanks to my bum knee) but, I am stronger. I have a rather large yard to cut - about three miles of walking - and at the beginning of the summer it was a struggle to get it done. Now, just a couple of months later, I cut it with no issue at all. It really makes me happy to see those small non-scale victories. I've recently added in a muscle definition class and I really enjoy it. I need to add in more weight lifting/strength training to my schedule. 

Lots of things have happened in my 37 years, but that's a brief (OK, maybe not so brief) introduction into how I got here...more to come later. 

To show the progress that I've made: 

The left was around my all-time heaviest weight -- the right was just a few days ago. The changes are not only physical though - my mental strength is better. Fueling your body with better choices in foods (most of the time), exercise, and taking care of yourself is life-changing. 


Thanks for reading! 

Have a blessed day, 
-lisa

Welcome to my world

Welcome to my first blog post for my new blog. This is going to be a place for me to journal about my life. 

Some random things about me: 

- I am a single Mom to my Monster - who is not my biological child, but he is my heart. 
- I am currently on a journey to lose about 175 pounds; I'm 76 pounds in as of today.
- I have fallen in love with exercise - mainly water aerobics and I just started taking a muscle definition class. Don't be so quick to judge the water aerobics as your grandma's class - these are fast-paced, awesome workouts. My most favorite it my Aqua Zumba - it doesn't help that I adore the instructor. 
- I am going through a divorce.
- I am learning a lot about myself and who I want to be.
- I am a Christian and I am learning what it means to follow Christ. I am no where close to a perfect Christian (news flash - there is no such thing!)
- I love social media - mainly Twitter and Instagram. I have Facebook, but it's mainly to keep up with my extended family. 
- I am a terrible writer, but need an outlet for both my thoughts and a journal of my weight loss progress. 
- I love my KY Wildcats. #BBN 
- I love fall - the clothes, the smells, the cool, crisp air. It is my all-time favorite season. 
- I struggle with depression and anxiety; mainly social anxiety. I hate small talk/networking events.
- I tend to wear my heart on my sleeve and can be way too emotional. 

Thanks for reading my first post. If you'd like to connect, share some things about you in the comments section. 

Have a blessed day! 
--lisa