New Blog?!

Hey guys!!

I haven't forgotten about you .. Though I did forget to share some news with you! 

Remember a couple of blog posts back, I mentioned wanting to shift the focus from "healthy foodies to lose booties" to "happy healthy living"? 

I did it! I made my new blog. 

There I share my real struggles with my healthy living journey and, of course, my successes and high points! 

Check out www.healthyhappylauras.blogspot.com for all my new posts! 

That Thing About Blogging ..!

Ever since the ripe old age of seven years old, I've loved to write. I would write mostly my own original stories (about my family or my hamsters - really enticing stuff - ha!) but I can also recall spending HoUrS designing my own Goosebumps cover art and putting together a scary story. I loved getting lost in the new little world I was creating with my pencil and paper. 

I had a diary, too, but I didn't really get into it much until I was a bit older, maybe around eleven or twelve. And I wrote in my journal every single day. I loved it. I felt like it was that one best friend I could pour my heart into without judgement. 

I fell away from journaling when I got hooked into the cyber world .. And it wasn't until my friend Christina introduced me to the world of blogging that I'd start up again. And this time, I was happy to share my story with everyone. 

The thing about journaling / blogging is that it can be quite addictive! I'd start blogs about different parts of my life - one for my fitness journey, one for my family's adventures, one about thankfulness .. It got to be a bit overwhelming, so I brought myself back to just focus on the one (this one!). 

This blog focuses on my healthy living journey. Weight loss. Recipes. Races. Struggles. I do want to change it up - Healthy Foodies, Losing Booties was the focus when I started it up. I'm not just about eating healthy to lose weight anymore. I'm about living healthy, being fit, and being happy. I'm learning about myself and setting goals and going through some scary but incredible changes. I want my main blog to reflect those things. I want my main blog to be my healthy and happy living journal. I've mentioned maybe beginning a new blog in the past .. I feel like the time is right to get moving on that. 

Today I was browsing through some of those other blogs of mine (side note: getting inspired again to keep writing!) and I came across this. 

My original "before" picture. The one I thought was lost with my phone that was stolen. The one that started it all. 292lbs.

I just wanted to share that with you.

I'm hope you have a great day .. And remember .. When you feel inspired to do something? Do it! Don't let little opportunities slip by!

Sweat Pink Summer Fit Gear Exchange!

As you all know, I'm an ambassador for Sweat Pink (Fit Approach!), a community of amazing women who live and lead healthy lives and encourage others to do the same. This month, I had the pleasure of participating in the very first (Canadian!) Sweat Pink Summer Fit Gear Exchange. A bunch of fellow Canadian ambassadors got together to be paired up with one another and to send each other care packages of Fit Gear! For details about how this worked, check out http://runningmamajourney.com/2015/06/03/summer-fit-gear-exchange-gearswap/ 

I sent a package to Krista, a runner and yoga lover! I had so much fun shopping for her! She has a wonderful blog, check it out! https://behindthewhitefence.wordpress.com/

I received a package from Anna at Piper's Run (http://pipersrun.com/) and it was amazing. She put so much thought into it! 

I received a bunch of salt water taffy (she saw how much I love that stuff!), a yoga hand towel, hair elastics, a gift card from Starbucks (Americanos, here I come!), 3 Vega snack bars and 2 packs of Vega hydrate mix. My most favorite part of the package she sent me is this notebook:

She filled it with lots of motivational quotes and quips, like this one ..

And recipes!

I love what I got and I love the friendships I've made from this exchange! We plan to do another one later on .. If you'd be interested in participating, let me know! :)

A HUGE special thanks to Brittany at 

http://www.runningmamajourney.com/ for organizing our first exchange. It's an honor to call you my Sweat Pink Sister! And thank you to Krista and Anna for making this exchange so memorable! :)

Change

I'm someone who is verrrry much a creature of habit. I like my comfort zones. Moving outside of my comfort zone is a terrifying concept. Change freaks me out.

However ..

Change can be a good thing. Doing things outside of my comfort zone has brought some truly amazing things into my life. Zumba! Yoga! Making new friends, with old friends!

Am I happy in my life? Sure! I've got so much to be grateful for. Our family has come a long way from where we used to be. We moved out (escaped!) of the old apartment and now live in a truly fantastic neighborhood with a wonderful community. I left a job that I felt stuck in and was so miserable working. 

Change is good.

I'm happy, but not as happy as I know I could be. I've got a lot of stuff to work on. I want to work my dream job, something I will love and be proud of. I want to make a few more dollars every week to have those little extras with my family, instead of just getting by on a tight budget. I want more for myself and my family.

Well, nothing changes if I don't change, right? 

I've got a lot of hopes and dreams that I want to make a reality. I want to be a yoga instructor and a Zumba instructor. I want to work with kids to help them understand why leading a healthy, active life is so important. I want to write. I want to dance. I want to learn about nutrition. I want to work one on one with people and use my story to help them with their fitness journey. 

The idea of going to school / taking courses freaks me out. The financial strain it'll undoubtedly place on our household makes me physically ill to think about. The time commitment. The struggle to find balance between work / family / schoolwork. The CHANGE. 

But .. 

I'm not going to make my dreams come true by wishing them to reality. I need to overcome my fears in order to better myself and to accomplish my goals. 

I'm currently researching the best way to take my first step. Zumba verification? Yoga training? Head right into a 2-year college degree? 

It's scary. But necessary. 

Gulp. 

Update!

Hey friends!!

I was in shock when I opened my blogger app - has it really been that long since I last posted?! Eeeep! 

Things have been going super great over here. My focus has shifted off the numbers on the scale and it's been terrific - such a freeing experience, to just do activities I love and eating healthy foods that I love (while still tracking!) without the worry of the next day's weigh-in. I only weigh myself once a week now, and things are going great there. I'm sitting happy with about 117 lbs lost :)

I've focused more now on clean(er) eating. I eat few processed foods. I've really reduced sugar consumption (I take one teaspoon of sugar in my coffee, and other than that I only have sugar in the odd treat .. Like salt water taffy!) 

I try to focus my food intake to lean proteins, fruits, vegetables and healthy carbs like quinoa and sweet potatoes. I do love my protein pancake breakfasts, though .. Hehehe. Things are going well on the food front. I find myself wanting to eat bad things after my long shifts at work on the weekends, but that's just a matter of breaking old, bad habits I had developed over the years. It isn't easy, but it's worth it. I wake up the next day without guilt. 

Exercise is going fantastic!! I've really honed in on my schedule and I'm loving it. I'm only making room for activities I love. Zumba, yoga, long walks, the occasional weight-lifting and running are my go-to's. I've also recommitted myself to PiYO - I gave up on the program last year when I was still suuuuuuper struggling with my weight loss and fitness level, and now, I'm determined to prove to myself that I CAN and I WILL finish it. I've been doing PiYO five days per week for the past three weeks and already see a huge difference in my body as well as my physical fitness, which is amazing. Derek's been doing it with me too, and he already has abs!! 

We PR'd at our 5K run for Ottawa Race Weekend! I finished with 33:46 as my final time. I cried in the food court afterwards when I saw that. What an incredible feeling. My last PR had been around the 46-minute mark .. Two years and many pounds ago. 

So that's my super-quick, mashed together update. I'm really going to try to write more often! :)

Goals!

Mannnnnnny people have asked me if I'm close to my goal weight and what happens after I hit it.

First: yeah, I'm close to my goal weight. But I'm really not focused on that anymore. Once I hit my 100lb weight loss goal, it hit me HARD that the chase isn't about a number on the scale. I'm working this for life. 

Every day, I will make healthy, properly portioned meal choices. I will eat as little sugar as possible. I will eat as clean as possible. I'll exercise every single day (active rest days!). 

This is for the rest of my life, not just until I see that "magical" goal number on the scale! I want to make those healthy choices every day because it makes me feel my best physically and mentally. I feel incredible when I'm taking proper care of myself! And THAT is what the chase is! Not a number - the feeling! 

(And I'm kind of addicted to setting PR's. And I can't set a lifting PR or a running one by stuffing my face with pizza and not training).

So that's my answer to those questions. Yup, I'm close to that number. But it's jut that - a number. And once I see it, I just keep going! I'm eating healthy foods that I love and that fuel my body, and exercising in ways that I enjoy!

And I'm waking up and going to bed with a smile! :)

That being said .. 

Can I tell you a secret? One of my biggest dreams (since I was a little girl!!) is to be a dancer (hugest dream: a back up dancer for Katy Perry .. But I digress). I grew up watching Full House and always admired Stephanie Tanner. I wanted to BE her - she looked so friggin cool dancing!!

My parents weren't able to put me in dancing classes and I was overweight as a child and very out of shape and had zero confidence so that dream kind of got buried deep down in my heart.

Well I'm all about doing what makes me smile. And dancing makes me smile. So it's time to work on that dream!

I found a place near my home that offers beginners hip hop classes for adults over 30!!! I'm going to be registered to start in September with a great friend of mine and I cannot wait!! The classes run for 14 weeks and then .. I'll get my Stephanie Tanner moment: I'll get to perform in a show!! 

I'm so excited. Making that lifelong dream come true is going to feel a million times better than any number on a scale would!! :) 

Have a great day everyone .. And remember that it's never too late to follow your dreams! 

Hot Yoga

I've been putting it off for months. 

And last night, it happened.

Hot yoga.

Instead of dreading it like I had been the entire time, I went in with an open mind. My body was still quite sore from an amazing kettlebell class I'd taken Saturday and felt like it could use the stretch and heat that hot yoga would give. I was also battling a mild (yet annoying!!) head cold so I felt sweating it out would be helpful. So I went into the class with a positive attitude ..

And I walked into the room. Oh my word, it was HOT. I was instantly sweating and verrrrrry apprehensive ..

And then the class started.

I fell completely in love.

The heat allowed my body to stretch deeper and relax more. I was able to close my eyes and just flow. The instructor was incredible. The class was amazing.

I left feeling completely new. My mind and body were at peace. I was completely happy and so relaxed.

It was just what I needed! It was exactly the yoga that my heart, body and soul were craving for the longest time. 

I'm SO happy I finally took this class. It's definitely going to be incorporated into my weekly workout schedule! 

It served as a great reminder: stop letting FEAR get the best of you. If you don't get out there and try new things, you could be robbing yourself of something you could truly love! 

So get out there and face your fears!