And the journey begins...well continues.

Finally...my first blog!  I've been wanting to write a blog for a long time and now I have a reason to do it. SO here's my story...In the summer of 2010 I hit low point in my life in more ways then one.  My weight had sky rocketed to 208 pounds, a size 18 (barely) and an XL/XXL top (yes I will be truthful on this blog, no sugarcoating)!  I was tired of feeling awful about my body, especially since I lived in FL where women walk around in little bikini's and short shorts.  I was also so tired of cropping photos of myself because I wanted to hide my "fat arm or  tummy roll"!  And Food...oh yummy food...My diet was out of control, just eating whatever I wanted cause it tasted good.

In July 2010 I joined a local gym and started doing yoga and walking on the treadmill.  This was not an easy task at first but over time it got a little better.  ***Thank you big brother for buying me awesome Nike + shoes and teaching me about Nike +...that was one of the first ways I tracked my progress and set some goals.  SO, the weight slowly started melting off and then so did the inches.  I was doing yoga 3-4 times a week and nothing kept me from getting to my classes.  So after 2 month I only lost about 8-10 pounds...it was frustrating I had some results but still couldn't manage to RUN for more than 1-2 minutes without feeling like a was a pack a day smoker.

Then the unthinkable hit my family.  My grandmother suffered a heart attack then suddenly passed away from heart disease.  This left my life in a bit of a downward spiral for a while but for the most part gave me a giant KICK IN THE BUTT.  Heart Disease is NO JOKE!  After the numbness of my grief started to wear off and I got back to work I also dragged my behind back to the gym and started my yoga again...OH MY did I love yoga!  It truely did help to heal my heart as well as help me get back into my workout routines.  And a word of advice to anyone who thinks they can't do yoga or thinks it won't work...give it a try...and find a yoga teacher you connect with.  I have been twice blessed with amazing yoga teachers who I consider to have been placed in my life at a much needed time.

Ok fast forward a bit cause I talk too much...So I cut out all soda, fried foods, etc from my diet....Oh did I mention I have Food Allergies!!! So I already have food restrictions...this helps my diet cause I literally CANNOT eat things some people love and have a weakness for!  Finally some more progress made and I was down about 20 pounds! Ohhh Yeah!  Hello old jeans in the back of my closet.

Fast forward to early 2011, I moved to VA and now live with my brother...Mr. Healthy and Mr. I Run Half Marathons!  So, I joined the largest most amazing gym ever...Lifetime Fitness.  I have 2 giant indoor pools, spas, steam rooms, every fitness machine known to man and amazing trainers and group fitness classes everyday all day!

I also now eat organic and natural foods.  If it didn't come from the dirt or have a mother I don't eat it! (No processed foods) Only fresh or frozen fresh foods, all natural/organic.  There is NO DAIRY in my life as I am allergic and in case you didn't know Dairy is not good for your digestive system after you are a child!

Okay so Fast Forward to present day...WHY AM I HERE (can't believe your still reading)...
So currently I have lost 51 pounds since I began this journey about a year and a half ago.  And I've been stuck at the same weight now for a few months with little change SO...I signed up for a 90 Day Challenge at my gym Lifetime Fitness. It begins Sunday February 5th at 12:30pm for me as I step on the scale to officially weigh in and get a fitness assessment, my first one since July 2011.  I am excited to see how far I've come since then but also anxious to see how much work I need to do to get healthier.  But overall I am just EXCITED!  Excited to finally reach my goal weight by the summer time...AND FIT INTO A LITTLE PURPLE BIKINI!

So stay tuned as I blog about various things through out my journey : )

**A special thanks to Sarah O for helping me out with the blog ideas and for being my "Cardio Princess" inspiration and making a goal to take on the Warrior Dash in May with me!  Check out her blog at: http://cardioprincess.com/