Introduce Yourself . . . Right On!

My name is Heather, yah, and I am proud, yah, that's why I yell, yah, so very loud-ALL RIGHT! (High school football games, anyone? anyone?)

It's been almost 20 years since High school for me. Crazy. Anyway, so I am 36 years old. I have four kids, 9, 7, 4, & 18 months. My husband is a professor of Musical Theatre at UNC, that's how we turned up in Greeley. I have been learning about and implementing healthy habits in my life since I was in jr. high when my older sister and I would do aerobics in the basement to some lovely ladies dressed in magenta spandex, sweatbands, and leg warmers.
My mom always strived to exercise and eat healthy, so I often started keeping track of points or eating health muffins for breakfast when she was doing a more regimented program. Anyway, she taught me about calories and fat grams and serving sizes. She gave me an awesome example of meal planning and having healthy choices around, but never too extreme. We still had treats for special occasions and holidays. She's an awesome baker; she taught me her stuff.

Even with all that knowledge and support and building of healthy habits I have never been ultra svelte. It's just not in the genes, so I have learned to work with what I have. During college and my full-time mission my body changed & I was officially overweight, not just a little chubby. This was most likely due to stress, and sleep deprivation, so I had to really figure out how to take care of my adult self. I did okay once I got home. Regular exercise, portion control. Then we started with the pregnancy, child birth, nursing, stages. I am happy to say I have gone up and down with all of these phases in a healthy way. But I have to work at it, all the time! I don't mind, most of the time. Of course there are periods I get sick of it. I ebb and flow in my enthusiasm for certain aspects of maintaining my health. But I always come back around to some form of commitment, because really, what's the alternative? Being sick, overweight, unhealthy & unhappy? No thanks!

I became a runner after my son Cole (now 7) was about 8 months old. I definitely got hooked and have run 5 marathons and lots of other half marathons and races since then. I really do love running! It teaches me a lot about life and myself. I also love helping other people become runners. So if you're up for it, let's find a race and start training.

I also do other stuff for crosstraining. Right now I do the Insanity workouts 3x a week. It makes me want to barf sometimes, but it's good and I'm getting some definition in my arms & even my abs-Woot woot! Raise the roof!

A couple weeks ago I achieved my pre-pregnancy weight from this last baby. Hooray! Just the other day at church another mom commented to another mom as I walked by, "Look at her! She's so thin even though she's had four kids. It's not fair! Look at me; I've only had one and I could never look like her." (For those of you who may not know me I don't want you to mistakenly have a view of some supermodel while reading this story. I am very normal & could stand to lose a few more pounds!). But I share this because it reminds me of a couple things. I replied, "Thank you! Don't be mistaken though, it doesn't come easy. I've been working hard all year."And that's just it. We can mistakenly think that some people are going to look good and be healthy because they're lucky. But it's just not true. We're all different, with genes and family history and our own special set of circumstances that are unique. But we all have to decide what we want and then work hard at it. Good health is worth having, with all of its intrinsic benefits (and looking good, right Sariah?!), but part of what is great about it, is what you learn and how you live as you strive for it.

So friends, Thank you for joining me in this challenge. Let's get this party started! I have a goal to lose 10 more pounds. I've got some skinny jeans my sister gave me that I want to try out.