For Those Ready For a Change

Welcome new readers! I wanted to write a post introducing myself a little bit. I’ve been seeing some new readers/commenters lately, and also the Glamour.com article!

I think that the change of seasons might have something to do with that, too. School is starting, Fall is approaching, it’s a reflective time. One of the reasons I love the Fall is the time for reflection and renewal. I’ve always associated Autumn as a time of transformation. Just like New Year’s Resolution making in January, September is a good time to make some positive changes.

My name is Lisa. I’m originally from Seattle and I live in Portland, Oregon. Portland is a great city to live in if you love the outdoors. There’s amazing hiking nearby, Portland is famous for being a cycling-friendly city, and there’s definitely a “healthy living” culture here.

I live with my boyfriend, Michael. I write about the adventures we go on a lot. Michael is my go-to biking expert. He sometimes writes guest posts about cycling. I have two kitties, Maya and Fat Kitty (not his real name):

I wasn’t always into healthy living. I used to weigh over 250+ pounds. If you want to catch up on my story, you can read about how I gained the weight, what inspired me to lose the weight, and how I DID lose the weight.

Losing the weight transformed me in amazing ways. I started running. I grew to love biking. I found that I loved challenging myself in ways I never thought I would. The rewards of losing 100 pounds were plenty: I started writing this blog and met amazing people; I was on the cover of a magazine; my story was picked up by Yahoo! and I’m currently writing my memoirs.

I’ve kept off over 100 pounds for three years now. I do not diet. I eat a balanced diet of basic foods (trying to avoid processed foods), I count my calories and I work out consistently. I live my life in moderation without denying myself things I want. I believe I’ve found a healthy balance of moderate living and splurging.

I never thought I’d become an athlete. I was more comfortable on my couch. Now? I can’t imagine a day when I would skip my favorite workout: swimming. My life has changed so much.

If you are reading my blog, I feel like you are ready for a change. You’re searching for something: guidance, inspiration, tips, something. I know that feeling. I was there once. I wish I had discovered the healthy living community when I was struggling with my weight. I hope that I can inspire and assist my readers.

It’s not too late. Don’t feel discouraged or like you can’t make your own changes. It’s never too late to change your life for the better, to work for your dreams.

QUESTION: How are you going to change your life?