A Welcome to New Readers!

It’s that time of year again — NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS! I bet you want to lose weight, right? That’s the number one resolution and I completely understand why. I was once morbidly obese and one day I woke up ready to change. This post is an introduction for new readers who perhaps woke up this morning, ready for their own change. Enjoy!

I’m Lisa, soon to be 33 years old and I live in Portland, Oregon. I’m originally from Seattle where I spent the first 19 years of my life before heading to Oregon. I live with my boyfriend Michael and two cats (one is referred to as Fat Kitty–he has a bit of a chubby belly these days).

I used to weigh over 250 pounds. Most of my 20’s were spent being significantly overweight and eventually obese. A wake up call regarding diabetes and high blood pressure was the shake up I needed to make a change.

I counted my calories.

I swam laps in the nearby community pool.

I eventually started using the elliptical machine at the gym.

Those things propelled me forward in my journey to lose over 100 pounds. It was a slow process. I wasn’t expecting to lose the weight over night. But seeing immediate progress on the scale motivated me to keep going!

If you found me because you’re striving to lose weight and struggling, DO NOT FEEL DISCOURAGED. Make small changes. Join Weight Watchers. Join a gym. When you see progress, you will be motivated to keep trying! Read some of the tips I’ve shared about what has helped me.

This blog is partly about how I lost 110 pounds. It’s also about how I maintain the loss while living my life and enjoying the food I like. It’s been over 4  years now since I stepped on that scale 100 pounds lighter and my lifestyle has changed completely.

Instead of weekends spent on the couch, I ride my bike. I hike. I run epic races like Hood to Coast.

I’ve had some ups and downs. I’ve hit weight loss plateaus. I keep doing what works for me. My workout routine is:

• Swimming 2 times a week
• Running a few times a week
• Weight lifting a 2 times a week
• Snowshoeing in the winter
• Cycling and hiking whenever I can!

A few years ago, I was on the cover of a magazine about my weight loss!

Once the weather improves, I will be training for a century bike ride. I attempted to train for my first full Century last summer but training didn’t go as planned and I did a metric century instead (64 miles). I hope 2013 summer will be when I realize this goal.

Most of all I want to show that living a balanced, healthy life is a good (and achievable) thing!

I hope you stay and read more. I’m not a nutritionist and I don’t offer a quick fix to losing 100 pounds. My goal is to inspire you. If I could do it, you can do it!

QUESTION: If you are a new reader to my blog, please leave a comment introducing yourself and tell me what brought you here!