About Me

I've been dreading writing an 'about me' post in here. I worry that I'll ramble on for too long or that by writing it all down, things might start to seem a little worse.

I've always wanted to start a food blog, but for a long time I was torn between my passion for playing the the kitchen and my passion for playing outside. I've struggled with my weight all of my life and have been through some major ups and downs--most having to do with an unhealthy relationship with food.

I've started and stopped my own journey to wellness so many times, letting other obligations take over my life and sidetrack me. For the past two years I've been eating healthier and exercising more because I've finally realised that healthy living can only aid in dealing with my stresses.

When I started this journey I weighed 230 lbs, and on a frame of 5'2" it was hindering my daily life. I was constantly uncomfortable, lethargic, and unhappy. None of my clothes would fit anymore, leaving the house was a huge chore in which I would raid the closet, in the end just covering myself up with a giant sweater.

Summer 2009

In the summer of 2009, I travelled to Ghana for school and stayed in West Africa for some additional travel through Mali and Burkina Faso. During the trip I lost about 20 lbs; I hadn't noticed the weight-loss until I came home and Brian mentioned how great I looked. I was still 70 lbs overweight, still a little bit miserable, and still struggling to find anything to wear, but that first 20 lbs gave me the push I needed.

Spring 2010

That first year I concentrated on eating smaller portions and getting outside more with no real structure to my weight-loss. I took the stairs, walked to the grocery store, and started to measure my food. The weight started to come off and I started to fit into old pants again! After making the move back to Calgary from Vancouver I decided it was time to be pushed by strangers. I wasn't holding myself accountable to my exercise goals, so I joined a cross-training class in the mornings and I haven't looked back since!

Fall 2010

So far, inclusive of my trip to Africa, I've lost 70 lbs and I can't imagine my life without exercise! At 159 lbs, I have only 30 more pounds to drop and I'll be in my target weight range. 

I still have to talk myself into workouts and out of junk food sometimes, but I'm happier and more capable than I've ever been. 

Since the school semester is over, so were my workouts but I wanted to keep on top of this so I started Survivor Bootcamp Calgary. I go three days a week for one hour each time and my trainer Marci definitely kicks my butt! Prior to this I'd been working out 3-4 days a week, two work-outs with a trainer and two work-outs independently. So far, judging by how sore I am from bootcamp, I think I'm on my way to a very successful six weeks. 

And just in time for summer! 

I want to use this blog to keep myself on track with my progress, so expect posts about workouts in conjunction with posts about new recipes!