Welcome!

Hey! I'm Julie- 33 year old wife, mother, vegan, homeschooler, runner, animal lover, desert rat, midwestern transplant, Canadian by birth. Apparently I like to make life difficult for myself (see: vegan homeschooler) but most of these lifestyle choices come from following my instincts. Please know that I am not preachy about my choices, they just happen to be right for me and my family.

I like superhero movies, true crime shows, and playing video games with my 10 year old son.

The day Mario Kart 8 came out was a pretty big day in our house.

I am a bona fide bookworm and will literally read anything. Instead of reading anything, I am re-reading the Harry Potter series for the 4th time.

I love spending time outside, and living in perpetually sunny Arizona allows me to do that to my heart's content.

well, most of the year

My Weight Loss Story

I started my journey (<---I hate that word!!!) to a healthier me at 275-ish lbs. On my small 5'4" frame, I was morbidly obese, and I felt much older than 30.

 

 

Over the next year or so I lost a little (5-10 lbs) but was still drastically overweight. I was fatigued, had arthritis (at 31!!!), asthma- and its friend, chronic bronchitis. Basically, I was single-handedly destroying my quality of life in exchange for quality time with my couch.

And food. Lots of food.

We ate out for every meal- no exaggeration

31st birthday

I got serious about losing the weight in March of 2013, and dropped 20 lbs in the first month and a half. I've had brief breaks (moving across the country, broken ankle) and plateaus, but I'm now down a total of 80 lbs.

With my old work ID

The Ankle Debacle

Although 2014 was supposed to be the year I lost the remaining 55 lbs, 2014 was instead the year of my first broken bone. In July (a month into a frustrating plateau), I passed out and broke my ankle. (Learn from my mistakes; make sure you stay hydrated when you have the stomach flu, and if you feel like you're going to pass out, for the love of all that is holy, lay down!!) This freak accident resulted in my having surgery, and I now sport a super ankle with titanium pins.

I once convinced a group of first graders that I am now part robot.

I'm finally back to my pre-injury fitness levels. I want this blog to not only document the rest of my weight loss, but also my journey to maintain. I'll share recipes, fitness goals, training plans, and random musings. Not only am I hoping this will provide me with some accountability, but I also hope to get inspiration from all of you!