Welcome to the Fit ‘n’ Fluffy blog!

I spent a lot of time trying to think of the perfect way to get this started. True to my nature, I put it off for much longer than I intended because I wanted it be complete from the beginning. That’s not how blogging works, though. That’s not how fitness works. In fact, that’s not how much of anything in life works. If you want to see progress then you must take steps, even if the stride isn’t as long as you would like it to be.

I must admit that the main use of this blog is for my own personal gain. That sounds selfish, but it’s true. I don’t want to mislead anyone or misrepresent myself. Even if no one reads this entry or any others, it is my hope that it will keep me accountable to myself by tracking my milestones and missteps. However, if I can inspire at least one other person to get up and be a little more active or aware of their health than the day before, I feel this will have accomplished much more than I could have anticipated and I will consider it a great success!

Another disclaimer that I must note upfront is that if you’re looking for quick fixes or fad diets, you’ve come to the wrong place. It’s not called Fit ‘n’ Fluffy for nothing. In general, I LOVE food and I HATE working out. I did not inherit my father’s fast metabolism. I got my mom’s. Thus, I mostly work out to try and undo a lot of the eating I do. True facts.

body by ice cream

In 2011 I drastically changed my routine in both fitness and food. I’m just under 5’5” and went from about 180 lbs to 145 lbs. The first primary care physician I saw in years (didn’t have insurance for a while) told me I should still drop another 20 lbs as to not be obese. I was as close to “thin” as I could remember ever being before puberty and was being told it wasn’t good enough. I’m not saying I have all the answers, but I felt I was doing everything right at the time and truly couldn’t see how I could shed that additional weight without starvation or potentially hurting myself by pushing myself even harder than I had been. I had also expressed what I felt were legitimate concerns about knee issues and, at the ripe old age of 25, I was told by that same doctor that it was simply because I was getting older. I by no means advocate ignoring sound medical advice and science shows that being significantly overweight or underweight can negatively affect your health, but you also need to learn to listen to your body and don’t be afraid to seek a second opinion. There’s no one size fits all answer.

Looking elsewhere for help led me to a few great physical therapists who weren’t able to cure what ails me, but they definitely helped relieve some of the issues. I’m healthier and happier as a direct result of this, but I still consider myself a work in progress. After all, I injured my left ankle in July 2013 and basically undid everything, shooting up to 200 lbs in no time. That was the most I’ve ever weighed. I was practically bedridden for 3 months and incredibly depressed. But I took care of myself as best I could, went back for more physical therapy, and slowly but surely worked on increasing my activity level.

TRX Strength Training

I now weigh about 180 lbs again, but my endurance is higher and many of my race times are the best they’ve ever been. This has been a great reminder that the scale does not show my worth or dictate what my body is capable of.

I also found a new primary care physician who encourages me to try and lose more weight but still recognizes that I am incredibly active, I have family history working against me, and she looks more at my blood work and numbers other than what’s on the scale. My heart rate is enviable and my blood pressure shows I’m stressing less, which in turn works to bolster my mental state.

Mental health plays a huge role in overall health. Stressing over my size hasn’t helped in the past, so I’m ready to move forward and love myself more. With that being said, I’m not ready to settle. I don’t expect to ever be the fittest or the fastest in anything, but I’ll continue to push myself. I believe we’re capable of much more than we tend to give ourselves credit for. I like to keep an open mind and I’m willing to try other things if I find what I’m doing isn’t working well, but I’m also willing to accept the things I cannot change. Both realizations are equally important and have led to a higher quality of life.

As I said, this will be a blog about my progress and things I love and hate in regards to fitness. I also want it to be as much of an interactive experience with my followers as possible. I’m not entirely sure in what direction this website and its social media accounts will go, but I’m excited to see it take shape.

NIPRA Virtual Pug Run Medal

Please join me on this journey by first introducing yourself and telling me your health story. I’d love to hear it!