Starting Out - About Me

Hi all!  I’m Lisa P., a native of South Carolina.  Go Gamecocks!  I transplanted to Chicago in 2001, started seminary in 2003 thinking I was going to be a Lutheran pastor.  Then I changed my mind.  Now I’m working on an MBA.  I really like school, apparently.

 

I turn 30 in 14 days – go Geminis!  And it’s time for a change.  Everyone’s warned me that it gets harder to get your fitness groove on once you hit 30.  If you don’t have trouble finding time between work and family and friends, then just body changes make it hard.  I’m single and I don’t have kids.  I need to get fit now while my life is less complicated.

 

I’m continuing the slow journey of being more fit as a 30-year-old than I was in high school.  Granted that wouldn’t be hard.  I’m 5 foot 8 and was around 220 lbs in high school with no stamina.  Clothes shopping was a nightmare!

 

I was a always chubby kid, oldest of 3 girls.  We grew up in a typical Black Southern family where gravy was a food group.  Once my sisters and I moved out, we finally learned that we could drink fat-free milk and not deep fry all our veggies.

 

I love to cook and bake.  I eat a lot of meatless meals, but I like my steaks medium rare.  I veer between making healthy, balanced meals or deep-frying Twinkies.  If I’m gonna eat crap, I try to make it spectacular crap.  No just eating any fast food burger because it’s convenient.  If I really want a burger, I go to some specific burger joints and get a true gut-buster that I’ll loooove.

 

I’ve worked out sporadically since the middle of high school.  Hitting 220 pounds scared the dickens out of me.  Especially considering my family has a history of Type II Diabetes and every heart/vascular system ailment known to humanity.

 

I’ve used The Firm – originally started in my home state – holla! And various individual cardio dvds.  Now I primarily use programs from Beachbody.  I like that Beachbody makes complete programs with eating plans, cardio, and resistance training.  Less thinking for me!  Some of the more advanced programs also include balance and flexibility, which I really appreciate.

 

So, let’s jump in and get a little fitter today than we were yesterday.