A balanced life...a passionate life

These days my life is incredibly full, crazy busy and scheduled. But I love it! I thrive on it. For me, work and life balance is more of an unattainable illusion than a goal. My goal is a life with me in the center of the equation that is full of the stuff I love to do and the people I love to do it with, and plenty of down time to recharge and prioritize the relationships that are important to me.

I wonder sometimes why society asserts that our goal should be work and life balance, indicating this is achieved by working 9-5 and striving for equal parts work, home life, personal time… That's not my life, and to be honest, I am not sure I desire it. I lead my life with passion, gusto and the can-do attitude of “what’s next?!” And I love that about me! That said, for far too many years I did this without myself and my needs in the picture...at all. And it just about killed me. I was focused on everyone and everything else and I wasn’t in the equation. So there was absolutely no balance, it didn’t work for me and I wasn’t happy.

But for nearly 1 ½ years now, I have managed to successfully keep Lori in the center of the equation while losing 200+ pounds and still getting an incredible amount of work and living done. I am packing it in and loving life. Indeed, I am happy.

I read a blog recently titled “The Myth of Life Balance” and considered it in the midst of my crazy busy and full life. Its fundamental point got me thinking: Is life balance or work and life balance really the end goal we strive for? Should it be? Perhaps living passionately is a better goal? For me, the definition of a passionate life is very different than that of work and life balance.

In a life of passion, I work hard, play hard, and rest hard – at different times and in different ways! As long as overall I am in the center of the equation, and as long as I am doing things I totally love and with people that I respect and have fun with, well, isn’t that right where I want and need to be? I think so.

So for me, the challenge is not to strive for work and life balance – equal parts home life, work life, social life…but rather to live a passionate life that makes me happy...one that holds me right smack in the center of the equation. It means prioritizing the things important to me, not necessarily others. And it starts with being clear about what I want to do, who I want to do it with, and how I want to spend my time and with whom.

At this stage of the game, there is no question my life includes me in the center. Just like there is no question it will be incredibly jam packed. I will always be a passionate person who tackles life with vim and vigor and that means working, playing, being, enjoying, resting and giving hard/at full capacity. But not necessarily in equal parts on equal days or in the way others might think I should do it. I’m okay with that.

Blogless in Saint Paul. Not!

Hi all,

I have been getting lots of questions lately about why the blogging hiatus. It's simple: I am writing a book. Yay!

Before you get too excited, it is a self-published book. The documentation of my personal transformation journey during the last 16+ months as told through before, during and after photos and my blog. It is the story of how I put myself back into the equation and transformed my life from the inside out, and its shows a timeline of personal transformation that is not only possible, but totally doable! (If for me, then for you.)

The book will be unveiled to family and friends at my thank you/celebration party May 12 at the Bluefin Bay Family of Resorts (only three weeks from today!). And, it will travel with me as I speak, write and inspire others toward their own personal transformation. Finally, I am hoping it is step one to a more public book of my personal transformation story. All aimed at helping others put themselves in the equation and experience the kind of life-altering joy and limitless possibilities I am attracting right now.

It has been a labor or love and would not have been even within the realm of possibility without my dear friend, confidant, sorority sister, and documentary photographer, and book designer - Jean Voxland. Jean has been with me on this journey as my friend and a "lion" in my den of supporters from day one. But she has played a much more profound role than I think even she recognizes. She has seen me (and photographed me) in times of struggle, in times of triumph, and she has photo-shopped images of me more than any other human being! She knows ALL my little secrets!

The truth is, I couldn't be more blessed to have this amazing and talented friend by my side throughout this journey and I thank God every day that she is hanging in there during these challenging days of trying to get the book done and to the printer before her daughter's wedding. Jean, I adore you and want others to know you as I do. I simply can't wait for the party where we get to celebrate together and everyone gets to meet you in person.

For those of you looking to my blogs for some hope, inspiration, tips, I apologize for the hiatus and I remind you what my mentor, friend and inspiration O'Neal Hampton told me at the beginning of this journey - we've totally got this! I promise I will be back very soon. I have 3-5 blogs in the making and my journey continues as I work the plan each and every day. I don't believe we are ever "done," just in a different phase. More coming on this topic soon!

Before I sign off, I wanted to share some of my before, during and after shots that will make their way into the book. Thanks for hanging in there with me. And I promise not only will there be new blog content, soon, but the book - well, it will be awesome. Can't wait to share it. I am just getting started! So much more to come from this new fit and active girl who is hell bent on changing the world, one transformation at a time.

Big hugs for a sunny and positive day. The law of attraction is at work in my life today and I am feeling incredibly blessed.

Lori

I don't want to live timidly...

I want to be bold in thought and kindness and gesture. I, we, must stretch in giving, reach in creativity, and enthusiastically attempt! Let us not live in fear...when our fear is to not really live.   - jodi hills

Transformation Confirmed. Whooo Hooo!

Healthy inside and out

This past week was monumental in my transformation journey. I am basking in the glow of some great numbers that confirm how far I've come in just over one year.

On April 1, I received my first body composition analysis via the bod pod -- a state of the art tool that measures and tracks lean body mass. Body-composition testing identifies your body fat and lean mass (muscles, bones, etc.). A person's body fat percentage is the total weight of your fat divided by your total weight, and consists of both essential body fat and stored body fat.

Although we love to measure our progress by weight on the scale, many experts believe that body fat percentage is a true measure of how healthy you are. As we know, high body fat is linked to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes - all have occurred in my family. The body fat percentage was also the measure needed in order for the master of my transformation, Leif Anderson of Leif Anderson Fitness, to set a final goal weight. Something important to me!

For those of you that don't have a clue what a bod pod is (I didn't either), it looks like a time capsule and uses air displacement to measure your body composition. It's currently considered the gold standard of body composition testing. According to Leif, if you have body fat - the bod pod will find it! (As if I wasn't already nervous about getting in this thing and getting my true numbers!)

What is the right body fat percentage for a 40-something female? The internet offers varying stats but women athletes are in the 14-20% range. You're considered fit in the 21-24% range, and average is 25-32%. (Ranges vary depending on the source.)

My numbers: Based on a recent body fat percentage test on a hand held device, I expected my number to be around 26-27% and thought a great end goal would be 24% - in the "fit" range.

Well, I blew those numbers right out of the water at
18.5% bodyfat!

All these months of hard work to execute the plan laid out by the master chief have paid off. We managed to pull a number that shocked me, and I venture to say it may have shocked Leif, too. I couldn't be more excited! For perspective...

My starting body fat percentage was 61.5% - 
a crazy and dangerous number. 

The hard numbers of my transformation: 

More than 200 lbs lost and -43% bodyfat in 16 months!

Show & Tell: It gets better. Last week I had an annual check up at Health Partners. Those of you who know me well, know that I used to dread the doctor, and hospitals - well, my worst nightmare. This visit was different. The nurses and my doctor were so amazed with my transformation that several people paraded in to see me to witness it for themselves! lol My nurse, Renee, got so wrapped up in my story that she forgot to take my vitals. And my health numbers - rock solid. Yep, I actually had FUN at the doctor's office for the first time in my life. What a difference 200 lbs makes!

Honestly, I can't begin to describe how amazing it feels to have confirmation of the hard results and to be coming into the home stretch on a transformation journey that is changing my life in every possible way. I have written countless times about the "soft" results and how fantastic I feel. But now, we have confirmation in hard numbers that the inside is healthy, too.

Thank you is simply not big enough. There are so many people to thank for helping me get to this incredible place. But there is no question that my transformation would not have been possible without the nutritional consulting expertise and customized plans orchestrated week after week, for 16 months, by my coach and friend, Leif Anderson. Chief, THANK YOU! Look what we did! :-) 

To Sandra Swami my trainer at Balance for Life Fitness Center who is in the trenches with me every week, and O'Neal Hampton my true inspiration on this journey - I thank you for your very critical roles in my success. Shari, Carrie, and Sue - my FN girls - and all of you who have supported me in this journey, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

And finally, to those of you in mid journey working the plan and focusing on the scale each week as your measure of success, I tell you this - Leif was right! Executing the plan, working the program day-after-day is far more important than a number on the scale and how we react to it. It's difficult to embrace that in the moment when the scale is the tool at hand, I know. I was among the first to get caught up in the emotion of it all and use the scale as my barometer of success!

It is only now that I have a body composition as my guide that I can see clearly how progress was being made on the inside even when the scale didn't always show it. So I encourage you to push ahead when you don't have the benefit of the numbers you want on the scale. I am living proof that this program works when you work it, bar none! And I so want that for each and every one of you.

I am working to stay grounded this week (not easy and not always happening). My goal for today, tomorrow and the next day is simply to keep my eye on the prize and stay focused on the goal. To keep walking the path. We're not there yet. But almost. And all I can say, is Wow. Healthy on the inside and out.


Hugs.

Lori