Here I am!

On the weekend of May 12, I hosted a celebration party at the Bluefin Bay Family of Resorts on Minnesota's North Shore to unveil the new transformed me to close family and friends. My mission was to thank my inner circle for their amazing love and support and for raising me up during the past 18 months. It was an incredible, emotion-filled, and simply perfect weekend that far exceeded expectations! Many of my family and friends met my transformation team - led by O'Neal Hampton and Leif Anderson - for the first time.

Today, my heart is full beyond compare. The warmth and gratitude that I feel for everyone who was there to celebrate with me - to those who have loved me at +200 lbs and throughout this life-changing journey - is simply beyond words.

A PICK ME UP!
The celebration weekend included many "firsts," as has this entire personal transformation journey. Perhaps the most significant was that a very special man picked me up off the ground and held me. Yes, lifted me!

My friend, confidant, trainer, and all around transformation chief, Leif Anderson, insisted on picking me up and giving me this moment. At the time, I was not convinced it was a good idea...or even possible. My head (inside) had not caught up with my body transformation (outside). After Leif reminded me that he knows exactly what I weigh, and trainer Jay Grove coached me on how to do it -- well, as you can see, Leif picked me up and we were both beaming. A man picking me up off the ground and holding me. A first!

I am not sure that I have properly thanked my Chief for that special moment. It is one I will remember for the rest of my life and was the most fitting tribute to the journey we have been on together to lose 200+ lbs and 43% body fat, and 10+ dress sizes. It was also the perfect way to start my celebration party with family and friends.

So THANK YOU CHIEF! Not just for that moment, but for enriching my life in ways I never thought possible and for giving me the strategic direction and the customized plan, as well as the love and support, that I needed to transform both inside and out. You truly rock this world and are God's gift to me and the many others whose paths you cross.

NO LONGER HIDING
There were many other "firsts" for me during this celebration weekend. As I walked into the party where 70+ friends and family were gathered to celebrate me, I instantly became overwhelmed. I realized during the dinner portion of the evening that for most of my adult life I have been hiding behind those 200 lbs. I have never been the star of the show, or the center of attention, not to mention in a short, sexy and sparkly dress and shoes!

So as I prepared to give my speech, I was overcome with emotion at my own transformation. There was joy, happiness and accomplishment at the center, but there was also fear. I was no longer hiding behind those 200 lbs and behind the scenes, I was unveiling the new transformed Lori for the whole world to see and get to know! And while that is exciting, energizing, and remarkable - it is also scary. It means that indeed the world will really "see" me. All of me.

They will see the good and the flaws. They will see the inside and now, for the first time ever, the outside will match. So this unveiling of the new me to Train's song Brand New Book was more meaningful than even I imagined until I was in the moment standing in front of my family and friends completely overwhelmed.

It turns out this weekend was much more than a celebration of where we'd been. It was the beginning of a whole new journey to put myself out in front of the world, without fear, without the comfort of 200 excess pounds and let them see me - really see me.

Okay, world, I am ready. So here I am!

Big hugs to all who helped me experience and celebrate some pretty incredible firsts.

Much love,
The new Lori

A BRAND NEW BOOK
Here I am
You still know me
Here I am
Take another look
Here I am
Same old story in a brand new book

Video of Lori's Transformation Journey
View photos from celebration party
View photos from celebratory mountain climb
View photos from Friday night celebratory gathering

Basking in the glow

One week ago today, I was in mid makeover with Minnesota Monthly Magazine and getting ready for my transformation celebration weekend at Surfside on Lake Superior. Today, I am home and basking in the glow of one of the most incredible weekends of my life.

I am fortunate to have so many amazing people -   family, friends and fans - who have supported me in this journey. My heart is full and my cup runneth over. There were MANY extraordinary moments during the weekend, and I can't stop smiling! I've been asked to share some photos here. It turns out, the entire world is not on Facebook! lol

Here are some of my favorite shots from a glorious celebration, and for me, a gratitude-filled weekend. I am blessed to be loved by so many awesome people. To all of you who have supported me in this journey and especially to those who loved me just as I was when I weighed +200 lbs - you raise me up. I am forever grateful. Thank you from the bottom of my heart...for everything.

Hugs!
Lori

 

In the equation!

How I transformed my body and reignited my life

NOTE: This past weekend I celebrated my personal transformation - a journey to put myself back in the equation of my life and be happy. I lost 200+ lbs, 43% body fat and 10 dress sizes in 16 months. But the real transformation has been how I feel on the inside. This is my story as published in my self-documentary book titled: She Climbed Until She Saw, A personal journey to climb a mountain.

I am a very different person today than I was just over a year ago. My life is full and happy. I smile more. Laugh more. Play more. Give more. And do more. I also weigh more than 200 pounds less and wear 10 dress sizes smaller. Yes, dresses. I’m actually wearing clothes that show off my style and a little leg – something I haven’t done since high school!

What inspired this transformation? I made a choice. A choice that would forever change the course of my life: I chose to put myself back into the equation of my life.

A history of imbalance

In the years leading up to that moment of decision, my life was busy but empty. I struggled to find hope. I had left “me” behind long ago. My start-up marketing firm called Marketing that Matters was several years in the making and I was working like a madwoman to serve clients literally day and night. I sat in an office chair 12-18 hours a day, six to seven days a week, starting work well before my colleagues and finishing long after most went to sleep.

My aggressive can-do attitude didn’t stop at my job. If a friend needed support, I was there. Worthy volunteer projects? No problem, I’d take them on. I was driven and quick to solve every problem and meet everyone’s needs...but mine. Some even called me Superwoman. But here’s what they didn’t know: While I felt satisfied by my ability to crank out the work and help so many people, I was slowly dying inside. As I tried to please everyone else, I was continually failing in one critical area: Me. I was not in the equation. 

Already depleted from my work and lack of sleep, I was living a sedentary lifestyle on a diet of processed and fast food. My emotional and stress levels were out of control. My relationships suffered. I was crabby and stressed. And, I ate to fill myself. As someone who had struggled with obesity her entire life and with a family history of heart disease, this was not a good path. It was slowly killing me.

In the five years I spent building my business, I grew to my heaviest weight on record: 381 pounds. Yes, a whopping 381 – bigger than most linebackers! I simply wasn’t making any time for myself—not even for my most basic needs. I wasn’t on my “to do” list – much less at the top of it – and as a result, I had turned from a positive person into someone whose glass was half empty.

Perhaps worst of all, I lost hope for a different life. Everything seemed too difficult. Worried that I would suffer a heart attack before age 50, my friend Jimbo would urge me, “Just walk to the end of your block, Lor. And the next day try to walk around the block.” But I always had an excuse. It felt too hard. I was too tired. The pressure was great, and the excuses came easy.

Recognizing the need for change

In 2010, after suffering a serious business setback due a betrayal of trust with a colleague and friend, I hit bottom. I couldn’t remember any goal beyond my dream to build a business, so Marketing that Matters became my sole focus. But as each work day passed, I feared for its success and, secretly, for my life. I didn’t know how to change the equation, and I certainly didn't know what kind of future was possible.

Then I got a phone call that set in motion a series of events that would change my life forever. And of course, it came through work.

My client Dennis Rysdahl at the Bluefin Bay Family of Resorts had met O’Neal Hampton from NBC’s reality TV show The Biggest Loser and called to ask if I was aware of the program. Of course I was! Dennis explained that O’Neal co-owned a company called Fitness North that was coming to one of his resorts, Surfside on Lake Superior, to host fitness boot camps throughout the year. The camps needed some brand and marketing muscle, so Dennis arranged a meeting with O’Neal and his business partner in the Twin Cities.

I will never forget the day I first met O’Neal Hampton. We spent hours sharing our personal stories, and when it came time for O’Neal to share his, we locked eyes and he assured me we could indeed do this together. “We’ve got this,” he said, and he didn’t take his eyes or his focus off me until my eyes welled up with tears. O’Neal made me believe again. He gave me hope…for the first time in a very long time. It was in that moment that I knew my life was about to change forever. I was ready.

As I walked to my car after that meeting, I cried. I cried because I had found a nugget of hope in I O’Neal’s belief in me. I cried because I knew deep in my heart that I would be successful and that meant the course of my life was about to change. And I cried because I was scared...no, terrified.

Not only did I leave the meeting with a new marketing client, but I had also committed to attending the Fitness North live-in boot camp, taking what would become my first steps toward a different life. With O’Neal as my inspiration and mentor, life would never be the same. I was going to put myself back into the equation and drop this weight that was sheltering me from the life I wanted.

Pushing the limits

How many of us really know what we are physically and mentally capable of? Marathon runners, strength and endurance athletes, sure. Those who fight and survive a terminal illness, certainly. Soldiers, fire fighters, police officers, of course. But not Lori Schaefer!

When the Fitness North boot camp finally arrived on Nov. 28, 2010, I was quick to find out just exactly what I was made of. The experience was indeed one of the most challenging, yet rewarding and influential experiences of my life. Every day I had to force myself out of bed—aches, pains, and emotions in tow – knowing that I would push my body, mind and spirit further than I had ever imagined possible.

The program was much like that of NBC’s Biggest Loser – it was intense. We worked out six to seven hours per day, every day – challenging cardio circuits, strenuous pool cardio, intense  workouts in the gym, long hikes on area trails and, yes, lots of mountain climbs – all while being encouraged and pushed by our skilled trainers past what we thought were our limits. I had to dig deep. It was tough, perhaps the toughest thing I will ever do. But each time I accomplished something I had previously thought I could not do, I felt more alive and on fire than ever in my life.

But it wasn’t just the workouts. At Fitness North, I had the opportunity to focus on myself every day for two full weeks. For some of us in the camp – certainly for me – it was the first time we had put ourselves first. We learned how to eat to support our bodies. We learned how we react to the tough stuff: to pain, to stress, to self-doubt and to heartache. But we also learned how to push through the pain and come out on the other side a stronger person. Ultimately, Fitness North gave us the tools and support we needed to succeed at home, where the hard work would continue.

At the end of the two week live-in boot camp, some of my new friends were understandably nervous to leave. But I left with hope and the confidence that if I did exactly what I was told to every day in the plan laid out for me, I would reach my goal weight and achieve my dreams.

A path forward

For me, the first and most important step toward changing my life was to decide what future I wanted to create for myself and then to resolve to achieve it. I would tackle my dream one day at a time, day after day after day. There was no stopping now.

Establishing a plan at the beginning of my journey was key. I defined what it meant to put myself back into the equation by establishing a checklist of non-negotiables. Working the customized nutritional and fitness program laid out for me by Leif Anderson of Leif Anderson Fitness became my top priority. I would also need to get enough sleep, limit my work hours, and ask for help when I needed it. Faced with tough decisions without obvious answers, I referred to this checklist of priorities, stuck by it, and sought counsel from my support team.

Of course I had to make sacrifices along the way. As I neared my goal weight, for example, I had to eat less food and workout more. I remember a particular time when one of these plans coincided with my company’s Christmas party, where I wanted nothing more than to toast my amazing new colleagues with a glass of my favorite wine. But, with my eye on the prize, I toasted my team with water while they enjoyed the Pinot Noir. And the truth is, I had a ball anyway. Inside, it felt good to choose me and make my goals the priority over indulging in the moment. I had rarely made that kind of choice in the past.

A brand new book

I’m proud to say that the plan worked brilliantly. I did it! We did it! My goal was to create a life where I exist at the center of the equation, and I’ve been successful because I made every decision over the past year and a half with that in mind. I committed myself 100% to my goal. I followed a customized nutritional and exercise strategy carefully laid out by my amazing transformation coach Leif Anderson. And day by day, week by week, I worked the plan.

It was not always a straight line. There were some real rough patches, and in those tough moments I sought support from O’Neal and my amazing support system, and kept myself accountable. I made no excuses. I persevered. And I celebrated successes along the way with friends and family.

Now as I continue to put myself first and focus on my overall health and happiness, everything is better. I am surrounded by friends and family who support me. I laugh and play and have fun every day. I attract positive new people and new opportunities. Marketing That Matters is thriving as a result of my team, not just me. And, unlike the days and weeks leading up to that fateful meeting with O’Neal, I smile constantly. Oh, and yes, I climb mountains.

Sixteen months after starting this journey, I weigh 200 pounds less, have 43% less body fat, and have lost more than 77 inches and 10 dress sizes. The hard results are impressive. But the unbelievable gift in all of this is how I have changed on the inside. Look at me! I am a brand new book. I have climbed the mountain, literally and figuratively, and I can see all the new possibilities for the new me.

Today, I am a fit and active girl who holds herself at the center of the equation. That means being true to both myself and to others. My glass is definitely half full. I seize opportunities fearlessly. I’m fun and fun loving. And I not only have hope…now I give hope. I inspire. I live in the moment and love every minute of it. My heart is overflowing. And I simply can’t wait to see what’s next!

What next?

Upon completing this leg of the journey, one of my goals is to share my story to inspire you to claim the life you’re meant to live. Just the way O’Neal Hampton inspired me.

I hope my journey serves as an example for how you too can put yourself back into the equation of your life. Only you can take those critical first steps toward change. But I am here to tell you, “we’ve totally got this!”

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