Laura is a very motivational and inspiring friend of mine (Lindsey). I know Laura through The Firm . Truth be told- we have never actually met in “real life”, and yet she continues to inspire and motivate me daily. We can’t all be lucky enough to have a group of “real life” friends that share our health and fitness passions and yet we all know how important a support group is to our healthy living goals. There are a LOT of places on the internet to find motivation, and support; I encourage all of you to reach out find a group of friends (online or in real life) that share in your healthy lifestyle goals- they will keep you in line and you can do the same for them!
~Meet Laura~
How many times have you thought to yourself….”I’ll never be able to lose the weight I need to lose”. How many times have you told yourself….”I’ll have this cookie, and will start my diet tomorrow”. How many times have you thought “I’ve gained some weight, but I’m not THAT fat!”.
Before Now
Well, I’ve been there with you—I’ve had all of those thoughts and more! I hit my highest weight of 215 lbs when I finally realized…I NEED to do SOMETHING. My weight had spiraled out of control and I didn’t even realize it. Yes, I knew I had put on some pounds. But I really, truly thought it really wasn’t THAT much. Until I saw the scale. I. was. shocked. I couldn’t believe I had let myself get to that point, and I knew the time had come to make changes. After I picked myself up and dusted myself off from shock, I decided to join Weight Watchers. This was my first step—changing my food intake. I was too embarrassed to go to a meeting and weigh in IN FRONT of someone, so I did the online version. I religiously counted points, drank more water…and the scale started to move. Slowly. After about of a month in, I decided it was really time to get moving. I purchased an at home workout dvd system (The FIRM) and slowly started to add exercise into my daily routine. I had a small child at that time, so it was a challenge to find time to do it, at first. There were days I worked out at 8pm, just to make sure I got it in! But I did just that….made sure it was done. I quickly saw the scale move again, and this time it moved a lot faster. Imagine that—healthy eating and working out—and I lose weight?! I began to look forward to my workouts (whaaaat?! ) and found that they were very therapeutic for me! I was becoming a happier, healthier person—and I really enjoyed it! Fast forward 2 years, and I have gone from 215 lbs to 140 lbs. A size 18 to a size 4. Never in my wildest dreams would I think I would ever be purchasing clothing with the number 4 on it….unless it had a one in front of it! It’s the best feeling in the world. And it was all done with healthy eating and exercise. My body craves exercise now, and when I don’t get it—watch out!! I am NOT a happy person without my workouts!
After my own success, I decided that I really had a passion for health and fitness. I LOVE all aspects of it. I love doing it, I love learning about it, I love telling other people about it to encourage and inspire them to do the same thing! I decided to veer away from my college degree in Elementary Education and pursue my personal training certification. I had a passion, and I needed to follow it. I am now a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Traine r. I can now help others achieve their goals. I can now share my story with my clients and show them that it really CAN be done. I’ve been on TV showcasing my story, from QVC to the current FIRM Infomercial. I continue to learn and grow and keep up with all the ins and outs of the fitness industry, and I couldn’t be happier. I’m so grateful for all that has encompassed my weight loss journey!
I always say…start small, think big. I started with an exercise dvd and cutting out the junk in my diet. I am now certified to help others do the same thing.
What’s holding you back? Start small. Think big. It’s the little things that can make a huge impact in your life. What are you waiting for? Get started!
Thank you SO much Laura for sharing your inspiring story with us. And congratulations on all of your successes!!!!! You rock!
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Wow – very impressive, Laura! I love reading success stories like yours.
Yep- me too!! So inspiring! Laura rocks