Welcome to Fitness Focus

My new blog is all about getting in shape. I know something about this - I've been out of shape more than once in my life.

My name is Laura. I'm 42 years old, and a mother of 3. I'm a former discus thrower and was a member of the University of Michigan Fencing Team. During my 20s I fell completely off the fitness wagon, but had a bit of an epiphany at age 29. I started running, and eventually completed two marathons, including the New York City Marathon in 2005. But life happens and once again I slowly lost my drive to stay fit and strong. Pounds crept on, and healthy eating took a back seat. In February 2013 I took a good hard look in the mirror, and I didn't like what I saw. About the same time, I saw an infomercial for Insanity.

Before Insanity, I had never purchased anything from an infomercial. But something about Shaun T's approach hit home - the idea that if you work hard and focus on nutrition, you can reach your fitness goals, and even exceed them. I ordered the program, and put in the hard work every day over two rounds. I focused on my eating, with an emphasis on portion control (my nemesis). And I was rewarded by the changes I saw both inside and outside.

Thanks to Shaun T and Insanity, I'm back in top form, and all my expectations have been exceeded. I've dropped nearly 20 pounds since March 1, 2013, and I'm not afraid to wear a bikini to the beach. I recommit to my fitness on a daily basis, and am now tackling Shaun T's new Focus T25 program. Chalean Extreme will be my fall program, probably followed by P90X over the winter.

So why am I writing this blog? I generally like my workouts, and I want to give my honest two cents about them. I'm also opinionated, so from time to time I'll comment about news articles (mainly health and fitness-related). Mainly it's for fun. So I hope you enjoy the read!