Bipolar Spartan Part 1 Reebok Commercial

I've waited a week to write this blog because I've been in such a funk for the past 7 days but I decided it was time to just do it.  I had hoped the funk would pass and I'd be able to write about my epic weekend from a happy place but I don't want to wait any longer; besides, not everything in my I'mperfect Life is always rainbows and puppy dogs, so... It started a few weeks ago when Spartan…

Bipolar Spartan Part 2 The Race

IT. WAS.  HARD!  The PA Spartan Sprint was NOT easy but a complete blast full of challenges that made it an experience to remember... The course was 5 miles, well 4.99 miles.  (I had originally thought it was only 4- wrong!) Oh and it was on a Double Black Diamond Ski Slope. Yeah. Fo' real. The first 20 minutes were probably the hardest.  My legs were burning so bad.  All I could think was,…

Bipolar Spartan Part 3- The Let Down

So after this insanely ridiculously amazingly EPIC weekend I came home to what felt like a HUGE let down from which I'm still trying to recover... After the best night's sleep I've had as an adult in a twin sized bed at a beautiful lake house in the Poconos on Sunday night, Chris, Anna and I headed home.  Anna to Calgary, Chris and I south, in the same car.  We left around noon and got to my…

Spartan Race Wrap Up

I feel bad for not writing this sooner but to be quite honest I was just too damned tired.  It took me three days of rest and food (including a major carb-fest on Wednesday) to recover from one of the best days of my life, but I guess better late than never, eh?   My day of days finally arrived on Sunday the 23rd and to say it was awesome is a complete understatement.  To say it was…

Spartans Don’t Get Sad!

This will be one of probably a few Spartan posts to come over the next few days so brace yourself-- they're all sure to be riveting. Last night I found out that the last two of my Spartan teammates have decided to back out of the race on Sunday.  Originally, there were five of us total, now there is only me. All four have very good reasons and I completely respect their decisions.  No hard…

Lipedema Surgery Before and After with Dr. Marcia Byrd

As of December 30, 2020 I’m four months post op from my first surgery and two weeks post op from my last. Looking back on all of the surgeries, the physical challenges were hard, but bearable. The emotional challenges were the toughest, but even those were temporary. It must be made clear that this whole process has required many sacrifices, as some points it felt like I was sacrificing…

Life Before Lipedema Diagnosis

Pre diagnosis… My family has a history of obesity and undiagnosed lipedema. I have struggled with my weight my whole life but most notably, my body changed to pear shaped almost overnight around the time I got my first period at 11 years old. In 2011 I reached my highest weight of 328 pounds and had weight loss surgery in an attempt to regain control of my body and my life. I lost 164…

I Swore I Would Not Get Lost. WRONG!

I also never thought I'd drive a minivan! One of the things I swore to myself before I had kids, was that I would not get lost. I would maintain my identity, continuing to be Andrea-- the wife, daughter, sister, friend, blogger, personal trainer, lifestyle coach, motivational speaker, triathlete, Spartan, avid CrossFitter, general badass, etc... I'd just add "mom" to the list. HA! Let me…

I Am Not a DIY Project- There’s No Such Thing as Before and After

There's no such thing as before and after. Only then and now... In 2011 I weighed 328lbs. I was stuck in the cycle of diet-fail-repeat, trapped in a body that prevented me from living the life I wanted to live, wishing things could be different. In 2013 I weighed 164lbs (for like one day) and leveled out, comfortably, around 172lbs. I had escaped the cycle of…

25 Facts About Me

In case you were wondering here are 25 (mostly) interesting facts about me, you know, so you don't have to wonder anymore! The Not So Interesting Facts: I was born in 1977 I am married with two baby boys, 21 months apart, one dog and a cat I live near Charlotte, North Carolina I grew up in Southern California and Arizona I am a Certified Personal Trainer and CrossFit Coach…