The Great Balancing Act

Hello! Welcome to my little piece of the internet! As the name implies, this blog is all about "the great balancing act" of life. I’m a true believer that any healthy lifestyle must be a balance between the "good" and the "bad." Balancing out work and play, gym time and home time, healthy foods with not-so-healthy ones, and even inner balance and peace of mind.

So who am I? My name is Susan I’m a 20-something Canadian girl, born and raised in New Brunswick, where I still currently reside. I too am attempting a balancing act of my own. It all began the summer before my last year of university. A lifetime of inactivity and unhealthy habits finally caught up with me. What began as a quest to lose weight, turned into a total life makeover. Physically, I’ve dropped 30 lbs, but mentally, my outlook on life has completely changed.

Firstly, I became engrossed in nutrition and cooking. I began soaking up all the information I could about food and its nutrients. As a long time vegetarian, I began experimenting with my diet, discovering what did and didn’t work along the way. I counted calories to lose my weight, but now I’m working hard on listening to my body and going with its natural cravings. Sometimes I want a giant green salad, other times I just want a juicy hamburger!

On the other side of the equation, I also discovered a passion for fitness and exercise. For years, I’d been a self-proclaimed lazy bum. But that soon changed when I learned how fun working out really is. I’m determined to only do activities I really enjoy in order to maintain my motivation. This means a lot of experimenting and trying new things. Running is my first love, but I’ve now grown fond of cycling. I also put a lot of importance on heavy weight lifting, gaining both strength and confidence with the beefy boys in the weight room.

I originally started blogging at Trying For a Tri, which documented the six month journey to my first triathlon. But I couldn’t just stop there, there’s still so much I want to do! I hope you can join me for the journey!

So what can you expect to see on The Great Balancing Act? Daily blog entries where I highlight some of my meals and snacks from the day. I have a very simple approach to food and like to combine whole, healthy foods with daily treats. I get food inspiration from blogs, magazines, television and cookbooks. You can check out my Eats page for a more detailed description of my diet and some of my favourite food combinations.

I also share my daily workouts as I work to achieve my fitness goals. I share my routines in the weight room, treadmill sessions, group class experiences, and trials and tribulations along the way. I’m currently training to run my first half marathon in Spring 2010, with hopes of doing a duathlon in the summer, to someday a full marathon and century bike ride.

This blog will also at times be informative. As a former reporter, I have an insatiable curiosity and am always researching and reading on all areas of food and fitness. Whether it’s articles, tips, or just shared experiences, I hope you can leave here everyday having taken something with you.

My story is of course not a simple one. Getting here has been a long road. To learn more about my journey, feel free to read my REAL story.

So where do I go from here? Well, I’m a recent university grad with an undergraduate in Journalism and Communications. I left a short-lived full-time gig as a radio reporter to pursue my dreams and passions. I’m currently working towards my personal fitness trainer certification. I hope to some day help clients reach their goals, while combining both my fitness knowledge and writing background through my blog and various publications. I’m also fulfilling a short-term contract as a communications officer at my old university. I love the education environment and it’s a position that keeps my busy and interested everyday! I write about these things as I continue my pursuit for a happy and healthy life, not just for myself, but hopefully to aid others on their journey as well.

Don’t be shy! If there’s anything you want to chat about, please e-mail me at thegreatbalancingact@gmail.com or follow me on Twitter at http://twitter.com/BalanceSusan