About Lisa
“You may not always end up where you thought you were going, but you will always end up where you were meant to be.”
My name is Lisa and I’m a 26 year old newly single woman who lives in the great state of Oklahoma (Go Sooners!). I’ve always lived here and feel great pride in being “an okie.” I truly think Oklahoma has some of the nicest people in the world. However, I have a great urge to explore other parts of the world and hope to move someday to experience something new.
I work full time for a University doing marketing-related things. In addition, I’m taking classes to eventually go to Nursing School. I got a Communication degree from the University of Oklahoma. As you can imagine, a communication major doesn’t do many Science classes. So, I’m sucking it up now (why oh why didn’t I do it earlier?!) and am taking Anatomy and Physiology this semester.
When I’m not working or studying, I like to relax. I like to be with family and friends. I like to try new things. I like to laugh and dance. I like to be with animals. I like to be active.
FITNESS BACKGROUND
I’ve always been extremely active since I was a competitive gymnast for over 10 years. During this time, I was a little machine. I practiced everyday from 4:30-8:30 and then every other Saturday from 8am-12pm. Needless to say, this took a lot of dedication. My goal was to someday get a scholarship for gymnastics, but after many injuries (stress fractured both wrists, broke both ankles AT THE SAME TIME, tore my heel bone in half and ruptured my achilles which resulted in 2 surgeries, and some other ligament damage) I was ready to “retire”. I quit during high school and became a cheerleader, but I’m not so much the cheery type so that was that. After many years of physical activity, it suddenly stopped. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t become active again until about 3 years ago when I met my boyfriend. At this time, I began the Body For Life Program and progressed from there. Currently, I’m on a “no plan” plan when it comes to exercise. This means that exericse is no longer number 1 to me. School and relationships are. I don’t follow a plan anymore. I am active, I move, I run, I dance, I walk and I lift heavy things.
Food History
I grew up in Oklahoma. This means many things, but when it comes to food it means fattening, fried, fast food, and some delicous barbeque. I grew up eating fast quick food because I didnt get home till 9pm each night so I just ate what was readily available. During gymnastics, these bad eating habits were fun but during highschool with no activity, they caught up with me and I gained some weight.
Now, only with healthy exercise, I eat a nice balance of protein, carbs, and fats with the daily small treat 
. A girl’s gotta stay sane right?!
I’ve got a wonderful dog you might see on here from time to time. Eddie is a 5 year old adopted Shepherd Mix. He is a big lazy sweetheart.
I have a lovely,diverse, and interesting family that may pop up from time to time as well.
What you will find on I’m an Okie: Honesty, random thoughts and my life. I post recipes from time to time, workouts occasionally and pretty pictures of my food every once in a while. You will find ME. I’m newly single and out to be as happy as I can.
What you won’t find on I’m an Okie: You won’t find a food journal here. I post food when I feel like it. You won’t find daily exercise routines everyday (though, somedays you will).
{ 78 comments… read them below or add one }
Wow, we do have a lot in common! I just noticed another thing…I work in University Advancement at BC. LOVE the vacation time you get from working in Higher Ed! And like you, I’m not very “cheery” either. Haha. I hated being forced to tumble all the time and now you can’t pay me enough to throw another full!
I’ve read the Body for Life book several times but I’ve never followed the program very seriously.
Melissa–
Man, another thing! YES, I cant wait for my nice long Christmas break here in about 2 months!!
Yeah, no way would I throw a full anymore. I might do a regular ole back or a few handsprings, but thats about it. However, I can still rock a mean handstand
.
BFL was great–I havent done it in a long time–but it got me back in the gym and got me back to lifting and taught me more about healthy eating etc!
Whoa! we are quite alike! I was a gymnast and a cheerleader. I grew up in Oklahoma and I went to OU (although I won’t graduate from there because I live in North Carolina now)
Can’t wait to read about what you have to say! I miss Norman so much!
Hi Lisa,
I really enjoy your blog & I look forward to reading more as the days go by. Would you mind if I added your blog to the list of blogs I follow?
Thanks!
Vera
Hi,
Wow this is a great ‘about’. You look happy and in great shape. I am physically inactive now also (and I too was once a competitive athlete). I aspire one day to achieve my passions again.
What did you think of BFL?
I hear such good things about it!
You look great!
Music, Food and fitness – http://katiechangesforkatie.blogspot.com/
I loved Body for Life. It taught me a lot about nutrition and strength-training.
Hey Lisa!!
Thanks for the comments on my blog! I was a gymnast and cheerleader too!! Boy do I miss how active practices kept me–and how strong my abs were compared to now!! After quitting (due to injury too) it sure caught up to me.
Nice meeting you!! I’ll be back for more
Hi, I just found your blog through Crunches For Cupcakes. We have quite a bit in common. I followed the Body For Life plan for a long time and lost 30 pounds. I don’t follow it anymore, but learned a lot about proper nutrition and portion control from it.
I love your blog and I look forward to reading more!
I just found your blog…and I can’t wait to keep reading!
Hi! I just found your blog and love it so far, I can’t wait to read more =)
Hi! I just found your blog (thanks for commenting on mine!) and I’m so excited I did! I’m off to go read more!
thanks for comin in! Ive been follwing your blog for a few weeks now, but just now commenting!
Loving your blog!! U look geat girl!!! Your puppy is too cute!! I look forward to reading!!!!
I meant great!!! typo!!!!!!!!!
Great blog! I can’t wait to keep reading…and I’m in Colorado, so “hello back!”
Lisa thank you SO much for dropping in on my blog and leaving a comment!! You look fantastic!! Are you still doing BFL or the BFL-style of eating?
Thanks again! Can’t wait to read more of your blog..
hi lisa! i just found your blog and am adding it to my blog roll stat! i was a gymnast too, but never competitive. i wasn’t that good, haha. you are soso pretty!! and not to sound like a total creeper but ugh your body is perfect!
Hi Lisa, I just found your blog. I recently joined the blogging community and cannot believe how much I have in common with so many people. I also was a gymnast for about 11 years, but danced after I quit in high school. I’m looking forward to reading your blog!
So glad I found your blog. I had a dear friend who went to OU. I haven’t been that way in a few years now.
Yikes your gymnastic injury makes my ankles and feet hurt.
I am grateful for BFL. It helped give me a good foundation and introduced me to principles such as HIIT and drop sets. Ironically, I’m not doing either anymore but I still they are great tools.
You look amazing. Wow!!!
I just found your blog. I have a lot to read and catch up on. Have a great Sunday.
You have some AMAZING abs girl!
I think I might have stumbled onto your blog before (before I used Google reader, very long ago!)… so sorry if I’ve said “hi” before! I like your honest and fun posts plus good food. And nice abs! I have to say CO is a great place to live and that next up I’m hoping to be in NYC or DC
I just found your blog; I was, I admit, surprised to find a healthy living blog from an Okie.
My in-laws live in Oklahoma and my healthy appetite has been difficult to feed during my visits. Any suggestions of healthy places to eat the next time I’m there? My M-in-L isn’t much help with healthy cooking at her house either so I usually end up fending for myself and doing my own little grocery shopping. 
Glad you stopped by my blog because I now found yours! First off you are gorgeous and second off I love your dachshund! I have two myself and think they are the funniest dogs ever!
Hey cool blog!! (wow..thats quite a story about your gymnastics experiences….4 hours a day..I give you props!!!) can’t wait to read more!
Just entered your giveaway and decided to read your “about”. Fun blog and I love your doxie–I also have one and she is sooooo funny!
Hooray for dachshunds! We have two and they are wonderful
Hi,I just discovered your blog, and I am loving it so far! I’m looking forward to reading more and am adding your blog to my Google Reader right now:-).
I loved reading this!!!
You are SO pretty!!
Boomer Sooner! I am so excited i found your blog! OU is my fathers alma mater and i grew up (and of course still do) love OU. Unfortunatly i chose to go to a different school here on the east coast. Anyways…Im loving your blog so far and i cant wait to read more! So great to find a foodie sooner fan! Yay!
i’m new to the blogging world. so glad I stumbled across your site! lots of cool stuff
You and the bf are a smokin’ couple!! Can’t wait to read more of your bloggy
Wow, you look amazing! I would do anything for those abs.
your bathing suit is seriously TOO CUTE! you should TOTALLY move up to colorado…plenty of room up here
i can’t wait to read more about you girl!
Great story, but oh my gosh, how did you handle two broken ankles at the same time?!
Hey! Thanks for stopping by my blog!
It was pretty horrible. I was in a wheelchair for a bout a month with casts on both ankles. My house wasn’t wheelchair friendly so if I wanted to move anywhere my mom had to carry me. Bathing was incredibly tough with two casts. It really wasn’t any fun.
Sadly, my gymnastics coach still made me go to practice. I would go to practice and work out upper body. It wasn’t fun at all.
I am so happy you found me, so I could find you!! I am loving your blog, reading backwards right now..
doxie bloggers unite !
Milla is now featured on the Doxie page @ http://spabettie.com/
I loved your post on Jenna’s blog and I was happy to then find yours. Great outlook on health/fitness. I think we’ve all been there.
Hi Lisa! I found you through Jenna at Whole Body Love, and am so glad. I also did gymnastics for, well, my whole youth. I just really love your attitude, and your post ‘If you really knew me’ is fantastic! Look forward to following you
Hi Lisa – I just stumbled upon your blog today and I wanted to say a quick hello. I read that you’re going back to school for nursing. I’m currently a senior nursing student so if you have any questions feel free to contact me! Awesome blog by the way!
Hi Lisa! I just read your post on Faces of Beauty and it was so honest and beautifully written. I just wanted to stop by and say hello and thank you for the good reminder today about the power of prayer!
Just found your blog and wanted to say hi. I was a gymnast for ten years, too and had to retire at the right age of 13
I still sometimes miss it (decades later!) but tend to think I must have been nuts to do the tricks that I did.
Gorgeous pictures by the way!
Hey LeeLee! It’s Mindy from 02! Just swinging in to see how you are doing. Your blog looks amazing!!! Hugs xoxo
Oh my gracious, girl, you had some serious injuries to deal with! I can see why you retired from gymnastics. Your little family is adorable and you are beautiful!
i just found your blog and your history is familiar… competitive gymnast, worked out from 4:40-8:30p 5 nights a week. got injured and then “retired”. got recruited to be a cheerleader which was not me at all… me too!
Yeah! Cheerleading wasn’t any fun. I hated cheering at games…and I just had to tumble all the time on my comp squad. I was so over tumbling
Thanks for stopping by 
Good for you for wanting to get your nursing degree! You will always have job security with that job and you’ll always feel needed. That’s coming from a fellow nurse herself.
Your dog is so sweet looking. I have a soft spot for dogs now that I have squishy shar-peis of my own!
Amy at TheSceneFromMe recently posted..Where I Bake and Cook
I love hearing from nurses who enjoy their profession! Gives me some hope
I’m new to your blog and I love it! You and I have a lot in common- I was also big into cheerleading in highschool, gained a lot of weight when I stopped and had to find the balance between food and exercise! I ALSO have a Com. degree and am hoping to start nursing school this summer!
Wow! Sounds like we have been going on the exact same path! I am putting you in my reader so I can check you out soon! Thanks for stopping by!
I just stumbled upon your blog, and I love it so far! I was raised in Texas, but I was born in Tulsa! It is nice to see some blog representation from my home state!
whoohooo! I am always happy when I see Okies around the blog world too!
I’m a fairly new reader but I love your blog! Just so you know, I nominated you for stylish blogger award! Hopefully you’ll fill it out so readers can learn more about you!
Ashley recently posted..Jenny Is Awesome!
Hi Lisa! I just found your blog and am sooo happy I did. I love your thoughts on healthy living already! I’ll definitely be a frequent visitor!
Thank thank thank your parita! I’ll check out your blog!
Hi Lisa I have a question, how hard was it w/ both ankles broken?I know it must have been hard but I can’t imagine how you could move around.I’m a gymnast and I think it’s cool you did it for 10 years. I would love some tips:]
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Hi! Yay for a fellow gymnast. It was incredibly hard and I was in a wheelchair for a month. I would still go to practive everyday for about 2-3 hours (shorter than the regular practice) and I did conditioning…I’d work on a lot of upper body strength etc and just supposed my teammates!
I left some comments on your blog but I think they are going to your spam folder! You might look in your spam folder for them!
I love your blog!
So cool to read about your life in Oklahoma. I lived there (Tulsa) until I was 18, and I’m 25 now. My husband and I live waaay north in Montana now. I miss it (especially in the winter time!).
Oh I bet! Montana in the winter is probably hell at times.
Oklahoma had a bad winter. A town near Tulsa had a temp of -37 one night. Some snow as well
I am always excited when OKC gets around a foot! 
I’m so glad you guys did a blog swap this morning, otherwise I never would have found ya
Funny that I am going through a bit of moving on myself, and I’ll actually be taking my first trip to Oklahoma City next weekend. Too cool. Keep doin’ what you do. Its awesome.
What’s in Oklahoma City for ya?! That’s very exciting!
Glad I came across your blog! I have a degree in kinesiology and now I’m about to start nursing school in may so I was super excited to see you are doing nursing (I’m super nervous lol) I’ll have to do some catching up on your posts!
I just read your guest post on Julie’s blog! Love your topic. It really hits home for me. I am sure everyone can relate to it. I am so happy you are at the positive part of breaking up and moving on. There’s nothing harder than overcoming a tough break up.
Yay! Thanks for being another lovely blogger!
Ah! Thank you. I appreciate your nice words! I’ll head on over to your blog!
Hey! I just wanted to say that I just found your blog and I’m loving it. I just started one that is kind of similar. I will be sure to keep coming back!
Kaitlyn @ 7 Plates recently posted..Be Back Soon…
Thanks Kailyn! I’ll be checking out yours!
hey! i just found your site and i love it! being an okie myself, it was great to find a fellow okie blogger! i just started my own blog a month or two ago and i’m still trying to get it designed and going regularly. any advice? anyway, just wanted to say hey!
Hi Lisa! Becca – from ihearteggs mentioned that you convinced her to start blogging…I enjoy her blog and wanted to thank you for convincing her!
Your blog looks great, too! I’m looking forward to reading about it! BTW – this month, I did a guest blog about Oklahoma City – a great city filled with friendly people – kismet!
Have a great day!
Becca is a GREAT girl. I had the pleasure of vacationing with her in New York City and she is just as amazing in person as she is on her blog. So glad you enjoy her!
I’ll have to check out your guest post for OKC!
Lisa,
I stumbled across your blog via A Foodie Stays Fit. I am having a BLAST reading it! Thanks for sharing
Another midwest girl!!!
Isn’t living on the planes the best!! I am only an hour or two from Oklahoma, I’m a Kansas girl! ….. I rarely run across someone from our neck of the woods! HA! 
I feel like we can relate on more than just region though, nice to blog ‘meet’ you!!! —I ran across you from posts at HLS! Looks like fun!
Hello fellow Okie! Like the comment above me, I’ve had a hard time finding healthy living/eating bloggers nearby. Crazy thing is that I went to OU too AND currently work for the university! Small world!
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Yay Oklahoma! Boomer Sooner! Love your blog.
Whoohooo! Another Sooner fan! Thank you!
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