I’m 32 years old and work as a Social Media Strategist and Marketing Consultant. I’m also a Wife and Mom on a mission to get my family healthy. Let me take you back to December 23, 2008, that’s where MY mission began.
My then 9 month old son, Zachary, was up all night long with a tummy ache, and as I heard him cry through the monitor I knew he needed me. As I went to get out of bed I felt like a metric ton weight was pushing me back and when my feet hit the floor I couldn’t even stand up without horrible pain. My first thought was “I must be really tired”, my second thought was ” enough is enough, I can’t live this way anymore”. I couldn’t even make it down the hall to my son with out being in pain. I’m 5’2″ and I was weighing in around 265 pounds, wearing a size 24/26 in clothes. While I’m not nearly done with my mission I can boldly state that I’m down 100 pounds, wearing a size 10/12, and 25 pounds away from my initial goal. And guess what?! I did it on my own! No fad diets, no pills, no surgeries, just sheer will and determination to stop living an unhealthy lifestyle. I knew that I never wanted to feel like I couldn’t get to my son. I knew that I never wanted to be the “fat” mom dropping off cupcakes to his Kindergarten class one day, and have all of the kids wonder how many I consumed on the way to the school. I knew I needed to do something and I wasn’t going to do it alone. I’ll be honest, I had tried millions of times to lose weight and become healthy all just to lose a few pounds here and there only to gain back more each time. YOU have to WANT this! And friends, you have to want it for YOU. While I wanted to do this for my son and husband, to be the mom and wife I knew I could be, deep down I really wanted it for ME. I wanted to be the girl I knew was hiding somewhere inside of me.
Fast forward to Present Day:
I’m working out EVERYDAY in some way, shape, or form. I have completely changed the way I shop for my family, as well as the way I prepare meals. We haven’t given ourselves any sort of “foodie or lifestyle” label, I do eat meat. I enjoy a well prepared steak, but I also love the taste of a Bison burger. We are not strictly Vegan, Organic, or Vegetarian we dabble in all of it. We have learned to love new foods; foods that fill us up and give us energy. I didn’t realize the “impact” (I use that term lightly) we were having on people until our friends began asking us what diet pills my husband and I were taking. They couldn’t believe we had lost that much weight, my husband is down about 65 pounds, and have this much energy without taking a pill or starving myself.
My hope for this website is that it can become a meeting place for people in all levels of their healthy journey to congregate. I want this to be a place where you can feel “safe” and not judged, but supported and cheered on. I’m not certified in any thing, I didn’t attend culinary school. I’m just a REAL girl with REAL struggles, struggles I have had all of my life. I have found ways to conquer those struggles and I want to share them with you, as well as have you share your tips and tricks with me.
Thank you so much for stopping by Girl Gone Healthy. Please feel free to comment on any post at anytime!! The more the merrier!
Sincerely- Tera Norberg, Creator of Girl Gone Healthy.com
Please feel free to contact me at anytime!
Below are some pictures of me from 2007 when were vacationing for our Desitnation Wedding in Las Vegas, this was the size I was when I became pregnant too. I of course gained weight with my pregnancy, but after having Zachary I went right back to being this size. There aren’t to many pictures where you can see my body after Zachary was born, as I conveniently edited them to be that way. I just wanted to show that I really did this on my own, and YOU can too! These pictures are not meant to put out there as “oh wow look at me now”! That’s not what GGH is about. I have received several questions as to how big I really was when I began so these are merely to serve that purpose.
![l_148394c7969ae23ba8f340f4f28ab588[1]](http://girlgonehealthy.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/l_148394c7969ae23ba8f340f4f28ab5881.jpg "l_148394c7969ae23ba8f340f4f28ab588[1]")
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Thanks so much for your blog! It is so refreshing to find someone on a journey that is willing to be honest and understand it is about deciding to change. I’ve always had a difficult time with weight and after 3 kids and gaining 95 pounds since I got married almost 11 years ago I’m fed up with feeling tired and sore and needing a nap each afternoon. After my 3rd child was born in Nov. 09 (my second c-section in 17 months also) I pulled my incision and now have to have hernia repair surgery I have put off till he could walk so that the recovery will be that much easier with 3. I’ve tried so many things to loose weight and like I read on your blog I would loose a bit then get off the wagon and gain more! My family has also tried it all from gastric bypass to stomach reduction surgery loosing 100 pounds only to gain 1/2 of it back 3 years later. We are all fed up. For Christmas my sister-in-laws and I received Women First for christmas. A few days ago I read your story and was so impressed. I talked with my husband about the Kefir on the way home from church yesterday but in our area you have to go to the city over an hour away to find health food stores and Whole foods and the like. As I went for milk last night imagine my surprise as I found Lifeway’s Fefir! I was so excited I bought it and have started today with a shake. I look forward to following your blog and being able to follow in with exercise once I’m ok’d to do more after my surgery and recovery starting next week. Thanks again from a stay at home mom of 3 who is tired of being “sick and tired”
-Alicia J
Hi Tera,
I just picked up the issue of FIRST and found the address for your blog. I have been fighting feeling unlike myself since the birth of my children and had just “diagnosed myself” and was actually at the store buying probiotics. i actually used your article to help me shop so thank you. You look great and I like your ideas, and your outlook. I was never overweight till I had kids so am finding it frustrating but I think your blog and maybe getting in touch with folks on the similiar journey and getting and giving support might help. Thanks for everything and keep up the good work.
Nicole
anchorage alaska
Dear Tera,
I actually came across your article in First magazine last night. I have a subscription and haven’t read one up until now. You know how it is being busy and all. Some how I was motivated to crack it open and read some of the weight loss stories for bedtime reading last night. Your article caught my attention the most because of the sample dishes you provided and I was particularly interested in the probiotic approach coupled with the whole food concepts you use.
I followed up on your blog on the net and am finding we have a whole lot in common. We both shop at Whole foods, tried Weight watchers and Atkins, embrace to power of Probiotics and Kefir, wheat grass, and like good food and don’t mind tweeking it to make it OURS.
I really like your approach towards this lifestyle change and making it WORK for you. Oft times I’ve followed the rules of a particular diet just to hit a certain goal and then slowly go back to my old habits and put the weight back on. To be truthful, I knew then that I’d only keep the success if I continued to tolerate the rules of the “diet” I chose. Please continue to keep posting your recipes and daily musings. I’d love to join you on this journey to being the ME I can be.
Renee
Hi Tera,
My name is Jo-Ann and I take your classes and I have to say I LOVE them. I have always HATED exercise.Thanks to your classes I am so motivated to lose weight. I look forward to class so much.I am so inspired by your story!!That is me in your story..just sick of feeling like garbage.Thank you for the easy receipes you post, they look delicious and can’t wait to try them.Also thank you for making class so much FUN!!!!
OMG! You have been such an encouragement to me. Your concept of making up your mind to eat healthier has really inspired me. I’ve lost 10 pounds already and am working on my goal to lose 20 more pounds. It’s not that hard when you do it in the concept of a healthy lifestyle change. Thanks Tera!
Tera!!!! You look absolutely fabulous!!!! I was a Paul Mitchell student and I LOVED YOU!!!! Well still do
You look great and I can’t wait to follow your blog!!!! Great pictures with Jennifer Leatherwood 
Hey Tera,
I have not seen you in a while and you look great. I read your post today and you have inspired me to get healthy. I have put on a lot of weight since, well in the past few years and Have not been able to find the motivation. TOday I wrote down 5 goals and as you suggested I posted them on my board so I can see it everyday. Thanks for words of encouragement.
Rachel (Jordan) Frederic