Fit Feature: Laura Novotny
Q: TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF
A: I’m Laura Novotny and I am a 25 (soon to be 26) year old normal girl from a small little hick town in central Wisconsin… and when I say hick I mean we literally had “drive your tractor to school day.” I am an online health coach and lifestyle blogger. I quit my full-time accounting job last year to pursue my passion and it has been the best thing I’ve ever done for myself! I am happily married to my best friend, Tommy and living in southern Wisconsin near Milwaukee.
Q: HOW DID YOU GET INTO HEALTH AND FITNESS? WHAT DID YOUR JOURNEY LOOK LIKE?
A: I got into health and fitness when I was in college (end of 2013, beginning of 2014). I went off to college and gained the freshman 15, actually more like freshman 30.
My parents got divorced at the end of my high school years and I took the sadness from the divorce out on drinking and eating once I got to college.. and with that came weight gain. I looked in the mirror one day and realized I was slowly going down a very bad path. The next day, I woke up and went on a run.. and the rest is history! I did 4 half marathons and 2 tough mudders, then got into weight lifting and competed in my first bodybuilding show in 2015. Now I’m just living a healthy lifestyle for ME because I love it!
Q: HOW DO YOU ENCOURAGE OR EDUCATE OTHERS ABOUT LIVING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE?
A: I started sharing my journey on social media (Instagram mainly) because when I was going through the lifestyle change I felt extremely lonely… so I knew what it was like to be in my position. I started sharing my journey, the high times and the lows and people started following along with me! I now try to preach that everyone has their own definition of what “living a healthy lifestyle is”. To some people it may mean eating vegan and swimming.. to others it may mean enjoying a glass of wine on the weekends and waking up to do yoga or Zumba with their friends.
Q: WHY DO YOU THINK IT’S IMPORTANT TO EDUCATE OTHERS ABOUT LIVING A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE?
A: I think it’s important because living a healthy lifestyle can literally enhance and SAVE your life. There are too many young people who are struggling with obesity related illnesses and it breaks my heart because I know that if they knew what fueling your body with whole nutrient-dense foods and working out did for them… they would be hooked. I have struggled with anxiety my entire life, ever since I was in preschool, and working out has literally cured that for me. I was able to get off all of my anxiety medication and now if I’m ever feeling anxious, I go on a walk or a run and it helps me immediately.
Q: WHAT SUGGESTIONS DO YOU HAVE FOR THOSE LOOKING TO START LIVING A HEALTHIER LIFE?
A: Focus on your journey ONLY. Don’t worry about what your best friend Lisa from the gym is doing or what you saw on TV or the magazine at the doctors office. There are millions of fad diets and different ways of getting in shape and living out a healthier lifestyle but if you try to follow everything you read or hear you will get overwhelmed and feel like giving up. Find what you LOVE and stick to it! Also, have patience, this shouldn’t be an “8-week fat loss journey” it should be a lifestyle switch. Have patience with yourself and remember why you started in the first place.
Q: WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY OF EATING AND WORKOUTS LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
A: This honestly varies day to day so I don’t really have a “typical day”. I truly just go with whatever I’m feeling like doing and or eating! I tend to stick to eating mainly whole foods, not very many processed ones, because I’ve found I feel better and my body performs better when I eat that way. However, I do enjoy a glass of wine and chocolate with my husband on occasion As far as working out goes, I usually follow a bodybuilder type workout, but if I’m not feeling like training like that I’ll just walk on the treadmill at an incline for 30 minutes!
Q: ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?
A: Never view working out or eating healthy as a chore or something you HAVE to do. You have a body that is willing and able to workout – that is a luxury! Some people in this world would love to have the money to afford a gym membership, or even have the healthy body that is able to WALK. Don’t take a day for granted.
To learn more about Laura Novotny and her journey, visit https://lifewithlaurajulaine.com/ and follow her HERE on Instagram.
Originally published at www.macymichelle.com