Inspiring People Interview: Lauren

Next in our Inspiring People interviews we have the Lovely Lauren who blogs over at Lauren – Stay at Home Mum. Lauren speaks about how she has gone from being told she would never be able to walk as a child to running regularly and training for her first half marathon. With a number of health issues trying to hold her back including, FAI (Femoral Acetabular Impingement), IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) and Endometriosis (like Emma – our last Inspiring person interviewee), Lauren has made it her mission to prove the doctors wrong!

Hi, my name is Lauren and I am a Stay at Home Mum (SAHM) to two beautiful boys, as well as running a scrap booking and card making business. I have been through ups and downs in my life health-wise, and am now approaching 30 in the best shape of my life, both mentally and physically.

Tell me about your journey to living a healthy lifestyle… Including your health issues (If you don’t mind)

I was born with a hip condition- thought to be hip dysplasia. I was not supposed to walk, but eventually did at the age of three. My hip issues resulted in me having a lot of operations as a child including a metal rod placed into my hip when I was 11.

At the age of 19 I was also diagnosed with endometriosis and told I would never be able to have children. During this time, I also had a mystery skin condition that forced me to take six months off work, with multiple dermatologists stumped. I also suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome and this flairs up along with my endometriosis every month.

When I hit 20 I was 80kg, miserable and depressed, and seeking answers as my hip was still painful. I was eventually diagnosed with FAI (Femoral Acetabular Impingement) at the age of 22, and at that stage a hip operation was discussed. I had managed to lose 15kg for my wedding, and then discovered I was pregnant naturally, and so hip operations were deferred.

Something clicked – I wanted to show the doctors that I can do whatever they say I can’t do, and losing the weight has allowed me to not only have children but find out that I can be a role model to them. I have gone from a couch potato to a very active person.

I was scared to hurt myself and that really held me back, but my hips and bowel seem to respond better when I am moving. After the birth of my second child, I lost a further 15kg and have maintained my current weight for a year.

For someone who was never supposed to walk, I have now completed some 5k and 10k runs and am now training for my first half marathon.

For me, it is not just about the weight loss. When I am active I feel better about myself, I enjoy my children more, and I am generally a lot happier. I have made some great friendships from exercise classes, I now am a lot more aware of how food reacts with my body, and I no longer feel embarrassed to leave the house.

How have your health issues affected your ability to lead a healthy lifestyle?

My hips were generally the major issue when I was growing up. I was always excused from sports days, school camp, P.E and other active school trips or activities. I had two major hip surgeries during my Intermediate School years and so my studies were interrupted for about nine months of those two years, and it was just easiest to sit down all the time.

I was really into my crafts and reading at that stage- anything that kept me on the couch was fine by me! I only started to be confident in my abilities with my hips when I was told at 22 that I was actually suffering from FAI instead of hip dysplasia, and I was “too healthy” to operate on.

My IBS was flaring up quite badly before I had children, to the point where I would have to stop halfway through exercise as I was hit with painful stomach cramps. This changed drastically when I was referred to a Dietician, who introduced me to a low FODMAP diet and I realised that a high-fibre diet full of onions was playing havoc with my digestive system.

Endometriosis also affected my ability to exercise and be healthy- every month I would have to take time off work and I thought only chocolate would help. Now I find that going for a run and eating fruit and grains helps to manage my pain a lot better.

I think the turning point was finding out that I could still get pregnant after I was diagnosed, as I had it quite bad in all areas of my reproductive organs and it was classed as stage 3-4. Getting the pregnancy test results back was quite a shock! Obviously, pregnancy meant that eating healthily became a priority for me, and I kept up with the walking.

My endometriosis pain has started to come back now as I have finished with breastfeeding, so I am somewhat apprehensive if things are going to get worse again, but at this stage the discomfort is manageable.

What’s your approach to balance & moderation in life (and/or food)

I used to be an all or nothing type of girl- I was either eating in excess or starving myself throughout my late teens. Now I enjoy everything in moderation, and I do still eat cake, chocolate and white bread.

However, now I am smart enough to know what my body can tolerate, and especially with my IBS I am more aware of how I fuel my body.

I try to balance my time between my own passions and the needs of my family, and so I am grateful that my husband will watch the boys when I go for a run on the weekend.

I find exercise is one of the ways I enjoy having “me time”, but I am also aware of the commitments I have to make for my children and my job. It probably helps that I love my job and see it as a hobby as well!

What is your favourite form of exercise to do?

At the start of this year I joined a running group on a whim, having previously run for 3 minutes maximum! My Dad was part of the group and from the first session I was hooked. To start, I was nervous that my hips would protest, but now I am enjoying two runs a week with no pain.

What is your favourite healthy food/recipe? 
This curry is rated my number one dish by my husband- it is delicious and sneaks in vegetables so my kids eat it without a fuss!

[yumprint-recipe id=’7′]

What is your number one tip for those who want to live a healthier life?
Just get started- so many people think “I will start in summer”, “I will start on Monday” etc. Now is a great time to start!

What is one piece of workout equipment or tool that you swear by?
Good shoes! Go to a professional store and get someone to fit you for a proper shoe for whatever activity you do, whether it be running, walking, Zumba etc. I used to buy a certain brand for a reasonable price, but when they started hurting my feet I went to Shoe Clinic and now my feet are a lot more supported when I run.

What are your favourite healthy living blogs/websites or tools?
I love Fab Chick Gets Fit and I also refer a lot to Women’s Running Community for tips, inspirational stories and exercises.

Thanks so much Lauren for sharing your story with us all, your definitely showing those doctors that you can do everything they think you can’t!

You can find Lauren:
On her Blog – Lauren SAHM
Instagram
Facebook

Feel free to check out some of our other inspiring people interviews:
Nicole Joy – Why it is perfectly acceptable to eat desert for Breakfast
Lucia Oles – Optimum Nutrition Sponsored Fitness Competitor
Jane from KettleBells and Cookies
Laura from KettleBells and Cookies
Emma from Static Era
Leah from Naturally Leah
Emma from Embracing It

Do you have (or know someone with) an inspiring health and fitness story that you would like to share? Get in Touch!