Jen

Hey! I'm Jen and I'm joining in the journey to kick the sugar addiction and maybe somehow become addicted to running (or exercise in general) instead. Since I'll be chiming in and sharing the up's and down's of my experiences, I guess it would help to know who I am and how I got here.

I'm 26 and busy. I work two jobs, volunteer as a youth leader at our church, work out with a personal trainer a couple of times a week if/when my schedule allows, and attempt to have some semblance of a social life. I'm single, but have an awesome roommate who rents the basement of my house and helps me stay somewhat accountable to eating well and exercising (she's a personal trainer... just not mine). I don't have "baby weight" to lose since I've never been pregnant, but knowing that I one day want to have a family is a huge motivator in wanting to get and stay healthy and active.

I'm an emotional eater and a six year off-and-on relationship had me spending a lot of quality time with Ben & Jerry. So the girl who graduated high school weighing around 115 pounds ended up graduating college at 180. That's when I finally had enough and turned to Weight Watchers. I lost 40 pounds in less than a year. But along came another boy - this one who wanted to hang out when I should have been at the gym, who baked cookies with me and had a freezer full of ice cream for me to raid while we worked on our laptops. And before I knew it, 30 of those pounds were right back on my waistline. So back to Weight Watchers I turned! I'm now less than 10 pounds from my goal weight.

It's been a very slow process, but I am determined to make this the last time. I have a personal trainer who keeps me mixing up my workouts with strength training and cardio. I have finished a 5K, two 10K's, and three half-marathons. I'm a walker much more than a runner though - which is something I want to get better at. For me, this is all about being the best possible version of me. I am happy when I am healthy.

So to avoid a family history of cancer and diseases, to be in good shape to hopefully one day fit into a gorgeous wedding dress, to someday have healthy pregnancies and then be a Mom who is actively running around in the backyard with her kids... for these reasons and so many more, I'm going to break the unhealthy addictions and become the woman I believe I was born to be. As Helen Keller once said "Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing."