Follow JenniferGreen's Progress

[JenniferGreen]

It sure is good to be back!! I wanted to use this thread to track my progress and I invite you to follow along.

A little about me: I live in Louisville, Kentucky. I am married, have three wonderful kiddos (Jessica 5, Joshua 3, Jaclyn (Jack) 1). I am a Sales Consultant at Carmax of Louisville, which is conveniently three miles from home and after a decade of being on the road in sales, it is such a blessing to be so close to work. My family are Christians and we are involved in Southeast Christian Church (the third or fourth largest congregation in the USA). My husband is an IT executive for a medium sized manufacturing company, although he is always looking for the next opportunity to promote himself with a new company. I have been overweight since High School, hate vegetables, hate to exercise and have followed conventional wisdom diets for years...only to gain more weight. My father lost over 80 pounds doing Atkins THE WRONG WAY (induction with no vegetables for almost a year), and has put 30 pounds back on three years later. Now he is doing the cabbage soup diet thing... Okay, so Dad is not a role model. But I know this WOE works for me: I feel better when I eat this way (which begs the question, then why don't you just continue eating this way? I guess I just self defeat when discouraged).

Anyway, I joined this board in early July determined to lose weight THIS TIME, so many of our stories start that way! I lost thirty pounds in 95 days...so incredible! And I always blame this board for my success, your support and ideas kept me going...

Then I found out I was pregnant with Baby #4. We were thrilled and as I tried to maintain this WOE, I fell off the bandwagon a bit and I stopped posting here (perhaps out of guilt, but I was also just exhausted). I was surprised as I filled my diet up with bad carbs that I really didn't put those 30 pounds back on, okay so I was LUCKY. But I also felt miserable eating that way.

The week after Thanksgiving, my husband and I went to our routine ultrasound appointment, anxious to find out if we are having a boy or a girl. Instead we found a beautiful baby with no heartbeat. I was sent to the hospital for induced labor and there the nightmare just continued. The past six weeks have been the most difficult I have ever faced, and I am amazed at what I have discovered about myself:
* What I say I believe and what I truly believe are totally different things.
* I spend so much time providing for everyone else that I am not providing for myself. And there is no guilt to be found in caring for me. My 2005 resolution is to be more selfish. My 'selfless martyr' has to go.
* Every day I need to appreciate what blessings I have, instead of obsessing over what I don't have (whether that be beauty or size 8 jeans or a better looking checking account).
* Whether I am stressed or worried about something or not, the outcome stays the same. So I need to just relax and go with the flow instead of trying to control the world. No one has voted me Emperor of the Universe (yet...).

So here I am ... focusing on a healthier year. After such a horrid Christmas season this year, I really want to see next Christmas different. I want to give myself the best Christmas present ever: a healthier me, in all ways (not just scale weight). So I continue in my Quest.

I plan on journaling here every 25th and 10th of the month (those are my measurement and weigh in dates), so if you would like to follow my progress you will see these posts bumped twice a month. I also love to give my two cents, so you will most likely see my posts elsewhere ... and I LOVE TO COOK, so I will be happy to post some of my unusual recipes and cooking ideas around too. My dad ate cheese, eggs and steak for a year (YUCK!!!)...I need a LOT more variety. And I hate vegetables, so I will be looking to you guys to give me ideas to get over that hurdle!!!

Okay...as my Mom always says, Go drink a glass of water and you will feel better. (My healthy Mom always recommends water as the cure for everything...).

May God continue to reveal His true self to all of us today...

Jennifer Green
jennifergreenky@hotmail.com

[ztachick]

well welcome jennifer you seem very motivated and enthusiastic which is great! hope to see you around, you are doing great so far :joy

[accept_jesus]

welcome back :joy


danny

godbless

[2big4mysize]

welcome back sorry for your loss :hug


we have a journal section of the board and you can set up a journal there for your journaling. maybe if you want to use this topic you could get a mod to move it for you there.

Happy low carbing

[JenniferGreen]

Thanks!! I just followed your advice...and I found the journaling location! I will be adding more posts there...if anyone wants to follow me!

And thank you for the warm welcome, everyone!

[jroche5998]

Jennifer, welcome to the board, and congratulation on your success so far.

I'm sorry about your child, I can't even imagine what that is like.

Here's to the new you and happier times.