Changing 4 the Better

I’m in deep trouble, really deep. I have had high cholesterol since I was twenty, danced
around with diabetes for two of my three pregnancies, and just recently developed high
blood pressure. Did I mention I am also 125 pounds overweight? Yeah, that doesn’t help
things much either.

So how did I get in such rough shape? I didn’t struggle with childhood obesity, a little
chubby during adolescence but nothing that didn’t resolve naturally. Some weight snuck
up on me my senior year, about 20 pounds, but I thought some serious bike riding would
do the trick. Not so! I got stronger, but no weight loss. I got married right out of high
school, and added another 20 pounds, for no good reason. By my first anniversary, I was
another 25 pounds heavier and pregnant.

I gained and lost and regained fifty pounds over the next two years, riding a roller coaster
of postpartum depression, bankruptcy, determined exercising and then more depression.
By the time I had found out I was expecting again, I was steady at 235, yikes! Again I
gained some and lost some and regained some more weight over the next years. Long
story short, I’m 36 years old, 5’1” tall and 260 pounds. Like I said, deep trouble.

The good news for me is I have made some head way on improving my health. Just
two and half months ago, I quit drinking pop. It was a huge, major big deal for me. I
was a 2-liter a day Coke-a-Cola gal. Now I am ready to up the ante, diving into a vegan
lifestyle. Well, maybe I’m more wading in to test the waters, but it’s still a big change
for the better.

Jenni