...which is where I find my motivation and personal strength ~ from within.

I'm Jen and I live in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. Since joining Spark in July of 2008, I have learned that my weight loss goal is more important to me than i originally thought because it's not just about losing weight, it's about a total lifestyle change - diet, exercise, stress reduction, personal outlook.

In terms of weight, I was a thin person most of my life. I never battled with ...

...which is where I find my motivation and personal strength ~ from within.

I'm Jen and I live in Vancouver, British Columbia Canada. Since joining Spark in July of 2008, I have learned that my weight loss goal is more important to me than i originally thought because it's not just about losing weight, it's about a total lifestyle change - diet, exercise, stress reduction, personal outlook.

In terms of weight, I was a thin person most of my life. I never battled with my weight as a child or teenager and I bounced back to my pre-pregnancy weight quickly after each of my 3 kids. Then on January 1st, 2008, I quit smoking and not only did I put on almost 15 pounds in 7 months, but my metabolism slowed and I became a bigger eater (not a great combo as we all know...). So I joined spark hoping to lose the post-smoking weight, and get healthier at the same time.

I have been a runner for the past 5-6 years and love it. There is no greater satisfaction for me than running because it incorporates so many different muscles, gives me a great workout, plus provides an avenue for me to clear my head and just think, not to mention the sense of personal satisfaction achieved in running.

As a child I was sprinter - hated long distances, but could run really fast if I kept in at under a 1/4 mile. Now, my pace has slowed, but my endurance has increased, and I find myself not getting really "warmed up" until about 30 minutes into a run, and feeling at my "peak" around the 1 hour mark. Hence I run 10k's and half marathons now, but am itching to try the "full monty," as it's called by some, before the end of 2009. I had previously told myself that i would run a marathon around the age of 35...well I'll be 34 in September 2009, so the time is now!!

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So in 2009 in will:

~Return to road racing with a 10km race (Apr) and likely some other 5km and 10km races throughout the year way

~Complete my first sprint distance triathlon (Aug)

~Complete a 50km (or maybe the 150 km distance if I find the guts) bike race (Sep)

~Complete my first marathon in late 2009 (Dec)

~Spend more time exercising outdoors with my kids - snowboarding, hiking, geocaching, biking, having picnics

~Continue to improve my tennis game, and encourage my hubby to do the same

~Make yoga a more regular part of my exercise routine

~Lose the 7 or so pounds that seem determined to hang on to me!!

~Do all of the above by continuing to do at least an hour of cardio 6-7 days per week, and strength training 3 days per week. At least 3-4 of the cardio days will be spent running, but the others will be cross training - hiking, tennis, cycling, swimming, whatever I feel like on that day!

~Eat clean, by paying attention to what I eat, but not defining myself by it. The occasional treat is not only fun, but necessary ;)

~Calculate my caloric needs accurately (see below)
BMR Formula for a woman = 655 + (4.35 x weight in lbs) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years)
My current BMR: 1415 (basic calorie needs without any activity)

~Document my progress, running and otherwise, via my Spark blog.

~Continue to reap the benefits of this fabulous Spark resource we all share by connecting with people, sharing inspirational stories, comparing goals, providing support and generally motivating each other!

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March 18th, 2009:
I "assumed" that once i upped my exercise frequency and intensity, combined with watching what I ate, that the weight would just fall off.....WRONG!! Here we are in 2009 and i've been at a weight plateau for the past 3+ months.
Yet at the same time, I am in the best shape of my life and I feel great. I love exercising and it has become an everyday part of my life, plus i have made some permanent, but easy, changes to my eating habits. So maybe I am at my "ideal" weight?? I don't know. I do know that I'm not ready to stop trying to get down to my "goal" weight, so I will continue to try and bust through that plateau.

Race Results:
April 19th, 2009 ~ Vancouver Sun Run, 10km ~ Chip time 1:05:50

Read More About JENARAGON (Updated November 15)

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