HAPPY FREAKING NEW YEAR! Welcome to the JenX Journey!
JenX Journey is corny and that’s why I like it.
I’ve been obese for most of my adult life. Somehow after years of struggling I have finally reached a more healthy weight and have kept it off!
The short story is that I spent years overeating (binge eating) and then strict dieting in a circle of madness for about 20-years until I reached a high of 262 pounds. I was depressed. My metabolism is glacial. It can take a toll on a girl.
I was so ashamed in fact, I would walk in to a room of people and immediately assess if I was the fattest person in the room. I guess it was my own way of trying to determine how “off the rocker” I was. Thinking, “everyone else in this room has their $#!T together, Jen – what is wrong with you!?” True story. Feeling like that is your own little prison of helplessness. If so few people were struggling, what was wrong with me? I know what to do, why can’t I do it?
Its a simple math equation, right? Nope.
But after 20-years of yo-yo’edness I started down a path where everything began to change in October 2014.
There are some amazeballs people and processes that made (and are still making) it all happen. Dr, Christy Kirkendol Watson of LiveLight Clinic in Zionsville got me started on the path of not only helping me lose the majority of my weight – but showing how I can keep it off. That was a big deal. She encouraged me to try CrossFit (which I just laughed the first time she suggested that). But I did. And that led me to April Garner of CrossFit 180 in Lebanon and then DJ Elliot of Elavus CrossFit in Crawfordsville (which has nothing short of changed my life and maybe even saved my life), which led me to Stronger U Nutrition and Coach Therese Luna and Founder Mike Doehla who are helping me not only lose weight and inches, but nutrition that will support my fitness goals of a pull up! (Read more about them on my Cool People page at http://www.jenpendleton.com).
At the same time, this was all up to me. I had to do the work. So what changed? What made ME lose and keep off 85 pounds? Was I just so fed up I was finally ready? I don’t even really understand it looking back, so I’m going to reflect on what happened and see if we can figure that out – together. I want to be able to help others if I can!
Its crazy that I’m 46 years old as I’m writing this and feel stronger and more capable than ever. I also have a helluva long way to go. Keeping fatty food out of my mouth is a daily struggle. And I want to help anyone else that feels stuck in a similar prison. There is hope.
My goals these days are to age well, be well and help others do the same. Particularly those of you who feel like food is in control of your life. That hopelessness you feel my friend? Well, I know. I just know.
Thanks for joining me on my 2018 quest to lose my 100th pound, do a kipping pull up and reflect on what got me here. Maybe we can help each other along the way? And for those of you who are here for the entertainment, well I can guarantee you some laughs and maybe some cheers. I promise to show it all, the good and the bad. It’s not going to be all pretty social media lenses – maybe a few, but the struggle WILL be real.
Buckle up! JEN
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