Hi everyone, my name's Crystal. I'm eager to check out all the forums, but thought it would be nice to introduce myself first. I'm 27 (hence the screen name - oh, so clever!)
I ignored the fact that I was overweight for a long time, until a friend of mine invited me to train for a 5K with her. I thought she was crazy, but my two best friends were doing it, and I didn't want to be left behind. The first day we trained, I had a hard time running for 5 minutes straight. (I was actually chanting "I'm going to die, I'm going to die," in time with my footsteps.)
Long story short, I can now go for 3 miles without walking, and I'm starting to actually enjoying running. (Shocking!)
Of course, once I started running, it seemed counter productive to continue with the eating habits I've had all my life. (Is this trans fat-infused value meal worth 6 to 7 miles of running? No!)
In order to measure my progress, I stepped on a scale for the first time in a year, and was VERY discouraged by what I saw. I keep telling myself I needn't ever see those numbers again, which is why I'm here. I know what I need to do - and I'm committed to do it. But, honestly, it isn't easy. I'm changing a lot of time-honored bad habits, after all.
So, I'm glad to find a place like this, and hope I'll be able to give and receive some encouragement!
Sincerely,
Crystal