I gained weight because I had been a skinny child and teen due to sports and a mother that did not allow junk food in the house. When I went to college, started eating anything and everything that I wanted, and stopped swimming competitively, I gained 80 pounds over 6 years. I kept telling myself that my teenage body was unrealistic for an adult (I'm 5'6" and weighed between 105 and 110 in high school) and that my weight gain was just growing into my adult body.

One day I realized that I was fat, this was not my adult body, I had a BMI that classified me as obese. Once I admitted that I was unhealthy, I started exercising at least 3 times a week and using Fitday to track what I ate. I targeted 1600 - 1700 calories a day. I didn't really pay attention to the macronutrient breakdown, I just tried to get at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables, at least 25 grams of fiber a day, and tried to use good fats wherever possible. After a few months, I started weight lifting in addition to the cardio.

I lost 50 pounds in about 10 months, then maintained around 140 for a year. Back in October, 2003, I decided that I wanted to be more than healthy, I wanted to look fabulous! I've been working out a lot harder since then, but eating a lot, too. I average around 1800 calories a day, which allows me to lose weight slowly provided that I am a regular in the gym. I've dropped from a size 6 to a size 4 and have lost about 10 pounds since then.

I'm currently in training for a half marathon and just ran 8 miles for the first time this past weekend. This is definitely something I can do for the rest of my life. I love the way I feel about myself now, I love being able to go out and run for over an hour without feeling stiff and sore, I love being able to fit into and look good in almost anything in the stores. I know that a lot of people have trouble losing weight, but the formula that works for me is just eating less and moving more, I guess I'm lucky.