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Introduction Text Hi, I'm Cristen and I'm finally ready to get serious about weight loss. I weigh 209lbs and know I need all the motivation I can get from the wonderful spark people in this community. I was a skinny kid and thin adult until after my 4th (30) child. After each pregnancy the weigh just seemed to melt off. In my younger days I had never been interested in food unless I was pregnant and I had never dieted. I did a lot of dancing and Jane Fonda workout tapes though and really enjoyed them. I just assumed the weight would come off as usual. Shortly before my 4th pregnancy my husband an I moved across the country away from both of our families. It was at this time that I became a stay at home wife and began learning to cook. Suddenly I was enjoying food that I never would have eaten before and didn't even realize how much I'd gained until I had to buy bigger clothes post pregnancy. I really didn't worry much and thought the weight would come off eventually. After two more children, 6 moves and a diabetes diagnosis( I had gestational with my last two) I knew I was overweight but didn't realize how much until I saw my photo. I started on a treadmill and instantly I was overcome with pain and couldn't move the next day. I had had these events happen each time we moved, after the birth of a child and when I had done more activity than normal but this time it was excruciating and I became bedridden. We didn't know what was wrong and I continued to gain weight. My husband was able to get me to a doctor who finally diagnosed me with Rheumatoid Autoimmune Disease. It took a long road of experimenting with meds but I am finally able to exercise moderately without having a flare. Along this journey my liver began to have a hard time working. I had a liver biopsy and was diagnosed with NASH (Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis) with my liver being 60% fat and 40% scar tissue. I don't want to lose my liver and the only way to do that is to lose the weight and eat a healthy diet. I feel terrible that I let myself down, but confident I can beat this disease. My #1 goal now is to lose as much weight as I am safely able to before I have another RA flare. Little by little I can do this!!!

199- 7/8/13 Back up to 205 so restarted 8/16/2013 203- 8/31/2013 201- 199- 197- 195- 193- 190- Walk every day. Add more veggies to my diet.

My Beginning: Tracking food on SP Walking 3x a week and strength training every other day. Reading motivational weight-loss stories. Participating in team challenges.

I grew up in Utah, spent 5 years in Virgina, 3 in Colorado and finally settled in MA. I am a married, stay at home mom and have 6 children ranging in age from 24 to 6 with 3 still at home.



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