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Introduction Text ***Update 5/5/2012*** Met my happy weight and now I'm entering this new phase called maintenance. I had made the conscious decision to get healthier (eating right and exercising) 7 years ago and succeeded in my weight loss goals. I managed to keep the weight off for 4 years but when I changed jobs 4 years ago, the added stress from my new job erased all of my hard work. Last summer I lost a good chunk of that stress weight again (thanks to SparkPeople) in order to fit into my wedding dress but the honeymoon erased all of my hard work, again. This time I am ready to lose weight for good and keep it off, no matter what! I have come to realize that even once I hit my goal, I will have to continue tracking food and exercise and that is a lifestyle change I have to make. I'm not one of those people who wants to be as skinny as she possibly can be. I want to lose weight but I only want to lose until I hit my "happy weight". When I carry extra pounds, I don't feel right but at the same time, when I am under my "happy weight", I don't feel right either. In addition to losing weight, I am making these lifestyle changes so that I can make myself healthy in the long run. I have a family history of heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. I am not going to fall victim to my genetic predispositions. Lastly, I have come to understand that strength training is a big part of exercise. As a woman who has now entered her 30s, I realize how important this is for my overall health.

I recently hit my happy weight and the goal is now to maintain my current weight. I'd like to make it through the myriad of summer parties and events at my current weight. I don't want to gain again due to too much alcohol and ice cream. I took up running a few months ago and I want to keep up with it this summer and not let the heat and humidity derail me. I've been good with cardio so far but slacking in the strength training department so the goal is to do 3 X 30 min ST sessions a week.

I don't like being locked into a contract at the gym so I buy group coupons for gym memberships. When I have those, I do cardio at the gym, especially during the summer when it's less crowded. Otherwise, I work out at home (I have mini-ellipitical) while I watch TV or I do SparkPeople fitness videos or other fitness DVDs. I also buy group coupons for fitness classes to help me switch up my routine from time to time and not get bored.

My name is Jennifer and I am a research scientist (postdoctoral fellow) at a major university hospital in NYC. Working in NYC means I walk A LOT but it also means there's great food temptations everywhere!

I'm a big ol' science nerd. Pretty much anything geeky I love it. I especially love Harry Potter and Star Wars. Oh, and I love food. I plan on eating my way through NYC's fine and not-so fine dining establishments.

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