Hi my names Jessica! I'm a 32 year old single mom and I work for a health care system. I was what you call a chubby kid. I struggled with my weight after my parents divorced when I was 10 years old. At 13, I lost about 70 pounds. I stayed slim throughout my high school years and well into my 20's. At 25 I had my son and pretty much got my weight off by the time he was 6 months old. I worked my butt off to lose the baby weight. I was working, finishing my bachelor's degree and being a single parent and I still managed to make myself a priority. Even though I looked fit, my insides didn't match my outsides, and somewhere along the way I lost me. Thus began the rollercoaster of weight gain and weight loss. I've now been on this rollercoaster for about 5 years. Two and a half years ago I was down to 170 - I lost 100 pounds - only to gain it back within a year. Last year my step dad passed away very unexpectedly from pancreatic cancer. His passing forced me to face facts about my health and where I'm heading if I continue down this path. I 've gone through a lot of pain over the past few years and my weight is a direct reflection of it. But as I face the fact that I'm nearing my mid 30's and I know more than a handful of people in their 50s with cancer, I'm determined to get my health under control. I don't want to have the same fate and I'm willing to fight hard for a long healthy life.
