FAQs

I haven’t gotten any Internet submitted questions yet, (feel free to contact me if you have any!) but I get a lot of questions from friends and family about my weight loss and exercise habits! Here are the ones I get most often.

How did you lose so much weight? Did you go on Weight Watchers/Nutrisystem/Other random weight loss program?

I did not join Weight Watchers or any other diet program, I just changed my lifestyle. Counting points and whatnot is not for me. I also didn’t want to have to pay to lose weight. I just stopped eating things that were so unhealthy for me, and I started eating a lot less.  I counted calories for a long time. I usually stayed around 1200-1400 and lost a lot of weight by doing that. I also learned to love healthy food, like  fruits and veggies and lean chicken and turkey. I only recently stopped eating meat. I stayed away from sweets and fried foods. (Although now I do indulge once in a while.) I also stopped eating red meat and pork and stopped drinking cow’s milk. I hate the taste of fat-free milk so I switched completely to soy milk!  I also began to exercise regularly.

How did you start to exercise?

I knew that along with changing my diet I would have to start exercising regularly, so I started going for a daily walk on my lunch hour. One day I decided to walk around my  high school track. I wanted to take it up a notch and I started to run. I barely completed one full lap. I started going back to the track and eventually ran one mile!I also started doing other exercises. I bought some pilates DVDs and did pilates a couples times a week along with my walking/running.

How did/do you stay so motivated?

I was sick of being overweight and unhappy. I used to think I was a generally happy person but deep down inside I was sick of myself. I hated the way I looked and the way I felt. I was uncomfortable in my own skin. I would always have visions of doing things “when I get skinny…” so I knew there was a thin person inside of me, I just never knew I would actually become that person! Once I saw the weight coming off, it just kept happening and it kept me going. It wasn’t really that hard at all! I hate when people say they don’t have the motivation or will-power to stick to a diet. You just have to want it bad enough. If I can do it, anyone can.

How much weight did you lose?

I lost about 85 pounds. The number goes up and down a couple of pounds because my weight fluctuates.  I am now at my “happy weight”.

Are you afraid of gaining all your weight back?

I think this might be my greatest fear. However, I know I won’t ever stop exercising regularly, so I can’t imagine gaining much weight back! I would have to stop working out completely and go back to my old eating habits. If I start to slip a little bit I work out more and get right back on track. I know what it feels like to be unhappy and overweight and I don’t ever want to go back to being that person!

Do you still count calories and how many calories do you eat now?

No, not usually. While I’m training for races I try to eat anywhere between 1500-2000 calories day, but since I don’t count, I’m not really sure how much exactly I’m eating. If my clothes start to feel tighter, I try to cut back a little bit. When I’m not training I try to aim for 1400 to maintain my current weight.

I want to lose weight but I don’t know where to start! What should I do?

Start with little steps! For example, go for a short walk a couple times a week and increase it once you know you can handle it! Work on things little by little. Cut your portion sizes. Stuff like that will definitely give you results...as long as you stick to it.

You have as sweet running watch! What is it, what does it do and where did you get it?

My watch is a Garmin 205 GPS watch! I got it for my 25th birthday. My dad ordered it from Walmart.com, since it was cheaper there than at Dick’s Sporting Goods. Its the lower model, but it does everything I need it to do.  It tells me my time, speed, distance, pace and calories burned. I love it! You can also change the sport mode from running to biking and so on.

What type of gear do you run with?

The good thing about running is you only need a really good pair of running shoes and you will be all set to go. But, running gear and gadgets facinate me, so I’m kind of into them.

Running stuff I can’t live without:

Why is your blog called Jen is Green?

I started a blog a while ago about “going green” but I never actually did anything with it. I just kept the name because I couldn’t think of anything else to name my blog!

Where did you get your header made?

I made the header myself! I used a photo I took on one of my bike rides and then made a graphic out of it in Photoshop. :-)

Did you go to college? What did you go for?

I went to college in Albany, New York at The College of Saint Rose. I received my Bachelor’s Degree in Public Communications in May of 2007. I focused on journalism and television production. I had hopes of someday working in television, there aren’t many job opportunities in the Capital District. But I loved Saint Rose and would highly recommend it.

I’m actually going back to school to get a Masters in Nutrition and eventually become a Registered Dietitian. :-) I start taking support courses at a Community College in September 2010. It may take me a while, but I’m going to do it!

What do you do for a living?

Right now I work full-time in an office.

Who is Chris?

I mention Chris in a lot of my blog posts because we do a lot of fun things together. We’ve been dating since November of 2009. So far we’ve run three races together, including the Boilermaker 15K in July 2010. Besides running, some things we like are cooking together, watching movies, and trying new restaurants. :-)