Writing my first post marks the start of a new journey for me. My name is Jaquarry Wilson and this blog will follow me as I make changes to my diet and overall lifestyle. There were a couple of things that motivated me to start changing my lifestyle. Earlier this month, I had an appointment with my doctor for a check up. That day, I learned that I had gained 25 pounds since the previous visit I had last year. I’ve never really been the type to look at the scale or care too much about the actual number, but one day I decided to use the BMI calculator from the  National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and I found out that i’m actually overweight.

I remember being the chubby kid growing up. I was pretty thin until 3rd grade but I gained a lot of weight from the age of 9 until I was 15 or 16 years old. I went from being overweight to being obese and I struggled with my weight. I wasn’t always participating in physical activity as much as my brother or cousins because I stayed in the house a lot on the computer and playing video games. When I did exercise it was never consistent unless it was football or basketball season and I was on the team. At 16 years old, I changed my diet and I started to lose some weight. I also joined the cross country team and over the course of maybe 3 or 4 months, I had lost 75 pounds.

I’m 22 now and up until this year, I managed to maintain a certain weight. I don’t want to have to deal with any health issues that come with being overweight. When I was heavier I remember doctors telling me lose weight because I was at risk of developing diabetes. Every morning I used to watch my grandma test her blood to make sure her blood sugar was at a good level. This was more motivation to get back shape and start eating healthy.

My schedule is tight and I have very long days and evenings during the week so it is sometimes difficult to find time to prepare healthy meals and exercise. On top of being at work for 8 hours a day and being in class for 3 hours a day, I have to make time to study for my classes. If your schedule is hectic like mine hopefully some of the ideas, stories, and tips that I will write about will help you out. I’ll be sharing how I find the balance that will allow me to live the healthy lifestyle I am trying make for myself. You’ll find time management tips, quick recipes with my personal reviews, work out ideas, and my thoughts and feelings as I go through this lifestyle change.