Day 1: The beginning of my weight loss journey.

You ready for me to get real on you? I'm going to do something I've never really done before: allow myself to be vulnerable to you all. So here it is. Jenny Green: plain and simple.


I have always been an athlete. I started gymnastics when I was in kindergarden. I remember going to some elementary school gym and trying to learn how to do a somersault on the balance beam, which to this day I still can't do a somersault. I always think I am going to snap my neck off or something so I kind of just flop to the side inside of rolling completely over. Pitiful I know, but it's the truth.


One day my mom approached my twin sister and I and said we should try soccer, but if we didn't like it, we could come back to gymnastics. I think this memory sticks out in my mind because it was the first promise I think my mom made me.


Mom's always know what they're talking about, FYI. 


I started playing soccer and never looked back.


I played YMCA indoor soccer until third grade, until I started playing volleyball. I'm not sure why I switched but my love for volleyball lasted through my freshman year of college.

So did my love for basketball and my love for running track.


I was a three sport athlete for six years (which really means a year round athlete for six years). I won various awards for MVP and Most Inspirational and was voted captain for different seasons.


Sports were my life, and probably my first non-human love.


Playing sports through high school, and then getting involved with intramural at George Fox University meant I spent about 15 years of my life involved in athletics and working out.


So when I stopped due to knee injuries, my body changed, fast.


It's something I've struggled with, especially because I am an identical twin. I know that's silly, but unlike non-twins, I always have someone to compare myself to. I know we are different people and everything, but for some reason I always thought I had to look exactly like Ali, because we are twins.


Ali didn't do anything wrong and I love her SO much, it was just a mindset that I had for a while.


I am coming to terms with the fact that I am exactly who I am supposed to be though. I am exactly how God designed me. I am His masterpiece. I am beautiful. I am strong. I am passionate. Caring. Loving. Selfless. I am Jennifer Green. I am ME.


That being said, I know I can be better with my weight. I don't want my knee injury to hold me back and cause me to have health problems or issues down the road. Fast forwarding my life, I don't want to be 100 pounds heavier, wishing I took advantage of the time I had to work out before I got to that point.


So today I changed that.


I weighed in this morning and saw a horrifying number staring back at me on the scale. Horrifying, yet motivating.


I spent about an hour or so in the gym today. I did 7.9 miles on the stationary bike and walked 2.1 miles on the treadmill. I know with my knees I can't run so these are really great alternatives. I did a mixture of abs and arms in there and now I am feeling great. I can tell I'll be sore, but it's worth it.

Anyone else in this boat?

I read somewhere that, "The thing about reaching your weight loss goal is that it's 100% possible. It's completely in your control. The only thing from stopping you from getting there is you. So get out of the way."


This is really true in my case. My knees have been a sort of scape goat. But that ends today. My horrifying weight ends today.


Today I begin a weight loss journey that will change my life forever.

Hold on your hats ladies and gentlemen. This is going to be a wild ride.