Welcome!

Hey there, and welcome to Beer and Brussel Sprouts! To start us off on the right foot, let me introduce myself...

My name's Jen, and I love brussel sprouts. I'm a teacher in Baltimore who's been struggling with weight gain and loss for years. I've tried lots of workout programs, cut out this, that and the other from my diet, but I was never able to quite get it right.

My weight has yo-yo'd up and down within a 20 lb range for the last couple of years. In January of 2014, however, I stepped on the scale (on my 30th birthday, much less) and was shocked to see that I was at my highest weight - 195 lbs. Now, although I'm a lot taller in my mind than in real life, this weight put my 5'7 1/2" frame in the overweight category according to the BMI index. Reading the stats that my weight put me in danger of (diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, cancer, sleep apnea, ostheoarthritis, kidney and liver disease.. shall I continue?) - was the kick in the ass that I needed. I didn't want to suffer from the illnesses and medical problems that I've seen loved ones go through. So I changed my eating habits, incorporated regular exercise, and am incredibly proud to share that, as of today, I've lost 42.8 lbs and am currently sitting on 152.2 lbs! I'm not at my goal weight, but I'm now in the healthy range on the BMI index, and that is an amazing feeling.

I've decided to start this blog to document my progress, to share recipes, tips, and workouts, and most importantly, to inspire others to start their healthy lifestyle. I'm so much happier and confident than I was just a few short months ago, and if I could spark that happiness in others, then I haven't done too bad in this crazy life after all. :)