About Me

Hello! Thanks for dropping by Conquering the Sharks! I'm CJ.

You probably are wondering what "Conquering the Sharks" is all about if you are reading this page. Way way back in December 2011, I decided that it was time to get healthy, exercise and lose weight. As has happened many times in my life, I had a great idea and plan with absolutely no dedication to follow through in the long run.

Earlier that fall, my cousin announced that she was going to swim SharkFest in San Francisco. At the time, I thought a goal would be enough motivation for me to get to the gym, exercise, start swimming and make it to San Francisco in July 2012. I hated to exercise, sweat and knew running wasn't for me, but I always loved swimming. Bonus: no sweating! It would be a win win.

Hence, the name "Conquering the Sharks." 

Well, that didn't happen. Nope. Not at all. I didn't conquer the sharks or even come close. I think I may have gone to the gym a few times, but really this quest ended before it even started. I was not in the right place in my life to succeed with that goal or probably anything.

Flash forward to January 2016, it was different. After spending 10 days in Los Angeles living in a hotel with nightly parties, sitting in a ballroom all day with an abundance of free food and lots of alcohol ... I came home at least 3 pounds lighter. Not sure how that happened, but it was the beginning of my new lifestyle.

Initially, I was going to start seeing a Nutritionist, but fate stepped in and I ended up joining Weight Watchers (WW). I had never been a fan of WW before. The point system didn't seem geared towards healthy eating and the idea of meetings was not appealing at all.

At work, they needed one more person to join the Weight Watchers at Work program to keep the meetings going, so... I joined. It ended up being the jumpstart I needed with weekly accountability. (Thanks to JK for convincing me to join!) The new SmartPoints program encourages healthy eating by making high protein foods lower in points and foods higher in saturated fats and sugars higher in points. It fit the way I wanted to change my diet.

I lost weight with WW which helped, but I needed to start moving. In the early Spring, I started walking every morning before work. Once I had gotten my endurance up from walking, I found a personal trainer help me with strength training. The girl from 2011 who hated exercise and sweating was nowhere to be found. I now love it and need it every day. I don't even mind (like?) sweating. For the past few years, I've continued my love of training and lifting weights. Cardio and endurance activities are still my nemesis. 

Flash forward to 2020, I'm doing a Spartan Race! I decided to use "Conquering the Sharks" to reflect on this journey, because training and competing in the Spartan Race will be my next "shark" to overcome! 
- cj

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