SparkSpotlight: GROWINGSOUL

By , SparkPeople Blogger
At SparkPeople, we love helping people accomplish big goals—but we believe it's equally important to celebrate the small successes along the way. Each week in the Spark Spotlight, we'll check in with a featured member about his or her proudest moments, biggest challenges and advice for others on living, thinking and feeling healthier. We hope these quick snapshots will help motivate you to keep moving steadily toward your own goals, week by week.
 
This Week's Spotlight: Jessice (GROWINGSOUL)

Age: 30

Location: Kenosha, Wisconsin
 
Small Success of the Week
 
Jessice made a small choice that had a big impact—she left her car at home and walked to and from work. The extra walking time put her at more than 10,000 steps for the day! 
 
What's your overall goal?
 
My goal has changed many times throughout my journey. My current goal is just to have higher levels of energy, to feel better and to be able to accomplish more each day. I want to combat the heart disease and high blood pressure that runs on both sides of my family. In addition to feeling better about myself, I want to know what I can accomplish through my own determination. 

How is SparkPeople helping you get there?
 
SparkPeople helps me out a lot through their community. I remember learning about SparkPeople years ago through YouTube. The food, fitness and weight trackers have been some of the most useful tools for me, but I'd have to say reading articles on SparkPeople was and is one of the main contributors to maintaining my motivation.

What's your biggest challenge right now?

Consistency. I started my weight-loss journey in 2011 at about 250 pounds. I did great for a few years [and] I lost about 98 pounds. Life happens, I guess, and I gained back 35 pounds, but I have lost four pounds of that so far.
 
What advice do you have for someone who just joined SparkPeople today?

Start small. Start by learning to navigate the food tracker and read as many useful articles as possible.
 
Want to be the next small success we spotlight? Share your successes on the goal feed or in the comments below, and you might be the next person we contact!