My name is Crystal Gonzalez and I am 38 years old. I am married with two children. I am currently 40 pounds overweight. Most of my weight was put on during my pregnancies. I am a Financial Management Analyst for the Navy. I work for Navy SEALS and I probably stand out, because none of them are overweight. My job is sedentary, so I do not burn a lot of calories during my work day. For leisure, I love to take my dog Matilda (A Boston Terrier) to the dog park. We got her six months ago and she has motivated me to get off my behind and start moving! My favorite food is Mexican food. My weakness is desserts. Desserts are my downfall, when it comes to trying to lose weight. I love cupcakes, chocolate and ice cream.In 2007 I was diagnosed with Cancer. The diagnosis was devastating and the wait to find out if the Cancer had spread was even worse. Fortunately, the Cancer did not spread and on September 24, 2007 I had surgery to remove the Cancerous Tumor. Fortunately, the surgery was successful. In hindsight I can see that after my surgery I suffered from depression. I don't know if other Cancer survivor's can relate to this but the emotional scars Cancer leaves are sometimes worse than the physical scars. In hindsight I can see that after my Cancer ordeal I suffered with depression for over a year. When I was depressed I found my comfort in food. I gained at least twelve pounds since then.I want to accomplish overall good health. It is known that being at healthy weight boosts your immune system. Even though I survived Cancer, I have to be ready to fight it in case it decides to come back. I am also aware that I have high cholesterol and I probably have some other health issues that are caused by my extra pounds. My goal at the end of this challenge is to lose at least 25 pounds. If I accomplish this, I hope that my high cholesterol levels will go down and that any other health issues that are caused by my extra pounds, go away.
