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Introduction Text THE BASICS My name is Ashley. I am 26 years old and am in my third year at Boston College Law School! Over the past few years I have had quite a weight loss journey. I got engaged in August and plan to get married in May 2012, by which time I hope to be about 15 lbs. below my current weight. MY JOURNEY In 2007-2008, I lost 30+ lbs. and three clothing sizes...and then I started law school. In my first year, the combination of stress, a little too much alcohol (plus late night snacking), poverty (not being able to afford alot of my favorite healthy foods) and not having enough time to breathe, let alone cook for myself and work out, caused me to regain alot of the weight I had previously lost, and to reacquire some bad eating habits I had worked hard to lose. MY PLAN I have completely re-committed myself to clean, healthy eating, and to counting calories. Counting is the only tried and true method that I know of for weight loss...simple formula: take in less calories than you burn. If I stay between 1200-1600 calories a day (and up to 2000 on weekends--you have to live a little!), I will lose weight, period. I am also striving to regain my good eating habits, like stopping when I'm full, eating only when I'm truly hungry, scrupulously tracking my food intake, etc. I keep reminding myself, "You KNOW how to do this...you've done it before! Be patient and stick with it and you know that it will pay off!" In addition to tweaking my eating habits, I try to work out 3-5 days a week, alternating between strength and cardio sessions, so that I will actually look toned when the weight comes off. This is not always easy with a law student's schedule, but I'm really trying hard. With my refreshed inspiration and the support of my wonderful fiance, I hope to continue to progress and get back to my happiest, healthiest weight. It would also be nice to look great at my wedding! SPARKPEOPLE SparkPeople is a wonderful community and there are so many wonderful, kind, and inspiring people on here. I just want to say thank you to all of you, and to wish you all luck in achieving your goals!

I want to reach and permanently maintain a healthy weight and lifestyle so that I can enjoy my life and reduce my risk of health problems down the road; many problems (like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes) run in my family and I want to avoid them. I also want to help my family members to adopt healthier lifestyles so that they can feel as great as I do. My fiance, mother, father, sister, and sister-in-law have already gained some inspiration from my progress!

I aim to net 1200-1600 kcal per day to lose weight, but I allow myself to eat up to 2000 kcal on weekends if I want to.

Born and raised in New Jersey (Monmouth County). I graduated from NYU in 2006 and worked in a law firm in Rockefeller Center for two years. I left my job in summer 2008 and moved to Boston for lawyer college. I will graduate in May 2011 (God willing) and take the bar exam that summer. After that, who knows??

Favorite ways to exercise: -running -Pilates! -walking outside on a nice day -elliptical or treadmill -Dance Dance Revolution!! (I do this for about 2 hours at a time until I am too exhausted to be able to hit the steps anymore) Favorite foods: -sweet potato -bananas -spaghetti squash (w/marinara sauce and vegan meatballs!) -chickpeas -oranges -chips and salsa -spinach -portabello mushrooms -brown rice -Brussels sprouts -oatmeal Favorite products: -Amy's vegan pizza -Barbara's Puffins cereal -Health is Wealth vegan chicken nuggets -Quaker Oatmeal Squares -Kashi Go Lean Crunch -Silk chocolate soy milk Favorite sources of inspiration: -SparkPeople, obvs -Self magazine (and self.com) -food blogs

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