My name is Jess

Welcome to my blog!!! I am so happy that you have stopped by. I'm going to give you a little background information about me, and tell you my goals for the blog. So, let's get acquainted. 

My name is Jess and I am a 26-year-old, country girl who loves good food, good music, and good company. I have a boyfriend, Jake, and am Mommy to a beautiful brindle pit-bull mix named Anah. We live in the heart of Mississippi, which means at the heart of the deep south. Here, everything is fried, sweet, covered in cheese, or comes in extra-large portions. 

You all know the statistics about Mississippi. It is the worst in the good ones, and the best in the bad ones. Mississippi is in the top of the nation for diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and depression. I want these statistics to change. The question is, "How do we change them?" We have to do it one person, one commitment, and one decision at a time. It will not be easy, and I'm sure it will not always be fun; but I am willing to try to change our statistics. I am going to change my life for myself, my family, and my fellow Mississippians. I am in the same boat as many of the other Mississippians. I am overweight - obese even. I am poor - so close to homeless that I am not even comfortable with it. I am busy. I spend long hours at work, and live in the country - so I spend long hours driving back and forth between work and home. 

I have used all of the excuses, but the truth is I could start living a healthy life if I really wanted to. I am here to document my journey. I want you to see my path, step by step. Maybe you can follow-a-long, too, so that we can improve this country's health one person at a time. I will basically begin by learning to cook at home. That is really sad to admit, but I haven't had a lot of practice. I'm going to quit eating out at restaurants for every meal, and document my attempts at home-cooked meals here (Failures and all). 

It will be an entertaining journey, I hope. Thank you for joining me! Happy living!!