After my mother died 4 years ago, I became very depressed and just ate myself into oblivion. I went from weighing about 140 pounds to nearly 250 pounds quite quickly. At 5'5", that is a lot of extra weight to carry around. I just didn't care about anything, and even though I had very supportive family and friends, I knew that I had to be the one to get myself out of this funk.

I started working out with a personal trainer at my gym. I needed a confidence boost and lifting weights was what gave me that boost. As I became stronger and stronger, building muscles, I also noticed that I was shrinking in size but not really losing weight. I had good muscles, but they were hiding under a lot of fat.

That is when I got the "diet" talk. Eating nutritious and protein packed foods not only kept me from eating unhealthy foods, I felt more alert, more energetic, and my life started to turn around. I felt happier, sexier, calmer...the better I ate, the harder I worked out. I added virtual races to my routine. I hiked. I swam. I gardened. Whatever I could do to get some "hidden" exercise in.

It has been four long years, and I am still a work in progress. That's ok with me. I feel terrific and with some buddies on this site, who do not judge, but encourage and inspire, I look forward to continuing this journey the rest of my life as best I can. I have severe knee problems and get twinges of arthritis, but moving helps me.

Anyway, this is a progress report and a way for me to tell anyone who might also be on this path, to join us. It is never too late and you have to start somewhere. I still have about 25 pounds to go to my goal weight, but I am going to do it.

I have a picture of me on my profile page that I took this week after my workout. I am wearing a sports bra and yoga pants, so nothing sexy. I more often wear a t-shirt when I work out with my trainer just because it sops up the sweat...but I am gaining confidence enough to show off my shrinking tummy! lol Not too bad for 61, I think! lol