My cholesterol eventually grew to very unhealthy levels, and I was put on cholesterol medication. I had constant fatigue and shortness of breath. It left me feeling drained and unhappy.

In 2006, I was 45 years old and wasn’t feeling very good about myself. At 6’ 4”, I could physically hide a lot of weight–but I couldn’t hide it from myself. The moment that convinced me to take action and reclaim my health was very simple: I was sitting on the couch and I leaned forward to tie my shoes and realized I couldn’t breathe. My gut was cutting off my breath. My weight had topped out at 297 pounds. It was time to make a change.

In the summer of 2006, I decided to start something simple: a walk around the block. It wasn’t much, but I was determined to stick with it. I very slowly started adding more distance and speed. Eventually over a long period of time, I was walking anywhere from 4-8 miles pretty much every day. I would use my lunch hour at work to squeeze in a few more miles.

I also joined WeightWatchers. The thing I love about the program is that nothing is off limits. You get points every week and you decide how you want to use them. I refuse to eat anything just because it’s “diet-friendly”—it has to be something I really like. I’ve found healthier substitutes for just about everything I like to eat. I don’t consider WeightWatchers a diet, because diets end. This was a lifestyle change I could live with.

After 3 years of walking and adopting healthy eating habits with WeightWatchers, I had lost close to 100 pounds, and I was feeling much better. I thought I’d try running. I used the same slow and steady process I took with walking.

The first time out, I walked for one block and ran another. Once again, I started slowly adding speed and distance. In 2010, I did my first 5K race, the local St. Patrick’s Day race. I eventually tried a 10K and then a half Marathon in 2011. I remember finishing the half and saying to myself: “I can’t even imagine running a full marathon!”

The next year I signed up for the Smuttynose Marathon in Hampton, NH. I took the training seriously and hit every goal in the 16 week program. In September of that year, I finished my first marathon! When I moved to Arizona in 2017, I moved from road running to trail running. A local running company offered a 12 hour race where you run as many miles as you can. The first time I attempted it, I quit after 9 hours with 33 miles done. The following year I did the whole 12 hours, finishing with 44 miles.

Today, I’m walking, running or biking pretty much every day. I also started playing pickleball several times a week. During COVID, I started weight training and have kept up with a schedule of 3 times a week. Since moving to Arizona, I’ve fallen in love with hiking and am always looking for new hikes to take. A couple of years ago, I checked off a big bucket list item by hiking to the bottom and back up the Grand Canyon. One of my favorite activities is the Susan G. Komen 3-Day, which is a 60 mile walk. I did my first one in 2010, and just did my 24th and 25th this year in Boston and San Diego. My goal in 2025 is to do a 100K race in the Arizona desert.

I can honestly say at 63 years old, I’m much healthier and in better shape than I was at 25. My motto from day one has been: “patience, persistence, but never, ever perfection!” Get out there and find something you like to do. Take it slow and give it time to become a habit! Change it up every once in a while. The bottom line is go out there and do something your future self will be proud of. Don’t worry about the time it will take. Time will pass anyway. Use it to improve your future. You’re worth it.

Three Things That Have Made My Transformation a Success

Tip 1:

Take Baby Steps

I was never in a hurry to lose weight or improve my fitness. I was always happy knowing I was heading in the right direction! It truly amazes me how far I’ve come with tiny increases over many years.

Tip 2:

Don’t be Afraid to Try New Things

I am doing things at 63 years old I could never imagine myself doing when I was 45. My WeightWatchers coach told me at my very first meeting, “The smaller you get, the bigger your world will get.” How incredibly true that is!

Tip 3:

Find a Support Group

I have been part of several running clubs since starting my journey. I’m always amazed at the level of support and motivation the members give each other without being competitive!