I had gained a serious amount of weight - 42 inch waist and weighed 258. I did the Body For Life program and never waivered. After 12 weeks, got down to 193. Best shape of my life. Kept it off for some time. Then came a torn rotator cuff. Fell off the wagon and the weight piled back on. I have yo-yo'd much of my life. Then, came a divorce, but it put me in another mode. Down to a 34 waist. Better shape at 53 than at 20. Two years ago, came a stroke - the cause? Type 2 diabetes. Poor eating habits, stress and sedentary lifestyle all contributors to it. Didn't quite have the strength to hit the gym but totally changed eating habits and lost nearly 40 pounds. Again, the yo-yo fell. Arthritic knees, shoulder still an issue at times. Eating is my stress release. So, long story short, at 58, I'm here to stay and looking to soak in the knowledge and inspiration provided here.

It takes me away from "the world." I truly don't think about anything but my workout. The post-workout feeling. Feeling lean and pumped the next morning. The final rewards of having a good self-image and the self-confidence to live each day.