At age 61, I knew I had to make changes in my life.

Little did I know that those changes would lead to winning the Lifestyle Change Award from the American Heart Association. 

I had lost my father (age 73) and brother (age 57) to a heart attack. My younger sister survived four heart attacks and another brother lost both his feet to diabetes. I had Type2 diabetes; I never exercised, ate on the run and weighed in at 212 pounds on a 5’2" frame. I was miserable.  I knew I needed to make a change in my life.

One day I saw an ad for a boot camp and took a chance.

At first I could barely walk a quarter of a mile but after sticking with the program, I was running up flights of steps and doing strength training. The weight started to come off and my energy level increased. I joined a gym and started an exercise log. I looked for more healthy ways to feed myself and my family.

I have now lost 72 lbs and have cut my cholesterol medicine down to a quarter of what I had been previously taking. I no longer need medicine for diabetes.

My grandson nominated me for the Lifestyle Change Award last year. I did not know at that time how much winning the award would encourage me to keep going and also give me a voice to encourage others to make healthy changes. For example, my oldest daughter ran a 5K in the Grandma’s Marathon – a year ago she would have never considered it. My youngest daughter is consistently losing ½ to 1 pound a week.
 

Some things I have learned along my journey:

1. Keep moving!  About every 20 minutes move your body. [Go get a glass of water instead of having a water glass at your desk. Keep your knees moving as you sit or move your head as you work.] Get creative in how to move your body as you work.
2. Watch your portion sizes. Weigh out your food until you get an idea of size.
3. Take small bites and chew longer.
4. Today is the first day of the rest of your life and how you live it will determine the health and quality of the rest of your life. 
5. Drink lots of water.
6. Just say "no" and plan ahead of time to say "no."
7. Sign up for a gym membership, boot camp, dance class or get out and walk or bicycle.
8. You are never too old.  I am now 63 years old and loving life, capable of things I have not been capable of and trying hobbies I never dreamed of trying at 212 pounds.

If you have made changes in your life style for the betterment of your health or know someone you are proud of that has, think about applying for the Lifestyle Change Award from the American Heart Association this year you will not regret your decision.