To give you an idea of my build around that time, at 39 years old I was 6’ tall and weighed about 215 lbs. Within six months of the divorce and turning the big 4-0, I had gained 38 lbs! When I moved into my new apartment, I hated the small kitchen and never wanted to cook, and therefore binged on fast food and lots and lots of pizza. Oh, and did I mention I started drinking a lot as well? I rarely even left my apartment because I was very embarrassed by my appearance.

I was definitely depressed so I looked for an easy way out by asking my doctor for some anti-depressants. I started taking Prozac but I felt like a zombie, so I stopped taking it. I was never much for pills anyway.

It was at this point the doctor expressed some concern about my weight gain and told me that my fast-food diet and the drinking was definitely contributing to my depression. He also performed a blood test for cholesterol and a liver panel. Neither results were good……total cholesterol was 316 (it’s supposed to be under 200) and he said my liver levels were “elevated.”

The cholesterol numbers alone were very disturbing, so I finally got my fat butt on a diet. My starting weight was 253 lbs.

At first, the weight fell off fairly quickly, at least the first ten pounds. I stopped drinking almost all together. If I did drink it was vodka tonics, and no more than two and only on the weekends. I also stopped all fast food and started making my own meals in my small, cramped kitchen. I immediately lost 10 pounds in about two and a half weeks. That must have been water weight because then it got a little more difficult.

I joined LA Fitness and started working out and started looking at websites and articles for tips. My biggest problem was getting the energy to workout, especially after working all day. However, after about two weeks of pushing myself, even on days where I swore I couldn’t workout, the weight started coming off again and I actually looked forward to my workouts.

After 10 months, I went from 253 lbs. to 192 lbs. Yes! I lost 61 lbs. so far and I only have 12 more lbs. to go to hit my goal weight.

I know it sounds like a cliché, but the more weight I lost the younger I felt. When I was 250+ lbs., I honestly felt like I was 70 years old sometimes, especially when I would get winded walking up the stairs….and I’m a non-smoker!

A few things that helped me was borrowing a relative’s Weight Watcher’s points book for when I was eating out, reading some books on strength training, and watching a lot of The Biggest Loser (yes, that IS a motivator!).

The Weight Watcher’s points books are affordable (anywhere from $19.95 to $39.95, or you can borrow one like I did) and invaluable if you don’t want to count calories.

The other book I read for exercise and strength training coaching was called Fit Over 40, which was also a great ally in my choosing what workouts were best for me, as well as different diet ideas since everyone’s different. It has tons of good ideas for men and women and was also very motivational. Here’s a link for that info: http://tinyurl.com/mgamqs

As for watching The Biggest Loser, I think you can watch it online at nbc.com. It’s amazing how much weight they lose over the course of a season.

Anyways, I’m writing this article because you need to know it’s never too late to get back into shape, and I can promise you that once you do, you will never feel better in your head and about yourself.

– Nuts, any kind (almonds are best)
– Beans/Legumes
– Fresh vegetables (green is GREAT!!!)
– Dairy products (as long as they’re low-fat or non-fat)
– Eggs
– Lean meats (fish and poultry top the list)
– Olive oil
– Whole grain breads/cereals/pasta
– Fresh fruits (anything that ends in “berry” is a winner)
– Tea (green tea or black pekoe tea