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By Kathi Casey.

Women Spinning At Gym By Photostock

Today, when I was pondering my daily gratitudes, I began thinking about synchronistic events and how they arrive in our lives at just the right moment. Have you ever noticed that now and again someone comes along who truly inspires everyone around them and brings renewed enthusiasm into all of our lives?

A friend of mine has done exactly that recently and I want to share her story with you. Feel free to share it with anyone else who may need a little bit of inspiration as well.

Jill had been obese and diabetic for her entire adult life, then morbidly obese, and she was still getting bigger…. One day she simply said – enough is enough! She talked with her doctor, and underwent gastric bypass surgery. In gastric bypass the stomach is surgically reduced so you can only eat a very small amount of food at any one sitting. People who undergo this surgery typically lose half of their body weight within two years.

Nutrition and fitness counseling is provided, but many people find it difficult to follow the recommended lifestyle changes. Most people do lose about half of their body weight, but, in fact, by the third year many begin gaining it back and sometimes after five years, about 50% are seriously overweight again.

When I saw Jill about a year ago, she was, indeed, half the person she had previously been. I was very impressed, but that was only the beginning of her new healthy lifestyle. She truly meant it when she’d said – never again! So, after having lost that significant amount of weight, Jill began a weekly exercise routine that included walking, first around the block, then a mile, then she started jogging.

Last year she ran a 5K (3 miles). This spring she did a 10K (6.2 miles), and last weekend she completed a half marathon, 13.1 miles, on her 50thbirthday! Wow, how cool is that?! Many of us didn’t think she would see 50. What a fabulous birthday gift to herself and her family! Friends and family, including myself, came from around the country to run with her or to cheer her on.

She is truly an inspiration to us all. She looks fabulous, her risk for heart disease has plummeted, and her blood sugar is normal. And not only has she kept the weight off, but she is continuing to lose fat and gain muscle, making her healthier and more fit. You go, girl! I believe that by the time Jill has grandchildren, they’ll have a hard time keeping up with her!

Best of Health,

Kathi

P.S. What changes in your life have you been inspired to make because of Jill’s story? Share them with us!

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Kathi Casey, "The Healthy Boomer Body Expert", is a renowned health and wellness coach, author, trainer, popular speaker and radio show guest. Kathi has appeared on Fox 23 and ABC-8 Evening News, and produces her own TV show, "To Your Health."

Kathi is a columnist for The South Shore Senior News, Life After 50, Boomer-Living, has written for More Magazine, and owns the Healthy Boomer Body Center in the Berkshires of Massachusetts. Her programs and products help end your chronic back or neck pain, enhance your immune system, reduce stress, lower blood pressure, lose weight and KEEP it off, and laugh yourself well with Laughing Meditation! Her blog ranked #10 in nursingschools.net list of 50 top Health Blogs.

Kathi's Get Off The Couch Potato book taught us how to lose weight while lying on the couch watching Dancing With The Stars and her latest book STOP Back Pain - Kiss Your Back, Neck and Sciatic Nerve Pain Goodbye! is an Amazon international best seller in both Kindle and print versions.

For over 10 years, she's been teaching people all up and down the East Coast how to take charge of their own health care – regardless of what Congress does!

For more information, please visit HealthyBoomerBody.com

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