I was in a scary place in August. I had lost 65 pounds a few years ago, but because of difficult life circumstances, I found myself 19 pounds heavier. My five year-old daughter had spent the year weaning from her feeding tube, and it was stressful to say the least.  I had stopped prioritizing my own health. I was no longer hauling around the tubes that has been a huge part of my life for four years, but still having to focus on my daughter’s health and forgetting that I have to take care of myself in order to take care of others. At forty, with two small children, this is essential.

If you’ve ever found yourself out of control with your eating with no motivation to exercise, you know how I was feeling. The 19 pound weight gain was a concrete visual reminder that I would soon be back to my starting weight. Terrifying.

I knew that I had to rise up and kick it in the teeth, and that is precisely what I did. I began Denise Austin’s 360 Program, and within the ten weeks that the program entailed, I completely turned my life around.

Her vivacious and caring personality called me back every day to the daily workouts. I was so thankful that I could choose my workout level and that I chose Level 1, because I was able to integrate fitness into my life in a way that felt good to my body–not jarring to my joints or something that I dreaded. I absolutely loved finding out which video she had chosen for me for the day. It truly felt like the program had been hand-tailored just for me. My children began to join me during the workouts. Although this is akin to working out next to two hurricanes, it made me feel good to not only see them spending time getting fit, but also watching me as a role model, showing them how fun exercising can be.

I watched the “Denisiology” videos every week as they came up on the program, sometimes several times, and it was just the caring motivation that I needed. Her videos talked me out of the self-doubt and fear that I had been feeling and propelled me into living my days in the most healthful way that I could.

All of those things combined with healthful eating and foods that she suggested caused my mind to flip from depressed and scared to optimistic and happy. I began feeling joy again. Amazing. I lost around ten pounds and my body went from soft to feeling firm muscles and I was once again able to work out with the feeling of euphoria that it gave me instead of gasping for breath.

I am now in Week 2 of my second round of the program. I’ve still got weight to lose, and you better believe I’m going to do it. I’m doing the Level 2 exercises this time and I feel like a pro!

Life can be hard. I’m so thankful that Denise’s program was able to bring me from the pit of sadness and worry to the mountaintop of health and hope.

-Keely