Author - Alice Oglethorpe

“Walking is My Serenity,” says Ultra-Walker Yolanda H.

Nobody proves that small steps can have a big impact more than Yolanda H., 57, from Corona, CA. “I did my first 5k when I turned 40, when a friend suggested we walk one for charity,” she says. “I just loved it—the atmosphere, people cheering for you, and crossing the finish line felt so great. I was so sore after that I could barely walk...

“Smaller Clothes Are My Reward!” says LaDon G.

LaDon G., a 51-year-old who works in an assisted living facility in Spokane Valley, WA, knows exactly how she got to almost 300 pounds. “My daughter died in a fire 20 years ago when she was just five years old,” she says. “And afterwards, I just kind of gave up on things.” LaDon used food to comfort herself. “My mom used to make cinnamon...

“My Disease Doesn’t Define Me,” says Abigail B.

The thyroid disease that Abigail B. suffers from is called Hashimoto’s Disease, and last year it was starting to bring down her physical and mental wellbeing. “It was getting really bad and as a result I had absolutely no energy—I was so sick I couldn’t get out of bed,” says Abigail, a 21-year-old student in Logan, UT. “It also gave me...

“I Got the Whole Family Moving!” says Nicole T.

Four years ago, Nicole T., a 32 year old stay-at-home mom and psychology student in Denver, CO, should have been feeling great. She had just lost 115 pounds by joining a gym and counting calories with a notepad and pen, but she was having a hard time with her new body. “I had a lot of loose skin from losing so much weight and it really got to me...

“I Stopped Making Excuses!” says Tony J.—You Can, Too!

Tony J., a 38-year-old school service administrator in Orlando, FL, always had fun staying active and playing basketball with friends in his 20s. But then life got busy. “I got married and we had kids, and I had so much going on that I stopped working out,” he says. “During the day I’d swing by fast food for lunch constantly, and even...

“I’m No Longer On the Sidelines of Life!” says Casey S.

Casey S., 35, a payer operations and analytics manager at a large health system in Newport News, VA, has always been a mindless eater. “If I was watching TV, I was popping chips into my mouth and not even thinking about it,” he says. And his poor food choices didn’t stop there. “I didn’t really cook, so I’d eat pizza all the time for...