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When I learned that my brother and sis-in-law had gone to Hawaii with BeachBody, I wondered what on earth they had done to win such an awesome reward. When I finally saw them at a family event, looking incredibly tanned and fit, I was stunned at the remarkable results they had achieved by doing this program called "Power 90". I was equally amazed when I offered them some of the cookies I was hoarding and their answer was, "No thanks". As I finished up my stockpile of cookies I began wondering, "What's up with that?" You see, to say I was not the healthiest of eaters would be a gross understatemnet. In fact, my idea of a well-balanced meal consisted of M&M's(peanut, of course) and doughnuts with an ice cream chaser, accompanied by a pot or two of coffee. Not decaf, either! The idea of refusing a cookie never even crossed my mind! What in the world had gotten into my bro and sis-in-law?

Oh yeah, did I mention that I am diabetic? You're probably thinking, "Aren't you supposed to stay away from sugar if you have diabetes?" The answer, of course, is "YES!" and I did for the first few years of the disease. But, after havibng 3 kids in less than 3 years, I was too busy (and tired from working 12 hour night shifts as a nurse) to worry about the disease. Initially, I could just take a little extra insulin to compensate for my "cheats", but over the years my insulin needs needs increased, and so did my weight. Mind you, I was never that heavy on the outside because I knew that if I didn't take enough insulin to cover all the food I ate (in increasingly huge amounts...can you say "binge-eating disorder?", then my body would burn fat and even muscle to try to get energy (a futile pursuit without insulin). My body would also try to flush out the extra sugar through excessive amounts of urine, leaving me so dehydrated that at times it was, quite literally, hard to blink! Naturally, all this added up to frequent bouts of depression that began to last longer and become more intense. All the while, the internal damage was adding up and threatening to catch up with me in later years, leaving my children with a debilitated or, worse yet, dead mother. Feeling sick and lethargic all the time became my way of life, but I considered it a small price to pay because I could still fit into my jeans and look good. I simply increased my coffee intake to function. Never mind that I felt absolutely horrible, it was all about looking good!

"Power 90" came into my life at just the right time. I was a mess: thin on the outside but basically rotting away on the inside. I knew I needed to do something but previous attempts to get myself under control had failed miserably. When I decided to get on the program it wasn't with much confidence. I doubted I could overcome my lack of self-discipline. I thought of the trip to Hawaii as an addd bonus to try and stick with it longer than just a few days. Little did I know what a dramatic effect "Power 90" would have on every aspect of my life!

Although I was athletic in my pre-childbirth days, I was badly out of shape. Well, actually, I had a shape but it wasn't even close to the one I wanted! The first weeks were humbling, to say the least. Cursing at Tony all the while (sorry Tony), I reluctantly dragged my starving, not- a-morning-person self out of bed and exercised before the sun was up. Initially, I had to stop and rest after every couple of moves. I was so sore I could barely walk, andeven worse, I was having coffee and M&M withdrawals. I ate my morning oatmeal with all the enthusiasm of a condemned woman, certain that eating healthy food would, in fact, be the death of me. Over time, I went from tolerating my oatmeal(and Tony's jokes) to craving and enjoying my oatmeal and thinking Tony was pretty funny! I began to appreciate-and then,to absolutely delight in-the solitude found in the wee morning hours before the kids would wake up and chaos would engulf me. Amazingly, the whopping 2 push-ups that used to be a struggle soon became 10, 15 and then 20. Through consistent hard work and clean eating, I began to see my newly-developed muscles as the layer of fat over them melted away. When I got hungry I would remind myself, "I am a fat-burning machine!" My endurance and stamina continued to increase as my dress size decreased. Not only did I notice, but others around me began to notice too. As nice as that is, the biggest and most monumental benefit of "Power 90" was not necessarily the way I looked but the way I started to consistently feel strong and energetic due to the fact that my blood sugars were basically within normal range.

For the first time in over 9 years I am back in control of my eating habits, blood sugars, and energy level. The ability to play with my kids on the trampoline, go water or snow skiing, and motorcycle riding with my husband, and give that extra something special to my patients at work are just a few of the practical blessings I've gotten from getting fit and eating well. Not only am I making better health choices for myself, but I'm giving my kids and husband healthier meals, encouraging more family activity, and being a much more pleasant and energetic person to be around in general.Oh yeah,did I also mention that I won the trip to Hawaii? It was the trip of a lifetime!!

Although I started with "Power 90" I have tried most of the programs and currently rotate among them for variety. I would very much like to help you achieve your fitness goals too!