In August 2021, Dolli had Gastric Bypass surgery. The journey after surgery began with totally changing her diet. As her health improved, she started walking on the treadmill for just 10 minutes at first. Then, slowly increasing her distance & speed. Next, she started running on the treadmill eventually running a 5K every morning. The final component was to add light weight training. A healthy diet & portion control combined with a 6-day per week exercise routine contributed to rapid weight loss for her. By May 2022, Dolli hit her goal weight losing 101 lbs. As she continued healthy eating habits & regular exercise, she eventually lost 117 lbs. She truly is an inspiration.

In August 2022, I began my fitness journey. At first I struggled to finish a 30-minute workout of basic isometric exercises (exercise without weights) – stuff like toe touches, crunches, leg & arm extensions, jumping jacks, etc. Eventually I had a routine that included 400-500 crunches 5 days per week. What began as a complete routine is now the 15-minute warm-up to an hour-and-half workout.

On Christmas Day 2022, we converted our office into a home gym. Dolli is up at 4:30 am every weekday & completes her workout before work. Saturdays she sleeps in a bit, but still works out. I’m not a morning person, so I lift weights & exercise every afternoon. The gains have been slow, but with a consistent exercise routine, we are both slowly losing fat and building muscle (Dolli really doesn’t have much fat left to lose). Our fitness journey has more to do with improving our health & less about a desired physique. If we aren’t healthy, we can’t enjoy travel nearly as much. Maybe our fitness journey will inspire you to begin one of your own.