"Prior to joining GHF, I weighed as much as I had 14 years earlier when I was 9 months pregnant with my son. I also had fibromyalgia and spent sleepless nights suffering from chronic back pain. I tried to keep up with our family's active lifestyle but found myself begging off more often than not. I looked -- and felt -- middle-aged. I couldn't run the 1/2-mile loop around the local park; even a short walk around the block left me winded. In addition, my hands hurt so badly that I could not open a jar.

Fortunately, I came across the Global Health & Fitness website. Here was a program I could fit into my life. They offered the personalized support and programs I needed to make fitness a way of life. This is exactly what I wanted! Shortly after becoming a GHF member, I made the following 6-month goals: to make new healthy habits, to lose fat and add lean muscle, and to improve my cardiovascular fitness.

I began following the Global Health & Fitness teachings and committed myself to working out 3-5 times a week and gradually changed my diet, becoming more conscience of my protein, fat, and carbohydrate intake. Gradually, I started seeing the difference in how I felt and looked. The fat -- 24 pounds of it -- was finally coming off. Clothes that I had not worn for years came out of the back recesses of the closet. At a church dinner someone mistook me for being my son's sister, not his mother.

Thanks to GHF's program, I am now able to do things I've never done or haven't done for years. I can ski all day or run 5 miles without stopping. I can participate in an hour-long cycling class and challenge myself throughout the exercise. I even backpacked a 19-mile trip this summer in the Sawtooth National Forest. These activities were impossible for me before.

The GHF program gave me a goal and a vision on which to keep my focus. The Monday Motivation gave me a weekly boost and reminder of the journey that I was on. The customized exercise programs gave me a place to start and build my workouts. And their personal fitness consulting assured that I was maximizing my time and efforts. Thanks so much for everything GHF!"

Tamara C. Sandmeyer tami@sandcastleslc.com