As a young man, staying fit was an easy, almost natural process.  As I got older and started adding weight along with the years, I fooled myself into thinking this was also “natural”. Maybe I was still just filling out. My ever-increasing waistline certainly showed it. Still, I could run, hunt, ski – the whole lot, so I considered myself “fit”. In 2007 I joined the DAC and went through the health and wellness check-up. For years I was on medication for elevated triglycerides, cholesterol and hypertension. Health and wellness seemed lacking and in 2009 the photos revealed it. My doctor told me I was an overweight man in his 50’s and I should expect things like my knees to just wear out. Unacceptable. So I went back to the DAC for a health and wellness follow up only this time I started following Carol’s instructions on monitoring and tracking my food intake according to good group and amount.  That helped and I started to lose weight, but not enough. I wanted more. I heard about kettlebells but that seemed a bit non-traditional so I was hesitant. But in 2010 I took the leap and joined David’s class. David also took me through more nutritional, health and wellness monitoring.  Kettlebells, nutrition and overall fitness training (4-6 times a week now) stuck and I was hooked. But it was kettlebells that changed my life, my core, my outlook. At my heaviest, I was 275 pounds, wearing size 42 pants and a 52 jacket. Now I am 40 lbs lighter, and have thoroughly enjoyed buying a new wardrobe. More importantly, I have completely eliminated my hypertension medication and greatly reduced my triglyceride levels.  For the first time in 25 years – perhaps my whole life – I know what being fit truly means.