…cut back on the rich, fatty foods she had always loved.
But in 2009, a painful divorce sent Moore to food for comfort.
“I wasn’t exercising at all,” she said. “My health fell off the map and I went from a size 10 or 12 to a 16 or 18.”
One of Moore’s daughters learned about the role family history can play in health during an epidemiology class in college and urged her mother to take action.
“I didn’t pay that much attention, but she was really serious and then she and her sister got me a Wii Fit that Christmas,” Moore said. “She said, ‘You’re a great mom and I want you to be around to see your grandkids.’”
To placate her daughters, Moore began exercising, but without any regularity.
In March 2014, a disparaging comment by a stranger about her weight, along with the realization that one of her daughters was beginning to struggle with her own weight, spurred Moore to get serious. Then 49, she partnered with her daughter so they could keep each other accountable. The pair enjoyed early success with exercise videos at home, until her daughter went away to college.
“I had to decide to do it for me,” she said. “I wanted to leave my kids a legacy and show them that no matter how old you are, it’s never too late to live a healthy lifestyle.”
Prioritizing physical activity is crucial, especially when schedules get busy, said Lita Lewis, a celebrity trainer who has created specialized exercise challenges for Go Red Get Fit.
“Get up a few minutes earlier or make sure it’s on your schedule,” she said. “Find a way to make time for activity, even if its just 30 minutes.”
Lewis suggests finding ways to stay active with family and friends, creating playful competitions that get your heart rate up. That’s possible even during winter weather.
“Move all the furniture out of the way and hold a wheelbarrow race across a living room, or have contests to see who can hold a plank position the longest,” Lewis said. “Make it fun.”
Moore, now 51, began walking with friends and became active in a local CrossFit gym. Eventually she met with her doctor to revamp her diet, increasing fruit and vegetables and swapping white rice or flour for whole-grain options.
Her efforts paid off; she’s dropped several dress sizes and feels better than ever.
Moore said Go Red Get Fit offers her support and accountability to keep her inspired. She posts videos chronicling her efforts, including healthy meals she’s made.
“I love to see other participant’s personal testimony,” she said, adding that she’s trying to work herself up to 20,000-steps each day, a goal instigated by another Go Red Get Fit participant. “I liked all the challenges. They got me to do things I never thought I could do.”