WEIGHT LOSS IS HER GAIN

WRITER: JAMES COMBS

FRED LOPEZ

Life has never been better for 40-year-old Gidget Blunt, who has completed two full marathons, zip lined across a Guatemalan jungle and gets down and dirty by competing in mud runs.

“I feel much better at 40 than I did when I was 30,” she said.

There’s a reason for that. It was only five years ago when she weighed 240 pounds, endured breathing problems and suffered from pain in her back and knees. Meals typically consisted of microwave dinners or “whatever was easy or convenient.”

But life changed dramatically when she entered a weight-loss challenge in January 2010. In three months, she lost 40 pounds and went from size 18 to size 14.

“More importantly, my breathing problems went away and my aches and pains vanished,” she said. “I was happier and my mood was lifted. Friends came up to me after those three months and said I was glowing.”

Gidget remains on track by eating healthy and exercising religiously. And, as owner of Tavares-based No Limit Fitness, she enjoys helping

• She eliminated processed food

• Eliminated dairy products, including cheese, ice cream and milk

• Added more vegetables and fruit

• Added coconut oil and apple cider vinegar to almost every meal

• Made all food from scratch clients achieve a healthier lifestyle.

“I have much more self-confidence than I ever did before,” she said. “Exercising not only gives you

“The most important thing I did was cut all dairy products,” she said. “That’s when my breathing problems, headaches and acne went away. I no longer had to rely on Claritin and ibuprofen to get through the day.” strength in your muscles, but on the inside as well. I want other people to discover the health benefits because their lives will change for the better.”

A TYPICAL MEAL:

Breakfast: Fruit smoothie

Lunch: Leftovers from dinner

Dinner: Ground turkey with chopped vegetables

EXERCISE REGIMEN:

• Sit-ups

• Burpees

• Push-ups

• Squats

• Wall ball

RUNNING ON FULL

Gidget successfully completed the 26.2-mile Space Coast Marathon in December 2013 and November 2014. That’s quite a feat, especially considering four years earlier she had never ran longer than one mile.

“I saw 70- and 80-year-old people competing in those marathons,” she said. “They’re living proof that you’re never too old to make a lifestyle change and be in tip-top shape.”