As I approached the microphone at the National Leadership Summit in Dallas a year ago, there was little question that my Fight Back pledge needed to begin with my own personal fitness. I was far removed from the kid who played five sports in high school and never missed a rec league basketball game for the first few years after college. Truth be told, my friends from those days would hardly recognize the overweight, out-of-shape person I had become. And now in my 50s, the cancer risks loomed large and threatening.
So my Fight Back pledge was to get physically fit, adopt wiser eating habits, and follow a healthier lifestyle. Beginning in December, I started working with a personal trainer three to four times a week who guided my fitness regimen as well as my food choices. Results were fast and encouraging -- I actually lost eight pounds during the holiday season…for me, truly an unheard of "man-bites-dog" turn of events!
