She Lost 120 Lbs at Age 68 and Feels Decades Younger—Her 4 Keys to Success

If you were venturing somewhere you’d never gone before—say, Iceland—you’d benefit from having a guide, a road map and the right supplies. The same applies for conquering the weight-loss frontier after years of wandering through failed-diet land. Meet Joanne Park, 70. She enlisted insider advice to help her body and mind shift into the perspective of someone who felt comfortable with losing weight. She went from a wellness novice to a weight-loss native in a little over a year. Here’s how she managed to feel years younger and regain her sense of adventure, and how you can too.

4 tools that helped Joanne lose 120 pounds after 60

Joanne loved the idea of traveling, but her weight and sore knees made many experiences—like riding horses or even lowering a plane’s tray table over her belly—impossible. Then she arrived at her annual physical and learned she had diabetes. Plus, her triglycerides were still dangerously elevated—they’d been as high as 893 in the last 20+ years.

In the past, she’d used different cholesterol medicines. “We tried hard but we never quite got there,” Joanne says. “There,” in her mind, was a truly healthy place. This time, the doctor wanted to prescribe tirzepatide (Mounjaro), which treats type 2 diabetes. The catch: To get the medicine, Joanne was required to use Virta Health virtual nutrition coaching, a benefit through her employer-provided health insurance. To her delight, it became her first class ticket to success in these four strategic ways.

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A wellness coach helped her overcome mental blocks

This Colorado grandmother started her get-healthy efforts in March 2025 and says, “I got assigned a wonderful coach.” She explains, “For months, Autumn and I chatted Monday through Friday. It was nice to have someone who I could ask questions, bounce ideas off and to cheer me on.” Suddenly Joanne wasn’t alone in this journey. She was walking side-by-side with a weight-loss coach who knew the terrain.

Case in point: Joanne couldn’t wrap her brain around eating vegetables she didn’t like. But Autumn gave her permission to skip foods that didn’t taste good. They found healthy snacks Joanne enjoyed: hard-boiled egg whites, snap peas, cottage cheese. Instead of stressing over the goals she missed, her thought shifted to: “What goal can I hit today?”

Proof that coaching works! Virta members keep off an average 31 pounds, slash the use of diabetes meds by 63 percent and lower A1C levels by 1.3 points.

GLP-1 medication curbed Joanne’s hunger

GLP-1 meds stimulate the release of hormones that naturally exist in the human gut and are abundant in the guts of naturally slim people. So while Autumn helped Joanne think like a thin person, the meds helped Joanne’s stomach act more like a thin person. “My doctor said part of my challenge was a hormonal imbalance,” Joanne explains. “GLP-1 is controlling it, but it’s not curing it.”

Meds are one useful tool. Family nurse practitioner Erika Chen, of Yunara Life, says GLP-1s can “help regulate hunger, appetite and blood sugar.” On average, tirzepatide users shed about 46 pounds in 18 months.

A protein-packed breakfast powered her morning

Another healthy routine among people who are successful with sustainable weight loss: eating a protein-rich breakfast that starts the day strong. The problem: “I wasn’t getting the protein I needed,” says Joanne. “I was not a breakfast person. So for me to cook a breakfast with eggs or bacon—that just wasn’t going to happen.”

Autumn suggested a workaround: sipping a protein shake on the drive to work. Joanne aimed for 20 to 25 grams of protein in her shaker bottle, blending almond milk, Greek yogurt, frozen fruit and protein powder. Research in the Journal of Obesity & Metabolic Syndrome finds consuming a morning protein shake triggers positive brain and gut changes, resulting in up to a 40 percent drop in afternoon snacking.

Low-carb lunches steadied her blood sugar

Another healthy habit: taking lunch to work instead of relying on processed, sugary to-go options. “I gave up Starbucks,” she says. “Before, I bought lunch every day.” Joanne began packing low-carb dinner leftovers. “In Colorado you can grill year round,” she says. She enjoyed simple meals like steak, burgers or chicken breast and cucumber salads. She kept her daily carb intake between 30 and 50 grams. This steadied her blood sugar and fueled her muscles, speeding metabolism. (See her healthy dessert recipe below.)

Joanne’s type 2 diabetes is now in remission

Joanne lost 90 pounds in the six months after she made this “quiet but powerful promise to myself: to stop dieting and start living.” When she says, “This past year has been one of the most transformative of my life,” she means it. Her health shifted in miraculous ways: “My lower back pain is gone. My diabetes is in remission. My cholesterol is normal for the first time in 25 years. My triglycerides, once as high as 893, have dropped to 107. My A1C fell from a 6.5 (in the diabetes range) to a healthy 4.7.” And her sleep apnea is improving. “Medications I depended on for years have been reduced or eliminated!” Plus, she’s confident she’ll keep the weight off for good. “I have the right tools now!”

Weight loss can help many people feel more youthful and mobile. In fact, losing just 10 pounds takes 40 pounds of pressure off your knees with every step, according to a study from the University of Chicago.

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How Joanne found her formula for lasting weight-loss success

In all, Joanne lost 120 pounds in a little over a year, dropped from a size 24 to 12 and donated 16 bags of too-big clothing. While her amazing success isn’t typical, she found the right formula. “My sister said, ‘I don’t think you’d have done this without a coach.’ I’m tearing up thinking about it,” Joanne says. “It was a combination of everything, equally.”

Another change: “With this weight loss, I’ve gained confidence!” After years of struggling with mobility challenges, Joanne—who hints that she’d love to become a travel agent when she retires—enjoyed a powerful victory moment. She snorkeled through a narrow passage of lava rocks in Iceland. Picture it: “Me, floating, feeling strong, fearless and alive.” She wore a wetsuit and the biggest smile of her life. “It was more than an adventure; it was a declaration that new experiences don’t have an age limit. I don’t feel like I’m 70. I feel like I’m 40!”

Joanne’s maple mason jar ice cream recipe

Being on a health and weight-loss journey doesn’t mean saying no to your favorite sweet treats. It just means finding new ways to enjoy the things you love, like ice cream. Joanne’s homemade “ice cream” recipe allowed her to enjoy dessert alongside her husband, and it might just be the perfect complement to your apple pie this Thanksgiving.

Ingredients:
1 cup (8 oz.) heavy whipping cream
2 packets Splenda or 1 tsp. monk fruit
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. real maple syrup

Directions:
Combine all ingredients into a small mason jar, secure the lid and shake vigorously until the mixture doubles in volume. Then freeze until firm and enjoy. (This has around 11 grams of carbs and 3 grams of protein.) Makes 2 servings.

This story originally appeared in the November 23, 2026, issue of Woman’s World.

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This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.