The new year often brings a fresh start for those who make a resolution and commit themselves to change. Many of those who do so have weight loss as their goal but it often comes at a cost. We might decide to pay extra for special ‘diet’ foods or opt for an expensive gym membership. Walking outside can also come at a cost, as it can be both dangerous and uncomfortable. As you are about to see, it isn’t even necessary to leave your home if you want to make positive changes in your life.

I’d like to introduce you to an 86-year-old woman named Jessica Slaughter. She lives alone in a small, one-bedroom apartment and is afraid of going outside because of the risk of falling. One thing she didn’t do is let that stop her from reaching her health goals.

Ever morning, Slaughter walks 3,000 steps before she stops. She doesn’t do it on a treadmill, she walks back and forth through her living room and kitchen.

Her efforts have not been in vain. Slaughter has dropped 120 pounds, even though the slow walking in her apartment is the only exercise she does. She is living proof that we have no excuse not to exercise.

Slaughter was in her 70s when she made the choice to lose weight. She started exercising but she also made changes to her diet.

She used to fill her plate with food choices, such as fried chicken, bacon and eggs and cake. She made the switch to a vegan diet that focuses on fruits and vegetables.

The decision to lose weight was more than just a choice to drop pounds. Slaughter was pre-diabetic but she is probably as healthy now as she has ever been in her life.

She sais: “I went to my doctor for a checkup. He told me my health was better than his. I was a borderline diabetic. I’m free of all that, and I know it came from my way that I eat and exercise.”

Slaughter uses technology to track her steps. A Fitbit was the recommendation of her granddaughter but other than that, she doesn’t use any equipment. She just stays motivated.

She hopes that her success can inspire others who have reached their ‘golden years’. “I just want seniors to know just because we’ve gotten a certain age, we don’t have to stop living. I want to tell them that there’s a better way of life if they choose.”

You can take a peek in her refrigerator and see her exercising in this video: