Jordin Sparks has been known for her curvy body since the sixth season of American Idol. When she was 17 years old, Jordin was a size 14. The singer and actress remembers constantly feeling tired and sick by the time she was 21. Not feeling healthy and energetic was a big concern for her.

“I just wanted to be healthy. I remember thinking, ‘I’m in my prime. I should be happy and fit,’” she said at Huffington Post. That was the moment I decided that changes needed to be made.”

She ditched the naps and slowly started to work off the pounds. Jordin started her weight loss with walks around her neighborhood, then she started hiking, and then joined a gym. There she took Zumba classes because it a fun way to shed the weight. Jordin saw significant weight loss when she revamped her diet. She managed her portions and opted out on sugary snacks and drinks.
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We love hearing from people who have a True Weight Loss Story because we not only feel privileged to tell such amazing stories of health and transformation, but we also get excited at the chance to inspire others.

So when 42-year-old truck driver John Drury reached out to us about this 100-plus pound weight loss through dance fitness, we simply couldn’t wait to chat.

Growing up, John was an avid athlete which contributed to his tall, skinny build. “I was always into sports. But as you get older in life you settle down and get married,” he said. “And that’s when I started driving a truck.”

John’s career change affected his eating habits and activity level immensely. He started accepting free food from the restaurants he was delivering to on the job, which was mostly fast food or high-calorie meals. And spending 60-70 hours a week behind the wheel didn’t leave much time to get to the gym.
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Because I am a clumsy person who regularly walks into doors, Zumba was not the best fit for me. I tried it a few years ago in an effort to broaden my fitness horizons. I thought, “I can do this. There’s old people in there and they’re having a great time!” I would always walk out feeling a bit out of sorts, though: I hadn’t gotten a great workout, it wasn’t very fun for me, and the room was covered in mirrors so everyone could see my lack of rhythm. I came to terms with this, reasoning that it’s not the end of the world that I will never be anything close to a decent salsa performer or belly dancer.

Similar stories to mine are not hard to find, I’m happy to say. Sometimes we try a new exercise or sport and we’re so terrible we never do it again; other times it was just that first time that was awkward and then we get the hang of it. This week’s Fit Crypt brings together the incompetence in all of us.
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When Alberto Perez started teaching aerobics in his hometown of Cali, Columbia, he was doing it to earn extra cash. Those aerobics classes blossomed into the fitness phenomenon that is known worldwide as Zumba. Zumba Fitness is a privately held company, but it has grown from just classes to a fitness empire that has attracted some big time investors.

Now you can get Zumba DVDs, video games, clothes or take the classes in more than 125 countries. Zumba, a Latin dance-inspired aerobic workout, started in a Miami garage almost 11 years ago. The fun dance classes have attracted not only the attention of investors, but also hip-hop stars that want their music featured in classes and on the videos. When teaching his first classes in Miami, Alberto, also known as Beto, was teaching the mother of Alberto Perlman. Perlman partnered with Beto and had the idea to take the classes to video for infomercial sale.
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As millions watched on Sunday evening, the new Miss USA was officially crowned. Olivia Culpo of Rhode Island managed to beat out her 50 other competitors by stunning judges with her charm, enchanting looks and bubbly personality.

The new Miss USA is an Italian beauty who comes from a big family, and says she spent her summers at band camp where she played the cello for nearly 13 years.

Culpo’s deep love of music, that’s also shared by her parents, led her to perform at Symphony Hall in Boston and Carnegie Hall in New York City.

Culpo admitted that she wasn’t always the beauty queen type and that as a child she was a bit on the chubby side. Although she naturally blossomed after a growth spurt later in life, she credits her now-toned 5-foot-7 physique to much discipline and dedication to her diet and fitness regimen.
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