“I was Afraid I Wouldn’t See my 50th Birthday”

Eighteen years ago Dennis Pitre celebrated his 40th birthday, weighing 385 pounds. The celebration was an eye-opening one and he made the decision that if he wanted to blow out candles on his 50th birthday cake, he needed to make a change.

Today, the 58-year-old is 200 pounds lighter. He joined the Saint John Regional Y with his wife, Bev in 2015.

“There is no judgement here,” Pitre said. “It doesn’t matter who you are or what size you are, everyone is welcomed.”

Pitre explained how in the last year alone his has lost nearly 100 pounds. He works out at the Y’s state of the art Fitness Centre and wants to challenge himself by attending a Cyclefit class in the near future.

“The biggest thing I can tell people is that you have to do it for yourself, you can’t do it for anyone else,” he said. “I have been on every diet going, but it wasn’t until I made a commitment to myself that I started to see a difference.”

The Pitre’s have both challenged themselves and reached new goals at the YMCA. They encourage others if they want to take the step towards a healthier life, ensure you are surrounded by a supportive network, like the one they have found at the Y.