Reclaiming Strength, Confidence, and Joy at 63
When Christine Heckford began her journey with Enara Health in June of 2024, she wasn’t just carrying extra weight—she was carrying pain, fear, and the quiet belief that life might only continue to get harder from here.
At 63 years old, Christine works as an HR Director for an animal welfare organization and has always valued staying engaged with life. She loves concerts, kayaking, and lifting weights. But before Enara, many of those things felt increasingly out of reach. Chronic back pain following two prior surgeries, a hip replacement just six months earlier, and mounting health concerns made walking more than a block nearly impossible. At the time, she weighed 235 pounds with 48% body fat, was taking three blood pressure medications, and was struggling with depression.
“I truly thought I might have to sell my house because of the stairs,” she shared. “I only saw things getting worse over time if I didn’t change—but I also felt stuck.”
Taking the First Step Toward Herself
Christine knew she needed to take better care of herself, but like so many people, knowing what to do and actually making changes felt overwhelming. She had tried before and struggled to follow through. It wasn’t until her primary care doctor—who had recommended Enara Health several times during a difficult period of health issues—that she finally felt ready to begin.
Looking back, she says the hardest part wasn’t the program itself—it was getting started.
“Getting started is the hardest part,” Christine says. “One of the most important things I learned is that over-eating to comfort yourself isn’t self-care. Nourishing your body with healthy food and exercising is self-care. That’s self-love.”
That shift in perspective became the foundation for everything that followed.
A Transformation Beyond the Scale
Today, Christine’s life looks entirely different.
She now weighs between 141 and 145 pounds with 19.5% body fat. Her blood work is perfect. She has eliminated all blood pressure medications. Even more meaningful—she has no pain anywhere in her body.
She lifts weights four days a week, takes Pilates and yoga classes, and can walk for hours at a time—something she once thought would never be possible again.
“My dogs are very happy about that,” she laughs.
More than anything, she feels strong.
“I am more active, stronger, and more confident now than I think I’ve ever been in my life,” she says. “The changes have made me feel like I got my life back.”
The Power of Structure, Support, and Accountability
Christine credits much of her success to the structure and team-based support she received through Enara Health.
“Enara provided me with accountability, motivation, encouragement, and an amazing team,” she explains. “I had a dietitian, an exercise coach, and a medical doctor all supporting me.”
With her dietitian, she learned how to put together healthy, whole-food, balanced meals that were quick, realistic, and genuinely enjoyable. With the encouragement of her exercise coach, she found a love for movement—especially weight lifting—gradually increasing from three days a week in the gym to four.
“I LOVE it,” she says.
Medication also served as a helpful tool along the way. Christine used it as part of a comprehensive plan and has since been able to cut her dosage in half from where she started.
Using the Tools—and Practicing Self-Compassion
The Enara app became an important part of her journey. Logging meals, taking photos of food, tracking progress visually, and being able to message her care team helped her stay focused and supported.
“The app was super helpful and easy to use,” Christine shares. “Taking pictures of my food kept me accountable, and seeing changes visually kept me motivated.”
Just as important was learning to release guilt.
“Don’t beat yourself up if you slip up,” she says. “Tomorrow is a brand-new day.”
She also encourages others to take advantage of Enara’s behavioral health offerings.
“Take classes,” she says. “The Dialectical Behavioral Therapy group class is amazing.”
Finding Joy in Movement
One of Christine’s strongest pieces of advice is to find movement that feels empowering—not punishing.
“Find exercise that you love,” she says. “I’ve wanted to skip sometimes, but I don’t. And I have never walked out of the gym sorry that I showed up.”
That commitment—to show up even when it’s hard—helped her rebuild trust in herself and pride in her body’s capabilities.
Living Fully, Without Limits
Today, Christine lives without pain, without fear of physical limitation, and without the belief that aging means shrinking your life. She says yes to activities, feels confident in her clothes, is more social, and is even beginning to date again after several years.
“There is no activity I cannot do or won’t try,” she says.
Christine Heckford’s story is a powerful reminder that transformation isn’t about perfection—it’s about compassion, support, and choosing yourself, again and again.
And sometimes, it all begins with the courage to start.
