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“I’m a swimmer. I like to play tennis and be active, but I haven’t been able tobecause of the weight.”Debbie hopes to lose another 22 pounds and reach her goal weight of 200pounds. Her ultimate goal is to be able to run.She says she will keep up with Slim Down because of the mental support shereceives, the friendships she’s developed, the variety of exercises she gets todo, her improved mental attitude and the positive aspect on life she now has.Staten IslandAdvance/AnthonyDePrimoDebbie Maiurro, 51, is 21pounds lighter than whenshe started Slim Down onJan. 29.“It’s a mindset,” she said. “The fact that we meet twice a week makes you feellike there is somebody out there who cares.”Debbie has nothing but good things to say about her experience with the SlimDown.“I have friends that I wouldn’t have had otherwise. We help each other. It givesus something to look forward to.”When Debbie is not doing Slim Down fitness challenges, she goes to the Eltingville YMCA with her mom.“We live in a two-family house so we go to the Y together,” Debbie said.“We support each other,” echoed Yolanda, who has her own reasons for doing the Slim Down.“Even though I’m 81, I want to look well,” she said. “I want to look wonderful. I want to take care of mybody as long as I can. My mother lived to be 101, so I want to do what she did. She was healthy and lookedgreat.”Already 10 pounds lighter, Yolanda says she is able to get around the house a lot easier.“I had problems with my legs, so if I lose the weight, I can walk better, go up stairs and be a lot lighter onmy feet,” she explained. “I used to be a couch potato with excuses that my legs hurt.”Now Yolanda is glad she stopped making excuses.“I’m happy I found this program,” she said. “I made so many new friends and reunited with an old friendthat I hadn’t seen in 30 years.”Yolanda’s goal is to lose another eight pounds and weigh 130 by the end.Page 123 of 179