While there's no strict definition of rapid weight loss, if you watch "The Biggest Loser" there's a good chance you're seeing it with your own eyes. I've never been into the show, but I became an adamant un-fan (if I may create my own word) after watching more than one contestant exercise to the point of puking and others rushed to the hospital after collapsing. Like many reality shows, "The Biggest Loser" takes things to the extreme - after all, watching a show where people lose the recommended 1-2 pounds a week would be like watching paint dry.

There have been plenty of professionals who agree, but reading about this made me wonder: Haven't all of us, at one time or another, gone too far in our own quest to lose weight? Maybe we haven't done 6-hour workouts every day, but most of us have skipped meals or tried crazy diets in an effort to lose weight, only to realize that, first, life isn't much fun when you're not feeding your body and, second, any weight you lose comes right back when you start eating normally.

What about you? Have you ever gone too far to lose weight and, if so, what did you learn from that experience? Is it ever worth it to go too far? Vote in this week's poll and tell us about your extreme weight loss experiences.

When my mother turned 40, she said, "Everything works fine until you turn 40. Then everything starts falling apart." She stuck with that theory until she turned 50, which was when she said, "Did I say 40 was the end? Because that was nothing. It's 50 when your body really goes down hill." At 60, she became more philosophical about aging, saying, "Appreciate what you have when you have it."

While there isn't necessarily one age where you wake up feeling old, 45 does seem to be an important age when it comes to cardio fitness. In one study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, researchers studied over 20,000 men and women from 1974 to 2006. They looked at lifestyle variables such as body mass index, self-reported aerobic exercise, and smoking while measuring their cardio fitness by using a treadmill test. Researchers found that cardio fitness declines over time, but goes down hill at a faster rate after 45 years of age, at least for those participants who didn't exercise.

The bottom line is that how healthy we are as we age is directly related to how much physical activity we get and there are too many people who think it's too late to turn things around. It's never too late to change how you live, something our readers prove time after time. Just check out this post, Live Better as You Age and read the comments and you'll see what I mean.

What about you? Did you notice your body or fitness level changing with age? Did that motivate you to make changes in your life? Leave a comment and tell us about your experiences with exercise.

• Exercise for Seniors
• Combat the Effects of Aging with Exercise
• Growing Older, Gaining Weight
• Total Body Strength for Seniors

_Source:

_{Jackson A, Xuemei S, Hebert J, et al. Role of Lifestyle and Aging on the Longitudinal Change in Cardiorespiratory Fitness. Arch Intern Med. 2009;169(19):1736.}

I really liked our latest weight loss success story for a variety of reasons. First, because Cyn obviously has a great sense of humor about something so emotional and sensitive. As she puts it, "The fashion designer in me got sick of going to the "big girls" section to shop for clothes, a term I will use loosely as they were all designed by Omar, the tent maker."

Second, Cyn mentioned trying everything from Weight Watchers to Jenny Craig, and quitting each time before realizing that, "I knew what I had do to, I just wasn't doing it."

That's something we can all relate to and one of biggest obstacles to losing weight: Knowing you need to change but unable to get to that place where you're ready to do it. Cyn reached that turning point and, "decided to wipe the cobwebs off my Wii, and start moving. I cut out all bread, reduced portion size, started drinking more water, and snacked on fruit." Those changes led to a 23-pound weight loss and a new attitude.

Read more about weight loss success story">Cyn's inspirational story and leave a comment to tell us if you've ever been in that situation. Have you ever wanted to make a change in your life but simply weren't ready to tackle it? What was your turning point? Leave a comment and tell us about it.

Every year, various fitness organizations come out with their fitness predictions for the coming year, which means it's time to find out what we'll be doing in 2010. Thanks to The American Council on Exercise, we know that we'll be doing many of the same things we did last year, but with a major focus on money - as in, saving as much of it as we can.

Other things we'll be doing? More Wii-kouts, more trendy workouts and more time efficient workouts. I have to say, one of my favorite fitness trends of 2009 was interval training, a great way to get more done in less time and I predict we'll see much more of that in the next year as well.

Check out more fitness trends for 2010 and tell us what you'll be doing in the coming year. Will you be trying something new and changing things up? How has the past year affected your workouts and exercise decisions? Is exercise more important to you now or do you struggle to make it a priority? Leave a comment and tell us what you think.